It always amazes me how many great players don't get into Cooperstown.
NEW YORK -- Rickey Henderson sped his way into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot Monday, and Jim Rice made it in on his 15th and final try.
Henderson, baseball's career leader in runs scored and stolen bases, received 94.8 percent of the vote from the Baseball Writers' Association of America, well above the 75 percent needed.
Rice, among baseball's most feared hitters in the late 1970s and early 1980s, got 76.4 percent of the vote after falling just shy with 72.2 percent last year.
"The only thing I can say is I'm glad it's over with," Rice said. "I'm in there and they can't take it away."
...
| Player | Votes | Pct. |
|---|
| Rickey Henderson | 511 | 94.8 |
| Jim Rice | 412 | 76.4 |
| Andre Dawson | 361 | 67.0 |
| Bert Blyleven | 338 | 62.7 |
| Lee Smith | 240 | 44.5 |
| Jack Morris | 237 | 44.0 |
Others receiving votes: Tommy John 171 (31.7); Tim Raines 122 (22.6); Mark McGwire 118 (21.9); Alan Trammell 94 (17.4); Dave Parker 81 (15.0); Don Mattingly 64 (11.9); Dale Murphy 62 (11.5); Harold Baines 32 (5.9); Mark Grace 22 (4.1); David Cone 21 (3.9); Matt Williams 7 (1.3); Mo Vaughn 6 (1.1); Jay Bell 2 (0.4); Jesse Orosco 1 (0.2). |
Andre Dawson fell 44 votes short with 67 percent. He was followed by Bert Blyleven (62.7 percent), Lee Smith (44.5), Jack Morris (44.0), Tommy John (31.7) and Tim Raines (22.6). John appeared on the ballot for the final time.
Mark McGwire, stigmatized by accusations he used performance-enhancing drugs, received 118 votes (21.9 percent) in his third year of eligibility, down from the 128 votes he got in each of his first two tries.
Henderson, who played with McGwire in Oakland, said the slugger was one of the best people he's ever been around.
"He played the game the right way to me," Henderson said. "I feel he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame."
Also, I still love this clip from Henderson after he broke the stolen bases record. One of the cockiest athletes ever, but he could back it up.
by Daba
by OMNIS