Cooperstown Choices: Rafael Palmeiro

With the Hall Of Fame election announcement coming on January 9, 2012, it is time to review the ballot, go over the names, and decide who belongs in the Hall Of Fame.

There are twenty seven men on the ballot this year and we will take a look at each one individually prior to official announcements. You can find all of the profiles in the I-70 Baseball Exclusives: Cooperstown Choices 2012 menu at the top of the page.

Tune in Saturday, January 7, 2012 as I-70 Baseball Radio will host a panel of writers discussing the Hall Of Fame Ballot in a 2-hour special.

In this article, we take a look at Rafael Palmeiro

Rafael Palmeiro
Palmerio enjoyed a long 20-year career in major league baseball, making his debut in 1986 with the Chicago Cubs and finishing it in 2005 as a member of the Baltimore Orioles. This will be his second year on the ballot.

Why He Should Get In
Palmeiro was a premier player throughout his career, compiling 569 home runs, 585 doubles, 1835 runs batted in and 3,020 hits. He would make four All Star appearances, three Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger Awards. His .288 career batting average is fairly high for a player known for his power stroke.

Why He Should Not Get In
The Steriod Era captures a lot of players, but few are tarnished as much as Palmeiro. When players were called in front of the United States Congress on the matter, Palmeiro was adamant that he had not and would not use performance enhancing drugs. That took place in March of 2005, his 3,000 hit came later that year, as did a positive test result that he to this day swears was a simple mistake. One of only four players in Major League history to collect both 500 home runs and 3,000 hits, his final season in the league might harm him beyond repair.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
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