Created in April 2022, the Classic Baseball Era Committee debuts to deliberate eight candidates for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. All eight candidates' careers began before 1980. Two are associated with the Negro Leagues, assimilated into Major League Baseball in December 2020, while the other six are some very familiar names indeed, and it is highly likely that at least one of them will be announced by the committee on December 8, 2024, for formal induction in July 2025.

The six non-Negro Leagues candidates are practically near-contemporaries whose playing careers span the 1950s through the 1980s: Dick Allen, Ken Boyer, Steve Garvey, Tommy John, Dave Parker, and Luis Tiant. The two Negro Leagues candidates are John Donaldson and Vic Harris, with Donaldson, whose tenure in the officially-recognized Negro Leagues lasted for the first half of the 1920s, also considered a manager and a pioneer of sorts; by contrast, Harris's playing and managing career spanned virtually the entire Negro Leagues period from 1920 to 1948.

The Classic Baseball Era, which consists of the period to 1980 (including the Negro Leagues), has announced its eight Finalists for the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

The nominees are:

Dick Allen:  Here is Allen again, and fans and family of the late slugger must be tired of waiting.  Allen was on the Writer’s Ballot for 15 years, peaking at 18.9% in 1996, his fourteenth year.  As for the Veterans ballot, this is his sixth try, with him falling short by one vote in his last two tries (2015 and 2022). 

Allen was the 1972 American League MVP (with Chicago). Over a 15-year career, he hit 351 Home Runs with 1,119 RBIs. He was also a seven-time All-Star, two-time OBP leader, three-time Slugging Champion, and four-time leader in OPS.

Ken Boyer:  Boyer was also on the Writer’s Ballot for 15 years, with his apex coming in 1988 (his ninth ballot) with 25.5 percent of the vote.  Like Allen, he has been on six Veterans ballots but has never come close to achieving the 75% required. 

An 11-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner, Boyer won the 1964 National League MVP and led his Cardinals to a World Series Championship that year.  He had 2,143 hits, 282 home runs, and 1141 RBIs.

John Donaldson:  Donaldson received 50% of the vote on the 2022 Veterans ballot, boding well for his chances this year.

While Donaldson played in the Negro Leagues in the first half of the 1920s with the Kansas City Monarchs, his best years were in the pre-Negro Leagues era.  Overall, the Pitcher is believed to have a record of 424-169-15, 5,221 Strikeouts, and an ERA of 1.37.

Steve Garvey:  Garvey lasted 15 years on the writer’s ballot, with his peak coming in year three at 42.6 percent.  He appeared on four Veteran’s Ballots, with a 37.5% finish on the 2020 version.

Garvey won the 1974 National League MVP, was a 10-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner, and helped the Dodgers win the 1981 World Series.  He had 2,599 Hits, 272 Home Runs and 1,308 RBIs.

Vic Harris:  Harris netted 62.5% on his first Veteran’s Ballot in 2022, two votes shy of what he needed for induction.

Harris was a seven-time Negro League All-Star and a long-time Manager who boasted a winning record of 547-278.  He overall won none Negro League Pennants and three Negro League World Series Championships.

Tommy John:  John was on the Writer’s Ballot for 15 years, with his final year reaching his peak of 31.7%.  He has been on the Veteran’s Ballot four times before but never received enough votes to register.

A four-time All-Star. John had a career record of 288-231 with 2,245 Strikeouts and was a Cy Young runner-up twice.

Dave Parker:  Parker was on 15 Writer’s Ballots and finished as high as 24.5% in his second year.  He has been on three Veteran’s Ballots and had 43.8% on his 2020 attempt.

Parker led Pittsburgh to a World Series Championship in 1979 and won a second ring a decade later with Oakland.  A six-time All-Star with three Silver Sluggers, Parker won the 1978 National League MVP.  He had 339 career Home Runs and 1,493 RBIs.

Luis Tiant:  Tiant was on 15 Writer’s Ballots, peaking with 17.2 in his 14^th attempt.  He has been on six Veterans ballots, but only received 25 percent once, and in his last three attempts, did not get enough votes to register.

The recently deceased Pitcher is an iconic figure in Boston, helping them win the 1975 American League Pennant, though his best year in baseball was in Cleveland (1968: 21-9, 1.60 ERA & 264 SO).  Tiant was a three-time All-Star with a career record of 229-172 and 2,416 Strikeouts.

The results will be announced on December 8 at 7:30 PM.

We are a month removed from the Baseball Hall of Fame 2021 vote, and that means it is time to release our new list of those to consider for Cooperstown in 2022.  With nobody elected in 2021, there are no removals from the list, but there are four new entries.  We currently have 108 on this list, and by Spring, we will be expanding it to an even 300, which will be our fixed number moving forward.

As per our first year, there are three number ones, with the rational showing one eligible, and two ineligibles (Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson) due to gambling.

Remaining at #1A is Pete Rose, the man who collected an all-time record 4,256 Hits.  Rose was banned from the game over 30 years ago for betting on baseball.  

