This day in baseball: No class of 1996
Posted: January 8, 2021 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Baseball Writers Association of America, BBWAA, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, National Baseball Hall of Fame, Phil Niekro, sports 2 CommentsOn January 8th, results for 1996 Hall of Fame voting revealed that for the first time since 1971, no one was elected by the BBWAA to enter the Hall of Fame. Phil Niekro came the closest to election with 68 percent of the writers’ votes, falling short of the 75 percent needed to be selected. Niekro was selected for the Hall of Fame the following year.
Phil Niekro (ESPN)
Roger Angell turns 100
Posted: September 19, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, 21st Century | Tags: Baseball, Baseball Writers Association of America, J.G. Taylor Spink Award, Major League Baseball, MLB, Roger Angell, Shrine of the Eternals, writing 5 CommentsRoger Angell was born on September 19, 1920 in New York, New York, and he is considered one of the best baseball writers of all time. And while my exposure to Angell’s writing is admittedly limited, I’ve read enough to know that I need to read more. His pieces contain a significant amount of detail and his passion for the game shines through with every line.
Angell has received a number of awards for his writing, including the George Polk Award for Commentary in 1980, the Kenyon Review Award for Literary Achievement in 2005, and the inaugural PEN/ESPN Lifetime Achievement Award for Literary Sports Writing in 2011. He was inducted into the Baseball Reliquary’s Shrine of the Eternals in 2010, and in 2014 he was awarded the J. G. Taylor Spink Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Angell.
Sport Illustrated
This day in baseball: Class size: 0
Posted: February 16, 2018 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Baseball Writers Association of America, Bill Terry, history, Mel Ott, National Baseball Hall of Fame, sports Leave a commentThe Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) voted, via mail, to select from major league players retired less than 25 years for the Hall of Fame class of 1950. On February 16 of that year, the organization ended up selecting no one for induction. The top vote-getters in the balloting were former Giants Mel Ott (69%) and Bill Terry (63%), however, this fell short of the 75% of the writers’ ballots required for induction. Ott would get elected the following season, and Terry entered the Hall of Fame in 1954.
Mel Ott (ESPN.com)
This day in baseball: MVP dominance
Posted: November 19, 2014 Filed under: 21st Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Barry Bonds, Baseball, Baseball Writers Association of America, history, Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, MLB, San Francisco Giants, sports Leave a commentOn November 19, 2001, the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) determined in a landslide vote to award the NL Most Valuable Player Award to Giants slugger Barry Bonds. Bonds won 30 of 32 first place votes, winning his fourth career MVP award — the most by any single player to that point. Bonds went on to accumulate a total of seven MVP awards in his career, which remains the most for any given player.
Wikimedia Commons
This day in baseball: Palmer awarded the Cy Young
Posted: November 5, 2014 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baltimore Orioles, Baseball, Baseball Writers Association of America, Cy Young Award, history, Jim Palmer, Major League Baseball, MLB, sports Leave a commentOn November 5, 1976, for the second consecutive season (and third ever), Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer won the Cy Young Award. In the voting cast by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), Palmer won 19 of 24 first place votes. That season, Palmer finished with a record of 22-13, a 2.51 ERA, and an average of 4.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
This day in baseball: Cy Young tie
Posted: November 6, 2013 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Baseball Writers Association of America, Cy Young Award, Denny McLain, Major League Baseball, Mike Cuellar Leave a comment
Photo source: PDXRetro.com
In 1969, two pitchers tied in the voting for the Cy Young award for the first time in baseball history. Denny McLain of the Detroit Tigers finished the season with a 24-9 record and a 2.80 ERA. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Orioles’ Mike Cuellar finished with a 23-11 record and an ERA of 2.38. Both men received ten votes from the BBWAA (Baseball Writer’s Association of America) as being the best pitcher in the American League.
