Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Piazza elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

Yahoo Sports ^ | January 6th, 2016 | Mike Oz

[Mariner]

Of the 32 names on this year's Hall of Fame ballot, only two were approved Wednesday by baseball writers to join the immortals inside Cooperstown: Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza. They're two iconic sluggers of the 1990s with 1,057 homers between them, whose paths will cross again when they're inducted July 24.

Griffey, on his first ballot, earned 99.3 percent of the vote, a total that surpasses Tom Seaver's record of 98.84 in 1992. Griffey missed three ballots.

Piazza, in his fourth Hall of Fame campaign, received 83 percent, up from the 69.9 percent that left him outside of Cooperstown a year ago.

The next highest vote totals belonged to Jeff Bagwell (71.6 percent), Tim Raines (69.8) and Trevor Hoffman (67.3). Other notables: Curt Schilling (52.3), Edgar Martinez (43.4) and Mike Mussina (43.0).

Players need 75 percent of votes from eligible Baseball Writers Association of America members for enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.

[Mariner]

Anyone who lived in Seattle in the 90's will remember JR. is worthy of this.

Everybody scores.

[ETL]

[EveningStar]

Griffey missed three ballots.

There are certain idiots who will never vote for someone in their first year of eligibility.

[ETL]

[ExCTCitizen]

Hmmm... Curt Schilling got 51%...I wonder if Curt was a liberal, he would have made it...

[Mariner]

Man, that's beautiful.

I saw Clemens pitch twice.

He was a bull in a china shop. That guy belonged on anybody's team, in any era.

[EveningStar]

Another thread

[Mariner]

"Another thread"

I searched titles with noting responded. If there's earlier threads on this, I apologize.

[datricker]

So ...

I still have a Ken Griffy Jr. chocolate bar in the freezer from when he was 19.

I watched him play when he was a Baby Mariner in Bellingham Washington and then in Seattle.

I just want to ask what the hell did he win!

We had to build that GD stadium or Griffy would leave.

I remember the series with the Yankees and Joey Cora but you know - Ken Griffy as beautiful as a swing and athletic ability didn't win anything and huge expectations and windfall profits were produced at the people of Seattle s expense.

Mr. Griffy is a nice man from and with a lovely family I don thing he is a hall of famer.

As always with griffy jr its ultimately disappointing

That being said I am holding on to this chocolate bar

[Mariner]

"As always with griffy jr its ultimately disappointing "

630 Home Runs.

530 Doubles.

Lifetime .284avg.

And the best Center Fielder in the history of Baseball, including a cannon for an arm.

Yeah, what a disappointment.

[ETL]

Clemens was a grade-A schmuck. As well as a nut.

[datricker]

If you don’t build the stadium Griffy will leave we voted against it twice - they build it Griffy left yeah huge disappointment.

[okie01]

Clemens was a grade-A schmuck. As well as a nut.

A lot of ace pitchers fit that characterization. It kinda comes with the territory...

[EveningStar]

No apology is necessary. I search before posting too and I still average about one duplicate thread per week.

[EveningStar]

Griffey’s injuries cost him the equivalent of nearly four seasons in total lost games. Without all those injuries, he might have been the all-time home run leader.

[Mannaggia l'America]

Piazza was a grade behind me in the same school. He played Little League with a few of my friends.

[Milton Miteybad]

Yeah...admittedly, Griffey, Jr.'s numbers are pretty good.

Best center fielder in the history of baseball? I can surely make the case that he's top ten material, but the best of all time, to the exclusion of all others? Among a group that includes Mays, Mantle, Cobb, DiMaggio and Snider? I'm not so sure.

Here's just one guy I would put ahead of Griffey, Jr. (and if you asked Griffey, Jr., he would likely concede the case himself.)



Tristram E. Speaker

115 home runs, playing during the dead ball era. That would be about 350 HRs today.

792 Doubles (MLB record)

Career .345 batting average (#6 in MLB history)

Career 3,515 hits

Career outfield assists: 449 (MLB record)



As you are probably aware, Speaker's blazing speed enabled him to become the first MLB player to hit 50 doubles and steal 50 bases in a single season. It also permitted him to become a "5th infielder," (as attested by his utterly astounding outfield assist totals, which are unlikely to ever be duplicated) who was often able to run in from CF to catch the pickoff throw to second base (acting in the role of an extra second baseman). Ken Griffey, Jr., alas, never demonstrated that ability.

And with all this superlative performance, unmatched by any in his day save for Ty Cobb...Tris Speaker, on some lists, is the #5 or #6 center fielder.

Relatively few observers with whom I am familiar would rate Griffey ahead of Speaker. Or Mays. Or Cobb. Or Mantle. Or DiMaggio. Or Snider.

But I extend my hearty congratulations to Mr. Ken Griffey, Jr., on his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

And, no, he was far from a disappointment.

But the absolute, straight-up best center fielder ever? Once again...I'm not so sure about that.

[crabpott]

My middle school son and I were living in the Ca central valley in the late 90’s. It sucked. I suggested we move. But where? I asked my boy if he had any preferences. He said “I've always wanted to see Ken Griffy play at home”.And here we are to this day sixty miles north of Safco. First home game we attended Griffy hit three homers.
Best decision of our lives. Thank you Mr. Griffy.

[llevrok]

Griffey’s injuries cost him the equivalent of nearly four seasons in total lost games.

The old Seattle Kingdome's Astroturf was hard and cushion-less. In other words, deck carpet on concrete. It was a killer to many player's longevity.