Also, staying at #1B, is “Shoeless” Joe Jackson.  Jackson was suspended for his alleged participation in the Chicago White Sox throwing of the 1919 World Series.

Barry Bonds is at #1C.  Bonds is the all-time leading Home Run leader with 762, and he is also first in Walks (2,558), Win Probability Added (127.7) and Power-Speed # (613.9).  While never caught, the seven-time MVP was widely suspected of PED use, and the Baseball Hall of Fame voters have kept him out.  He only has one year left of eligibility.  

Roger Clemens is just behind Bonds at #2.  Like Bonds, Clemens has been kept out of Cooperstown due to PED suspicion, and he is also entering his tenth and final year on the ballot.  Clemens is a seven-time Cy Young Award winner and is third all-time in Strikeouts (4,672).

The highest debut is Alex Rodriguez, who appears at #3. Unlike Bonds and Clemens, Rodriguez was twice suspended for PED use, but also, unlike Bonds and Clemens, he seems to be welcomed back as shown by his gig at Fox.  Rodriguez is fourth all-time in Home Runs (696).

Former Detroit Tiger Second Baseman, Lou Whitaker, is at #4.  Whitaker was a member of Detroit’s 1984 World Series Championship team, and is considered one of the best infielders not in the Baseball Hall.  

Bill Dahlen, a former star in the 1900s is in at #5.  Dahlen won a World Series with the New York Giants in 1905, and is still in the top-fifty in bWAR for Position Players.

Curt Schilling is at #6.  The former two-time World Series champion has one year left and has asked to be removed from the ballot after failing to enter the Hall.  He has feuded with media in the past, and his current right-wing politics have alienated many others.  

At #7 is Manny Ramirez.  Like Rodriguez, Ramirez has also been suspended for PEDs twice, and it has hampered his pursuit for a Hall of Fame plaque.  

Our second top-ten debut is at #8, David Ortiz, Ramirez’s former teammate in Boston.  With the Red Sox, Ortiz became the best Designated Hitter that baseball has ever seen, and would win three World Series rings.

Todd Heltonremains in the top ten at #9.  The career Colorado Rockie is trending towards induction in roughly three years.

Tommy Johnrounds out the top ten.  Ironically, the surgery that bears his name, is recognized by the Hall.  His only path for induction is with the Veteran’s Committee.

There are two other new entries, Mark Teixeira at #93 and Jimmy Rollins at #102.

Thank you all for your support, and look for our revised Football list next month.

Tommy John would have better years with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, but this should not discount what he did in Chicago from 1965 to 1971.

A few weeks ago, the Baseball Hall of Fame announced their 2020 Baseball Hall of Fame Class.  The result was that Derek Jeter (on his first ballot), and Larry Walker (on his tenth and final) were chosen to enter Cooperstown. The two will join former Catcher, Ted Simmons, who was elected by the Veteran’s Committee.  All three of those former players were ranked in the top ten, and have been removed from the list.

For the first time since we began this list in 2010, there is no new entry in our top 15.  Actually, there is no new entry in the top 50.  This should assist in clearing any existing backlog. 

The new top ten is:

1A. Pete Rose.  Following the bombshell that was the Astros sign-stealing scandal, Rose again lobbied for reinstatement in the Majors.  His reasoning was that since no Astros player was punished, that logic should transfer to his own situation.  That likely won’t happen, but he did remain in the news as President Trump also said he should be in the Hall of Fame.  Since he is ineligible, he has the “1A” designation.

1B. “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. Like Rose, Jackson was banned from baseball, which is now 100 years old.  Jackson was banned for his (alleged) participation in the 1919 Black Sox scandal where players were paid by gamblers to throw games in the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.  Jackson was a Hall of Fame worthy player, but as such his estate has to settle for his “1B” rank.

1C. Roger Clemens.  Unlike Rose and Jackson, Clemens is Hall of Fame eligible, but the PED stain has kept him out thus far.  He has two more years left and a big mountain to climb, but what looked impossible a few years ago, could be attainable.  

2. Barry Bonds.  Ditto for Bonds, and the only reason he is behind the “Rocket”, is because he has a slightly lower vote total than anyone than Clemens.  The all-time Home Run king is in the same boat as Clemens, as they both are in the low 60s in voting with two years left of eligibility.  

3. Lou Whitaker.  Playing his entire career with the Detroit Tigers, Lou Whitaker was only on the Hall of Fame ballot for one year, but has appeared on the Veteran’s Committee Ballot. There is still a good chance that he could enter via that route and join his double play partner, Alan Trammell, who also had to wait for a Veteran’s Committee admission to Cooperstown.

4. Bill Dahlen. “Bad” Bill Dahlen has been a Veteran’s Committee Nominee before, and could be again. The surly Shortstop was a defensive gem, a World Series Champion with the Giants in 1905, and is still in the top 50 in bWAR for Position Players.

5. Curt Schilling.  Had it not been for the mouth, political views and Twitter account of Curt Schilling, he would likely already have been inducted by now.  As it stands, he is close with a recent tally of 70% on his eight ballot.  Schilling has been on his best behavior in the last year, and with the weakest ballot in memory, he will enter Cooperstown in 2021 if he keeps his nose clean.

