Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 1999
Encyclopedia
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 1999 followed the system in use since 1995. The Baseball Writers Association of America
(BBWAA) voted by mail to select from recent major league players and elected three: George Brett
, Nolan Ryan
, and Robin Yount
. The Veterans Committee
met in closed sessions and selected four people from multiple classified ballots: Orlando Cepeda
, Nestor Chylak
, Frank Selee
, and Joe Williams.
Induction ceremonies in Cooperstown, New York
, were held July 25 with George Grande
as emcee.
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. Results of the 1999 election by the BBWAA were announced on January 5, 1999. The ballot consisted of 29 players; 497 ballots were cast, with 373 votes required for election. A total of 3348 individual votes were cast, an average of 6.74 per ballot. Those candidates receiving less than 5% of the vote (25 votes) would not appear on future BBWAA ballots, and under then-current rules were also eliminated from future consideration by the Veterans Committee
. In 2001, a change in Hall policy restored the eligibility of players dropped from BBWAA balloting for Veterans Committee consideration.
The Class of 1999 included the most first-year inductees (three) since the inaugural class of 1936.
Candidates who were eligible for the first time are indicated here with a †. The three candidates who received at least 75% of the vote and were elected are indicated in bold italics; candidates who have since been selected in subsequent elections are indicated in italics. The seven candidates who received less than 5% of the vote, thus becoming ineligible for future BBWAA consideration, are indicated with a *.
Mickey Lolich
and Minnie Miñoso were on the ballot for the 15th and final time, although Miñoso's years of eligibility were not consecutive.
The newly-eligible candidates included 19 All-Stars, including nine who were not on the ballot, representing a total of 63 All-Star selections. Among the candidates included 13-time All-Star George Brett
, 11-time All-Star Carlton Fisk
, 8-time All-Star Nolan Ryan
and 7-time All-Star Dale Murphy
. The field included four MVPs (Brett, Murphy, Robin Yount
and George Bell), including two (Murphy and Yount) who won twice, and two Rookies of the Year (Fisk and Alfredo Griffin
).
Players eligible for the first time who were not included on the ballot were: Juan Agosto
, Wally Backman
, Steve Balboni
, Randy Bush
, Iván Calderón, Henry Cotto
, Glenn Davis
, Ken Dayley
, Frank DiPino
, Bill Doran, Dan Gladden
, Alfredo Griffin
, Kelly Gruber
, Neal Heaton
, Steve Lake
, Terry Leach, Bob McClure
, Gene Nelson
, Pete O'Brien
, Geno Petralli
, Ted Power
, John Russell, Bryn Smith
, Tim Teufel
, Dickie Thon
, Jose Uribe
, Bob Walk
, Chico Walker
, Curtis Wilkerson
, Glenn Wilson
, Curt Young
, and Matt Young
.
met in closed sessions to elect as many as two executives, managers, umpires, and older major league players --the categories considered in all its meetings since 1953.
The older players eligible were those with ten major league seasons beginning 1945 or earlier; those who received at least 100 votes from the BBWAA in some election up to 1990; and those who received at least 60% support in some election beginning 1991. Players on Major League Baseball
's ineligible list were also ineligible for election.
By an arrangement since 1995 the committee separately considered candidates from the Negro Leagues and from the 19th century with authority to select one from each of those two special ballots.
It elected four people, the maximum number permitted: first baseman Orlando Cepeda
from the 1960s, umpire Nestor Chylak
, pitcher Smokey Joe Williams from the Negro Leagues, and manager Frank Selee
from the 19th century.
received the J. G. Taylor Spink Award honoring a baseball writer. (The award was voted at the December 1998 meeting of the BBWAA, dated 1998, and conferred in the summer 1999 ceremonies.)
received the Ford C. Frick Award
honoring a baseball broadcaster.
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 three: George Brett
George Brett (baseball)
George Howard Brett , nicknamed "Mullet", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are the most by any third baseman in major league history, and 15th...
, Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
, and Robin Yount
Robin Yount
Robin R. Yount is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop and center fielder. He spent his entire 20-year baseball career with the Milwaukee Brewers . In 1999, Yount was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.-Early years:Yount was born in Danville, Illinois...
. 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 and selected four people from multiple classified ballots: 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...
