The Baseball Hall Of Fame’s Class Of 2015 Shines With An Emphasis On Service … – Forbes

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum officially opened its pearly gates for three pitchers who have combined for nine Cy Young Awards and 735 career victories as well as a member of the 3,000 hit club whose penchant for doubles was turned into an art form. The 71st election held by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America has produced arguably the last 300 game winner in baseball (Randy Johnson), a pitcher who only accumulated double digit losses in a season twice (Pedro Martinez), the first Hall of Fame pitcher to have undergone the famous “Tommy John” surgery (John Smoltz), and a versatile position player who was mentored by Yogi Berra during the formative years of his prolific career (Craig Biggio). This year’s election marks the first time in the voting history of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America that three pitchers were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum on the first ballot. It also marks the first time since 1955 that four ball players were selected for enshrinement by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

The sun drenched green grass at the idyllic Clark Sports Center was immersed in a sea of orange t-shirts and jerseys in honor of the Houston Astros’ first representative in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Not to be outdone, the vibrant colors of blue, red, and white representing the Dominican Republic flag were proudly waving by hundreds in attendance while the crystal blue sky served as its background. 49 Hall of Famers returned to the tony village of Cooperstown to welcome four new members to its exclusive fraternity while an estimated 40,000 – 50,000 fans celebrated all weekend along Main Street.

As the festivities kicked off with the roll call of current Hall of Famers in attendance, you couldn’t help but notice the prominent absences of icons such as Willie Mays and Yogi Berra. Sandy Koufax represented the oldest induction class in attendance (1972) while several immortals clearly struggled with physical ailments as they appeared on the dais. Hank Aaron and Joe Morgan relied on canes while Frank Thomas assisted Whitey Ford to his seat as he was introduced to the thousands in attendance.

In his first induction ceremony as Major League Baseball’s tenth commissioner, Rob Manfred used his introductory remarks to establish his platform and vision for the game’s future. The commissioner clearly wants to bring the game of baseball back to its roots with a heavy focus on youth engagement. He wants to make the game more exciting and appealing to a new generation of sports fans as well as develop fan avidity at an early age through participation. Commissioner Manfred wants baseball to attract the best athletes and he emphatically referred to how 20 of this past year’s all-stars were under the age of 25.

Craig Biggio was the first of the Class of 2015 to speak to the crowd at the Clark Sports Center. As Commissioner Manfred was reading the inscription on Biggio’s plaque, there was a phrase that eloquently described his 20 seasons in Houston. His plaque reads that Biggio was a “gritty sparkplug and ignitor of the Astros’ offense.” He will always be remembered as the ball player with the pine tar stained helmet and eternally dirty uniform. Biggio applauded the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum for its integrity while sharing fond memories of his parents. He recalled a time where his father would tie a rope around his waist in an attempt to prevent him from lunging while he was sharpening his hitting skills. Biggio also lauded Yogi Berra as the smartest baseball man he has ever met and complimented him on his vast knowledge of the game. He referred to the clubhouse attendants as the “heartbeat of the team” while also praising former teammates Brad Ausmus, Moises Alou, and Jeff Bagwell. Biggio also made it a point to mention deceased former teammates Darryl Kile and Ken Caminiti. He talked about how close he has grown to Caminiti’s family in the wake of the 1996 National League Most Valuable Player’s death in October 2004.

John Smoltz followed Biggio and it was reported that Smoltz had written two speeches for the occasion. One was humorous in nature while the other had a serious tone. It appeared as if he had decided to go with a hybrid between the two. The inscription on his plaque makes reference to the fact that he was a “workhorse power pitcher” who was the first to achieve both 200 victories and 150 saves. Smoltz recalled four significant phone calls in his life. Two involved the Detroit Tigers drafting him and then trading him to the Atlanta Braves on August 12, 1987 for Doyle Alexander. The third phone call involved a conversation with Tommy John encouraging him to continue his career after succumbing to the now famous ulnar collateral ligament surgery. The fourth phone call pertained to his election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum by receiving 82.9% of the vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Smoltz added several humorous anecdotes involving former teammates and fellow Hall of Famers Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux. Usually, the humor centered on the follicle challenged Smoltz. He even talked about the time he earned a $100.00 fine for a bad check swing against Pedro Martinez. Besides the humor, Smoltz’s message focused on family, religion, and gratitude. He recalled how Detroit Tigers legend Alan Trammell left a profound impression upon him and the importance of paying it forward. Trammell was also applauded the previous day by 2015 J.G. Taylor Spink Award winner Tom Gage.

People walk along Main Street on Saturday, July 25, 2015, in Cooperstown, N.Y. The National Baseball Hall of Fame holds its induction ceremony on Sunday. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)