Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 1987
Encyclopedia
Elections to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
for followed the system in place since 1978.
The Baseball Writers Association of America
(BBWAA) voted by mail to select from recent major league players and
elected two, Catfish Hunter
and Billy Williams.
The Veterans Committee
met in closed sessions to consider older major league players as well as managers, umpires, executives, and figures from the Negro Leagues.
It selected Ray Dandridge
from the Negro Leagues.
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 28 players; a total of 413 ballots were cast, with 310 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 two candidates 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 4 candidates who received less than 5% of the vote, thus becoming ineligible for future BBWAA consideration, are indicated with a *.
Lew Burdette
was on the ballot for the 15th and final time.
The newly-eligible players included 8 All-Stars, three of whom were not included on the ballot, representing a total of 17 All-Star selections. 4-time All Star Sal Bando had the most selections of any newly eligible candidate. The field included two Cy Young Award winners (Mike Marshall and Steve Stone, who retired one season after winning his award).
Players eligible for the first time who were not included on the ballot were: Rick Auerbach
, Ken Brett
, Reggie Cleveland
, Dick Drago
, Duffy Dyer
, John Ellis
, Tom Hutton, Pat Kelly, Mike Lum
, Billy North
, Johnny Oates
, Freddie Patek
, Dave Roberts
, Rennie Stennett
, Mike Tyson
and John Vukovich
.
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
for 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 two, Catfish Hunter
Catfish Hunter
James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter , was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1965-1979 for both the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees...
and Billy Williams.
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 Ray Dandridge
Ray Dandridge
Raymond Emmitt Dandridge was an American third baseman in baseball's Negro leagues. He was born in Richmond, Virginia. Dandridge was one of the greatest fielders in the history of baseball, and one of the sport's greatest hitters for average, but unfortunately his name is not familiar to the...
from the Negro Leagues.
BBWAA election
The BBWAA was authorized to elect players active in 1967 or later, but not after 1981; the ballot included candidates from the 1986 ballot who received at least 5% of the vote but were not elected, along with selected players, chosen by a screening committee, whose last appearance was in 1981. 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 28 players; a total of 413 ballots were cast, with 310 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 two candidates 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 4 candidates who received less than 5% of the vote, thus becoming ineligible for future BBWAA consideration, are indicated with a *.
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...
was on the ballot for the 15th and final time.
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 1988 ballot. | |
Eliminated from future BBWAA voting. These individuals remain eligible for future Veterans Committee consideration. |
Player | Votes | Percent |
---|---|---|
Billy Williams | 354 | 85.7 |
Catfish Hunter Catfish Hunter James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter , was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1965-1979 for both the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees... |
315 | 76.3 |
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... |
289 | 70.0 |
Orlando Cepeda Orlando Cepeda Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes is a former Puerto Rican Major League Baseball first baseman.Cepeda was born to a poor family. His father, Pedro Cepeda, was a baseball player in Puerto Rico, which influenced his interest in the sport from a young age. His first contact with professional baseball was... |
179 | 43.3 |
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... |
176 | 42.6 |
Tony Oliva Tony Oliva Tony Pedro Oliva is a former Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter. He played his entire 15-year baseball career for the Minnesota Twins . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed... |
160 | 38.7 |
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... |
144 | 34.9 |
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... |
125 | 30.3 |
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... |
113 | 27.4 |
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... |
96 | 23.2 |
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... |
96 | 23.2 |
Mickey Lolich Mickey Lolich Michael Stephen Lolich is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1962 until 1979 who played the majority of his career with the Detroit Tigers.-Baseball career:... |
84 | 20.3 |
Minnie Miñoso | 82 | 19.9 |
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... |
78 | 18.9 |
Ron Santo Ron Santo Ronald Edward Santo was an American professional baseball player and long-time radio sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball from 1960 to 1974, most notably as the third baseman for the Chicago Cubs. A nine-time All-Star, he was a powerful hitter who was also a good defensive... |
78 | 18.9 |
Dick Allen Dick Allen Richard Anthony Allen is a former Major League Baseball player and R&B singer. He played first and third base and outfield in Major League Baseball and ranked among his sport's top offensive producers of the 1960s and early 1970s... |
55 | 13.3 |
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... |
