If we’re able to look past ballot construction squabbles, baseball’s Hall of Fame ballot offers a chance, every year, to open a time capsule. New waves of first-time candidates give us fresh crops of memories year-in and year-out. This year, we have the chance to reflect on the uniqueness of Vladimir Guerrero, the defensive majesty of Andruw Jones, and the various, needling, Phillies-killing moments produced by Johnny Damon, Chris Carpenter and Hideki Matsui.
Just as every year gives us some borderline-or-better candidates, so, too, does it give us the surefire one-and-dones.