Molitor and Eckersley elected to the HOF

[Bored 0]

ESPN.com news services

Dennis Eckersley became only the third reliever elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America when voting results were announced Tuesday.

 

Eckersley will enter the Hall of Fame this summer with 3,000-hit man Paul Molitor. Both were on the ballot for the first time.

 

"I've got my hopes up, but I'm guarded," Eckersley, the former Oakland closer, said Monday. "You don't know what people think of you."

 

Molitor was selected on 431 of 506 ballots (85.2 percent), Eckersley on 421 (83.2 percent).

 

Only Ryne Sandberg and Bruce Sutter came within 100 votes of election among the rest of the field. Joe Carter and Keith Hernandez were among those who failed to get the required 5 percent of the vote to remain on the ballot.

 

Sutter, Lee Smith and Goose Gossage all were on the ballot again this year, but Eckersley broke through with voters. He is third on the career saves list with 390, but saves didn't become an official statistic until 1969.

 

Hoyt Wilhelm and Rollie Fingers are the only relief pitchers previously elected to the Hall by the BBWAA. Wilhelm got the call in 1985, Fingers in '92.

 

What sets Eckersley apart from other relievers is the early success he had as a starting pitcher before he converted to a closer. His run of dominance provides a good measuring stick for modern closers. Relying on pinpoint control, he was the most effective reliever in baseball from 1988-92, helping the Athletics to four division titles and a World Series championship.

 

He won the AL MVP and Cy Young Awards in 1992 with one of the greatest seasons by a reliever, going 7-1 with 51 saves and a 1.91 ERA.

 

Molitor ranks eighth on the career list with 3,319 hits. He batted .306 with 1,782 runs and 1,307 RBI in 21 seasons for Milwaukee (1978-92), Toronto (1993-95) and Minnesota (1996-98).

 

A seven-time All-Star, Molitor also was the MVP of the 1993 World Series for the Blue Jays. He hit .418 in his two World Series appearances, and will begin his first season as batting coach for Seattle this year.

 

Eckersley and Molitor bring to 40 the number of people have been elected by the BBWAA in their first year of eligibility. There currently are 256 members of the Hall of Fame. Induction ceremonies will be held July 25 in Cooperstown, the small village in upstate New York.

 

Slugging switch-hitter Eddie Murray and All-Star catcher Gary Carter were inducted last year.

[Guest FrigidSoul]

I still can't believe Ryne Sandberg wasn't a first ballot HoFer and now he's not even going to be a second ballot one.

 

Fuck the Hall

[Bored 0]

I got this off another message board so these numbers might be unofficial

 

ELECTED

Paul Molitor 431 (85.2%)

Dennis Eckersley 421 (83.2%)

 

NOT ELECTED

Ryne Sandberg 309 (61.1%)

Bruce Sutter 301 (59.5%)

Jim Rice 276 (54.5%)

Andre Dawson 253 (50%)

Rich "Goose" Gossage 206 (40.7%)

Lee Smith 185 (36.6%)

Bert Blyleven 179 (35.4%)

Jack Morris 133 (26.3%)

Steve Garvey 123 (24.3%)

Tommy John 111 (21.9%)

Alan Trammell 70 (13.8%)

Don Mattingly 65 (12.8%)

Dave Concepcion 57 (11.3%)

Dave Parker 53 (10.5%)

Dale Murphy 43 (8.5%)

 

Keith Hernandez 22 (4.3%)

Joe Carter 19 (3.8%)

Fernando Valenzuela 19 (3.8%)

Dennis Martinez 16 (3.2%)

Dave Stieb 7 (1.4%)

Jim Eisenreich 3 (0%)

Jimmy Key 3 (0%)

Doug Drabek 2 (0%)

Kevin Mitchell 2 (0%)

Juan Samuel 2 (0%)

Cecil Fielder 1 (0%)

Randy Myers 1 (0%)

Terry Pendleton 1 (0%)

Danny Darwin 0 (0%)

Bob Tewksbury 0 (0%)

 

Anyone under 5% is off the ballot.

[Guest OctoberBlood]

Deservingly so, but yes - Ryne .. it's sad.

[2GOLD 0]

Why does Lee Smith get no love?

[CanadianChris 0]

Why does Lee Smith get no love?

Lee Smith? I'm STILL waiting for Goose Gossage, who's now LONG overdue.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Congrats to Molitor, and the Eck.

 

Sandberg, and maybe Sutter should join Wade Boggs next year.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Ok. Lets get the little notes out of the way first.....

 

1. Bruce Sutter got more votes than Goose Gossage. I agree with ranking Eckersley above Gossage. He's got 190+ wins to go along with 390 saves. But what argument exists that Sutter is better than Gossage? Its utter nonsense. Gossage played a full DECADE longer than Sutter.

 

2. Sandberg made a 10% progression in voting. Those type of players are usually elected eventually.

 

3. Let me provide you with a short list of players.

 

Joe Tinker, Bobby Wallace, Phil Rizzuto, Luis Aparicio, Pee Wee Reese, Travis Jackson, Dave Bancroft, Rabbit Maranville

 

These players have three things in common.

 

I. They are all in the Hall of Fame

 

II. They are all shortstops

 

III. None of them are as good as Alan Trammell.

 

The BBWAA's refusal to give Trammell any consideration is completely sickening. He is CLEARLY in the realm of the HOF's established standards. CLEARLY. I'd also like to run a quote from MikeSC in another thread.....

 

Nomar is, easily, the least likely of the three SS's mentioned to make the Hall. ARod, if his career continues as is, is a no-brainer and Jeter has just won too damned much to not make it. A HOF should be dominant in his era and Nomar just isn't. In the AL, he's far below ARod and Jeter in terms of shortstops. Move him to the NL and he might have a chance to really shine.

 

I took a look at Jeter's baseball-reference.com page, and his most similar player at age 29 is.....Alan Trammell. So how the heck is Jeter a HOF type player, and Trammell can't even get 20%? Disgusting.

[Vern Gagne 0]

If i'm not mistaken. The only two of the above SS's who where voted in by the writers were Maranville, and Aparacio.

 

If you compare Trammell to the Shortstops who made in because of the writers, the case isn't has clear cut.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Fair point. But even so, 13.8% is entirely too low.

[CanadianChris 0]

Unfortunately, the writers seem to be blinded by the sick stats being put up by today's players. I wonder how many of these guys actually remember the 80s.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

In all fairness to the writers, the only undeserving player they've elected the last decade was Tony Perez. They might leave deserving players out, but they don't let bad ones in.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Like Pinjockey said earlier.

 

If you're a HOFer... you're a HOFer. I'd make an exception for 1st ballot players, but after that.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Not sure if this deserves props or not. Paul Molitors fiancee is a 24 year old name Destini. Oh, and Molitor's daughter is 18. There's just something strange about this.