Dodgers Dugout: Hall president Josh Rawitch discusses the Hall of Fame

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell and the rain is coming to L.A. a couple of weeks too late.

Three players were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday: Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner. Before the voting was announced, I did a quick Q&A with Hall of Fame president Josh Rawitch, who spent 15 seasons in the Dodgers front office and was named president of the Hall in 2021.

In the interest of transparency, Rawitch was a pleasure to work with when he was with the Dodgers and I consider him a friend. I’ve never been to the Hall of Fame, but hopefully one day.

This interview was conducted via email.

Q. Can you give us an idea of what will be shown in the Hall of Fame from the Dodgers’ 2024 World Series title?

Rawitch: The Dodgers’ 2024 World Series title has its own case in our Autumn Glory exhibit and includes a number of really incredible artifacts, including the spikes worn by Freddie Freeman in Games 1 & 2, Walker Buehler’s glove from the final out of the Series, a cap worn by Dave Roberts, jerseys worn by Shohei Ohtani and Anthony Banda, a helmet worn by Tommy Edman, batting gloves worn by Mookie Betts, a credential from a Japanese media member and much more. You can see a photo and read about all of the artifacts here.

Q. How does the Hall go about collecting all of that, and do players ever say “No, you can’t have that”?

Rawitch: Throughout the Series, we put together a list of artifacts that would help tell the story from the proper historical perspective. As we get towards the very end of the series, we work with different people on the various artifacts. Sometimes an artifact belongs to the player, sometimes it is the property of the team and sometimes it belongs to MLB. In the case of the Dodgers, Executive VP Lon Rosen and Clubhouse Manager Alex Torres were critical in our efforts and everyone we asked to donate an artifact was willing and receptive. On occasion, a player may suggest a different artifact than the one we have requested (i.e. their spikes instead of their hat) because they want to hang onto something or have promised it to a family member. By and large, it’s clear that everyone in the game recognizes the incredible honor it is to have an artifact in Cooperstown and they know that we are promising to look after it forever so that future generations of fans and their family can enjoy it.

Q. Being Hall of Fame president sounds like a dream job for a baseball fan. I imagine you could spend all day just looking at memorabilia that isn’t on display to the public. Can you give us an idea of what a typical day is for you?

Rawitch: It truly is a dream job not only for me but for so many of the nearly 100 full-time and 100+ part-time people who dedicate their lives to this institution. Having grown up in Los Angeles, I also believed that all my years at the Dodgers (1995-2011) and then my decade at the D-backs were also a dream job. As the head of a non-profit organization, I spend significant time focused on fundraising and representing the Hall of Fame at various events. My role is also to lead the team of professionals both in Museum Affairs and the “business” side of the institution, as we are a living, breathing museum that is open 362 days a year. I also have the honor of spending a lot of time interacting with Hall of Famers, their families and descendants, personnel from the 30 teams and generally focused on the major events we put on each year, including our annual Induction and Memorial Day weekend festivities.

Q. Adrián Beltré was inducted last year, and he was with the Dodgers the same time you were with them. What was it like reuniting with him?

Rawitch: I could not be happier for Adrián and his family. I can vividly remember talking to him at Dodgertown in Vero Beach almost 25 years ago and I was always struck by how mature he was and of course, how talented he was on the field. His 2004 season was one of the best I’ve ever witnessed, personally, and even after he left the Dodgers, I was able to see him from time to time when his teams would face the Dodgers or D-backs. He is so deserving of this ultimate honor and is clearly one of the best third basemen in the history of baseball, so to be able to watch that happen from his first days as a teenager in the big leagues until he was standing on stage giving his speech was truly surreal.

Q. I get many emails from readers wondering “Why isn’t Maury Wills in the Hall?” or “Why isn’t Fernando in the Hall?” What’s the best way for any baseball fan to lobby for his favorite player to be elected?

Rawitch: We hear from fans all the time about those who they believe should be inducted and that passion is part of what makes our institution so great. It is incredibly hard to receive a plaque in Cooperstown, as only the top 1% to ever play the game get that honor (which is less than most other Halls of Fame). Those who wish to send a letter to the Hall of Fame on behalf of a potential candidate can do so at 25 Main St., Cooperstown, NY 13326 and we make those materials available to the Era Committee that votes on those who have surpassed their eligibility for BBWAA voting.

Q. There is some confusion out there about the Hall of Fame balloting. What part is handled by the BBWAA and what part is the Hall of Fame in control of? For example, who decided which new eligible players appear on the ballot?

Rawitch: If a player has played 10 years in the big leagues, he becomes eligible for the BBWAA ballot five years after his retirement. A committee of longtime baseball writers determines who from that pool makes it onto the BBWAA ballot and they join anyone from the previous year who was not elected but got at least 5% of the vote (if a player gets less than 5%, they come off the ballot). There are approximately 400 writers who have earned a vote, and a candidate needs 75% of those votes to be elected. You can remain on this ballot for 10 years.

