This entry was posted on 9/16/2008 1:34 PM and is filed under uncategorized.
Great news for a deserving Sox alumnus...El Tiante is recognized more now for the excellent cigars that he sells online than for the three All-Star appearances and 229 career wins he posted up during his 19 year big league pitching career, but the Cuban-born Tiant had one of the best pitching runs in Sox history during his four prime years from 1973-76.
Are his numbers Hall of Fame-worthy? That's for the re-organized veterans committee to decide, but Tiant would certainly be in the discussion if we were judging him by the changing criteria for Hall of Fame starting pitchers from about 1987 or so on. The steroid Era and the ongoing specialization in the bullpen are obviously knocking down career victory totals for starting pitchers across the board, so a guy like Tiant might get the second look he deserves in this brave new world of baseball.
One thing there's no doubt about: His 1974 season that saw him go 22-13 with 311 1/3 innings pitched and a 2.92 ERA will go down as one of the best single seasons for a Sox starting pitcher in team history. Hard to believe he finished in a fourth-place tie with Gaylord Perry in the AL Cy Young voting that season, and each of the pitchers that finished ahead of him in the voting are already firmly ensonced in the Hall of Fame. The release from the HOF is listed below:
Ten Finalists Named for Hall of Fame Consideration
Of Players Whose Careers Began in 1943 or Later
-- Veterans Committee Election Results to be Announced December 8 at Winter Meetings--
(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – Ten former major league players, whose careers began in 1943 or later, will be considered for election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009 by the Veterans Committee, with results to be announced December 8 at baseball’s Winter Meetings, it was announced today.
Dick Allen, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Tony Oliva, Al Oliver, Vada Pinson, Ron Santo, Luis Tiant, Joe Torre and Maury Wills will be considered for election by the Veterans Committee for enshrinement in 2009, with votes to be cast by Hall of Fame members this fall. Any candidate to receive 75% of the vote on all ballots cast will earn election to the Hall of Fame and will be enshrined on July 26, 2009. There are 64 living Hall of Famers.
The ballot for the 2009 Veterans Committee election of players whose careers began in 1943 or later was devised by Hall of Fame members, who served as the Screening Committee in narrowing the list from 21 to 10 names during the month of August.
Earlier this year, the Historical Overview Committee of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, comprised of 11 veteran baseball writers and historians, selected 20 finalists from a list of all eligible players, those whose careers spanned at least 10 major league seasons and started in 1943 or later. Concurrently, a screening committee comprised of six Hall of Famers selected five names for the ballot, and the two lists were merged for a total of 21 candidates.
The 21 candidates considered by the Screening Committee: Allen, Ken Boyer, Bert Campaneris, Rocky Colavito, Mike Cuellar, Steve Garvey, Hodges, Kaat, Ted Kluszewski, Mickey Lolich, Roger Maris, Lee May, Minnie Minoso, Thurman Munson, Oliva, Oliver, Pinson, Santo, Tiant, Torre and Wills.
Also in December, a 12-member voting committee will consider the candidacies of 10 former major league players whose careers began in 1942 or earlier: Bill Dahlen, Wes Ferrell, Joe Gordon, Sherry Magee, Carl Mays, Allie Reynolds, Vern Stephens, Mickey Vernon, Bucky Walters and Deacon White. Any candidate to earn votes of 75% of ballots cast will earn election to the Hall of Fame, with enshrinement on July 26, 2009.
The 12 members of the voting committee who are scheduled to meet on December 7 at the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas to consider the pre-1943 candidates include: seven Hall of Fame members (Bobby Doerr, Ralph Kiner, Phil Niekro, Robin Roberts, Duke Snider, Don Sutton and Dick Williams), along with five historians (Furman Bisher, Roland Hemond, Steve Hirdt, Bill Madden and Claire Smith).
The 10 former major leaguers whose careers began in 1942 or earlier were screened by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) appointed Historical Overview Committee, comprised of 11 veteran members: Dave Van Dyck (Chicago Tribune); Bob Elliott (Toronto Sun); Rick Hummel (St. Louis Post-Dispatch); Steve Hirdt (Elias Sports Bureau); Moss Klein (formerly Newark Star-Ledger); Bill Madden (New York Daily News); Ken Nigro, (formerly Baltimore Sun); Jack O’Connell (MLB.com); Nick Peters (Sacramento Bee); Tracy Ringolsby (Rocky Mountain News); and Mark Whicker (Orange County Register). This committee also served as the Overview Committee for the post-1943 ballot, screening names to 20 from the universe of eligible candidates.
The process to consider players whose careers began in 1942 or earlier occurs every five years, next in 2013 for election in 2014. The committee to consider players whose careers began in 1943 or later will consider candidates every other year, next in 2010 for 2011 election.
The Veterans Committee process also features ballots for Managers/Umpires and for Executives, with both of those committees meeting every other year for even-year election, next meeting in 2009 for election in 2010.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is open seven days a week year round, with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
The Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, the Museum is open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. seven days a week. Ticket prices are $16.50 for adults (13 and over), $11 for seniors (65 and over) and for those holding current memberships in the VFW, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion and AMVets organizations, and $6 for juniors (ages 7-12).
Members are always admitted free of charge and there is no charge for children 6 years of age or younger. For more information, visit our Web site at baseballhall.org or call 888-HALL-OF-FAME (888-425-5633) or 607-547-7200.
