Hot Rods Announce Third HOF Ballot with Fan Vote

The Bowling Green Hot Rods are excited to announce the ballot for the third-annual Hot Rods Hall of Fame. The ballot features 12 former Hot Rods, including eight from the 2019 vote, while four nominees make their first appearance on the ballot.This season's vote will be the first to include a vote open to the public, where fans can cast their ballot and let their voice be heard. Hot Rods fans can cast their votes here: https://forms.gle/TwNDmngNmseQYmdp6

Oneformer Hot Rods player will be selected to the 2021 Hall of Fame class.

“We’re very excited to add another member to the Hot Rods Hall of Fame for the 2021 season,” said Eric C. Leach, Hot Rods COO & General Manager. “It’s hard to believe that so many players have gone from Bowling Green to the bigs in the first 12 years of the franchise. That’s going to make things difficult for our voters!”

The 2021 ballot will include candidates from the 2015 and 2016 seasons, while the nine returners enter the third year of their five-year eligibility term. The criteria remain unchanged: the minimum number of games in a Hot Rods uniform for a person is 50 games for a position player, 10 games for a relief pitcher, five games for a starting pitcher and an entire season as a coach or manager.

2021 Nominees

( ) = Years played for Hot Rods

1. INF Tim Beckham (2009)*

Hot Rods Stats: .275 batting average, 5 home runs, 63 runs batted in, 135 hits, 33 doubles in 125 games played.

Career MLB Stats: .260 batting average, 36 home runs, 116 runs batted in, 37 doubles in 288 games played in 4 seasons.

Biography: Beckham is the highest draft pick (#1 overall, 2008 by TBR) ever to play for the Hot Rods. Was top prospect in Rays system on the first-ever Hot Rods opening day roster. Had Hot Rods first hit and homer in team history on 4/9/09 against Hickory. Was the only Hot Rods player to be named both a SAL (South Atlantic League) Midseason and Postseason All-Star in 2009. Has third-most hits (135) in Hot Rods single-season history. Was fourth-ever Hot Rods player to make his MLB Debut on 9/19/13 against the New York Yankees. In getting traded to Baltimore in July of 2017, Beckham hit a career-high 22 homers combined with the Rays and the Orioles.

2. RHP Alex Colome (2010)*

Hot Rods Stats: 6-6, 3.95 ERA, 118 strikeouts in 114 innings pitched over 22 games (all starts).

MLB Stats: 15-13, 3.14 ERA, 84 saves, 242 strikeouts in 272.2 innings pitched over 173 games (19 starts) in 5 seasons.

Biography: Colome was the #66 prospect in all of Minor League baseball per _Baseball America _when he began his season with the Hot Rods in 2010. Was a Midwest League Midseason All-Star with the Hot Rods in 2010 as well as a Rays Organizational All-Star in 2011. Upon reaching the Big Leagues in 2013, Colome holds the record for the most saves and games played in MLB (172 and counting) by a Hot Rods player. He is one of two Hot Rods players to make an MLB All-Star Team (2016). Became first Rays player to lead the AL in saves in 2017 with 47.

3. LHP Kyle Lobstein (2010)

Hot Rods Stats: 9-8, 4.14 ERA, 128 strikeouts in 148 innings pitched over 27 games (all starts)

MLB Stats: 6-10, 5.06 ERA, 74 strikeouts in 128.0 innings pitched over 37 games (17 starts) in 3 seasons.

Biography: After spending the entire 2010 season in Bowling Green, Lobstein still ranks in the top-five in single-season Hot Rods history with 148 innings pitched (2nd), 27 games started (T-2nd) and 128 strikeouts (4th). He was named Midwest League Pitcher of the Week with the Hot Rods from July 3 – July 10. Was traded to the Detroit Tigers in 2012 and was named a Tigers MiLB Organizational All-Star in 2013. Made big league debut on 8/23/14.

4. INF Derek Dietrich (2011)*

Hot Rods Stats: .277 batting average, 22 home runs, 81 runs batted in, 34 doubles, 73 runs scored in 127 games played.

