It must be a protest, right? I mean, how else to explain it… this vote… this list of singular votes, actually, that make no sense to anyone who has covered, followed, watched or ever spelled the word, “baseball.”

Somewhere, there is an overly-caffeinated, mentally-unwell Baseball Writers Association of America member who looked at his hall-of-fame ballot and mumbled, “Because Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens aren’t allowed in with barely 60 percent of the vote, I shall show what a travesty and a sham and a mockery these votes for the Baseball Hall of Fame are, and I shall vote for… Brad Penny, J.J. Putz and Adam Dunn.”

And yes, that is a traveshamockery.

Eric Chavez, Raul Ibanez and Jason Giambi also received votes. My god, it’s a double traveshamockery!

Do I dare mention Derek Jeter was not a unanimous selection?

And to think I cannot even become a BBWAA member unless I drive 90-125 miles to every home game of the nearest MLB team and report on it.

Amazing.

But, back to the vote. Who would do such a thing? Who would take away a vote from a deserving player?

Induction weekend is July 24-27 in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Jeter, Larry Walker, Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller will be inducted, as will Ken Harrelson for broadcasting, and the late Nick Cafardo for writing.

My hope is that in the crowd, the cameras will scan, looking for emotional teammates, former coaches and family. Perhaps, one camera operator will stop… on a sign, made from the inside of a flattened Wheaties box, held together with masking tape, scrawled on with crayon, and held by an overweight man, sweating profusely, a pen behind his ear, and a BBWAA credential hanging from a Marlins lanyard around his neck.

“Skip Schumaker, Dan Uggla, Corey Hart. Class of 2021!” the sign would read.

And then… we’ll know.