TBNL: Rich Hill debuts for KC, upcoming HOF ballots

Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner, Dave Parker, and Dick Allen will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Sunday. While much of the focus this weekend will fall on the ceremonies in Cooperstown, some attention will turn towards future ballots for the hall. There are a host of interesting names set to appear on the ballot for the first time in the coming years:

• 2026: Cole Hamels, Ryan Braun, Shin-Soo Choo

• 2027: Buster Posey, Jon Lester, Ryan Zimmerman

• 2028: Albert Pujols, Robinson Canó, David Price, Yadier Molina, Andrelton Simmons, Stephen Strasburg

• 2029: Miguel Cabrera, Joey Votto, Zack Greinke, Evan Longoria, Adam Wainwright, Nelson Cruz, Madison Bumgarner

Not all of these guys will get into the HOF (Choo, Zim, Longoria). Not all of them should (Braun, Hamels, Stras). The discussions and conversations will certainly be interesting in many cases, though.

Obligatory Rich Hill update

5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K (Kyle Tucker), 90 pitches.

Rich Hill’s first start for the Royals should be considered a success. The veteran left-hander kept Kansas City in the game as best he could while the defense faltered behind him and the offense failed to get anything going against the Cubs’ Matthew Boyd.

Chicago was leading 3-0 when Hill left the game. They’d add three more against the KC bullpen and win 6-0.

Final results aside, Hill should get another turn in the rotation for the Royals. Whether the club tries to (and does) trade him before next Friday’s trade deadline is a separate question. The Royals will enter play on Wednesday 11.5 games back in the AL Central and behind four clubs for the final Wild Card spot. It’s going to be a tough hill to climb.

Since making his debut 20 years ago (at Wrigley Field), he has pitched for the Cubs, Orioles, Red Sox, Indians, Angels, Yankees, Red Sox (again), A’s, Dodgers, Twins, Rays, Mets, Red Sox (once again), Pirates, Padres, Red Sox (a fourth time), and now the Royals. That’s 14 different organizations — which ties Edwin Jackson and Octavio Dotel for the most all time.

Hill is the oldest pitcher to start a game since Jamie Moyer in 2012 (who was 49 when he made his final start). Hill also passed Gaylord Perry as the oldest player to ever appear in a game for the Royals (he was 44 in his final season).

Elsewhere, around the sport …

• Attendance at games in Korea continues to rise at a high rate. The Yonhap News Agency’s Jee-Ho Yoo reported earlier this month that the KBO had surpassed 7 million in attendance for the season, already the ninth-highest total in league history with almost the whole second half yet to play. The league record of 10.88 million fans was set in 2024. They’re on pace to attract more than 12 million this year.

• Also from the KBO earlier this month, Mel Rojas Jr. set a new record for the most home runs by a foreign-born player, surpassing Tyrone Woods. Rojas was originally a third-round pick by the Pirates in 2010 and reached as high as Triple-A before venturing overseas.

• The A’s continue to seek outside investments to help pay for their move to Las Vegas and the construction of a new ballpark. A Korean sports management firm founded by former MLB pitcher Chan Ho Park has reportedly invested $70 million into the project, according to The Korea Economic Daily’s Jong-Kwon Park. The group will retain a 2-3% ownership stake in the A’s.

• Some time ago, before I moved the newsletter from Substack to Beehiiv, I had published a lengthy piece about the less-than-role-model-like players in the sport’s history. Violent abusers, racists, gamblers, etc. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been adding to it, as some new examples have come up. The whole thing is well over 5,000 words now. That’ll be coming soon(ish).