If I Had a Hall of Fame Ballot...

 ...Andruw Jones would have my vote. Over the first 10 full seasons of his career with Braves, (1997-2006), the Curacao native won eight gold gloves, and was an above average hitter, averaging 33 home runs and 101 RBIs per year. Focus on his defense, and Jones was a game changer. Great range and a strong arm meant he prevented runs.

While it's clear that his offense fell off once he turned 30, was that first decade of performance enough to secure his place in Cooperstown? I'd say yes.

Some say a player needs eight great seasons to make the Hall. Between 1998 and 2005, Jones performed at that level. 1998 and 2006  were pretty good as well.

Has anyone ever played himself out of the Hall of Fame by staying too long? That seems to be the argument held against Don Mattingly, who, after six superb seasons in the middle and late 1980s, suffered a bad injury that severely impacted his performance. 

Jones put on weight after joining the Dodgers in 2008. A knee injury landed him on the disabled list. And he lost the confidence of manager Joe Torre, who announced that Jones would no longer be a regular in his lineup. A bad, downward spiral on a new team.

Is Jones unfairly judged by the downturn his career took when he left Atlanta? Might he have been better served has be retired after 2007? 

I can't answer that question. But those who vote for the Baseball Hall will over the next few weeks.