Former SF Giants second basemen Jeff Kent elected to Hall of Fame

On Sunday night, the SF Giants received a pleasant surprise. Former second baseman and all-time home run leader at the position, Jeff Kent, was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee.

Former SF Giants second basemen Jeff Kent elected to Hall of Fame

The panel consists of 16 former players, coaches, and executives. It also includes active writers and baseball historians, such as Steve Hirdt, Tyler Kepner, and Jayson Stark. Juan Marichal was among the former players to appear on the committee as well.

Players needed at least 12 votes to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Kent was the only player to reach that threshold, earning 14 of the 16 votes. Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register provided a vote breakdown.

Interestingly, Kent appeared on the BBWAA ballot 10 times and struggled to gain any momentum. He appeared on 46.5 percent of the ballots in his final year.

Carlos Delgado fell shy, receiving nine votes. Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy earned six votes apiece. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens received fewer than five votes, meaning that they will not be eligible to appear on the ballot during the next cycle in three years.

Of course, Bonds' case is weighed down by his past connections to PED use. The same is true for Clemens, as well as several other players currently on the BBWAA ballot. Bonds appeared on that ballot 10 times and never received more than 66 percent of the vote. That occurred in his final year, which is often the year when a player gets a notable boost.

This is Bonds' second time on the Contemporary Baseball Era ballot, and unfortunately, the results have mirrored what he saw when he was on the BBWAA ballot.

Kent appeared in 17 seasons, six of which came in a Giants uniform. He posted a .903 OPS while collecting at least 20 home runs and 100 RBI in each season with San Francisco. His run with the Giants is among the best in franchise history.

The right-handed bat also played for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Cleveland Guardians, Houston Astros, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Kent tallied 377 home runs, which is the all-time leader in that category at second base. He also registered 2,461 hits and 1,518 RBI, both of which rank near the top at his position.

Kent earned five All-Star selections and four Silver Slugger Awards at second base. He helped the Giants reach the World Series in 2002. In what became his final home game in a Giants uniform in Game 5 of the World Series, Kent hit two home runs with four RBI in a 16-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

Oddly enough, Kent's final career home run came against the Giants at Oracle Park in 2008. He was definitively the best offensive second baseman of his era, and among the best at his position over the past 75 years. Kent will be inducted into the Hall of Fame next summer.