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Evaluating the Hall of Fame’s Expansion Era Ballot

Next week the Baseball Hall of Fame will announce the results of a veterans committee election that considers 12 candidates from the Expansion Era. It’s the first election in the new Hall of Fame balloting process that has the voting separated into three ballots based on era: Expansion (1973-present), Golden (1947-1972), and Pre-Integration (1871-1946). Every year one of the ballots will be addressed. A small group (16) will vote in seclusion during the winter meetings. Any candidate receiving 12 votes will be elected.

Sparky Anderson was a man of hyperbole and principle

When the Cincinnati Reds named 36-year old George Anderson as their manager during the 1969-1970 off-season, newspapers in the city asked “Sparky Who?” Within a few years, he was one of the few men in sports who was known by one name.

Only World Series champions without Hall of Famers

From 1903-1989, every World Series winning team except two have boasted at least one future Hall of Famer on their roster. In most of the cases, the winning team has had more than one player who have gone on to be immortalized in Cooperstown.

Setting the record straight: The last ball caught before World War I

When Detroit fans settled into Navin Field for the traditional Labor Day doubleheader in 1918, they had no idea that they would see a 41-year old coach pitch and get a victory, and that a pharmacist who came to watch the game, would play the outfield in place of Ty Cobb. But that’s what happened.

Dave Winfield: Everyone’s favorite draft pick

In his senior year in college, Dave Winfield was a wanted man. In 1973, Winfield, a senior at the University of Minnesota, was selected in four drafts in three different professional sports. Just weeks after being selected as the fourth overall pick in the baseball draft by the San Diego Padres, Winfield was named Most Valuable Player of the College World Series.

When Hall of Famers made their big league debut

When Juan Marichal stepped on the mound for the first time as a big leaguer, it was the first major league game he had ever seen. Nine innings later, he had made one of the most spectacular debuts in baseball history, and launched a career that would land him in Cooperstown.

Baseball’s unique spectacle: Opening Day

Opening Day is unique to baseball. Other sports have season openers, but baseball’s Opening Day marks the ceremonial beginning of spring. It may only be 1/162nd of the season, but fans and players alike admit there’s something special about the first game of the schedule.