Nightengale's Notebook: Will Hall of Fame stage be empty next year? A-Rod, Big Papi make things complicated

NEW YORK — If it wasn’t for the pandemic that wiped out last year’s Hall of Fame ceremony, we would have had an empty stage this past week with no one being inducted into Cooperstown.

Remember, there wasn’t a soul elected this past January, with Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, Ted Simmons and the late Marvin Miller actually elected a year ago.

So the question everyone in Cooperstown wants to know is whether the Baseball Writers' Association of America will be pitching consecutive shutouts for the first time in Hall of Fame history.

You don’t think it can happen?

Go ahead, and take a hard look at the incoming ballot of newcomers:

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