Baltimore Orioles: Brian Roberts Joins Hall of Fame Ballot

Former Baltimore Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts finds his name on 2020 Hall of Fame ballot.

On Monday afternoon, the National Baseball Hall of Fame officially released the 2020 Hall of Fame ballot, including 18 players who find their name on the ballot for the first time. Former Baltimore Orioles second baseman, and current radio/tv broadcaster for MASN and 105.7 The Fan, Brian Roberts is one of those making their debut on the ballot.

Roberts joins outfielder Sammy Sosa and starting pitcher Curt Schilling as the other players on the 2020 Hall of Fame ballot with ties to the Baltimore Orioles.

A fan favorite during his time in the Charm City, Roberts was a first-round pick of the Orioles back in 1999 out of the University of South Carolina. He would make his major league debut in 2001 and spend the next 13 seasons in an Orioles uniform before finishing his career with one season as a member of the New York Yankees (we forgive you, Brian).

In his 13 years with the Orioles, Roberts slashed .278/.349/.412 with 92 home runs, 521 RBI, 367 doubles, and was worth 29 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference.

Roberts ranks second in Baltimore Orioles history with 278 stolen bases. Former outfielder Brady Anderson sits atop the leaderboard with 307. From 2003-2009, Roberts stole at least 20 bases each season, including a league-leading 50 swiped bags in 2007. He had an 80% success rate with the Orioles.

His 351 doubles rank fourth all-time in Orioles history (behind Cal Ripken Jr. Brooks Robinson, and Eddie Murray), with his 50 doubles in 2004 and 56 in 2009 both leading the major leagues.

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Unfortunately, injuries severely limited Roberts’ playing time over his final four seasons in Baltimore. Before the 2010 season, Roberts signed a four-year/$40 million extension, but played in just 192 games over the course of the contract. For those who were fortunate enough to watch Roberts play, the end of career injuries and struggles are far from the first thing that comes to mind.

His electric play on the basepaths, endearing personality, obvious love of the game will.

Roberts won’t make the Hall of Fame and likely won’t receive the 5% benchmark to stay on the ballot for another year, but there’s no denying that he was an electric player in his prime and one of the most successful players in franchise history. He currently ranks 18th on the Orioles career WAR leaderboard.

Lucky for Baltimore Orioles fans, we still get to enjoy Brian Roberts as he calls games on TV and radio throughout the season, bringing a welcomed sense of energy and the ability to break down hitters and game situations in a way us average fans can understand and enjoy.

You can read up on all 32 players appearing on the 2020 Hall of Fame ballot here. Drop us a line in the comments with your HOF ballot! Remember, you can vote for up to 10 players. Who makes your ballot?