MLB Stats: .250 batting average, 44 homers, 159 RBI, 72 doubles in 459 games played over 5 seasons.

Biography: In his only season with the Hot Rods, Dietrich hit 22 homers, the most home runs ever for any Hot Rods player to this date. During that season where he was also named a Midwest League Midseason All-Star, Dietrich finished ranked in the current Hot Rods single-season top five with 81 RBI (T-3rd), 34 doubles (4th) and 113 hits (5th). He was also one of two players in Hot Rods history to be named Midwest League Player of the Week twice in one season (7/4 – 7/11 and 8/15 – 8/22). Dietrich was traded to the Miami Marlins in 2012 for MLB infielder Yunel Escobar and made his big-league debut with the Marlins on 5/13/13. Dietrich lead the National League with 26 HBP in 2016 with Miami and set career-high in HR (13), RBI (56), 2B (22) and games played (106) with the Marlins in 2017.

5. RHP Victor Mateo (2011)

Hot Rods Stats: 12-6, 3.98 ERA, 102 strikeouts in 124.1 innings pitched over 26 games (20 games started)

MLB Stats: None

Biography: While being the only pitcher on this list not to make the big leagues, Mateo put together one of the best seasons on the mound in Hot Rods history. In 2011, Mateo threw the first (and only) complete-game no-hitter in team history on 7/8/11 against Lake County. It was the only seven-inning no-hitter in team history and the first of two total no-hitters in team history. Mateo was the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week that week and still ranks second in team history for most wins in a season (12).

6. LHP Enny Romero (2011)

Hot Rods Stats: 5-5, 4.26 ERA, 140 strikeouts in 114 innings pitched over 26 games (26 games started)

MLB Stats: 4-6, 4.57 ERA, 146 strikeouts in 136 innings pitched over 126 games (34 starts) in 4 seasons.

Biography: In 2011, Romero helped anchor a star-studded Hot Rods starting rotation, leading Bowling Green to their first playoff appearance in team history. His 140 strikeouts for the Hot Rods rank second all-time in franchise history over a single season and are the most for any Hot Rods pitcher since 2011. Post Hot Rods, Romero went on to be the only Hot Rods player to participate in the MLB Futures Game in three different seasons (2012, 2013, 2014) and was a Rays organizational all-star in 2013 before reaching the big leagues later that year. With Tampa Bay, Romero made 52 appearances in 2016 alone before being traded to the Nationals prior to the 2017 season.

7. OF Andrew Toles (2013)

Hot Rods Stats: .326 batting average, 2 homers, 57 runs batted in, 35 doubles, 22 walks, 79 runs, 62 stolen bases in 121 games.

MLB Stats: .286 batting average, 8 homers, 35 runs batted in, 14 doubles, 15 walks, 41 runs, 2 stolen bases in 96 games.

*Biography: *Toles wasn’t just a dominant force in the Midwest League during his 2013 season, he changed the Hot Rods record books as well. During his 2013 season Toles led the league with a .326 batting average as well as hits (169) and triples (16). He finished second in steals (62), third in total bases (242), tied for third in doubles (35), fourth in at-bats (519), and tied for fourth in extra-base hits (53). Toles set single-season franchise records in hits while his triples and stolen bases were the most for any player’s career in Hot Rods history.The outfielder was selected to both the mid-season and post-season All-Star teams while earning Topps Class-A All-Star and MiLB.com Organization All-Star honors.

8. OF Johnny Field (2014)

Hot Rods Stats: .290 batting average, 7 homers, 41 runs batted in, 23 doubles, 33 walks, 62 runs scored, 18 stolen bases in 82 games.

MLB Stats: 83 Games, .222 batting average, 9 homers, 21 runs batted in, 13 doubles, 7 walks, 28 runs scored, 4 stolen bases in 83 games.