Once you are no longer eligible for that ballot, after a one-year waiting period, a player becomes eligible for an Era Committee ballot. There are three eras that are looked at on a rotating basis: Contemporary Players (those who played after 1980), Contemporary Managers/Executives/Umpires (those whose contributions were primarily after 1980) and Classic Era (Players/Managers/Umpires/Executives Pre-1980). The Historical Overview Committee, consisting of 12 longtime writers and historians, creates a ballot of eight candidates each year for the era being reviewed that year. The Hall of Fame creates a 16-person electorate of living Hall of Famers, distinguished executives and baseball historians who review that ballot, and that committee changes every year. Any candidate who receives 12 votes from those 16 people (75%) is elected.

Q. Let’s say someone in L.A. wants to travel to the Hall. What’s the best way to get there? What airport, etc.

Rawitch: We are pretty much right between two airports — Albany and Syracuse so whichever one is more convenient should work. It is easy to rent a car in both places and make the drive over for a weekend visit. There are an incredible number of hotels, B&Bs and property rentals for people to stay in within walking distance of the Hall of Fame or just a short drive outside of town. There is so much more here to see and do than people realize, from one of the top-rated public golf courses in New York state (Leatherstocking) to the Fenimore Art Museum, historic homes, local breweries and wineries and a 10-mile lake that Shohei or Freddie could reach with a good swing from the front steps of the Hall. Our busiest time is from Memorial Day through Labor Day but there are great benefits to visiting in the Fall to see the leaves changing (something most Angelenos don’t get to experience) or the winter to see the snow (another rarity in So Cal) when the Hall of Fame is far less busy.

Q. If a fan wanted to go to induction weekend, how far in advance should they get tickets, etc.?

Rawitch: The Induction Ceremony is actually free and tens of thousands of people just sit on the lawn with a chair or blanket, which fans are welcome to do. If you want an actual seat, the best way to do it is by becoming a member of the Hall of Fame and supporting our mission of preserving baseball history, honoring excellence and connecting generations. The more challenging part can be finding lodging and we recommend booking as early as possible (like, now for this July). If you can’t find a hotel or home rental right in the Village of Cooperstown, there are lots of places nearby in Oneonta and other surrounding towns where you can drive in, park your car in the trolley lot and spend the whole day in baseball heaven.

The 26-man roster

A lot of people are wondering what the Dodgers’ 26-man roster will look like this season and asking for my prediction. It’s impossible to say now, of course. Many things could happen between now and opening day. Injuries, trades, more signings. Shohei Ohtani, for example, is expected to be ready to hit by opening day, but not pitch. There’s no way to tell how guys coming off injury, such as Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin (yes, in the last newsletter I inadvertently left him off the list of guys who could get a start this season. There are so many, who can keep track?)

So, with all that in mind, and going with the fact the Dodgers have said they will probably go with a six-man rotation, let’s look at one potential opening day roster, featuring 13 position players and 13 pitchers.

Two-way players (1)
Shohei Ohtani

Catchers (2)
Austin Barnes
Will Smith

Infielders (5)
Mookie Betts
Freddie Freeman
Hye-seong Kim
Max Muncy
Miguel Rojas

Outfielders (5)
Michael Conforto
Tommy Edman
Teoscar Hernández
Andy Pages
Chris Taylor

That leaves James Outman on the outside looking in, and no real space for Kiké Hernández, unless they send Pages down or make a trade.

Rotation (6)
Tyler Glasnow
Tony Gonsolin
Dustin May
Roki Sasaki
Blake Snell
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Bullpen (7)
Anthony Banda
Ryan Brasier
Michael Kopech
Evan Phillips
Tanner Scott
Blake Treinen
Alex Vesia

And that doesn’t include reliever Kirby Yates, who is believed to be near a deal with the team.

This leaves a lot of pitchers either on the IL or in the minors or traded or … That includes:

Ben Casparius
Brusdar Graterol (won’t return until midseason because of injury)
Michael Grove
Edgardo Henriquez
Kyle Hurt (out until at least Sept. after Tommy John surgery)
Landon Knack
Bobby Miller
River Ryan (out for season after Tommy John surgery)
Emmet Sheehan (out until at least midseason because of elbow surgery)
Gavin Stone (out for season after shoulder surgery)
Justin Wrobleski

That list doesn’t include Clayton Kershaw, who has said he wants to return and who the Dodgers have said they want back. He is expected to sign at some point this season, but when he will be ready to pitch is a mystery.

So, while it’s a fun exercise, there’s little way of knowing what the 26-man roster will look like as of today.

