Beltré, Helton, Mauer: Trio of legends headed to Hall of Fame
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America Hall of Fame ballot boom was back in a big way with the announcement of a three-person Class of 2024 on Tuesday night. Masterful third baseman Adrián Beltré and decorated Twins catcher Joe Mauer both achieved entry into the National Baseball Hall of Fame
Mookie Wilson bringing BBQ to Hall of Fame's East-West Classic
On the baseball field, Mookie Wilson was known for his speed. The former Mets center fielder best remembered for hitting the little roller up along first that got through Bill Buckner has said that he could’ve beaten Boston’s first baseman to the bag had he fielded the ball cleanly. And
HOF players and managers, broken down by team
When Induction Day rolls around in Cooperstown, the biggest thrill for a fanbase (outside of celebrating the actual player, of course) might be seeing its team's logo ensconced on the bronze plaque. The designation typically means that the player defined his career in that city -- or perhaps even led
Leyland makes 'pretty emotional' visit to Hall of Fame
Jim Leyland had been to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum before, but this was different. He was sitting on a director’s chair in the Plaque Gallery, surrounded by the bronze visages of 342 Hall of Famers. Behind him were the images of the first five legends elected
Does winning MVP, Cy clear path to Cooperstown?
Winning a Baseball Writers' Association of America Award is an achievement in and of itself, a tangible testament to a well-played season. When a player wins MVP, Cy Young or Rookie of the Year, he’s already added to his resume, which might one day help him become enshrined in Cooperstown.
Hall of Famers' most random teams
Of the three players revealed as the newest Hall of Famers on Tuesday, two (Todd Helton of the Rockies and Joe Mauer of the Twins) spent their entire Major League careers with a single team. But that sort of an accomplishment is not the norm, even for all-time greats. Any
These HOFers each played for only one franchise
The Hall of Fame admits only a very select group of the greatest players in baseball history. Even within that limited club, there is a much smaller circle that is extra special: The One-Teamers. That crew grew by two on Tuesday, when the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) announced
What does future hold for starting pitchers and the HOF?
On Tuesday, the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) completed its fifth consecutive Hall of Fame ballot without electing a starting pitcher, dating back to when Roy Halladay and Mike Mussina were elected in 2019. That’s long, but not historically so. We once went as long as 12 years (from
Beltré, Mauer join exclusive list of first-ballot Hall of Famers
Among the tens of thousands of players, managers, owners, executives and other personnel that have made their marks on baseball, only a select 346 are enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, including 273 former Major League players. The Class of 2024 will bring four new inductees, including three
Here is the best season by each HOF ballot newcomer
Twelve players find themselves on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this year -- and all of them are there for good reason. For some, this will end up being their only year on the ballot because they don't receive the necessary 5% of votes to stick
Picking the best possible lineup from the '24 HOF ballot
The 2024 Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) Hall of Fame ballot features a lot of impressive names. Sure, most of them will not actually be voted into Cooperstown, and many will go one and done (by virtue of receiving less than 5% support). But falling below the high bar
Hall of Fame inductions by year
Here are the 346 members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, sorted by the years they were inducted. 2024 Adrián Beltré, Todd Helton, Jim Leyland, Joe Mauer (Note: The 2024 induction ceremony is scheduled for July 21 in Cooperstown, N.Y.) 2023 Fred McGriff, Scott Rolen 2022 Bud Fowler, Gil
Highest voting percentages in HOF history
There is perhaps no greater honor for a big leaguer than being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame -- especially in the first year on the ballot. Even more remarkable than being a first-ballot Hall of Famer is a player receiving every single possible vote in his first
The next 5 HOF ballots are stacked
The Hall of Fame's Class of 2024 is complete. Now the question becomes: Who's next? When the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) revealed the results of its 2024 voting cycle on Tuesday night, three players had punched their tickets to Cooperstown: first-timers Adrián Beltré and Joe Mauer, along with
Here are top 5 Rangers not in Hall of Fame
ARLINGTON -- Who are the best Rangers not in the National Baseball Hall of Fame? Here are the top five, and Alex Rodriguez is not one of them. There is much to debate about A-Rod, but he played just three seasons in Texas and as great as the Rangers were,
'Now we're in the same room': Newest Hall of Famers soak it all in
As a rookie catcher for the Twins 20 years ago, Joe Mauer visited the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. He was awestruck by the rich history of the game presented there, as well as the plaques of the all-time greats hanging in the gallery, including that of his favorite
Is Mauer’s election a good sign for future HOF candidates?
Joe Mauer is a Hall of Famer, as the Twins great will be part of the Cooperstown Class of 2024, alongside fellow Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) electees Adrián Beltré and Todd Helton, as well as manager Jim Leyland (previously voted in by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee). That
Beltré a humble HOFer, but teammates 'all knew he was gonna be there'
ARLINGTON -- In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s Baseball Hall of Fame announcement, Adrián Beltré’s wife and son were diligently watching the votes tracker. Beltré admits he doesn’t like to be the center of attention. So despite it becoming more and more inevitable that he would receive a call
How the new class made it to the Hall, told through Statcast
How do you visualize the greatness of Adrián Beltré, Todd Helton and Joe Mauer? You can't possibly reduce the trio of 2024 Hall of Famers to their numbers, as great as those numbers are. But for Beltré, Helton and Mauer, who all played a significant part of their career in
How football helped Helton reach Cooperstown
This story was excerpted from Thomas Harding’s Rockies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Former Rockies first baseman Todd Helton was a heady dude long before he outsmarted -- and outworked and overpowered -- pitchers
One of Mauer's first Twins jerseys is where?!
This story was excerpted from Do-Hyoung Park’s Twins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
7 storylines to follow for 2025 HOF ballot
The Hall of Fame Class of 2024 was unveiled on Tuesday, with Adrián Beltré, Todd Helton and Joe Mauer all voted into Cooperstown by the BBWAA to join Eras Committee electee Jim Leyland. Now let's look ahead to next year's ballot. The 2025 Hall of Fame election cycle will bring
Hall of Fame trio's foundation for greatness began in Minors
The walls of Cooperstown are about to get a little more crowded. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced Tuesday night that Adrián Beltré, Joe Mauer and Todd Helton would be inducted in to the baseball Hall of Fame as the Class of 2024. Players must have their names checked
Joe Mauer, Hall of Famer and king of breaking up 9th-inning no-nos
Joe Mauer spent 15 seasons ruining the nights of pitchers all across baseball. But there were three occasions when his opponent left the mound more miserable than most. On Tuesday, Mauer’s bona fides as one of the best hitters of his time helped him become just the third catcher (after
'He was right there': Wagner falls five votes short of Cooperstown
HOUSTON -- Perhaps it is only fitting that Billy Wagner’s Hall of Fame candidacy is going to come down to the wire. After all, the 5-foot-10 fireballer made a living out of nail-biting moments late in games en route to amassing 422 saves during a career that’s put him on