My Take on the Classic Era Hall of Fame Ballot

By Mike Whiteman December 1, 2024 I miss the baseball season, but I do enjoy the "hot stove league" of the offseason, as teams make trades, sign free agents, and plan for the upcoming season. It's an interesting time of the year! Another highlight for me are the Hall of Fame elections. The first is the voting for the Era Committee, formerly known as the Veteran's Committee. Here is a second chance for players not elected in the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWA) ballot, along with managers, executives, and umpires.

There are two basic time spans: The Classic Era, covering the period before 1980. The Contemporary Era, covering 1980 to the present. Players who played at least ten seasons and have been retired for at least 16 years are eligible for the ballot. Managers and umpires with 10 or more major league seasons and retired for at least five years are eligible. Those who are 65 years or older are eligible six months following retirement are also eligible.  Executives must be retired for at least five years, the exception being active executives 70 years or older. Voters can choose up to three players on the ballot, and for a player to be selected, he must attain 75% (twelve of sixteen) of the vote. This year's voting is for the Classic Era. Here are the candidates, with my impressions and my three votes:

Dick Allen: Allen's 156 OPS+ is 25th of all time, ahead of guys like Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Joe DiMaggio. He was far from a complete player, was controversial and frequently traded, but his bat was special. He's very close for me, but I believe is the fourth best player on this ballot.

Ken Boyer: Per Jay Jaffe's JAWS measurement system, Boyer was the 14th best third baseman in all of baseball history (Graig Nettles was 12th). During his peak from 1958-1964, Boyer had a 128 OPS+, five Gold Gloves, and the 1964 National League MVP. An excellent player. Very, very close, but a difficult "no". I wish I had five votes!

John Donaldson: A legendary African-American pitcher, anecdotally was one of the greatest pitchers of all time. His prime was unfortunately in the years before the establishment of the Negro National League in 1920, and there's very little reliable statistical evidence of his prowess. He was one of the greatest barnstormers of all time. I love studying the Negro Leagues and feel like there are other Hall-of-Fame caliber Negro Leaguers not yet enshrined, but due to lack of data I'm not sure if Donaldson is one. Hard pass.

Steve Garvey: Back in the 1970s and 1980s, I remember Steve Garvey as a star. His career numbers (.294/.329/.446, 117 OPS+) don't jump out at you though, and seemingly have held him back from enshrinement in Cooperstown. There's plenty of "blue ink" though on his baseball-reference player page. Ten All-Star game selections, five Gold Glove awards, an MVP award and a second place finish, a career postseason slash of .338/.361/.550, two NLCS MVP selections, and a 1207 consecutive game playing streak. He gets my vote.

Vic Harris: A longtime outfielder for the iconic Negro League franchise the Homestead Grays, he was selected to six East-West All-Star games. He was also very successful manager, guiding the Grays to seven pennants in eleven years. Here's a list of MLB managers with seven or more pennants - Casey Stengel, John McGraw, Joe McCarthy, Connie Mack, and Walter Alston. Harris gets my vote.

Tommy John: John's case has been made and debated often. I come down on the side of induction. He was a good pitcher for a very long time, which I do think counts for something. I'm not sure that itself gets him a plaque, but add to that the surgery he pioneered that has saved many careers, and I think it puts him over the top. He (and his surgeon) has definitely changed the game, and is worthy of induction.

Dave Parker: For the first five full seasons of his career, Parker may have been the best player in baseball, slashing .321/.377/.532 with an MVP award, two near misses when he finished in third place, three Gold Gloves, and 31 WAR. His last 12 seasons he had 7.7 WAR. He comes up just shy for my vote.

Luis Tiant: A true fan favorite and a darned good pitcher too - 229 wins, four 20-win seasons. Unfortunately the best he placed in Cy Young award voting was fourth, and he only reached top five in the voting twice. I'm a Tiant fan, but I do not think he's a Hall-of-Famer. Unlike some previous "veterans committee" elections, I feel like this is a quality ballot. None of these players would embarrass the Hall if elected. Results will be announced December 8th at 7:30. Can't wait!