CLEVELAND — Former Cleveland Indians shortstop Omar Vizquel fell short of selection for the National Baseball Hall of Fame for the second consecutive year but will remain on the ballot for at least one more voting cycle.
Vizquel earned 42.8 percent of the votes (182) in his second year on the ballot, falling short of the required 319 for induction. However, Vizquel got more than the requisite five percent to remain on the ballot and will be under consideration for the Class of 2020.
Vizquel improved his votes by five percent from his first to second years on the ballot.
Here are five athletes that should be elected to the hall of fame in their particular sports.
LEBRON JAMES
There are first-ballot hall of famers, and then, there is former Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James, who has rewritten plenty of NBA records in his storied career.
In his last season with the Cavaliers before signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, James became the seventh player in NBA history to surpass the 30,000-point mark.
During the 2016-2017 season, James became the all-time leading scorer in the history of the NBA Playoffs. Despite coming up on the losing end of The Finals in 2017, James made NBA history against the Golden State Warriors, as he averaged a triple-double of 33.6 points, 12.0 rebounds and 10.0 assists over the five games, a first for the NBA’s championship series.
Despite being 33 years old and in his 15th NBA season in 2017-2018, James played in all 82 regular-season games for the first time in his career, averaging 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 1.4 steals over 36.9 minutes per contest.
With his 31-point, 12-rebound, 11-assist showing in a 129-123 win over the Brooklyn Nets at Quicken Loans Arena in last February, James made NBA history as he became the first player ever to eclipse the 30,000-point, 8,000-rebound and 8,000-assist plateaus in his career.
James is the Cavaliers' franchise single-season leader in points scored (2,478 in 2005-2006), minutes played (3,388 in 2004-2005), field goals attempted (1,823) and made (875 in 2005-2006), free throws attempted (814) and made (601 in 2005-2006) and scoring average (31.4 points per game in 2005-2006).
In 849 regular-season games with the Cavaliers, James reset franchise records for the most points scored (23,119), scoring average (27.2 points per game), field goals made (8,369) and attempted (17,022), free throws made (5,130) and attempted (6,998), three-pointers attempted (3,713) and made (1,251), assists (6,228), defensive rebounds (5,156), steals (1,376), minutes played (33,130) and minutes per game (39.0).
In addition to his regular-season records, James is the Cavaliers’ postseason leader in points scored, scoring average, assists, field goals made and attempted, free throws made and attempted, three-pointers made and attempted, defensive rebounds, total rebounds, steals and minutes played.
JOE THOMAS
Has there ever a player more loyal to a cause than former Cleveland Browns left tackle Joe Thomas?
Thomas has signed contract extensions to remain in Cleveland despite having not made a playoff appearance and just one winning season in 11 years with the club, which ironically enough, came when he was a rookie in 2007.
Prior to a season-ending injury suffered against the Tennessee Titans in October of 2017, Thomas played 10,363 consecutive snaps, which is believed to be the longest such streak in the history of the National Football League.
In December of 2016, Thomas was selected to his 10th Pro Bowl, and went 10 for 10 in all-star game nods in his first decade in the league after being chosen with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft out of the University of Wisconsin. Thomas was the first Browns player ever selected to participate in 10 Pro Bowls.
Thomas joined an elite group of athletes with the 10th straight selection, as only defensive tackle Merlin Olsen (Los Angeles Rams), defensive back/running back Mel Renfro (Dallas Cowboys), running back Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions) and linebacker Lawrence Taylor (New York Giants) went 10 for 10 in Pro Bowl appearances over their first decade in the NFL.
CLAY MATTHEWS
A first-round pick of the Browns in the 1978 NFL Draft, Matthews spent 16 years in Cleveland, where in 232 games, 216 of which were starts, he registered 76.5 quarterback sacks, 1,430 total tackles, 14 interceptions, 24 forced fumbles and 13 recoveries.
A four-time Pro Bowler in Cleveland, Matthews ranks first in Browns history with 76.5 sacks, games played and most consecutive seasons, as well as second in total years of service to the organization.
Despite playing a physical position where making violent plays was not just a goal, but often, a standard set by Matthews, the veteran defender proved remarkably durable over his 19-year career.
Matthews played in 278 games, making the start in 248 contests, and was on the field for 12 or more games in all but one season in his nearly 20-year NFL career.
I think they are definitely credible credentials for him,” former interim Browns coach Gregg Williams said during a post-practice press conference last month “That whole family, I am just so respectful to that. Clay was a dominant player that you had to, offensively, take note of at all times.”
VIZQUEL
Vizquel won eight straight Gold Glove awards at shortstop and appeared in three All-Star games (1998-1999, 2002) during his time with the Cleveland Indians.
The soft-handed shortstop carried a .985 fielding percentage, despite having 11,961 defensive chances. He combined with several second basemen, most notably Carlos Baerga, a fellow Indians Hall of Famer, and National Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar, to convert 944 double plays over his 11 years in Cleveland, an average 85.8 per season.
Vizquel won one Gold Glove Award with the Mariners and two more with the San Francisco Giants for a career total of 11.
Vizquel finished his career with 2,877 hits, the fifth-most ever by a shortstop. Only Honus Wagner (3,420), New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter (3,383), Cal Ripken Jr. (3,184) of the Baltimore Orioles and Milwaukee’s Robin Yount (3,142) had more hits as a shortstop, and all but Jeter, who is yet to be eligible, are enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
A lifetime .272 hitter, Vizquel had 456 doubles, 77 triples and 80 home runs along with 951 runs batted in, 1,445 runs scored, 1,028 walks against 1,087 strikeouts, 404 stolen bases, 256 sacrifice hits and 94 sacrifice flies.
Vizquel led the league in sacrifice hits four times in his career (1997, 1999 and 2004 with the Indians and 2005 with the Giants).
STIPE MIOCIC
Former UFC champion Stipe Miocic set the record for the most consecutive defenses of the heavyweight title with last January’s dominant unanimous-decision victory over top-ranked contender Francis Ngannou at TD Garden in Boston.
Despite being the underdog once again, Miocic, a graduate of Eastlake North High School, retained the UFC heavyweight champion of the world by outpointing and outwrestling Ngannou in the main event of UFC 220.
Miocic won the bout, 50-44, on all three of the judges’ scorecards.
According to FightMetric, Miocic held control of Ngannou for 15 of the 25 minutes of the fight, and while in the clinch and guard, he landed most of his 200 strikes. Known as a judicious puncher, Miocic connected on 200 of his 244 strikes (82 percent) and 70 of his 95 significant attempts (74 percent).
Miocic is 18-3 in his professional career and 12-3 in 15 bouts under the UFC banner.