, Nestor Chylak
Nestor Chylak
Nestor George Chylak, Jr. was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1954 to 1978.He was born in Olyphant, Pennsylvania of Ukrainian descent, and attended the University of Scranton, where he studied engineering...
, Frank Selee
Frank Selee
Frank Gibson Selee was an American Major League Baseball manager in the National League . In his 16 year Major League career, he managed the Boston Beaneaters for 12 seasons, and the Chicago Orphans for four.He was noted for his ability to assess and utilize talent, which gave his teams a great...
, and Joe Williams.
Induction ceremonies in Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York, USA. It is located in the Town of Otsego. The population was estimated to be 1,852 at the 2010 census.The Village of Cooperstown is the county seat of Otsego County, New York...
, were held July 25 with George Grande
George Grande
George Grande is an American sportscaster who hosted the very first broadcast of SportsCenter on ESPN in 1979.-Early life and career:He graduated from the University of Southern California in 1969, where he won the 1968 College World Series...
as emcee.
The BBWAA election
The BBWAA was authorized to elect players active in 1979 or later, but not after 1993; the ballot included candidates from the 1998 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 1993. 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. Results of the 1999 election by the BBWAA were announced on January 5, 1999. The ballot consisted of 29 players; 497 ballots were cast, with 373 votes required for election. A total of 3348 individual votes were cast, an average of 6.74 per ballot. Those candidates receiving less than 5% of the vote (25 votes) would not appear on future BBWAA ballots, and under then-current rules were also eliminated from future consideration by 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...
. In 2001, a change in Hall policy restored the eligibility of players dropped from BBWAA balloting for Veterans Committee consideration.
The Class of 1999 included the most first-year inductees (three) since the inaugural class of 1936.
Candidates who were eligible for the first time are indicated here with a †. The three candidates who received at least 75% of the vote and were elected are indicated in bold italics; candidates who have since been selected in subsequent elections are indicated in italics. The seven candidates who received less than 5% of the vote, thus becoming ineligible for future BBWAA consideration, are indicated with a *.
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:...
and Minnie Miñoso were on the ballot for the 15th and final time, although Miñoso's years of eligibility were not consecutive.
| 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 2000 ballot. | |
| Eliminated from future BBWAA voting. Under rules of the time, players who received less than 5% of the vote were also eliminated from Veterans Committee consideration, but their eligibility for that process was restored in 2001. |
| Player | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| †Nolan Ryan Nolan Ryan Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers.... |
491 | 98.8 |
| †George Brett George Brett (baseball) George Howard Brett , nicknamed "Mullet", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are the most by any third baseman in major league history, and 15th... |
488 | 98.2 |
| †Robin Yount Robin Yount Robin R. Yount is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop and center fielder. He spent his entire 20-year baseball career with the Milwaukee Brewers . In 1999, Yount was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.-Early years:Yount was born in Danville, Illinois... |
385 | 77.5 |
| †Carlton Fisk Carlton Fisk Carlton Ernest Fisk , nicknamed "Pudge" or "The Commander", is a former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 24-year baseball career, he played for both the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox .Fisk was known by the nickname "Pudge" due to his 6'2", 220 lb frame... |
330 | 66.4 |
| Tony Pérez Tony Pérez Atanasio Pérez Rigal , more commonly known as Tony Pérez, is a former Major League Baseball player. He was also known by the nickname "Big Dog," "Big Doggie," and "Doggie."... |
302 | 60.8 |
| Gary Carter Gary Carter Gary Edmund Carter , nicknamed "Kid" and "Kid Carter", is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 19-year baseball career, mostly with the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets, Carter established himself as one of the premier catchers in the National League, winning three Gold... |
168 | 33.8 |
| Steve Garvey Steve Garvey Steven Patrick Garvey , nicknamed "Mr. Clean" because of the squeaky clean image he held throughout his career in baseball, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current Southern California businessman... |
150 | 30.2 |
| Jim Rice Jim Rice James Edward "Jim" Rice , nicknamed "Jim Ed", is a former Major League Baseball left fielder.Jim Rice played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox from 1974 to 1989... |
146 | 29.4 |