6. Manny Ramirez.  Unlike Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, Manny Ramirez WAS caught using PEDs and did so when the Baseball Player’s Union had an agreement with Major League Baseball.  Ramirez has approached 30% in the last ballot, and statistically he belongs, but induction is unlikely as of this writing.

7. Todd Helton.  Helton could follow Larry Walker into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and his Hall of Fame support approached nearly 30% on his second year on the ballot. Helton is definitely on the right trajectory.  

8. Gil Hodges.  This might surprise you, but one of the most debated players on our baseball list is Hodges.  This is the player who has the most accumulated votes that never got inducted, and his name is synonymous with Dodgers lore.

9. Tommy John.  Tommy John Surgery is actually represented in the Baseball Hall of Fame, but John himself is not.  He has 288 Wins and 2,245 Strikeouts and he will definitely appear in a future Veteran’s Committee ballot.

10. Scott Rolen.  Rolen jumped from 17.2% to 35.3% on his third year of eligibility, and while he was not a Colorado Rockie like Todd Helton, he is the one called the “New Larry Walker” based on belief that he will methodically work his way into Cooperstown.  We agree with that assessment.

As you can see, there are no new entries in the top ten.  There are actually, nobody new in the top fifty.  The only two new entries are Mark Buehrle at #74, and Tim Hudson at #101.

This brings a unique opportunity for those who are on the 2021 ballot as the returning nominees will not be looking to be “slotted” below anyone new. 

We are in the preliminary process of expanding our list to 300.

You know what we want you to do!

Take a look, and if you haven’t done so already, cast your vote and offer your opinion!

With its second meeting under a revamped structure, the Baseball Hall of Fame veterans committee will convene to evaluate nine players and one executive whose impact was made primarily during the Modern Baseball era, defined as having occurred between 1970 and 1987, and perhaps elect someone to the Hall of Fame. Their ballot results will be announced on December 10 during the winter meetings.

The “Hall of Fame” season is really amping up. The Baseball Hall of Fame Modern Era Committee has announced the ten finalists for consideration. This new Committee covers those who participated from 1970 to 1987.

The nominees are:

Steve Garvey: Ranked #31 on Notinhalloffame.com. Garvey was a ten time All Star and was named the 1974 National League MVP. He accumulated 2,599 Hits with a .294 Batting Average with 272 Home Runs. He was on the ballot for the fifteen full years finishing as high as 42.6 %.

Tommy John: Ranked #16 on Notinhalloffame.com. John won 283 Games and is a four time All Star. A two-time Cy Young runner-up, John had 2,245 Strikeouts over his career. He was on the ballot for fifteen years peaking at 31.7% on his final year of eligibility.

Don Mattingly: Ranked #54 on Notinhalloffame.com. Playing his entire career with the New York Yankees, Mattingly was the American League MVP in 1985. Mattingly went to six All Star Games and had a career Batting Average of .307 with 222 Home Runs. He would also win the 1984 Batting Title. He was on the ballot for fifteen years with a high of 28.2% in his first year of eligibility.

Marvin Miller: The head of the Players Association from 1966 to 1982, salaries skyrocketed under his tenure.

Jack Morris: Ranked #11 on Notinhalloffame.com. Morris would win 254 Games and is a four time World Series Champion. He was on the ballot for fifteen years and came very close with a 67.7% finish in his fourteenth year.

Dale Murphy: Ranked #42 on Notinhalloffame.com. In a career spent mostly with Atlanta, Murphy was a back-to-back MVP winner (1982 & 1983) and blasted 398 Home Runs. He was a five time All Star. On the ballot for fifteen years, Murphy peaked at 23.2% in 2000.

Dave Parker: Ranked #28 on Notinhalloffame.com. “The Cobra” was the 1978 National League MVP and hit 339 Home Runs over his career. He was also a two time World Series Champion. He was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 24.5% in his second year of eligibility.

Ted Simmons: Ranked #14 on Notinhalloffame.com. Simmons was an eight time All Star and one of the top Catchers of his day. He was only on the ballot for one year where he finished with 3.7% of the ballot.

Luis Tiant: Ranked #44 on Notinhalloffame.com. Tiant was known mostly for his time in Boston and he was a three time All Star with 229 career Wins. He was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 30.9, which occurred in his first year of eligibility.

Alan Trammell: Ranked #12 on Notinhalloffame.com. Trammell played his entire career with the Detroit Tigers and was a six time All Star. Trammell had 2,365 Hits and was the 1984 World Series MVP. He was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished with 40.9% on the ballot in his last year of eligibility.

It will be very interesting to see if any of these names will get in. To be chosen, a candidate must receive 75% of the 16 member vote.

We imagine that there are younger baseball fans that are oblivious that there really was a Tommy John and that it was not just the name of a surgery.  This would be unfortunate, as Tommy John has to go down as one of the most durable pitchers in baseball history.