What you should know about the Hall of Fame election

Every year one of the most anticipated and historic events that take place is the voting and the subsequent presentation of the results of the players who were chosen to be enthroned at the Professional Baseball Hall of Fame, in Cooperstown.

Here’s a quick overview of facts you need to know to enjoy this moment.

How did it come about?

In a report written by members of the Special Mills Committee, whose publication took place on December 30, 1907, the following was announced: “According to the evidence obtained in three years of research, the game arose at the initiative of Abner Doubleday, in 1839, in the beautiful ViCooperstown Hall”.

This situation was taken advantage of in 1930 by Stephen C. Clark, a native of Cooperstown, to write a letter to Ford Frick, then president of the National Baseball League, in which he proposed the initiative to create in that place the Hall of Fame and the National Baseball Museum.

Since 1935 work began with the intention of carrying out the initiative. The Lord Stephen Clark and his assistant Alexander Cleland They interested Ford Frick, and he subsequently solicited the support of Kennesaw Mountain Landis, the first Major League Baseball Commissioner, and William Harridge, president of the American League. The organizers requested the support of the National Writers Association of the United States, to whom they entrusted the selection of the first players, who would be immortal from 1939, the year the venue was inaugurated

Who were the first players to be chosen?

The list of the first five players is disclosed in May 1936, they were chosen in a voting system of 226 ballots, they are:

1. Ty Cobb (222 votes)
2. George Herman Ruth “Babe Ruth” (215 votos)
3. Honus Wagner (215 votes)
4. Christy Mathewson (205 votos)
5. Walter Johnson (189 votos)

Requirements to be a candidate for voting

Eligible players come from a list approved by a committee that discards the least qualified candidates, within the basic requirements must be met:

• Have five or more years of retirement from active sport
• Have played at least ten years in Major League Baseball in the United States.

Who are the ones in charge of voting?

The election is carried out by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), or for the Veterans Committee, consisting of Hall members and Frick and Spink Award winners

What is the voting process?

The ballot consists of 25 to 40 candidates which is given to a total of 425 registered writers to date. Each writer can choose up to ten players. The player benefited by 75% or more of the votes is exalted, and his induction takes place in a ceremony that is part of the weekend of exaltation, known as the “HOF Weekend”.

Until 2001 the player who received less than 5% of the votes was removed from the list and could not participate in future elections. Since 2002, a series of rule changes allow the Veterans Committee to make exceptions, they can also do the same for those players who fail to be elected within 20 years of retiring from active sport.

The only player to enter immortality by unanimous vote

The legendary New York Yankees closer and the absolute leader in saves in MLB history with 652, Mariano Rivera, became the first player in Major League history to achieve 100 percent of the votes of the Baseball Writers Association. America Baseball to be inducted into the Cooperstown Hall of Fame in the class of 2019.

Rivera, originally from Panama, had a successful career of 19 seasons in the Major Leagues, where some of his outstanding achievements were:

• 13 appearances in the All-Star Game
• 5 times World Series champion
• 1999 World Series MVP
• 3 times Saves Leader
• MVP ALDS (2003)
• 5 times reliever of the year
• Return of the Year 2013
• All-time record for most games saved in MLB history with 652

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