| Bruce Sutter Bruce Sutter Howard Bruce Sutter is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He was arguably the first pitcher to make effective use of the splitter.... |
121 | 24.3 |
| Jim Kaat Jim Kaat James Lee "Jim" Kaat , nicknamed "Kitty", is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins , Chicago White Sox , Philadelphia Phillies , New York Yankees , and St... |
100 | 20.1 |
| †Dale Murphy Dale Murphy Dale Bryan Murphy is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman. During an 18-year baseball career, 1976–1993, he played for three different teams, but is noted for his time with the Atlanta Braves... |
96 | 19.3 |
| Tommy John Tommy John Thomas Edward John Jr. is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball whose 288 career victories rank as the seventh highest total among left-handers in major league history... |
93 | 18.7 |
| Dave Parker Dave Parker David Gene "The Cobra" Parker is an American former player in Major League Baseball. He was the 1978 National League MVP and a two-time batting champion. Parker was the first professional athlete to earn an average of one million dollars per year, having signed a 5-year, $5 million dollar contract... |
80 | 16.1 |
| Minnie Miñoso | 73 | 14.7 |
| Bert Blyleven Bert Blyleven Bert Blyleven is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from to , and was best known for his curveball. Blyleven was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011... |
70 | 14.1 |
| Dave Concepción Dave Concepción David Ismael Concepción Benitez , better known as Dave Concepción, is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball. He was born in Ocumare de la Costa, Aragua State, Venezuela... |
59 | 11.2 |
| Luis Tiant Luis Tiant Luis Clemente Tiant Vega , born November 23, 1940 in Marianao, Cuba, , is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians , Minnesota Twins , Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees , Pittsburgh Pirates and California Angels... |
53 | 10.7 |
| Keith Hernandez Keith Hernandez Keith Barlow Hernandez is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He is currently a baseball analyst working for the New York Mets, for whom he played from –, on SportsNet New York and WPIX television broadcasts... |
34 | 6.8 |
| Ron Guidry Ron Guidry Ronald Ames Guidry , nicknamed "Louisiana Lightning" and "Gator", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 14-year baseball career for the New York Yankees... |
31 | 6.2 |
| Bob Boone Bob Boone Robert Raymond Boone is a former catcher and manager in Major League Baseball who was a four-time All-Star. Born in San Diego, California, Bob Boone is the son of a major league player, the late third baseman Ray Boone, and the father of two major leaguers: former second baseman Bret Boone and... |
27 | 5.4 |
| 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:... |
26 | 5.2 |
| Dwight Evans Dwight Evans Dwight Michael Evans , nicknamed "Dewey", is an American former professional baseball right fielder and right-handed batter who played with the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles in Major League Baseball.... * |
18 | 3.6 |
| †George Bell* | 6 | 1.2 |
| †John Candelaria John Candelaria John Robert Candelaria . He attended The Caton School P.S. 249. Nicknamed "The Candy Man," is a former professional left-handed pitcher who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles... * |
1 | 0.2 |
| †Mike Boddicker Mike Boddicker For the similarly named musician , see Michael BoddickerMichael James "Mike" Boddicker was a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles , Boston Red Sox , Kansas City Royals , and Milwaukee Brewers... * |
0 | 0.0 |
| †Charlie Leibrandt Charlie Leibrandt Charles Louis "Charlie" Leibrandt, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1979 to 1993 for the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers. Leibrandt was a productive pitcher throughout his 14 year career, and a member of the 1985 World Series... * |
0 | 0.0 |
| †Frank Tanana Frank Tanana Frank Daryl Tanana is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He was the California Angels' 1st round draft pick in 1971.... * |
0 | 0.0 |
| †Mike Witt Mike Witt Michael Atwater "Mike" Witt is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.At just twenty years of age, Witt made his major league debut with the California Angels in 1981. Standing 6 feet, 7 inches tall and possessing a great curveball as well as a good fastball, Witt's breakout season came in... * |
0 | 0.0 |
The newly-eligible candidates included 19 All-Stars, including nine who were not on the ballot, representing a total of 63 All-Star selections. Among the candidates included 13-time All-Star George Brett
George Brett (baseball)
George Howard Brett , nicknamed "Mullet", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are the most by any third baseman in major league history, and 15th...
, 11-time All-Star Carlton Fisk
Carlton Fisk
Carlton Ernest Fisk , nicknamed "Pudge" or "The Commander", is a former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 24-year baseball career, he played for both the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox .Fisk was known by the nickname "Pudge" due to his 6'2", 220 lb frame...
