Just like players, the candidates will need to be named on 75% of the ballots to be inducted. However, rather than being voted upon by the crumudgeonly BBWAA, the non-player candidates will be evaluated by their peers. Historically this has been a path of less resistance for those not elected by the writers, but since being reconstituted in 2001 the Committee has elected no players and only five non-players. Results will be announced at the Winter Meetings on December 7th.
The managers category includes former Mets manager Davey Johnson, former Royals and Cardinals manager (and former Yankee farmhand) Whitey Herzog, and former Yankee player and manager Billy Martin. Other candidates include Gene Mauch, Tom Kelly, Charlie Grimm, Danny Murtaugh, and Steve O'Neill. Umpire candidates are Doug Harvey and Frank O'Day.
The executive category includes longtime Yankee owner Colonel Jacob Ruppert, former Angels owner Gene Autry, former Royals owner Ewing Kauffman, former MLBPA executive director Marvin Miller (one of the five most influential people in baseball history), former Yankee GM Gabe Paul, as well as former National League President and longtime Yankee broadcaster Bill White.
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I think it's pretty ridiculous that Miller isn't already there. Who has been voting against him?
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame. Things have been a bit screwey since the Veterans Committee was reorganized in 2001 and the rules have been tweaked several time since then. Now rather than yearly elections, it's former players one year and former executives, managers, and umpires in the other.
ReplyDeleteThe panel that will consider Miller this year is 12 man panel with 2 HoFers (Seaver and Roberts), 7 current and former executives, and 3 veteran media members. I don't know if the panel had the same members two years ago.
The only thing I can think of is that the owners or former owners amongst the executives and/or the media guys are the ones keeping him out based the labor strife of the 70s and 80s, free agency, etc. I can't possibly imagine a single player from Miller's era being opposed to his induction.
Miller sort of railed against the Hall since his last exclusion, saying it's a joke and he doesn't care any more. I think he gets in this time. He's getting old (92) and his wife recently passed away. It'd be a shame if he went too before getting a deserved honor.