Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 1979 followed the system in place since 1978.
The Baseball Writers Association of America

Baseball Writers Association of America

The Baseball Writers' Association of America is a professional association for baseball journalists writing for daily newspapers, magazines and qualifying Web sites. The BBWAA was founded on October 14, 1908, to improve working conditions for sportswriters in the early part of the 20th century...

 (BBWAA) voted by mail to select from recent major league players and
elected Willie Mays

Willie Mays

Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...

.
The Veterans Committee

Veterans Committee

The Veterans Committee is the popular name of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Committee to Consider Managers, Umpires, Executives and Long-Retired Players, a committee of the U.S...

 met in closed sessions to consider older major league players as well as managers, umpires, executives, and figures from the Negro Leagues.
It selected Warren Giles

Warren Giles

Warren Crandall Giles was a National League executive in Major League Baseball.-Baseball:Giles was elected president of the Moline, Illinois baseball club in the Three-I League in 1919 and began a 50-year career in baseball that saw him rise all the way to the presidency of the National League...

 and Hack Wilson

Hack Wilson

Lewis Robert "Hack" Wilson was an American professional baseball player who played 12 seasons with the New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies...

.

BBWAA election

The BBWAA was authorized to elect players active in 1959 or later, but not after 1973; the ballot included selected players, chosen by a screening committee, whose last appearance was in 1973. All 10-year members of the BBWAA were eligible to vote.

Voters were instructed to cast votes for up to 10 candidates; any candidate receiving votes on at least 75% of the ballots would be honored with induction to the Hall. The ballot consisted of 54 players; a total of 432 ballots were cast, with 324 votes required for election. Those candidates receiving less than 5% of the vote will not appear on future BBWAA ballots, but may eventually be considered by the Veterans Committee.

Candidates who were eligible for the first time are indicated here with a †. The one candidate who received at least 75% of the vote and was elected is indicated in bold italics; candidates who have since been elected in subsequent elections are indicated in italics. The 31 candidates who received less than 5% of the vote, thus becoming ineligible for future BBWAA consideration, are indicated with a *.

Enos Slaughter

Enos Slaughter

Enos Bradsher Slaughter , nicknamed "Country", was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 19-year baseball career, he played from 1938–1942 and 1946-1959 for four different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with the St...

 and Bobby Thomson

Bobby Thomson

Robert Brown "Bobby" Thomson was a Scottish-born American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "The Staten Island Scot", he was an outfielder and right-handed batter for the New York Giants , Milwaukee Braves , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles .His season-ending three-run...

 were on the ballot for the final time.

Key to colors

	Elected to the Hall. These individuals are also indicated in bold italics.
	Players who were elected in future elections. These individuals are also indicated in plain italics.
	Players not yet elected who returned on the 1980 ballot.
	Eliminated from future BBWAA voting. These individuals remain eligible for future Veterans Committee consideration.