, 8-time All-Star Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
and 7-time All-Star Dale Murphy
Dale Murphy
Dale Bryan Murphy is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman. During an 18-year baseball career, 1976–1993, he played for three different teams, but is noted for his time with the Atlanta Braves...
. The field included four MVPs (Brett, Murphy, Robin Yount
Robin Yount
Robin R. Yount is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop and center fielder. He spent his entire 20-year baseball career with the Milwaukee Brewers . In 1999, Yount was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.-Early years:Yount was born in Danville, Illinois...
and George Bell), including two (Murphy and Yount) who won twice, and two Rookies of the Year (Fisk and Alfredo Griffin
Alfredo Griffin
Alfredo Claudino Griffin is a former Major League Baseball player, who played shortstop for four teams from 1976 to 1993. He is currently the first base coach for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.-Playing career:...
).
Players eligible for the first time who were not included on the ballot were: Juan Agosto
Juan Agosto
Juan Roberto Agosto Gonzalez is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals and the Seattle Mariners.-Professional career:...
, Wally Backman
Wally Backman
Walter Wayne Backman is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. He is best known for his time with the New York Mets from - and was a member of their 1986 World Series-winning team...
, Steve Balboni
Steve Balboni
Stephen Charles Balboni is a retired Major League Baseball player with the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, and Texas Rangers. He was a player with home run power and a tendency to strike out. He was nicknamed "Bye Bye" because of his home run hitting prowess...
, Randy Bush
Randy Bush
Robert Randall Bush , is a former professional baseball player and currently a front office member of the Chicago Cubs. With the hiring of Theo Epstein, Bush will continue as an assistant General Manager, and will be involved in the hiring process of the field and scouting staff.Bush played for...
, Iván Calderón, Henry Cotto
Henry Cotto
Henry Cotto is a former professional baseball outfielder. He played all or part of ten seasons in Major League Baseball, from until . He also played one season in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants in , winning a world championship...
, Glenn Davis
Glenn Davis (baseball)
Glenn Earl Davis is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. While a member of the Houston Astros in the late 1980s, he finished three times in the top ten in National League MVP balloting . He batted and threw right-handed....
, Ken Dayley
Ken Dayley
Kenneth Grant Dayley is a former professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher, Dayley played all or part of eleven seasons in Major League Baseball between 1982 and 1993.- Braves :...
, Frank DiPino
Frank DiPino
Frank Michael DiPino is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, and Kansas City Royals...
, Bill Doran, Dan Gladden
Dan Gladden
Clinton Daniel "Dan" Gladden III is an American former Major League Baseball player and current radio broadcaster.-Baseball career:Gladden is a graduate of Westmont High School in Campbell, California...
, Alfredo Griffin
Alfredo Griffin
Alfredo Claudino Griffin is a former Major League Baseball player, who played shortstop for four teams from 1976 to 1993. He is currently the first base coach for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.-Playing career:...
, Kelly Gruber
Kelly Gruber
Kelly Wayne Gruber is a former Major League Baseball third baseman.-Early career:Gruber played baseball at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas where his number was later retired. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 1st round of the 1980 amateur draft but did not see time with the team...
, Neal Heaton
Neal Heaton
Neal Heaton is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher who played for the Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, and New York Yankees from 1982 to 1993.Heaton was drafted by the Indians in the 2nd round of the 1981...
, Steve Lake
Steve Lake
Steven "Steve" Michael Lake batted and threw right-handed, and is a former professional baseball backup catcher. He played Major League Baseball from 1983-93 for the following teams: Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies, and finishing his career with the Cubs...
, Terry Leach, Bob McClure
Bob McClure
Robert Craig McClure is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and pitching coach, most recently for the Kansas City Royals, with whom he began his major league career in 1975.-Kansas City Royals:...
, Gene Nelson
Gene Nelson (baseball)
Wayland Eugene Nelson , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1981 to 1993. After beginning his career as a starting pitcher with the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners, Nelson gradually converted to a relief role starting in 1983...
, Pete O'Brien
Pete O'Brien (first baseman)
Peter Michael O'Brien is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Texas Rangers , Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners...
, Geno Petralli
Geno Petralli
Eugene James Petralli is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of twelve seasons in Major League Baseball from 1982 to 1993, primarily as a catcher.- Early life :...
