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Hoffman falls 5 votes short of Hall of Fame induction

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So close.

In order to get inducted into the Hall of Fame, players need 75 percent of the vote.

Trevor Hoffman, one of the greatest closers of all-time, finished with 74 percent, or in other words, five votes short of Cooperstown.

Related: Bagwell, Pudge, Raines elected to Hall of Fame

In his second year on the ballot, not enough voters believed Hoffman could cut it as one of the best pitchers ever, though he gained significant ground from 2016.

Hoffman ranks second all-time with 601 saves, behind future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera. Last year he got 67.3 percent of the vote, falling 34 votes short, but jumped to 74 percent this time.

Over 18 years in the majors, Hoffman never started a game, owning a career 2.87 ERA over 16 years with the San Diego Padres, two years with the Milwaukee Brewers and one season with the Florida Marlins.

One of the biggest debates among voters appears to be the value of a one-inning specialist, such as Hoffman. Aside from Rivera, though, the right-hander was the best at doing what he does.

In 18 seasons, he saved at least 40 games nine times, was a seven-time All-Star, and finished second in NL Cy Young voting twice.

By all indications, it also looked like Vladimir Guerrero was going to get in on the first ballot.

When the dust settled, it wasn't meant to be as the outfielder just missed the cut to make it into Cooperstown this year. He netted 71.7 percent of the vote, falling 15 votes shy.

Guerrero belted 449 career home runs and 477 doubles in his 16-year career. It's also worth noting that he had an insane slash line over that time, authoring a .318/.379/.553 line.

That being said, his numbers don't make him a slam dunk, as he was strictly a hitter, a poor outfielder, and a terrible baserunner. He also doesn't rank atop, or near the top, of any all-time list, which could've deterred voters.

Still, he was an MVP in 2004, a nine-time All-Star, and eight-time Silver Slugger Award winner.

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