Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan ‘Pudge’ Rodriguez were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the 2017 class on Wednesday. That makes for 12 inductees over the past four years, which is a record under the current voting format.
Bagwell, in his seventh year on the ballot, fell just short last year at 71.6 percent (75 percent is required for enshrinement). Bagwell was the top vote-getter this year however, receiving 86.2 percent of the vote.
Raines, who was in his final year on the ballot, received the second-highest number of votes, reaching Cooperstown behind 86 percent of votes. Rodriguez, becomes the second first-ballot Hall of Fame catcher ever as he received 76 percent of the votes.
Among the candidates who fell short of receiving the 75 percent needed to get into the Hall of Fame are Trevor Hoffman (74 percent; five votes shy), Vladimir Guerrero (71.1; 15 votes shy), Edgar Martinez (58.6), Roger Clemens (54.1), Barry Bonds (53.8), Mike Mussina (51.8), Curt Schilling (45), Manny Ramirez (24), Fred McGriff (21.7), Jeff Kent (16.7) and Sammy Sosa (8.6).
Jorge Posada (3.8 percent), Jason Varitek (0.5 percent) and Tim Wakefield (0.2 percent) were among the players to fall off future Hall of Fame ballots. Five percent of the final vote is needed to remain.
Bagwell was a fourth-round pick of the Boston Red Sox in 1989, but played all 15 of his big league seasons with the Houston Astros. The four-time All-Star won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1991 and NL MVP in 1994.
Bagwell also took home three Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove over the course of his career. The first baseman hit a career .297/.408/.540, with 2,314 hits, 449 home runs and 1,529 RBIs.
Raines was selected in the fifth round of the 1977 draft by the Montreal Expos. In 23 MLB seasons with the Expos, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles and Florida Marlins, he slashed .294/.385/.425 with 2,605 hits, 170 home runs, 980 RBIs, 1,571 runs scored and 808 stolen bases.
Raines was named a seven-time All-Star, all with the Expos. He won a Silver Slugger Award in 1986.
Rodriguez was known to be one of the best defensive catchers of all-time over his 21-year Major League career with the Texas Rangers, Marlins, Detroit Tigers, Yankees, Astros and Washington Nationals.
The 16-time All-Star won 13 Gold Gloves behind the plate, seven Silver Sluggers and was named the 1999 American League MVP when he hit .332/.356/.558 with 35 home runs and 113 RBIs.
Rodriguez was a career .296/.334/.464 batter with 2,844 total hits and 311 home runs. He holds the Major League record for games caught and putouts behind the plate.
Along with former MLB commissioner Bud Selig and John Schuerholz, Bagwell, Raines and Rodriguez will be inducted on July 30 in Cooperstown as the Class of 2017 as part of the July 28-31 Hall of Fame Weekend.