, Ted Power
Ted Power
Theodore Henry Power is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1981-1993 for eight different teams.Power was born on January 31, 1955 in Guthrie, Oklahoma. The right-handed pitcher and right-handed batter went to college at Kansas State University...
, John Russell, Bryn Smith
Bryn Smith
Bryn Nelson Smith is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1981-1993....
, Tim Teufel
Tim Teufel
Timothy Shawn Teufel is a former Major League Baseball second baseman, and currently the 3rd base coach for the New York Mets.Teufel was a member of the World Series champion New York Mets...
, Dickie Thon
Dickie Thon
Richard William "Dickie" Thon is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball.- Early life :Thon was raised in Puerto Rico after spending only the first two weeks of his life in Indiana where his father had just completed a bachelor's degree at the University of Notre Dame.- Professional career :He...
, Jose Uribe
Jose Uribe
José Altagracia González Uribe was a Dominican Major League Baseball shortstop from until . Most of his ten-year career was spent with the San Francisco Giants...
, Bob Walk
Bob Walk
Robert Vernon Walk is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Nicknamed "The Whirly Bird," Walk spent his career pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies , Atlanta Braves , and Pittsburgh Pirates .During his rookie season in Philadelphia, he recorded 11 regular season wins and a victory in Game One...
, Chico Walker
Chico Walker
Cleotha "Chico" Walker is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of eleven seasons in Major League Baseball, between 1980 and 1993. He played 40 or more games at five different positions: third base, second base, and all three outfield positions.Walker is the uncle of NBA...
, Curtis Wilkerson
Curtis Wilkerson
Curtis Vernon Wilkerson , is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as a utility man from -....
, Glenn Wilson
Glenn Wilson (baseball)
Glenn Dwight Wilson is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He was selected in the 1st round of the 1980 amateur draft by the Detroit Tigers, and made his Major League debut in a Tigers uniform on April 15, 1982...
, Curt Young
Curt Young
Curtis Allen Young is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and current pitching coach for the Oakland Athletics.-Playing career:...
, and Matt Young
Matt Young
Matthew John Young is a former American Major League baseball player. Young played for a variety of teams over his career, and is best known for his unofficial no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians while a member of the Boston Red Sox....
.
The Veterans Committee
The Veterans CommitteeVeterans 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 elect as many as two executives, managers, umpires, and older major league players --the categories considered in all its meetings since 1953.
The older players eligible were those with ten major league seasons beginning 1945 or earlier; those who received at least 100 votes from the BBWAA in some election up to 1990; and those who received at least 60% support in some election beginning 1991. Players on Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's ineligible list were also ineligible for election.
By an arrangement since 1995 the committee separately considered candidates from the Negro Leagues and from the 19th century with authority to select one from each of those two special ballots.
It elected four people, the maximum number permitted: first baseman 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...
from the 1960s, umpire Nestor Chylak
Nestor Chylak
Nestor George Chylak, Jr. was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1954 to 1978.He was born in Olyphant, Pennsylvania of Ukrainian descent, and attended the University of Scranton, where he studied engineering...
, pitcher Smokey Joe Williams from the Negro Leagues, and manager Frank Selee
Frank Selee
Frank Gibson Selee was an American Major League Baseball manager in the National League . In his 16 year Major League career, he managed the Boston Beaneaters for 12 seasons, and the Chicago Orphans for four.He was noted for his ability to assess and utilize talent, which gave his teams a great...
from the 19th century.
J.G. Taylor Spink Award
Bob StevensBob Stevens (sportswriter)
Robert E. Stevens was an American sportswriter who wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1936 to 1981, interrupted by service in the Navy during World War II. He was known for his coverage of the San Francisco Giants from the team's arrival in San Francisco in 1958 until 1978...
received the J. G. Taylor Spink Award honoring a baseball writer. (The award was voted at the December 1998 meeting of the BBWAA, dated 1998, and conferred in the summer 1999 ceremonies.)
Ford C. Frick Award
Arch McDonaldArch McDonald
Arch Linn McDonald, Sr. was an American radio broadcaster who served as the voice of Major League Baseball's Washington Senators from to ....
received the Ford C. Frick Award
Ford C. Frick Award
The Ford C. Frick Award is presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the United States to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball." It is named for Ford Christopher Frick, former Commissioner of Major League Baseball...
honoring a baseball broadcaster.
External links
- 1999 Election at www.baseballhalloffame.org.