Baseball Hall Of Fame Expects Big Class, Big Crowd For ‘25 Induction

The Baseball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 could be the biggest in a decade, according to a computerized tracker of ballots announced by voting writers.

Not since 2014, when six new members received the required 75 per cent of the vote, have the voters selected such a large class — one likely to attract a crowd that could top the 1987 record attendance of 87,500 (for Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken, Jr.).

Even before the Baseball Writers Association of America announces its decisions on MLB Network Jan. 21, at least two stars of the past have already been chosen. Former MVPs Dick Allen and Dave Parker were selected by the Classic Baseball Era Committee in December.

Class Of 2025 Ballot

The writers are considering a 28-man ballot consisting of 14 holdovers and 14 newcomers. One of those first-timers, Ichiro Suzuki, has a chance to join Mariano Rivera (Class of 2019) as the only unanimous selections in the history of the voting.

Also likely to win election, according to the tracker, are CC Sabathia, another newcomer to the ballot, and the returning Billy Wagner and Carlos Beltran. It’s even possible that Andruw Jones will join them, giving the writers five electees for the first time since the creation of the Hall of Fame in 1936.

Wagner, in his 10th and final year on the ballot, received 73.8 per cent of the vote last year.

The likely induction class has strong New York ties, as Sabathia played for the Yankees and both Beltran and Wagner starred for the Mets. Ichiro and Jones also had cameos in pinstripes, though the former spent his best seasons in Seattle, where he collected more hits in a season (262) than any other player.

MORE FOR YOU
NSA Warns iPhone And Android Users—Disable Location Tracking
New Amazon Ransomware Attack—‘Recovery Impossible’ Without Payment
‘American Primeval’ Dethroned In Netflix’s Top 10 List By A New Show

Gold Glove Monopoly

Both Ichiro and Jones won Gold Gloves for their outfield play 10 years in a row — a feat shared only by incumbent Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, and Ken Griffey, Jr. The Cooperstown gallery is filled with figures whose defensive prowess promoted their candidacies — from Ozzie Smith and Luis Aparicio to Bill Mazeroski and Red Schoendienst.

Ryan Thibodaux, the man behind the Baseball Hall of Fame Tracker, reported Wednesday that 39.8 per cent of the ballots cast by voting writers are known. Ichiro was named on each, with Sabathia on 92.9 per cent, Wagner on 84 per cent, Beltran on 80.1 per cent, and Jones on an almost-but-but-not-quite 73.7 per cent – the highest he has been in eight years on the ballot.

Candidates who fail to receive three-quarters of the vote after 10 tries revert to the discretion of the Eras Committees.

The only time five players were elected by the writers in the same season was the first time they voted.

Enshrined as the Class of 1936 were Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, and Ty Cobb.

Membership in the Hall of Fame currently stands at 346, including 247 former players, 39 executives and pioneers, 23 managers, and 10 umpires.

Because most voters do not complete all 10 spaces on their ballots, garnering 75 per cent of the vote is often difficult.

Joe D’s Waiting Game

Such greats as Joe DiMaggio needed multiple tries.

Predicting the election results for the Hall of Fame is just as tough as predicting a presidential vote. Nine different times when the writers could not agree on a single candidate. But the Veterans Committee, as the Eras Committee was called then, saved Induction Weekend by choosing candidates of their own.

The voting writers chose four candidates in both 2018 and 2019, with two more added each year by the various Eras Committees.

Once players become Hall of Famers, they realize a lifelong financial windfall. They receive more invitations to public appearances, including card shows and baseball theme cruises, and the value of their memorabilia – especially if signed – increases exponentially. Many end their signatures with three little letters: “HOF.”

The Class of 2025 will be installed at Clark Sports Center, a mile from the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, on July 27.