BREAKING: Allen and Parker = HOFers

By SSTN Admin

December 8th, 2024

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From BaseballHall.org:

"Dick Allen, a seven-time All-Star and two-time home run champion, and Dave Parker, a two-time batting champion and the owner of two World Series rings, earned election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday via the Classic Baseball Era Committee process, it was announced today on MLB Network.

Allen and Parker were candidates on the Classic Baseball Era Committee Ballot, which was considered by a 16-member committee that held meetings today in Dallas. The eight-person ballot was comprised of candidates whose primary contribution to the game came prior to 1980.

Parker was named on 14 of 16 ballots and Allen on 13 of 16 ballots as the only candidates to reach the 75-percent threshold necessary for election.

Parker, who is 73, and Allen, who passed away in 2020, will be joined in the Hall of Fame Class of 2025 by any electees who emerge from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voting, which will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

Allen played 15 seasons for the Phillies, Cardinals, Dodgers, White Sox and Athletics, totaling 351 home runs and 1,119 RBI. He won the 1964 National League Rookie of the Year Award with the Phillies and was named the 1972 American League Most Valuable Player with the White Sox. He reached the 20-home run mark in nine straight seasons and 10 overall while leading his league in slugging percentage three times, extra base hits three times and on-base percentage twice.

Parker was named to seven All-Star Games in his 19 seasons, winning back-to-back NL batting titles in 1977-78 while earning league MVP honors in the latter year. A key member of the Pirates World Series champions in 1979 and the Athletics World Series winners 10 years later, Parker led his league in total bases three times and slugging percentage twice. A three-time Gold Glove Award winner in right field, Parker won the 1979 All-Star Game MVP Award following a legendary exhibition of his throwing arm.

The 16-member Hall of Fame Board-appointed electorate charged with the review of the Classic Baseball Era Ballot was comprised of Hall of Fame members Paul Molitor, Eddie Murray, Tony Pérez, Lee Smith, Ozzie Smith and Joe Torre; major league executives Sandy Alderson, Terry McGuirk, Dayton Moore, Arte Moreno and Brian Sabean; and veteran media members/historians Bob Elliott, Leslie Heaphy, Steve Hirdt, Dick Kaegel and Larry Lester. Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Jane Forbes Clark served as the non-voting chairman of the Classic Baseball Era Committee.

Results of the Classic Baseball Era Ballot (12 votes needed for election): Dave Parker (14 votes, 87.5%); Dick Allen (13 votes, 81.3%); Tommy John (7 votes, 43.8%); Ken Boyer, John Donaldson, Steve Garvey, Vic Harris and Luis Tiant each received less than five votes.

The Classic Baseball Era Committee will next consider players, managers, executives and umpires in 2027 for the 2028 Induction year, as part of the three-year era committee cycle. The Contemporary Baseball Era Committee Players Ballot will be considered in the winter of 2025 for the Class of 2026; and the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee Managers/Executives/Umpires Ballot will be considered in the winter of 2026 for the Class of 2027. The Contemporary Baseball Era Committees consider candidates whose primary contribution to the game came from 1980 through the present. Committees are annually scheduled to convene at the Winter Meetings.

The eight Classic Baseball Era Committee finalists were selected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America-appointed Historical Overview Committee from all eligible candidates whose most significant career impact was realized prior to 1980. The Historical Overview Committee is comprised of 10 veteran historians: Adrian Burgos (University of Illinois), Bob Elliott (Canadian Baseball Network); Jim Henneman (formerly Baltimore Sun); Steve Hirdt (Stats Perform); David O’Brien (The Athletic); Jack O’Connell (BBWAA); Jim Reeves (formerly Fort Worth Star-Telegram); Glenn Schwarz (formerly San Francisco Chronicle); Susan Slusser (San Francisco Chronicle); and Mark Whicker (formerly Southern California News Group).

Candidates eligible for consideration as part of the Era Committee process include players with 10 or more big league seasons; managers and umpires with 10 or more major league seasons and retired for at least five years (candidates who are 65 years or older are eligible six months following retirement); executives retired for at least five years (active executives 70 years or older are eligible for consideration regardless of the position they hold in an organization and regardless of whether their body of work has been completed); and Negro Leagues and pre-Negro Leagues players, managers, umpires and executives. All candidates must not be on Baseball’s Ineligible List.

Hall of Fame Weekend 2025 will be held July 25-28 in Cooperstown, N.Y., with the Induction Ceremony slated for Sunday, July 27, 2025. The BBWAA election results will be announced at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Jan. 21, on MLB Network.

Also this week, two Hall of Fame award winners will be announced, with the BBWAA selecting its annual Career Excellence Award winner on Tuesday, Dec. 10, for meritorious contributions to baseball writing. On Wednesday, Dec. 11, the Museum will announce the 2025 Ford C. Frick Award winner, given for excellence in baseball broadcasting"