With the Hall Of Fame election announcement coming on January 9, 2013, it is time to review the ballot, go over the names, and decide who belongs in the Hall Of Fame.

There are twenty four men on the ballot for the first time 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 2013 menu at the top of the page.

In this article, we take a look at Kenny Lofton

Why He Should Get In
Lofton is one of the great basestealers in recent memory.  With over 600 stolen bases, it places him in elite company.  Add to that a career batting average of .299, a career on base percentage of .372, 2,428 hits, and 383 doubles in addition to the above mentioned hardware and Lofton has a serious case for enshrinement.

Why He Should Not Get In
The numbers are impressive, but they do fall just a bit short.  He has 2,428 hits, not 2,500.  He has 383 doubles, not 400.  He falls just short in multiple categories.  Ultimately, it probably won’t keep him out of the Hall permanently, just for the next few years.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
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