Biography: Another fan favorite during his time with the Hot Rods, Field Played 82 games for Bowling Green during his second professional season. The right-handed hitter made his Major League debut for the Rays in April of 2018. Field was a Rays Organizational All-Star during his 2014 campaign where he played the majority of his season as the Hot Rods primary center fielder. Field led all outfielders with 30 or more games while his .290 batting average was fourth-best on the club that season, he led the Hot Rods in doubles (29), runs (62), and stolen bases (18).

9. SP Brett Honeywell Jr. (2015)

Hot Rods Stats: 4-4, 2.91 ERA, 76 strikeouts over 65 innings pitched in 12 games

MLB Stats: 0-0, 1 G, 1GS, 2.0 IP, 2K

*Biography: *Honeywell was a big deal when he arrived in Bowling Green. The 72nd pick of the 2014 Amateur Draft, the right-handed son of a Minor Leaguer came to BG after an impressive start to his pro career with rookie-ball Princeton, “Honey” pitched in 12 games for the Hot Rods while carrying a 2.91 ERA with a WHIP of 1.00. Featuring a pitch that’s all-but-extinct in the screwball, Honeywell is one of the few players who was well known prior to his assignment with the Hot Rods. Honeywell made his MLB debut early in the 2021 for the Rays after coming back from injury.

10. SS Jake Cronenworth (2016)

Hot Rods Stats: .322 batting average, 3 homers, 48 runs batted in, 15 doubles, 54 walks,

MLB Stats: .297 batting average, 3 homers, 21 runs batted in, 17 doubles, 23 walks, 31 runs scored, 3 stolen bases in 64 games

*Biography: *The middle infielder spent the majority of the 2016 season donning the Hot Rods orange and blue and put together one of the best seasons for a hitter in team history. Cronenworth’s .322 batting average is fourth-best in team history (minimum 300 plate appearances). He owns the best on-base percentage for a Hot Rods hitter (.429) and the second-best OPS (.865) in team history. Cronenworth was traded by the Rays to the Padres late in 2019 and made a huge impact during the shortened 2020 season. The 7th round pick out of Michigan posted a .285 batting average with four homers and 20 RBIs for the season, thrusting himself into Rookie of the Year talks. While he didn’t win the award, he was recognized as the National League’s Rookie of the Month for August, Baseball America’s All-Rookie Team, and was the MLB Player’s Choice NL Outstanding Rookie Selection.

11. 2B Brandon Lowe (2016)

Hot Rods Stats: .248 batting average, 5 homers, 42 runs batted in, 15 doubles, 60 walks, 67 runs scored, 6 stolen bases in 107 games

MLB Stats: .259 batting average, 37 homers, 116 runs batted in, 34 doubles, 72 walks, 98 runs scored, 10 stolen bases in 190 games

Biography: Lowe was drafted by the Rays in the third round of the 2015 draft out of Maryland and reported to Bowling Green the next season to being his pro career. Lowe put together a good start with the Hot Rods and quickly rose through the Rays stem before making his MLB debut in August in 2018. A year later Lowe was an AL All-Star and the Rookie of the Month in April, but a standout 2020 landed him on the all-MLB Second Team list as he helped the Rays make their second-ever World Series.

12. RP Diego Castillo (2015 & 2016)

Hot Rods Stats: 1-3, 2.55 ERA, 54 strikeouts over 49.1 innings in 29 games. 8 saves in 10 opportunities

MLB Stats: 12-10, 3.03 ERA, 174 strikeouts over 151.2 innings in 134 games. 14 saves in 21 opportunities.

Biography: Castillo is originally from Cabrera in the Dominican Republic and came the to Hot Rods during the 2015 season after dominating the New York Penn League. His first run in ’15 with the Hot Rods was not without trouble, as the righty pitched in five games to the tune of a 4.82 ERA though he did lock down a save. The 2016 season saw Castillo return to form, posting a 2.03 ERA while striking out 50 in just 40 innings of work en route to a Midwest League Mid-Season All-Star selection. At the big-league level, Castillo made his debut in 2018 and owns a 12-10 record with a 3.03 ERA, piling up 174 strikeouts in his 3+ years of service time.