Baseball’s Hall of Fame announced their Contemporary Era ballot for managers and executives Monday, and it is a Cubs-heavy ballot.
Three former Cubs managers, Dusty Baker, Joe Maddon and Lou Piniella, all have a chance to be inducted in Cooperstown this summer.
My opinion: All of them deserve induction.
Now, obviously the tenures of Baker and Piniella did not go well in Chicago. But their overall careers, both as managers and players, deserve honor in Cooperstown.
Baker ranks eighth all-time among managers
with 2,173 wins. He won three league pennants and the World Series with the Astros in 2022. Baker also had a long and distinguished playing career with the Braves, Dodgers, Giants and A’s, with 242 home runs and 1,981 hits over 19 seasons, with 37.1 bWAR. He won a WS ring as a player with the Dodgers in 1981.
Piniella won 1,835 games as a manager and a World Series title with the Reds in 1990. He also had a long and productive 18-year playing career, was AL Rookie of the Year in 1969 and won WS rings with the Yankees in 1977 and 1978.
Both of those men should be voted in. Piniella especially, as he’s now 83 years old.
Maddon did not play in the major leagues, but has 1,382 managerial wins. He won two league pennants and is, of course, the manager who helped the Cubs break the World Series drought. I think he rates induction for that alone. Plus, he’d give an amazing speech. I suspect Maddon might have to wait for next time, though I think he could get voted in now.
The manager on this ballot who clearly will be voted in is Bruce Bochy, who ranks sixth all-time with 2,252 managerial wins and won three World Series titles with the Giants. That’s a no-brainer.
Managers could dominate this ballot. The executives on the ballot are Sandy Alderson, Brian Sabean, Ted Turner and Bill White. Honestly, I’m not sure any of those four deserves induction.
The next time managers and executives from the Contemporary Era (after 1980) will be considered will be in the fall of 2029.
The results of the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee vote will be announced live on MLB Network’s “MLB Tonight” at 7 p.m. CT on Sunday, Dec. 6.
Any candidate who receives votes on 75 percent of the ballots cast by the committee will earn election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 25, 2027, along with any electees who emerge from the 2027 Baseball Writers’ Association of America election, to be announced on Jan. 19, 2027.
