A New Hall-way Door Is Opened for Older Players

The Hall of Fame directed its membership to serve as its court of appeal Monday, radically reforming its Veterans Committee and restoring Hall of Fame eligibility to more than 1,700 former players.

The changes will not affect such consensus hall of famers as Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr., each virtually certain to be elected when first eligible in 2007. However, the changes provide a second chance to those whose distinguished careers failed to impress voters, including Don Baylor, the only MVP in Angel history, and Bobby Grich, a six-time all-star with the Angels and Baltimore Orioles.

No longer will Baylor, Grich and other borderline candidates forever be eliminated from consideration because they did not receive a minimum number of votes in elections of the Baseball Writers Assn. of America (BBWAA). Instead, those players will be referred to the Veterans Committee.

That committee, already charged with reviewing candidates who received significant support in BBWAA voting but did not win election, formerly consisted of five hall of famers, five executives and five media members. The revamped committee, as announced by the Hall board of directors, consists of all 61 living hall of famers, all 26 living writers and broadcasters honored there and three committee members who will be allowed to serve until their terms expire.

The new voting body will be dominated by the game’s best players, including Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax, Willie Mays and Nolan Ryan.

Said Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, vice chairman of the Hall’s board of directors: “Who knows what it takes to get here better than the guys who are here?”

A group of writers and hall of famers will select a ballot of 25 to 30 players before each election, with the ballot and subsequent voting made public, similar to the BBWAA elections.

“These changes open up the process. It doesn’t reek of secrecy,” said Jeff Idelson, Hall of Fame vice president. “And this gives new hope to so many more players.”

The Hall of Fame players also could revive the candidacies of players such as Roger Maris, Gil Hodges and Maury Wills, each of whom received enough BBWAA votes for referral to the Veterans’ Committee but were bypassed by the committee.

The committee will hold elections every two years, starting in 2003, so the Hall of Fame will not welcome any inductees in even-numbered years if the BBWAA fails to elect any candidates.

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Who’s Next

Players who will become eligible for the Hall of Fame for the first time in future years:

2002--Andre Dawson, Lenny Dykstra, Ozzie Smith, Alan Trammell

2003--Eddie Murray, Ryne Sandberg, Lee Smith, Fernando Valenzuela

2004--Joe Carter, Dennis Eckersley, Jimmy Key, Dennis Martinez, Paul Molitor, Terry Pendleton, Juan Samuel

2005--Wade Boggs, Tom Candiotti, Chili Davis, Willie McGee, Jeff Montgomery, Terry Steinbach

2006--Will Clark, Gary Gaetti, Orel Hershiser

2007--Albert Belle, Wally Joyner, Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken

Some of the players who will be considered by the Veterans Committee in future years:

Don Baylor, Bob Boone, Bobby Bonds, Bill Buckner, Ron Cey, Jack Clark, Rocky Colavito, Dom DiMaggio, Dwight Evans, Bobby Grich, Gil Hodges, Mickey Lolich, Davey Lopes, Sparky Lyle, Bill Madlock, Roger Maris, Minnie Minoso, Thurman Munson, Graig Nettles, Tony Oliva, Allie Reynolds, Ron Santo, Joe Torre, Maury Wills.

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Source: https://www.baseballhalloffame.org