The personal honor of a Hall of Fame vote

With the enthusiasm of a child waiting for a postcard from a dear friend or a birthday package from grandma, I’ve rushed to my mailbox in late November for each of the last 12 years as soon as the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot was mailed.

It’s the type of giddiness not normally associated with longtime baseball writers. That excitement can be tempered quickly after angry fans bombard our social media feeds to complain because their heroes didn’t earn a spot on our ballot.

The weight of the responsibility, though, has only increased over the years, especially since I sat on the stage at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, N.Y., with the game’s immortals during the Awards Presentation a day before Craig Biggio, Pedro Martínez, Randy Johnson and John Smoltz were inducted into the 2015 class.

The 2015 induction weekend served as a reminder of the weight of the responsibility carried by veterans of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America who vote for the Hall of Fame.

As president of the BBWAA that year, I had an intimate look inside the entire induction weekend.

That year I served as president of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. I had an intimate look inside the entire induction weekend while staying at the Otesaga Hotel, which is closed to the public that weekend to exclusively serve the returning Hall of Famers, their families and a few others.

At the Otesaga Hotel that weekend you’re reminded constantly of the standard of excellence that defines a Hall of Famer. You’re reminded of that bar all weekend, whether while being greeted by Johnny Bench during lunch, by Nolan Ryan or Whitey Ford on the hotel elevator or at the bar late at night as Wade Boggs leads of a cheerful chorus.

Hall of Fame voters are allowed to vote for up to 10 players each year. I vowed before my first ballot that I would always use all 10 of my votes so that some great players could at least earn the required 5 percent of the votes to remain on the ballot for more than one year.

Personal connections to history

Since the 2015 induction weekend, two images remain with me when I prepare to vote for the Hall of Fame. One memory is from the reception that is held on Friday night. I was invited to sit at Hall of Famer Joe Morgan’s table by former Astro Enos Cabell. A few minutes after Hall of Famer Eddie Murray stopped by to say hello, Rod Carew and Biggio gathered with Morgan, creating a brilliant trio of former second baseman.

The other memory is from the holding room before we all took shuttles to Doubleday Field. That’s when I watched in awe as Ryan, baseball’s all-time strikeout and no-hitter leader, chatted with Sandy Koufax, the man who held the record for no-hitters with five before Ryan eventually set a new record with his sixth and seventh no-hitters.

Juan Marichal, Martínez, Bob Gibson, Johnson and Greg Maddux were only a few feet away, serving as great reminders of what it means to be a Hall of Fame pitcher.

That’s not all, though. A few hours later after the Awards Presentation and the Parade of Legends, I introduced my wife and daughters to Roberto Clemente’s widow, Vera, and her sons.

Voting philosophy

Later that weekend, I visited with the widow of Tony Gwynn, the first player that I put a check by on my Hall of Fame ballot. Cal Ripken Jr. was second.

Gwynn was the greatest pure hitter of his era and a product of Long Beach (Calif.) Poly High, a school that was close to my hometown. Interviewing a hometown legend at the tailend of his career was an early career highlight, so I was genuinely giddy to vote for him 12 years ago. Ripken was another easy pick.

Until I looked recently, I couldn’t remember who else was on the 2007 ballot that arrived at my house 12 years ago, but I’ll never forget the first and second legends I voted for on my first ballot.

Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, however, are probably the men I was most excited to vote for because I covered their brilliant careers and knew how much it would mean for Houstonians to finally have a player with an Astros cap on his plaque in Cooperstown.

As fate would have it, Biggio was inducted in 2015, the year I served as BBWAA president. Biggio’s election was such a monumental moment for the Astros’ organization, I postponed a wedding anniversary dinner, altered plan flights to avoid a blizzard that hit the northeast that week and then drove through the remnants of the blizzard on Jan. 26, 2015, to join him and his wife Patty as they toured the Hall for their orientation a few weeks after he was elected to the Hall.

As Biggio rejoiced with childlike enthusiasm as he held Babe Ruth’s bat, I was reminded of the tremendous hold the game’s history has on the players, fans and baseball writers. I remember Biggio’s orientation when I debate whether a person on the ballot deserves a place among the greats.

That’s the biggest difference between my voting process now and the one I had for my first ball when I voted for Gwynn, Ripken and a few others who eventually earned induction in later years.

Annual Honor

Twelve years later, I’m still giddy with anticipation each November after the Hall mails out the ballot.

The intrigue for the 2019 Hall of Fame class’ ballot, the 12th I’ve received, centers on Mariano Rivera. Will the Yankees’ legendary closer finish with the highest percentage of votes in history? I’m excited to cast a vote for Rivera and see if he comes close to becoming the first unanimous selection.

A statue of the saintly Clemente is at the entrance of the Hall of Fame and Museum along with statues of Jackie Robinson and Lou Gehrig as part of the Character and Courage trio of statues.

A trip to the Hall of Fame serves as a reminder of the bar that I must consider when I submit my Hall of Fame vote.

It’s a tremendous treat and responsibility.

Later this month la vida baseball will exclusively release Jesus’ Ballot.

Featured Image: Jean Fruth / La Vida Baseball