As expected, Griffey headed the list of two players to receive votes on at least 75 percent of the 440 Hall of Fame ballots submitted by eligible voters from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America required to gain induction.
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There was little doubt about Griffey’s induction.
Having a father who had been a star, Griffey said, “only fueled me to go out there and want to play and be the best”. Also leaving the ballot are those who failed to earn the minimum five percent: Jim Edmonds (2.5 percent), Nomar Garciaparra (1.8 percent), Mike Sweeney (0.7 percent), David Eckstein (0.5 percent), Jason Kendall (0.5 percent), Garret Anderson (0.1 percent), Brad Ausmus (0 votes), Luis Castillo (0 votes), Troy Glaus (0 votes), Mark Grudzielanek (0 votes), Mike Hampton (0 votes), Mike Lowell (0 votes), and Randy Winn (0 votes).
“Incredibly special. Wow”, Piazza said on a call with MLB Network. “I sat here with my mouth on the floor”.
Those falling short included outfielder Tim Raines, who has become a cause celebre on social media, as well as Astros slugging first baseman Jeff Bagwell, who fell 15 votes shy.
“It’s the first time I ever heard me being in the batter’s box and hearing somebody holler out ‘Let’s go dad!’ and he’s the hitter behind me”, Griffey said.
The vote total dropped by 109 from last year because writers who have not been active for 10 years lost their votes under new rules.
Center fielder Ken Griffey Jr., whose incandescent grin lit up an era that has since been polluted by the haze of steroids, did Wednesday what no player of any generation, from Babe Ruth to Bob Gibson and beyond, had ever done before. This year, Clemens jumped to 45.2 percent while Bonds moved up to 44.3 percent.
In 3 prior appearances on the ballot, neither had received more than 37.6 percent.
“It’s truly an honor to be elected and to have the highest percentage is definitely a shock”, Griffey told MLB.com. Leading the first-timers are Vladimir Guerrero, Ivan Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez, who was twice suspended for performance-enhancing drugs. When you register in the 60s in your first year on the BBWAA ballot, then, yes, you’ll make it eventually. Curt Schilling rose from 39 per cent to 52, Edgar Martinez from 27 per cent to 43 and Mike Mussina from 25 per cent to 43…. He led the AL in home runs four times and in 2005 was named the NL’s Comeback Player of the Year with the Cincinnati Reds. He received 10 Gold Glove Awards and seven Silver Slugger Awards.
Mike Piazza is swarmed by his Dodgers teammates after hitting a game-winning homerun against Houston in 1996. “For me, I am really encouraged, and thankful, in the increase of votes”. As for the younger writers who have logged their 10 consecutive seasons at the hardball rock pile and have now received their Hall of Fame ballots, a lot of ’em don’t seem to take this steroids business as, well, personally as the old folks do. “I’ve never even seen the front of it”, Griffey said. So Lee Smith has one year to go, but I have no illusions that he will get enshrined even though he and Hoffman are the only relievers to save 200 or more games in two different decades.
Griffey was the 51st player elected in his first year on the ballot.
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He shares the same birthday (Nov. 21) and birthplace (Donora, Pa.) as another Hall of Famer, Stan Musial, who played amateur ball in the 1930s with Griffey’s grandfather.
