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Class 10 Hall of Fame Inductees – Aaron Leads Fellow Barfly Killebrew Into the Hall; Joined by Mays, Jenkins, and Rixey
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Aaron & Killebrew Enter Hall Together
Bergen Skipper Stu McCorkindale
Willie Mays
Rixey & Jenkins |
Voting for the TCBA
Players’ Hall of Fame concluded last week with five new names
being added to the TCBA shrine. Given the highest vote total ever, long-time
Bergen Barfly Hank Aaron soared
into the Hall like one of his all-time career leading 791 home runs.
Remarkably, his Barfly teammate Harmon
Killebrew, who, like Aaron played exclusively
for the late Stu McCorkindale’s
Bergen team for 20 seasons from 1955 to 1974, arrived into the Hall on the
same ballot, collecting 91.4% of the vote. Reaction around the league was swift as
news of the twin elections spread. Bob Wood, the long-time skipper of the Bradenton franchise and close associate to McCorkindale commented: “I know that somewhere Stu is smiling.” Aaron may simply be the best TCBA player
ever. He ranks #2 in hits with 3636, #1 in home runs with 791, #1 in rbi with 2118, and had a career batting average of .307. Harmon
Killebrew was renowned for his slugging in the
middle of the Bergen lineup. He belted 553 home runs and drove in more than
1500 in his 20 seasons with the Barflies. Continuing a theme from this year’s
election, Willie Mays also played
his entire 23-season career with one team, Al Keefer’s Mexicali
Mallards. Mays received 92.8% of the vote in recognition of his massive
career performance: 2001 runs, 635 home runs, 3169 hits, 1967 rbi, and 337 stolen bases. As in Bergen regarding Aaron,
there is plenty of argument around Mexicali that Mays is the best there ever
was in TCBA. As with the big three hitters, Eppa Rixey (72.9%) played his entire 14-season career with
one team, Larry Smith’s Mimosa Mirthmakers.
Rixey was dominant in his time, recording six 20-win
seasons on his way to 223 wins. He tossed well over 3000 inning and finished
with a career ERA of Ferguson
Jenkins may have played with several franchises in his career, including
two based in Canada, but he was no less effective. Voters recognized Fergy’s contributions, giving him the highest vote total
ever for a pitcher (96.7%). Jenkins began his career in Newmarket, under
fellow Canadian Ed Hebscher. The franchise moved
briefly to Long Island, returning to Toronto under Canadian postal magnate
Joe Saundercook until 1977. A return move to Long Island once again joined Jenkins with the
Islander’s legendary Jim McEneaney. In his 19 seasons, Jenkins won 241 games
and struck out 2955. He also tossed 51 shutouts and a remarkable 194 complete
games. “At the
Ceremony” From left to right: Hank Aaron,
Harmon Killebrew, Willie Mays, Ferguson Jenkins,
and Eppa Rixey The next class of Hall of
Fame candidates will be Class 11, currently scheduled to be announced on
September 1, 2014. The vote totals for Class 10 is listed below: CLASS 10 Voting Totals:
Source:
TCBA Encyclopedia |
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