Chicago Cubs: Sosa, Lee, Ramirez on 2017 Hall of Fame ballot

Each year, Major League Baseball comes up with a list of worthy Hall of Fame candidates. Some, like a few former Chicago Cubs, had to wait their turn in order to make it to Cooperstown. Will it be the same this year?

When you think Chicago Cubs’ Hall of Famers, the names Ron Santo, Ryne Sandberg, Greg Maddux, Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Hack Wilson, and Jimmie Foxx come to mind. Yes, Andre Dawson is in the Hall of Fame but he entered as a Montreal Expo.

Dawson began his career with the Expos back in 1976 through ’86 and moved on to Chicago from 1987-1992. He retired in 1996. Now, back to the current list. As reported by the Chicago Tribune, aside from Sammy Sosa, Ivan Rodriguez, and Manny Ramirez, there are 19 new names on the ballot.

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Newcomers such as Casey Blake, Pat Burrell, Magglio Ordonez, Derrek Lee, Matt Stairs, Jorge Posada, Tim Wakefield, Billy Wagner, and Jason Varitek are just a few names. A great list of talent that will come down to just two men.

Last year, it was Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza being immortalized as two of the greatest baseball players in the history of this sport. Also, Griffey landed himself the cover of next year’s MLB The Show — a Playstation exclusive.

One of the prettiest swings, ever.

Maybe Next Year?

After having a run in with steroids, both Manny Ramirez and Sammy Sosa have had to sit back and watch people pass them by. No, Ramirez did not play with the Chicago Cubs but he has been a coach for the Triple-A affiliate for a few years now.

He has helped guys such as Javier Baez. Baez was co-LCS MVP alongside southpaw, Jon Lester when they dismissed Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Manny has proved to be a great coach.

Honestly, I’m thinking it’s going to be Tim Wakefield and Ivan Rodriguez making into the Hall of Fame in 2017. Rough, but that’s just how the cookie crumbles. There’s always next year, right?

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We won’t know who makes the Hall of Fame until mid-January, so let’s spark a little bit of a debate here. Let us know who you think is going to make it into Cooperstown and who deserves to be snubbed.

Do you think it’s right for those who used PED’s to make the Hall of Fame or should they be cast aside? Let us know in the comment section below. We are interesting in hearing your thoughts on this topic.