Another Swing and Miss for Ron Santo

One former baseball player was voted into the Hall of Fame today. In what seems to be an annual rite of winter, the post-1943 Veteran's Committee has passed up on electing any former players to Cooperstown. There were two votes taken today. One vote was by a panel of twelve baseball historians and writers, which was limited to players who played before 1943. This panel elected Joe Gordon. Gordon played for the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians in a career spanning from 1938 to 1950. He played on six World Series teams and was on the winning side five of these times. His career numbers were average at best (.268 batting average, 253 home runs, 975 RBI) but was considered one of the best second basemen of his time. He won the 1942 American League Most Valuable Player and was a nine time All Star and will join teammates Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Bob Feller and Lou Boudreau (among others) in Coopersotwn.

While this is wonderful news for the Gordon family (Joe passed away in 1978 and will be inducted posthumously), the bigger story in most people's opinions is that once again, Ron Santo was turned away from the shrine. The 64 living members of the Hall of Fame voted on players who played after 1942 and were allowed to vote for four players. To be enshrined in Cooperstown, a player needed to be on 75% of the ballots (48 votes). Ron Santo, the beloved Chicago Cubs broadcaster and former third baseman, came the closest to receiving the necessary votes but was named on 61% of the ballots.

Santo played from 1960 to 1973 with the Cubs and then went to the south side of Chicago to finish his career in 1974 with the White Sox. He is generally considered one of the better defensive third basemen of his playing period (if not the best) and was also a fine hitter (.277 average, 342 home runs, 1331 RBI). Injuries did take a toll on his later career and caused his defensive ability to take a turn for the worse, but this is true of many players who were elected to the Hall of Fame. Like Gordon, he was also a nine time All Star. Santo also won five Gold Glove awards and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting 4 times in his career. His numbers are comparable to Hall of Famers Yogi Berra (.285, 358, 1430), Gary Carter (.262, 324, 1225) and Carlton Fisk (.269, 376, 1330).

Santo was joined on the ballot by other fan favorites such as Jim Kaat, Joe Torre, Gil Hodges, Maury Wills and Luis Tiant. These players will have to wait two more years before they will have another chance at being elected to join baseball's elitist company. The pre-1943 ballot had (in addition to Gordon) Deacon White, Bill Dahlen, Wes Ferrell, Mickey Vernon and Allie Reynolds (who missed by one vote). Those players will not be up for consideration again for five years.

The pre-1943 committee had twelve members and as with the post-1942 committee, 75% of the votes were necessary to be elected (9 votes). Also, the panel members were allowed to vote for up to four players on the ballot. Players who are ineligible (due to time restrictions) to be voted on by the BBWAA are screened for candidacy by the Hall of Fame's board. A player is on the BBWAA ballot for fifteen years (as long as they receive 5% of the votes from the previous year) which starts five years after the player's retirement from the game of baseball. The most likely candidates on this year's BBWAA ballot are Rickey Henderson (considered a definite Hall of Famer) and Jim Rice (who is at the end of his fifteen year window for the BBWAA). Results will be announced January 12.

Any players elected will join Joe Gordon in being enshrined in Cooperstown on July 26, 2009.

Ron Santo's stats: http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/santoro01.shtml