The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced on Sunday that the Modern Era (1970-1987) Committee had voted in only two of its slate of candidates for induction into the Hall of Fame this coming summer. They are both members of the Detroit Tigers 1984 World Champions, Jack Morris, and Alan Trammell.
Jack Morris (254 wins, 2,478 strikeouts) and Alan Trammell (.285 AVG, 2,365 hits) elected to @baseballhall by Modern Era Committee. https://t.co/3dgKKGYbmp pic.twitter.com/weDjmHrhmS
— MLB (@MLB) December 10, 2017
Morris, who was named on 14 of the ballots for 87.5%, was once known as one of the best “big game pitchers” of his day and had the most wins by any pitcher in the decade of the 1980s. As a member of the Minnesota Twins out duelled fellow Hall of Famer John Smoltz in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. Morris threw 10 scoreless innings and earned the World Series MVP. Going 254-186 in the regular season, the five-time All-Star had been a contentious candidate during his 15 years on the BBWAA ballot as devotees to newer stats discounted the older guard’s reliance on Morris’ perceived “big game” intangibles.
Alan Trammell and Jack Morris to make the Hall of Fame
Trammell, who received 13 votes, good for 81.3%, debuted in the same season as Morris (1977) and spent his entire 20-year career with the Tigers. A six-time American League All-Star, he won four Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers at shortstop in an era dominated by Hall of Famers Robin Yount and Cal Ripken Jr. Trammell also picked up the 1984 World Series MVP.
Ted Simmons fell one vote short of induction with 11, while contentious former head of the Players Association, the late Marvin Miller was next with seven votes.
The announcement of who, if anyone, will be joining Morris and Trammell via the BBWAA’s voting will be announced on January 24th.
Simmons, Miller, and the other six candidates will most likely, if they are still on the ballot, have to wait until 2019 for another crack at the Modern Era Committee ballot. Next winter will be the Today’s Game committee that covers 1988 to the present. 2020 will see both the Early Baseball (1887-1949) and Golden Days (1950-1969) era meet.
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