Hall of Fame Class 28 – Whitey Ford is Unanimous Choice! Five All-Time Greats Enter the TCBA Hall of Fame |
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Whitey Ford Bob Feller Craig Biggio Chuck Klein John Smoltz |
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The voting period for the most recent TCBA
Hall of Fame class ended this week despite a record-low voter turnout of less
than 80% returning ballots. The voters that did participate honored five
former TCBA players with sufficient support to earn Hall of Fame entry. In an
unusual result, pitchers outnumbered position players. Whitey Ford joined Randy Johnson, Early
Wynn, and Greg Maddux as the only four pitchers to receive unanimous support.
Ford was a staple in the Norfolk Pilots’ rotation for 15 seasons, earning 253
victories with a sparkling 2.42 career ERA, the lowest for a starter in TCBA
history. Bob Feller collected 239 wins in his 18
TCBA seasons, all with Gary Sibley’s Wilderness Wraiths, including 49
shutouts. Feller was named on 92.9% of the returned ballots. A third pitcher, 18-year veteran John
Smoltz, received just under 72% support, but it was enough to exceed the 70%
Hall of Fame requirement. On the batting side, the accomplishments of
Craig Biggio (82.7%) and Chuck Klein (74.7%) were
sufficient to earn them Hall of Fame honors. Biggio
played for 20 seasons, split among Bethesda, Scranton
and Innisfree, finishing his career at #15 on the all-rime hits list, a
remarkable achievement for a modern player. Chuck Klein was a monster in the
1930-1940’s Bradenton lineups for 15 of his 17 seasons. The low-voter turnout is problematic for
the TCBA Hall of Fame. A conclave of Hall officials has discussed at length
the implications of the situation, recognizing that the Hall can only remain
active if league-members support it. In a public statement issued by the Hall of
Fame following the induction ceremonies, officials spoke of the diverse
interests of league members: “While we recognize that league history is
not an important aspect for every member, voter participation in the past has
traditionally been in the 90% range. A result of less than 80% is of real
concern. The Hall of Fame can exist only if the league supports it. We must
be aware if that support is no longer viable.” Despite the low voter turnout, Hall
officials plan to continue the voting process in the future. Voting for Class 29 will be held in January.
The vote totals for Class 28 are listed below: Class 28 Voting Totals:
· Appeared on
the list for the final time. Source: TCBA Encyclopedia |
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