Players	Votes	Percent
†Willie Mays Willie Mays Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...	409	94.7
Duke Snider Duke Snider Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider , nicknamed "The Silver Fox" and "The Duke of Flatbush", was a Major League Baseball center fielder and left-handed batter who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Mets , and San Francisco Giants .Snider was elected to the National Baseball Hall of...	308	71.3
Enos Slaughter Enos Slaughter Enos Bradsher Slaughter , nicknamed "Country", was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 19-year baseball career, he played from 1938–1942 and 1946-1959 for four different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with the St...	297	68.8
Gil Hodges Gil Hodges Gilbert Ray Hodges was an American Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. During an 18-year baseball career, he played in 1943 and from 1947–63, spending most of his career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...	242	56.0
Don Drysdale Don Drysdale Donald Scott "Don" Drysdale was a Major League Baseball player and Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was one of the dominant starting pitchers of the 1960s, and became a radio and television broadcaster following his playing career...	233	53.9
Nellie Fox Nellie Fox Jacob Nelson Fox was a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Chicago White Sox. Fox was born in St. Thomas Township, Pennsylvania. He was selected as the MVP of the American League in...	174	40.3
Hoyt Wilhelm Hoyt Wilhelm James Hoyt Wilhelm was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985....	168	38.9
Maury Wills Maury Wills Maurice Morning "Maury" Wills is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and switch-hitting batter who played most prominently with the Los Angeles Dodgers , and also with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal Expos...	166	38.4
Red Schoendienst Red Schoendienst Albert Fred "Red" Schoendienst is an American Major League Baseball coach, former player and manager, and 10-time All-star. After a 19-year playing career with the St...	159	36.8
Jim Bunning Jim Bunning James Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and politician.During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career...	147	34.0
Richie Ashburn Richie Ashburn Don Richard "Richie" Ashburn , also known by the nicknames, "Putt-Putt", "The Tilden Flash", and "Whitey" due to his light-blond hair, was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball. He was born in Tilden, Nebraska...	130	30.1
Roger Maris Roger Maris Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...	127	29.4
†Luis Aparicio Luis Aparicio Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel is a former shortstop in professional baseball. His career in Major League Baseball spanned three decades, from through . Aparicio played for the Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...	120	27.8
Mickey Vernon Mickey Vernon James Barton "Mickey" Vernon was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Washington Senators for the majority of his career, as well as four other teams: the Cleveland Indians , Boston Red Sox , Milwaukee Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates...	88	20.4
Alvin Dark Alvin Dark Alvin Ralph Dark , nicknamed "Blackie" and "The Swamp Fox", is a former shortstop and manager in Major League Baseball who played for five National League teams from 1946 to 1960. Named the major leagues' Rookie of the Year with the Boston Braves when he batted .322...	80	18.5
Harvey Kuenn Harvey Kuenn Harvey Edward Kuenn was an American player, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. As a shortstop and outfielder, he played with the Detroit Tigers , Cleveland Indians , San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies . He batted and threw right-handed...	63	14.6
Ted Kluszewski Ted Kluszewski Theodore Bernard "Big Klu" Kluszewski was a Major League first baseman from 1947 through 1961. He batted and threw left-handed.-Career:...	58	13.4
Lew Burdette Lew Burdette Selva Lewis Burdette, Jr. was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves...	53	12.3
Don Larsen Don Larsen Donald James Larsen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953-67 for seven different teams. Larsen is best known for pitching the sixth perfect game in baseball history, doing so in game 5 of the 1956 World Series...	53	12.3
Don Newcombe Don Newcombe Donald Newcombe , nicknamed "Newk", is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers , Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians .Until 2011 when Detroit Tigers Pitcher Justin Verlander did it, Newcombe was the only baseball...	52	12.0
Bill Mazeroski Bill Mazeroski William Stanley Mazeroski , nicknamed "Maz", is a former Major League Baseball player who spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...	36	8.3
Roy Face Roy Face Elroy Leon Face is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953–1969, pitching primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates...	35	8.1
Elston Howard Elston Howard Elston Gene Howard was an American Negro League and Major League Baseball catcher, left fielder and coach. During a 14-year baseball career, he played from 1955–1968, primarily for the New York Yankees...	30	6.9
Ken Boyer Ken Boyer Kenton Lloyd Boyer was an American Major League Baseball third baseman and manager. During a 15-year baseball career, he played for 1955-1969 for four different teams, playing primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals... *	20	4.6
Curt Flood Curt Flood Curtis Charles Flood was a Major League Baseball player who spent most of his career as a center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. A defensive standout, he led the National League in putouts four times and in fielding percentage twice, winning Gold Glove Awards in his last seven full seasons... *	14	3.2
Bobby Thomson Bobby Thomson Robert Brown "Bobby" Thomson was a Scottish-born American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "The Staten Island Scot", he was an outfielder and right-handed batter for the New York Giants , Milwaukee Braves , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles .His season-ending three-run... *	11	2.5
Del Crandall Del Crandall Delmar Wesley Crandall is a former professional baseball catcher and manager in Major League Baseball who played most of his career with the Boston & Milwaukee Braves... *	9	2.1
Vern Law Vern Law Vernon Sanders Law is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for 16 seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates.-Career:Law was a member of the National League All Star Team in... *	9	2.1
