| | So just how does this process work that puts players into the
Baseball Hall of Fame?
It's not enough to play long and prosper. An athlete has to win
over the hearts and minds of nearly 500 current and former baseball
writers who vote in the annual poll.
This year's class will be announced today in New York City (where
there are more spotlights than in tiny Cooperstown, N.Y., the Hall's
home). Players must be mentioned on 75 percent of the ballots to earn
a spot among the greatest of the greats.
There are no set numbers for enshrinement. Last year, three players
-- George Brett, Robin Yount and Nolan Ryan -- amazingly made it in
their first year of eligibility. Including the first election in 1936,
a mere 34 players have been elected in their first year of
eligibility. In 1996 came the other extreme: No players were deemed
worthy.
All depends on the baseball writers. And they
set the bar high.
"The numbers that make the Hall of Fame are so small," said Jeff
Idelson, Vice President for Communications of the National Baseball
Hall of Fame and Museum. "It runs about one percent."
That means, said Idelson, that if there are around 700 players in
the majors, only seven of them would make it to the Hall.
Voters must be members of the Baseball Writers' Association of
America (BBWAA) for at least 10 years. A voter can pick no more than
10 names and select only from the 30 names on the ballot. According to
Idelson, there are 15-20 write-ins a year for bad-boy Pete Rose, who
is banned from baseball. Votes for Rose are not counted, but the rest
of the ballot is.
Last year, a record 497 ballots were sent in, according to Idelson.
He expects a similar count this year. (There is a sample ballot on the
Hall web site where fans can check their votes against the writers;
there also is plenty of biographical information on the candidates.
The address is www.baseballhalloffame.org.)
It may seem strange to have the announcement on a Tuesday in
January, but holding it mid-week, said Idelson, keeps the news away
from the clutter of the football playoffs. Having it in January gives
the game off-season publicity.
By contrast, the NFL announces its Hall of Fame inductees the day
before the Super Bowl.
"Baseball has stood the test of time and this announcement stands
on its own two feet," said Idelson. "It does not need to piggy-back
on an event in order to gain publicity."
Charles Scoggins, BBWAA president, will make the announcement
shortly after each of the inductees -- assuming there are any --
receives a phone call informing them of their election.
Eligible players must have at least 10 years of service. They make
the ballot only five years after their last season and must pass
through a screening committee. They can stay on the ballot for next
time only if they receive at least five percent of the votes.
Any player on Baseball's ineligible list shall not be considered
(e.g., Rose).
According to the guidelines, voters are told to consider the
player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character
and contributions to his team.
There is another way for a player to make the Hall: the Veterans
Committee. That 15-member panel is responsible for electing former
Negro Leaguers, umpires, managers, club executives and eligible major
leaguers whose careers ended no later than 1975. Their results will be
announced on Feb. 29.
The Hall of Fame has 244 members: 182 Major League players, 23
pioneers/executives, 16 Negro leaguers, 15 managers and eight umpires.
The Induction Ceremony is Sunday, July 23. The annual Hall of Fame
Game will be July 24 between AL Central Division champ Cleveland and
NL West champ Arizona.
Compiled by Scripps Howard News Service
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