50 | 12.1 |
Vada Pinson Vada Pinson Vada Edward Pinson, Jr. was an American center fielder and coach in Major League Baseball. Pinson played in the major leagues for 18 years, from 1958 through 1975, and his greatest seasons were with the Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds, for whom he played from 1958–68.Pinson combined power, speed and... |
48 | 11.6 |
Joe Torre Joe Torre Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the... |
47 | 11.4 |
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... |
44 | 10.7 |
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... |
30 | 7.3 |
Thurman Munson Thurman Munson Thurman Lee Munson was an American Major League Baseball catcher. He played his entire 11-year career for the New York Yankees... |
28 | 6.8 |
Wilbur Wood Wilbur Wood Wilbur Forrester Wood, Jr. is a former knuckleball pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, and most notably the Chicago White Sox, where he got 163 of his 164 wins... |
26 | 6.3 |
†Bobby Bonds Bobby Bonds Bobby Lee Bonds was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball from to , primarily with the San Francisco Giants... |
24 | 5.8 |
†Mike Marshall* | 6 | 1.5 |
†Sal Bando Sal Bando Salvatore Leonard Bando is a former third baseman and executive in professional baseball who played for the Kansas City & Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers . He batted and threw right-handed. During the A's championship years of 1971-75, he captained the team and led the club in runs batted... * |
3 | 0.7 |
†Jerry Grote Jerry Grote Gerald Wayne Grote is a former professional baseball player. He played the majority of his Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the New York Mets and was regarded as one of the best defensive catchers of his era.-Early life:... * |
0 | 0.0 |
†Steve Stone* | 0 | 0.0 |
The newly-eligible players included 8 All-Stars, three of whom were not included on the ballot, representing a total of 17 All-Star selections. 4-time All Star Sal Bando had the most selections of any newly eligible candidate. The field included two Cy Young Award winners (Mike Marshall and Steve Stone, who retired one season after winning his award).
Players eligible for the first time who were not included on the ballot were: Rick Auerbach
Rick Auerbach
Frederick "Rick" Steven Auerbach was a shortstop in Major League Baseball. He played from - with the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, and Seattle Mariners...
, Ken Brett
Ken Brett
Kenneth Alven Brett was a Major League Baseball pitcher and the second of four Brett brothers who played professional baseball, the most notable being the youngest, George Brett.Ken played for 10 teams in his 14-year MLB career.Born in Brooklyn, Ken Brett grew up in southern California and was an...
, Reggie Cleveland
Reggie Cleveland
Reginald Leslie "Reggie" Cleveland is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.Cleveland was born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers. He ended his career with 105 wins, with a 3.73 ERA and 930 strikeouts. Reggie...
, Dick Drago
Dick Drago
Richard Anthony "Dick" Drago is a former American League relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City Royals , Boston Red Sox , California Angels , Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners...
, Duffy Dyer
Duffy Dyer
Donald Robert "Duffy" Dyer is a former American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the New York Mets , Pittsburgh Pirates , Montreal Expos , and Detroit Tigers .-Playing career:Dyer played alongside Sal Bando and Rick Monday as a member of...
, John Ellis
John Ellis (baseball)
John Charles Ellis , is a former professional baseball player who played first base and catcher in the Major Leagues from 1969-81. He played for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and Texas Rangers....
, Tom Hutton, Pat Kelly, Mike Lum
Mike Lum
Michael Ken-Wai Lum was an Outfielder and First Baseman for the Atlanta Braves , Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs...
, Billy North
Billy North
William Alex North is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1971 to 1981, he played for the Chicago Cubs , Oakland Athletics , Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants...
, Johnny Oates
Johnny Oates
Johnny Lane Oates was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees from 1970 to 1981...
, Freddie Patek
Freddie Patek
Frederick Joseph Patek is a former Major League Baseball shortstop. At 5'5" tall , he was the shortest player of his time.-Pittsburgh Pirates:...
, Dave Roberts
Dave Roberts (pitcher)
David Arthur Roberts was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for eight teams from 1969 to 1981. He was second in the National League with a 2.10 earned run average in for the San Diego Padres, after which he was traded to the Houston Astros, where he spent the...
, Rennie Stennett
Rennie Stennett
Renaldo Antonio Stennett Porte , is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball. Stennett played with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants . He batted and threw right-handed...
, Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson (baseball)
Michael Ray Tyson , is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and shortstop. He played in the majors from to for the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs....
and John Vukovich
John Vukovich
John Christopher Vukovich was an American third baseman and coach in Major League Baseball best known for his years of service with the Philadelphia Phillies. He played in parts of ten seasons from 1970 to 1981 for the Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and Milwaukee Brewers...
.
External links
- 1987 Election at www.baseballhalloffame.org.