The+Road+To+Cooperstown

= = =Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Process = = =

The baseball hall of fame has two sets of electors. One is called the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) and the other one is called the Veterans Committee (VC). The BBWAA is responsible for electing players who have played in at least ten major league seasons and have been retired for five seasons. The Veteran's Committee is responsible for players whose careers were over less than twenty-one seasons ago. The BBWAA votes by mail and the VC comes together in Florida during Spring Training and vote in person. The VC responsibility is to select deserving men who have somehow slipped through the BBWAA process without being honored. Also, the VC elects players who are older. The players the VC elects have to have been retired for at least 21 years. To be elected you have to have 75% of the vote. The voting is based upon the players record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contribution to the team(s) on which they played on and not what he may have done otherwise in baseball. The VC has 18 members and is only allowed to elect two candidates per year. The VC shall consist of all members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, all recipients of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, and all recipients of the Ford C. Frick Award. The J.G. Taylor Spink award is an award that honors a baseball writer (or writers) for meritorious contributions to baseball writing. The Ford C. Frick award is presented annually to a broadcaster for major contributions to baseball. Candidates eligible for election by the BBWAA must meet the following requirements: conidates to be eligable for VC must be selected from :
 * The candidate must have played in the major leagues for 10 years
 * The 10 years must have occurred during a 20 year period ending 5 years prior to the nomination
 * The player must have been retired from the Major Leagues for at least 5 years
 * A player who died and who had been retired from baseball for less than 5 years is eligible in the next regular election 6 months after date of death or after 5 year waiting period, which ever occurs first
 * players retired from majors prior to 1946 additionally, those retired after 1945 for at least 23 years. these players must have recieved 100 or more votes in at least one election of BBWAA and had to have been in at least 10 major league championship seasons
 * baseball executives and/or managers and/or umpires who have been retired from those positions for at least 5 years prior to election. those who reach an age of 65 have thier waiting period reduced to 6 months
 * players who preformed in negro leagues for at least 10 years prior to 1946 or those whose major leagues and negro league service totals a 10 years. additionally, those who are not otherwise eligable for election to gall of fame

The next step is for players to go through a screening committee. The committee consists of six baseball writers and is appointed by the BBWAA. The role of this committee is to prepare of ballot of eligible candidates. These candidates must meet one of the following two criterion.


 * -Baseball Players who were voted on in at least five percent of the ballots in the previous election OR
 * -Baseball Players are voted on by two of the six members of the Screening Committee.

=**Hall of Fame Inductees**=


 * 278 people in hall of fame
 * 196 MLB players
 * 35 negro players
 * 23 executives and pioners
 * 16 managers
 * 8 umpires
 * 61 people are living
 * 30 people= ford frick award
 * 57 people= taylor spink award