Baseball’s Newest Hall of Famers
January 26, 2018
On Wednesday, January 24, Major League Baseball (MLB) greats Vladimir Guerrero, Trevor Hoffman, Chipper Jones, and Jim Thome were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Jones, a slugging third baseman, was elected in his first year of eligibility. Voters named him on 97 percent of the ballots, putting him well above the 75 percent required for election. Guerrero, a dynamic, free-swinging power hitter, earned 93 percent of the vote on his second try. Thome’s long home run-hitting career earned him a first-year entry into the Hall of Fame with 90 percent of the vote. Hoffman, one of the game’s greatest relief pitchers, got 80 percent of the vote on his third go around. Former pitcher Jack Morris and shortstop Alan Trammell, elected in December 2017 by the Modern Baseball Era Committee, will also be enshrined in the Hall of Fame on July 29, 2018. Joining the players will be broadcaster Bob Costas and sportswriter Sheldon Ocker.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, honors players and other individuals who made outstanding contributions to the sport. Credit: © Andre Jenny, Alamy Images
Florida-born Chipper Jones, a switch-hitting third baseman, played 19 seasons for the Atlanta Braves from 1993 to 2012 (he missed the 1994 season because of injury). He became a full-time player in 1995, helping the Braves win a World Series title. Jones was the 1999 National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP), hitting .319 with 45 home runs and 110 runs batted in (RBI’s) for the NL champion Braves. He made eight NL All-Star teams, including his last two seasons at age 39 and 40. Jones had a career batting average of .303. He collected 2,726 hits, 468 of which were homers, and drove in 1,623 runs.
Vladimir Guerrero, a native of the Dominican Republic, was known for his unorthodox hitting style and a batter’s eye that saw nearly every pitch as a good one. Guerrero came up with the Montreal Expos at the end of the 1996 season, and he soon blossomed into a star. In seven full seasons with the Expos, he showed off a powerful arm in right field while averaging 33 home runs and 100 RBI’s at the plate. In 2004, his first year with the Anaheim Angels, Guerrero hit .337 with 39 homers and 126 RBI’s to earn American League (AL) MVP honors. He later played briefly for the Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles. Guerrero made nine All-Star teams during his career, which ended after the 2011 season. For his career, Guerrero hit .318 with 449 home runs, 1,496 RBI’s, and 2,590 hits.
Jim Thome ranks among the leading home run hitters in Major League Baseball history. In 2011, he became only the eighth player to hit at least 600 home runs. Thome was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018. Credit: © AP Photo
A son of Peoria, Illinois, Jim Thome had a “cup of coffee” (a brief stint) with the Cleveland Indians at the end of the 1991 season. After a couple seasons trying to establish himself, Thome became the Indians’ full-time third baseman in 1995 as the team reached the World Series. Thome, a burly, powerful slugger, became known for his colossal home runs—as well as his gentle and kind demeanor. A former teammate said Thome was nice “to everything except the baseball.” Switching to first base in 1997, Thome hit 40 dingers as the Indians made their second World Series appearance in three years. Thome later had productive seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox before rounding out his career as a “hired bat” with several teams. A five-time All-Star, Thome retired after the 2012 season with 612 career homers and 1,699 RBI’s, as well as 1,747 walks—a tribute to his power, as pitchers avoided his spot in the lineup.
Californian change-up specialist Trevor Hoffman frustrated enough batters to be the first MLB reliever to save 500, and then 600 games. Hoffman came up with the Florida Marlins in 1993 and was dealt that year to the San Diego Padres. Hoffman became a star closer in San Diego, where he averaged 41 saves per season from 1995 through 2008 (excluding 2003, a season almost entirely lost to injury). He made seven All-Star teams over his career, his last coming at age 41 with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2009. Hoffman retired after the 2010 season with 601 career saves and a lifetime earned run average of 2.87. His mastery at changing speeds earned him a career strikeout percentage of 9.4 per 9 innings.
Minnesota’s Jack Morris and Californian Alan Trammell both starred for the Detroit Tigers, a team they led to a 1984 World Series title. Morris made five All-Star teams and won 254 games between 1977 and 1994. Known as a consistent winner and perhaps the toughest postseason pitcher of his era, Morris wrapped up his career with successful stints in Minnesota, Toronto, and Cleveland. Trammell spent all 20 of his MLB seasons in Detroit, where he racked up 2,365 hits, 185 homers, and 1,231 runs scored between 1977 and 1996. A great all-around player, the six-time All-Star won four gold gloves as the AL’s best fielding shortstop, and three silver sluggers as the league’s best hitting shortstop.
Bob Costas, who has covered baseball nationally since 1982 (as well as numerous other sports and the Olympic Games), joined the Hall of Fame as the 2018 winner of the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasters. Sheldon Ocker, a beat writer for the Indians for 33 seasons, earned entry as the 2018 winner of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award “for meritorious contributions to baseball writing.”