Fan fest is here

The Dodgers’ annual DodgersFest will look a little different this season. Instead of being inside the stadium, it will be in the parking lot because of renovations being done at Dodger Stadium.

This year’s DodgerFest will be on Saturday, Feb. 1, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tickets will go on sale to the general public today for $20, with a portion of the proceeds going to the relief effort for the Los Angeles wildfires. The festival will take place in parking Lots B, D and P. Tickets can be purchased and more information can be found here.

The DodgerFest is a solid idea, and many fans have a wonderful time, but it also points toward the Dodgers’ tendency to squeeze every nickel out of their fans that they can. Charging for admission is fine, and other things being charged for is OK, but what gets me is the Dodgers are charging fans to take a picture with the World Series trophy. Letting fans take a picture with the trophy for free seems to me to be the least they can do to pay the fans back for their support throughout the years. Yes, lines would be long. But you get together enough personnel and you make it work.

What are they charging for the photo? Don’t know. Tickets for that don’t go on sale until Tuesday. So there’s still time for them to change their mind and do the right thing in this one area. It seems unlikely the Dodgers will go broke if they give away trophy photos for free.

Dodgers Dugout Dodgers Hall of Fame

We are a week into our annual Hall of Fame voting, and right now it appears only one person will be elected this time. But there’s still plenty of time to vote.

The way it works: Below you will see a list of candidates divided into two groups, players and non-players.

In the players’ category, you can vote for up to 12 players. You don’t have to vote for 12, you can vote for any number up to and including 12. Your vote should depend on what the player did on and off the field only as a Dodger. The rest of his career doesn’t count, which is why you won’t see someone such as Frank Robinson listed. And you can consider the entirety of his Dodgers career. For example, Manny Mota was a good player and has spent years as a Dodgers coach and a humanitarian. You can consider all of that when you vote. And remember this is the Dodgers Hall of Fame, so there might be some people considerably worthy of being in a Dodgers Hall of Fame who fall short of the Baseball Hall of Fame in your mind.

In the non-players category, you can vote for up to four.

Whoever is named on at least 75% of the ballots will be elected. The 12 people receiving the fewest votes will be dropped from future ballots for at least the next two years. Active players or active non-players are not eligible.

How do you vote? For the players ballot, click here. For the non-players ballot, click here. Or you can email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. You have until Feb. 1 to vote. Results will be announced soon after that.

I tried to compile a ballot that had players representing each era of Dodgers baseball. I’m sure there’s a player or two you think should have been on the ballot. Send that player’s name along and he might be included in next year’s ballot.

Here is the ballot without comments. The see the ballot with a brief bio of each player, you can read last week’s newsletter by clicking here.

Players (vote for no more than 12)

Dusty Baker
Adrián Beltré
Ron Cey
*Billy Cox
Tommy Davis
Willie Davis
Carl Erskine
Andre Ethier
Carl Furillo
Eric Gagné
Steve Garvey
Kirk Gibson
Jim Gilliam
Pedro Guerrero
Tommy John
Eric Karros
*Cookie Lavagetto
*Jim Lefebvre
Davey Lopes
Manny Mota
Don Newcombe
Mike Piazza
Johnny Podres
John Roseboro
Bill Russell
*Steve Sax
Mike Scioscia
*Casey Stengel
Don Sutton
Dazzy Vance
Zack Wheat
Steve Yeager

Non-players (vote for no more than four)

*Red Adams
Red Barber
*Monty Basgall
Buzzie Bavasi
*Ned Colletti
Helen Dell
Jerry Doggett
Leo Durocher
*Rick Honeycutt
Jaime Jarrín
Peter O’Malley
Ross Porter

*-new to the ballot

How do you vote? For the players, Vote here. For non-players, click here, or you can email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com with your choices, in any order (up to 12 players and up to four non-players). Also, there a separate ballot for Carl Erskine, who was inadvertently omitted from the original ballot. You can vote yes or no for him by clicking here. You have until Feb. 1 to vote. Results will be announced soon after that.

Thanks for reading and taking part.

In case you missed it

Dodgers officially welcome Roki Sasaki, plan to ‘hit the ground running’ with pitcher

‘They all wanted him here.’ How Shohei Ohtani, other Dodgers helped recruit Roki Sasaki

Shaikin: This state senator tried to curb the Dodgers’ deferral ‘loophole.’ So far, no luck.

Ichiro Suzuki becomes first Japanese player to make Hall of Fame. Shohei Ohtani on track to be next

Dodgers closing in on deal with Kirby Yates as they continue to reinforce bullpen

How the Dodgers benefit from salary deferrals and signing bonuses to build their roster

And finally

Adrián Beltré’s Hall of Fame induction speech. Watch and listen here.