Market Of Bliss
CNN
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Twenty-six baseball legends are in contention to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday, including the likes of Adrián Beltré, Joe Mauer and Billy Wagner.
In total, 12 new candidates and 14 holdovers, who have been named on previous ballots, will be on this year’s nominee list.
To make the Hall of Fame, nominees must be on at least 75% of ballots from around 400 voters among qualifying baseball writers. Meet this requirement, and their name will be included into the annals at the Hall of Fame Museum in Cooperstown, New York.
Former players, managers and directors can be elected through either the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) election or the Era Committees voting process.
The latter is most often for those who did not manage to reach the 75% threshold through the BBWAA format in the 10 years following their first nomination.
One certainty who will be inducted is three-time manager of the year Jim Leyland, who led the Florida Marlins to their 1997 World Series championship.
Leyland was admitted through the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee with a 93.8% vote. His managerial career spanned 22 seasons, totaling over 1,750 victories and six first-place division finishes – three in the National League East and three in the American League Central.
Speaking on his achievement at a press conference during the Winter Meetings in December, Leyland said: “Excited to be nominated. Ecstatic to be elected.
“I’ve never had any thoughts of going to Cooperstown … but I’m very proud of it. And I’m very humbled by it.”
The rest of this year’s roster is packed with some strong names from previous years, including Billy Wagner, Carlos Beltrán and Gary Sheffield, who is making his 10th and final appearance on the ballot.
It is two newcomers, however, that look sure to be inducted at this year’s ceremony. According to the public ballot poll, available via MLB, first-timer Beltré has so far been included on 99% of ballots. Minnesota Twins icon Mauer is also expected to pass the threshold on his first attempt with a public ballot of 83.2%.
Beltré played a total of 21 Major League seasons, winning five Golden Glove Awards and making four All-Star appearances. The Dominican recorded over 3,000 hits and 477 home runs in a career spanning three decades.
Fellow first-timer Mauer is also likely to make it into Cooperstown, according to the public ballots. Mauer was a one-team man during his 15-year career, starring with the Minnesota Twins and winning three consecutive Golden Glove Awards, as well as the American League MVP in 2009.
Concussions forced Mauer to leave the catcher position in 2014 as he moved to first base and designated hitter for the remainder of his career. The Minnesota native was honored by the Twins in 2019 as they formally retired his No. 7 jersey in 2019.
Looking at the handover nominations and it is an important year for Wagner. This is Wagner’s ninth year on the ballot, meaning if he is unsuccessful this time around, next year will be his last opportunity to be included at Cooperstown via the traditional route.
With seven All-Star appearances under his belt and over 900 innings pitched in his 16 seasons in MLB, ‘Billy the Kid’ has a strong argument for being included in this year’s election.
Todd Helton is another top contender for nomination this year, after just falling short last time out by 11 votes at 72.2%.
The first baseman spent his entire career with the Colorado Rockies, scooping up five All-Star appearances, three Gold Glove awards, four Silver Slugger awards, 369 home runs and a batting average of .316. As tribute, the Rockies retired his No. 17 jersey in 2013.
In his 6th year on the ballot, Helton holds 82% on the public poll, which might just be enough to earn induction this year.
This BBWAA ballot inclusion will be the last for Sheffield. The nine-time All-Star was World Series champion under Leyland in 1997, and hit 509 home runs in his career, but defensive duties were often his downside.
Sheffield will need to jump 20% from last year’s vote in order to get to Cooperstown, giving the regular third baseman an outside chance. He currently sits at 75% in the public ballot.
New entrants to the Hall of Fame will be inducted at Cooperstown on July 21 later this year.
