Classic Baseball Era Committee Ballot to Be Considered This Sunday

2024-12-02

(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – Seven players and one manager whose primary contributions to the game came prior to 1980 will be considered for Hall of Fame election at Baseball’s Winter Meetings.

The Classic Baseball Era Committee will meet for the first time this Sunday in Dallas. The eight candidates who comprise the Classic Baseball Era Committee ballot were chosen from eligible player, manager, executive and umpire candidates whose careers in baseball came primarily prior to 1980.

The 16-member Classic Baseball Era Committee will consider only candidates on the ballot, and any candidate receiving votes on at least 75 percent of all ballots cast will earn induction into the Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025.

Results of the voting will be announced live on MLB Network this Sunday, Dec. 8, during MLB Tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET. Any living electees are expected to be available to media shortly after the announcement via individual Zoom calls.

Dick Allen, Ken Boyer, John Donaldson, Steve Garvey, Vic Harris, Tommy John, Dave Parker and Luis Tiant were named Nov. 4 as the candidates for Classic Baseball Era Committee consideration. Garvey, John and Parker are living.

Any candidates elected will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 27, 2025, along with any electees who emerge from the 2025 Baseball Writers’ Association of America election, which will be announced on Jan. 21, 2025, exclusively on MLB Network.

The 16-member Hall of Fame Board-appointed electorate charged with the review of the Classic Baseball Era ballot features Hall of Fame members Paul Molitor, Eddie Murray, Tony Pérez, Lee Smith, Ozzie Smith and Joe Torre; major league executives Sandy Alderson, Terry McGuirk, Dayton Moore, Arte Moreno and Brian Sabean; and veteran media members/historians Bob Elliott, Leslie Heaphy, Steve Hirdt, Dick Kaegel and Larry Lester.

Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Jane Forbes Clark will serve as the non-voting Chairman of the Classic Baseball Era Players Committee.

The eight Classic Baseball Era Committee finalists were selected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America-appointed Historical Overview Committee from all eligible candidates whose most significant career impact was realized prior to 1980. Eligible candidates include players with 10 or more major league seasons; managers and umpires with 10 or more major league seasons and retired for at least five years (candidates who are 65 years or older are eligible six months following retirement); and executives retired for at least five years (active executives 70 years or older are eligible for consideration regardless of the position they hold in an organization and regardless of whether their body of work has been completed). All candidates must not be on Baseball’s Ineligible List.

The Classic Baseball Era ballot was determined this fall by the Historical Overview Committee, comprised of 10 veteran historians: Adrian Burgos (University of Illinois), Bob Elliott (Canadian Baseball Network); Jim Henneman (formerly Baltimore Sun); Steve Hirdt (Stats Perform); David O’Brien (The Athletic); Jack O’Connell (BBWAA); Jim Reeves (formerly Fort Worth Star-Telegram); Glenn Schwarz (formerly San Francisco Chronicle); Susan Slusser (San Francisco Chronicle); and Mark Whicker (Southern California News Group).

The eight candidates for Classic Baseball Era Committee consideration for the Class of 2025 are:

Dick Allen played 15 seasons from 1963-77 for five teams, spending nine seasons with the Phillies, compiling 351 home runs, 1,119 RBI and a .292 career average. He was named the 1972 AL Most Valuable Player and the 1964 NL Rookie of the Year, with seven career All-Star selections.
Ken Boyer played 15 seasons as a third baseman with the Cardinals, Mets, White Sox and Dodgers, earning 11 All-Star Game selections and winning the 1964 National League Most Valuable Player Award en route to leading the Cardinals to a World Series championship.
John Donaldson pitched in the Negro Leagues and pre-Negro Leagues for more than 30 years, earning a reputation as one of the best pitchers in the game. Also playing the outfield and managing, Donaldson helped establish the barnstorming business model that was profitable for Black teams for decades.
Steve Garvey compiled a .294 career average over 19 major league seasons with the Dodgers and Padres, amassing 2,599 hits, 272 home runs, 1,308 RBI and 10 All-Star Game selections. He hit .338 with 11 home runs and 31 RBI in 11 postseason series, was named the 1978 and 1984 NLCS MVP and won the 1981 Roberto Clemente Award. The 1974 NL Most Valuable Player, Garvey won four Gold Glove Awards and played in an NL record 1,207 straight games at first base.
Vic Harris played 18 seasons in the Negro Leagues, primarily as a left fielder for the legendary Homestead Grays. He compiled a .303 career batting average and was known as one of the most aggressive base runners in the Negro National League. Harris also managed the Grays for 11 seasons, winning seven Negro National League pennants and the 1948 World Series.
Tommy John pitched 26 seasons for the Indians, White Sox, Dodgers, Yankees, Angels and A’s, finishing his career after the 1989 season with a record of 288-231 and 3.34 ERA. His 700 career starts rank eighth on the all-time list and his 4,710.1 innings rank 20th all-time. A four-time All-Star Game selection – three of which came following his groundbreaking elbow surgery in 1974 – John won the 1976 Hutch Award and 1981 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award.
Dave Parker compiled a .290 career average over 19 major league seasons with six teams, including 11 years in Pittsburgh and four years in Cincinnati, and amassed 339 home runs, 1,493 RBI and two batting titles (1977-78). The 1978 NL Most Valuable Player was named to seven All-Star games and won three Gold Glove Awards in right field.
Luis Tiant won at least 20 games in four of his 19 big league seasons with the Indians, Twins, Red Sox, Yankees, Pirates and Angels, finishing his career with 229 wins and a 3.30 ERA while earning three All-Star Game selections. He won two American League ERA titles, including a 1.60 ERA in 1968, and led the league in shutouts three times.

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About the Era Committees

The Era Committees consist of three different electorates: The Classic Baseball Era, consisting of the period prior to 1980 and including Negro Leagues and pre-Negro Leagues stars; and the Contemporary Baseball Era, consisting of the period from 1980 to present day. The Contemporary Baseball Era is split into two separate ballots – one ballot to consider only players who made their greatest impact on the game since 1980, and another composite ballot consisting of managers, executives and umpires whose greatest contributions to the game have come since 1980.

Eras considered for yearly induction over the upcoming years are as follows: 2025 – Classic Baseball; 2026 – Contemporary Baseball Player; 2027 – Contemporary Baseball Managers/Executives/Umpires; 2028 – Classic Baseball; 2029 – Contemporary Baseball Player; 2030 – Contemporary Baseball Managers/Executives/Umpires.

Both the ballot and electorate are created anew with each cycle for consideration.