Cleveland Indians: Thome and Vizquel on 2018 Hall of Fame ballot

Two Cleveland Indians legends are on the 2018 Hall of Fame ballot, but only one of the two seems to be a lock for enshrinement right away.

Cleveland Indians fans have been given a reason to be nostalgic now that the 2018 National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot has been released.

Both Jim Thome and Omar Vizquel are on the ballot for the first time, and while Vizquel may make it in eventually, Thome seems to be a lock in his first year.

Starting with Thome, the top feat that sticks out is his final mark of 612 home runs. And not just the fact he hit that many, but the fact he did so without any major links to steroid use.

Thome’s greatness may have been overshadowed in the national spotlight during his time in Cleveland from 1991-2002, but fans will always remember him as one of the greatest to wear an Indians uniform. And for those too young to remember, the statue of Thome at Progressive Field shows just how special he was to the franchise.

Even with all the other great things he did during his entire career, the clean home run total makes him a lock.

Vizquel’s case is a bit different, and he could be a player who doesn’t make it in for quite some time. He had an insanely long career, spanning from 1989-2012, finishing with 2,877 hits and 11 Gold Glove awards.

Vizquel is an Indians legend, but the fact he compiled nearly 3,000 hits may be diminished a bit given how long he played and the fact he picked up less than 100 hits in each of his final five seasons in baseball.

The 11 Gold Gloves and the hit total would be enough for me to vote for him, but I may be biased given I grew up wearing the No. 13 jersey in any sport I played because of Vizquel.

Even if Vizquel doesn’t get in this time around, he should receive more than enough votes to remain on the ballot moving forward. In 2018, Indians fans may just have to settle for one former great getting into the Hall of Fame.

Next: Previewing the 2018 starting rotation

It shall be the summer of Thome.