On January 22, 2019, Mariano Rivera got the call to the hall, becoming a first ballot hall of fame inductee. However, that would only be the tip of the iceberg, as Mr. Sandman becomes the first player in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB) to be voted in unanimously by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). Not Babe Ruth, not CY Young, not Ted Williams, not even Ken Griffey Jr. was unanimously elected by the BBWAA as Rivera casts in all votes in his favor. Below is a list of current hall of fame players who came close to achieving this feet over the years.
• Ken Griffey Jr. — 99.32 percent (2016)
• Tom Seaver — 98.84 (1992)
• Nolan Ryan — 98.79 (1999)
• George Brett — 98.19 (1999)
• Cal Ripken Jr. — 98.53 (2007)
• Ty Cobb — 98.23 (1936)
Mo will not be enshrined in Cooperstown alone, however, as former teammate, Mike Mussina, got the call to the hall after his sixth year on the ballot, with Edgar Martinez receiving the honor on his final year on the ballot and Roy “Doc” Halladay entering Cooperstown as a first ballot hall of famer as well.
Halladay was one of the most consistent pitchers of the modern era, and is only one of two players to throw a no-hitter in a postseason game. On October 6, 2010, Halladay joined Yankees’ great, Don Larsen, as the only pitcher in MLB history to throw a no-hitter in the playoffs after blanking the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of the 2010 NLDS. Roy’s former Blue Jay teammate, A.J. Burnett, was thrilled to hear that his long time friend got elected on his first year on the ballot.
The world tragically lost Roy Halladay at the age of 40 on November 7, 2017, after Halladay had reportedly crashed his small vessel he flew recreationally, into the ocean. His wife, Brandy, had the following to say about her husbands hall of fame induction:
Edgar Martinez finally got the call, as he will officially be enshrined into baseball lore come July. After being on the ballot for ten years, Martinez finally got the call as he entered his final year on the ballot. Martinez is known as one of the great designated hitters in American League history, and is most notably known for his walk off double down the left field line to score Ken Griffey Jr. in the 1995 ALDS against the New York Yankees to eliminate Don Mattingly from his first postseason and his final overall season.
It will be interesting to see which cap Mike Mussina will be wearing when he enters Cooperstown, as he played half of his career with the Baltimore Orioles, before heading over to the Bronx, to play his remaining eight seasons with the New York Yankees. Mussina had an ERA of 3.68, was known for coming up big in the playoffs and finished off his stellar career securing his first 20-win season at Fenway Park against the Red Sox.
On Sunday, July 21, 2019, these four great players will forever be enshrined in baseball lore, with the greatest closer of all time headlining the 2019 class with 100% of the votes. For someone who was nearly perfect during his pitching career, Mo is literally perfect when it comes to hall of fame votes given by the BBWAA.
