Felix Hernandez’s jump from 20.6% to 46.1% is the largest single year gain since BBWAA ballots resumed yearly voting in 1966-67. Andy Pettitte had the 11th biggest jump, Utley the 16th biggest. (Source: Ryan Thibodaux)
Next year baby!
So he’s gonna break the record in back to back years 😂
Mariners Fans 🤝 Phillies Fans
How in the hell did Yogi Berra receive only 67.2% of the vote in his first year?
That ballot was loaded. It had 16 eventual hall of famers and 48 people who received votes. It was just a case of not enough votes to go around given the talent.
It was also cause back then they only voted every other year and players stayed on the ballots longer so there was a massive back-log as there was no minimum drop off. Took a while to sort and clean it up.
Wasn’t it also not that far removed from voters being able to select literally anyone for the ballot which made everything a complete nightmare cause local writers would vote for a random local guy who had no business near the HOF but omitted like DiMaggio or something.
There were 16 players currently in the HoF on that ballot and he was the highest vote getter that year, nobody was voted in by writers.
That’s insane! Going to read more about that year. Thank you.
TIL that Yogi wasn’t a first ballot hall of famer.
Crazy. Like wtf.
W. T. F.
we’re so back
Larry Walker with his 42.5% spike is nuts.
Thank you foolish baseball for your episode of him.
I’m generally impressed by Jaffe’s coverage of the hall of fame, but he topped himself here; can’t imagine any other writer who would’ve predicted this back in 2019.
Year 0?
The fruits of a really weak ballot. Luckily for these guys, it doesn’t get much stronger next year
thats crazy. went from probably not making it, to almost certainly making it eventually