Harvey Haddix Harvey Haddix Harvey Haddix, Jr. was a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher who played with the St. Louis Cardinals , Philadelphia Phillies , Cincinnati Redlegs , Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles . Haddix was born in Medway, Ohio, located just outside of Springfield... *	8	1.9
†Frank Howard*	6	1.4
†Ron Perranoski Ron Perranoski Ronald Peter Perranoski is a former left-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher, having played from through .... *	6	1.4
†Milt Pappas Milt Pappas Milton Steven "Milt" Pappas is a former professional baseball pitcher... *	5	1.2
Clete Boyer Clete Boyer Cletis Leroy "Clete" Boyer was a Major League Baseball player.A third baseman who also played shortstop and second base occasionally, Boyer played for the Kansas City Athletics , New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves... *	3	0.7
Denny McLain Denny McLain Dennis Dale "Denny" McLain is a former American professional baseball player, and the last major league pitcher to win 30 or more games during a season —a feat accomplished by only thirteen players in the 20th century.... *	3	0.7
Jim Maloney Jim Maloney James William Maloney is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Cincinnati Reds and California Angels... *	2	0.5
†Johnny Callison Johnny Callison John Wesley Callison was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball, best known for his years with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1960 to 1969... *	1	0.2
†Hal Lanier Hal Lanier Harold Clifton Lanier is a former infielder, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. From through , Lanier played for the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees... *	1	0.2
†Chris Short Chris Short Christopher Joseph "Style" Short was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies , and in his final year, for the Milwaukee Brewers . He was a left-handed pitcher, but batted righty. He was born in Milford, Delaware.Short was considered a top pitcher from 1964 through 1968 with... *	1	0.2
†Tommie Agee Tommie Agee Tommie Lee Agee was a Major League Baseball center fielder most noted for making two of the greatest catches in World Series history, both of which occurred in game three of the 1969 World Series.-Cleveland Indians:... *	0	0.0
†Bernie Allen Bernie Allen Bernard Keith "Bernie" Allen was a Major League Baseball player for the Minnesota Twins, Washington Senators, New York Yankees, and Montreal Expos. At 6' 0" and 185 lbs, Allen was a second-baseman for most of his career... *	0	0.0
†Gene Alley Gene Alley Leonard Eugene Alley is a former Major League Baseball shortstop who played his entire career for the Pittsburgh Pirates .... *	0	0.0
†Jim Beauchamp Jim Beauchamp James Edward Beauchamp was a Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder who played from to for the St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Colt .45s/Astros, Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and New York Mets. He attended Grove High School in Grove, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University... *	0	0.0
†Bobby Bolin Bobby Bolin Bobby Donald Bolin is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was signed by the New York Giants on November 10, 1956 at the age of 17, and played for the San Francisco Giants , Milwaukee Brewers and Boston Red Sox .He began and ended his 13-year career as a relief pitcher,... *	0	0.0
†Ray Culp Ray Culp Raymond Leonard Culp was a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies , Chicago Cubs , and Boston Red Sox .... *	0	0.0
†Eddie Fisher Eddie Fisher (baseball) Eddie Gene Fisher was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a relief pitcher for the San Francisco Giants , Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles , Cleveland Indians , California Angels and St... *	0	0.0
†Fred Gladding Fred Gladding Fred Earl Gladding is a former professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher over parts of thirteen seasons with the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros. For his career, he compiled a 48-34 record and 109 saves in 450 appearances, all but one as a relief pitcher, with an 3.13 earned... *	0	0.0
†Jerry May Jerry May Jerry Lee May , was an American professional baseball player who played as a catcher in the Major Leagues from 1964 to 1973. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, and Kansas City Royals... *	0	0.0
†José Pagán José Pagán José Antonio Pagán Rodríguez was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player.-Baseball career:Pagán made his major league debut with the San Francisco Giants on August 8, . He played for the Giants until 1965, then was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. In he played his final career games with... *	0	0.0
†Joe Pepitone Joe Pepitone Joseph "Joe" Anthony Pepitone is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder who played the bulk of his career for the New York Yankees. He also played several seasons with the Chicago Cubs and had short stints with the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves... *	0	0.0
†Rich Reese Rich Reese Richard Benjamin Reese , is a former professional baseball player who played outfield and first base in the major leagues from 1964-1973.... *	0	0.0
†Larry Stahl Larry Stahl Larry Floyd Stahl , is a retired professional baseball player who played outfielder in the Major Leagues from -... *	0	0.0
†John Stephenson John Stephenson (baseball) John Herman Stephenson is a retired American professional baseball player who was a catcher in the Major Leagues from 1964-1973. He played for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, and California Angels. In 1964, he was the last out of Jim Bunning's perfect game... *	0	0.0
†James Stewart James Stewart (actor) James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime... *	0	0.0
†Jeff Torborg*	0	0.0

The newly-eligible players included 11 All-Stars, none of whom were not included on the ballot, representing a total of 51 All-Star selections. Among the new candidates were 20-time All-Star Willie Mays and 10-time All-Star Luis Aparicio. The field included one MVP (Mays, who won twice), and four Rookies of the Year (Tommy Agee, Luis Aparicio, Frank Howard and Willie Mays).
In addition, Willie Mays had 12 Gold Gloves at Outfield, tied for most all-time with Roberto Clemente

Roberto Clemente

Roberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...

, and Luis Aparicio had 9 Gold Gloves at Shortstop, the record at the time.

All players eligible for the first time were included on the ballot.

External links

• 1979 Election at www.baseballhalloffame.org