Dan Le Batard Stripped Of MLB Hall Of Fame Vote, Barred From Covering Games For One Year

Though the attention surrounding the recent MLB Hall of Fame Class of 2014 should be placed solely on those who achieved baseball’s highest honor, a shift in focus places a major spotlight on current ESPN TV and radio host Dan Le Batard. The 45-year-old Miami, Florida native has been removed from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America for one year after allowing Deadspin.com to handle his Hall of Fame voting duties. In addition to his suspension from the BBWAA, Le Batard was also barred from casing votes for future Hall of Fame candidates.

Issuing a statement shortly after Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas were elected to Cooperstown, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America said the punishment handed to the on-air personality -- which is allowed under the current organizational constitution -- comes directly to Le Batard after he violated and abused his privilege of representing the voters for the Professional Baseball Hall of Fame. Le Batard is currently the host of ESPN televisions "Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable" program and also serves as a regular columnist for the Miami Herald.

“The BBWAA Board of Directors has decided to remove Dan Le Batard's membership for one year, for transferring his Hall of Fame ballot to an entity that has not earned voting status,” the BBWAA said in an issued statement. “The punishment is allowed under the organization's constitution. In addition, Le Batard will not be allowed to vote on Hall of Fame candidates from this point on. The BBWAA regards Hall of Fame voting as the ultimate privilege, and any abuse of that privilege is unacceptable.”

Le Batard has been very vocal about the fact that he disagrees with the voting process, noting that the "steroid guys" have been left out of the equation and even though he knew he’d be penalized for offering up his ballot, the sports personality didn’t hold back when talking about his actions on his regular TV show.

“I probably won't have a vote next year because I gave mine to Deadspin," he said on his show. “I don't like how they do business over there at the Hall of Fame, where they're sitting there and they're being sanctimonious and they're keeping all the steroid guys out.”