Baseball HOF: Who makes it in addition to Ripken and Gwynn?

Thanks patchs for the breakdown! This is a dumb rookie question out of me: has anyone received 100% of the votes ever in the HOF?

 

It's a bloody shame that Gossage JUST missed. I also feel that Tommy John and Canseco should also get in, not only for their stats, but also what they contributed beyond the playing field. Hell, both of their careers got a little extra help. B/c of John and Dr. Frank Jobe, countless of pitchers went on to be come All-Stars and a couple of future HOFers. Canseco, as slimy as he comes off, used what little of the balls he has left to blow the whistle on MLB's steroid problem. Doesn't that carry some merit?

 

D-3 -- No.

Blyleven lost ground. That's terrible.

He and Gossage should be in immediatley.

 

COOPERSTOWN, NY: Cal Ripken, holder of one of baseball's most cherished records, and Tony Gwynn, among the game's most prolific hitters, were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America in balloting verified by Ernst & Young. They will be inducted into the Hall July 29 at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, N.Y.

A record 545 ballots, including two blanks, were cast by BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years' service, eclipsing by 25 the previous mark of 2006. Players must be named on 75 percent of ballots submitted to gain election. This year, 409 votes were needed.

Ripken established a record by being named on 537 ballots, breaking the previous mark of 491 by Nolan Ryan in 1999. Ripken's percentage of 98.53 percent is the third highest in the history of BBWAA balloting behind Tom Seaver (98.83 in 1992) and Ryan (98.79 in 1999). Gwynn's percentage of 97.6 based on 532 votes ranks seventh all-time. Their election brings to 280 the number of elected members of the Hall. Of that total, 198 are former major leaguers, of which 105 have been through the BBWAA.

Players in bold were elected; players in italics received fewer than 5% support and will be removed from the ballot; players with asterisk were in final year of eligibility by BBWAA voters.

 

On Canseco, there is a little merit for ratting people out, but then you look at the one-dimensional player he was, capped by the baseball off the head homerun.

It won't be an issue, he got less than 5% of the vote. He won't appear again on the ballot.

 

During his absolute prime, though, Canseco wasn't one-dimensional. He went 40-40 in 1988. He had speed.

 

Yes, but that didn't last long enough before he decided to turn into Gigantor.

 

Plus, he contributed home runs in a multitude of ways: with his bat, on the mound and on the field! What a weapon! As far as being a rat, yeah, no one likes a cheese-eater, but can you come up with another scenario in which either MLB or Congress finally cracks down on steroid usage?

Also, why isn't Tommy John in the Hall? I mean, put his left elbow in at least!

 

Damn......poor Bobby Witt.

I thought he had a chance. [sarcasmfonton]

 

Tommy John did play in NY (and LA) and has one more career victory than Blyleven, despite losing a full season to surgery.

So maybe that "didn't play in NY" argument isn't that strong.

 

How can you possibly vote for Concepcion without voting for the far superior Alan Trammell?