Staff Report
Former New York Yankees manager Billy Martin is among 20 former major-league managers, umpires and executives who'll be considered for election into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Cooperstown shrine announced Tuesday.
Davey Johnson, who managed the New York Mets to a World Series championship in 1986, is also on the ballot.
Two Veterans Committee ballots _ one made up of 10 managers/umpires and the other of 10 executives _ will be held Dec. 6. The results will be announced the following day at baseball's Winter Meetings.
Candidates must appear on 75 percent of the ballots to earn enshrinement for the July 25, 2010 Induction Ceremony at the Clark Sports Center.
Along with Johnson and Martin, who guided the Yankees to a World Series title in 1977, managers Charlie Grimm, Whitey Herzog, Tom Kelly, Gene Mauch, Danny Murtaugh and Steve O'Neill, and umpires Doug Harvey and Hank O'Day will be considered by a 16-member panel.
Executives Gene Autry, Sam Breadon, John Fetzer, Bob Howsam, Ewing Kauffman, John McHale, Marvin Miller, Gabe Paul, Jacob Ruppert and Bill White will be voted on by a 12-man panel.
Those charged with reviewing the managers/umpires are: Hall of Famers Jim Bunning, Bob Gibson, Fergie Jenkins, Al Kaline, Tom Lasorda, Phil Niekro, Tony Perez, Billy Williams and Dick Williams; former executive Jim Frey; current executives Roland Hemond (Diamondbacks) and Bob Watson (Major League Baseball); and veteran media members Tim Kurkjian (ESPN), Jack O'Connell and Tom Verducci (Sports Illustrated), with one elector yet to be announced.
Hall of Famers Robin Roberts and Tom Seaver; former executive John Harrington (Red Sox); current executives Jerry Bell (Twins), Bill DeWitt (Cardinals), Bill Giles (Phillies), David Glass (Royals), Andy MacPhail (Orioles) and John Schuerholz (Braves); and veteran media members Rick Hummel (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), Hal McCoy (Dayton Daily News) and Phil Pepe (New York Daily News) will vote on the executives.
The following is a capsule look at the managers/umpires:
Martin spent 16 seasons from 1969, 1971-83, 1985, 1988 managing the Twins, Tigers, Rangers, Yankees (five stints) and A's, compiling a 1,253-1015
See FINALISTS on Page 13
record (.552). Teams finished first five times, winning two American League pennants and one World Series. Martin died in a car accident on Christmas Day, 1989, just outside of Binghamton.
Johnson managed the Mets, Reds, Orioles and Dodgers from 1984-90, 1993-97 and 1999-2000. Compiled a 1,148-888 (.564) record. Over 12 full seasons, his teams finished first five times and second six times. Teams qualified for postseason six times, winning one NL pennant and one World Series. Won 1997 AL Manager of the Year Award with Orioles, and his .564 winning percentage ranks 13th among managers with at least 1,000 games.
Grimm managed the Cubs and Braves for 19 seasons, taking the Cubs to three World Series. Grimm had a career record of 1,287-1,067 (.547), which ranks as the 24th-best winning percentage of all-time among managers with at least 1,000 games. Two of his NL pennants came as a player/manager, a position he held from 1932-36.
Herzog managed the Rangers, Angels, Royals and Cardinals from 1973-90. He was 1,279-1,143 for a .532 winning percentage, winning six division titles, three National League pennants and one World Series in 1982 with the Cardinals. Named 1985 NL Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers' Association of America and named 1980s Manager of the Decade by Sports Illustrated.
Kelly managed the Minnesota Twins for 16 seasons from 1986-2001, with a career record of 1,140-1,244 (.478). Won two World Series in five years (1987, 1991) and has the longest tenure of any manager in Twins history. In first six full seasons, averaged almost 86 victories. Named 1991 AL Manager of the Year.
Mauch managed Phillies, Expos, Twins and Angels for 26 seasons (1960-82, 1985-87). Teams went 1,902-2,037 (.483), good for the 12-best win total of all-time and the most wins of any non-active manager not in the Hall of Fame. His teams won two division titles.
Murtaugh managed the Pittsburgh Pirates in four stints (1957-64, 1967, 1970-71, 1973-76) over 15 seasons. His teams went 1,115-950 (.540) and finished first five times, including four National League East Division titles, two NL pennants and World Series wins in 1960 and 1971. Named National League Manager of the Year in 1958, 1960 and 1970.
O'Neill managed the Indians, Tigers, Red Sox and Phillies for 14 seasons (1935-37, 1943-48, 1950-54) and never had a losing record. His teams went 1,040-821 (.559), good for the 15th-best winning percentage in history among managers with at least 1,000 games. He led the Tigers to the American League pennant and a World Series championship in 1945.
Harvey spent 31 seasons as a National League umpire, working six All-Star Games, five World Series and seven championship Series. Umpired 4,670 big league games. Pioneered the process of waiting a full second before making a call behind the plate, something he did to allow himself to replay the pitch in his mind.
O'Day spent 34 seasons (1888-89, 1893, 1895-1911, 1913, 1915-27) as a National League umpire, calling 10 World Series, the second-most all-time. Umpired the first World Series in 1903. Gained fame after calling out Fred Merkle of the Giants in their famous game against the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 23, 1908, when Merkle failed to touch second base following an apparent walk-off hit.
The following is a capsule look at the executives:
Autry owned the Angels from their birth in 1961 until his death in 1998. Autry, a television and movie star known for his rendition of Christmas classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," steered his teams to American League West titles in 1979, 1982 and 1986.
Breadon owned the Cardinals from 1917 to 1947, leading St. Louis to nine pennants and six World Series titles during his tenure. Breadon helped develop the modern farm system by stocking the Cardinals' own minor league clubs with prospects.
Howsam served as general manager of the Cardinals in the mid-1960s, helping build a team into a two-time National League pennant winner _ and 1967 World Series champion. Moved on to become the general manager of the Reds, laying the foundation for the Big Red Machine that won four NL pennants and two World Series from 1970-76.
Kauffman owned the Kansas City Royals from their birth in 1969 until his death in 1993. Kauffman established the innovative Kansas City Royals Baseball Academy and led the Royals to a first- or second-place finish in the American League West every season from 1975-85, including the AL pennant in 1980 and a World Series title in 1985.
Fetzer owned the Detroit Tigers from 1956-83, building one of the 1960s most consistent teams, one that won the World Series in 1968. Fetzer, a broadcasting pioneer, helped negotiate baseball's initial national television contract in 1967.
McHale served as general manager for the Tigers, Braves and Expos from the 1950s through the 1980s. McHale joined the Expos at their inception in 1969 and built the club into one of baseball's most consistent teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Miller was elected as the head of the Major League Baseball Players Association in 1966 and quickly turned the union into a powerhouse. Within a decade, Miller had secured free agency for the players. By the time he retired in 1982, the average player salary was approximately 10 times what it was when he took over.
Paul served as the general manager of the Cincinnati Reds, the Houston Colt 45s, the Cleveland Indians and the New York Yankees from the 1950s to the 1980s. Paul helped rebuild the Yankees in the 1970s, crafting a team that won three straight American League pennants and two World Series from 1976-78.
Ruppert owned the New York Yankees from 1915 until his death in 1939, turning a second-division club into a dynasty. Ruppert presided over the acquisition of Babe Ruth, the opening of the original Yankee Stadium, 10 American League pennants and seven World Series titles.
White served as the president of the National League from 1989-94 following a successful career as a player and broadcaster. White presided over the addition of the Marlins and the Rockies to the NL and helped consolidate both the American and National leagues under one administrative umbrella.
