Phillies: Where’s the annual Wall of Fame ballot?

This is a big question Phillies fans are asking right now

Typically when the Phillies head down south to Clearwater for spring training the annual Wall of Fame ballot is released, giving fans the opportunity to vote on that season’s Wall of Fame inductee.

Last year the ballot was released on February 5 with voting until February 28, and the result of Bobby Abreu’s election was announced on March 20.

So far, there has been no sign of the Phillies Wall of Fame ballot on the team website, social media, or even by a Google search.

So, what gives?

The Wall of Fame announcement is an annual tradition and one that helps kick off the season. The Wall of Fame ceremony is scheduled for August 8 during Alumni Weekend, so it’s not as if the Phillies are skipping an induction.

Last year the team offered up a number of candidates alongside Bobby Abreu, including Jim Fregosi, Bake McBride, Placido Polanco, Steve Bedrosian, Manny Trillo, Scott Rolen, and former pitching coach Rich Dubee.

The Phillies are thought to have a number of qualified candidates coming off the best era in team history. To be considered for the Wall of Fame, players need to have played at least four years in Philadelphia, be retired for a certain number of years, and meet certain social responsibilities.

Most likely the Phillies are planning something special for this year’s Wall of Fame, perhaps in honor of the 10th anniversary of Roy Halladay’s perfect game. With Halladay already honored posthumously, could his beloved batterymate Carlos Ruiz be getting the honor?

Perhaps the team is just delayed in getting the ballot out. There’s really no rush to publish it the first week of February as they’ve typically done. With the induction ceremony not until August, there’s certainly time to hold the fan vote and then have the “special committee” pick the winner.