New Blog Post: Marvin Miller Follow-Up

(November 9, 2010) Two weeks ago I wrote about Marvin Miller and the fact that Major League Baseball Players’ Association Senior Executive Rick Shapiro stated that Miller was one of the three most influential men in Major League Baseball history and yet had not been honored by Hall of Fame induction. I wrote about whether he would be on the Hall of Fame ballot this year. Just yesterday the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced that Miller is on the 12-name Expansion Era ballot for the Committee to Consider Managers, Umpires, Executives and Long-Retired Players for Hall of Fame election. To be elected Miller will need to be named on 75% of the ballots cast by the committee considering the nominees.

The committee: “…16-member electorate charged with the review of the Expansion Era ballot features: Hall of Fame members Johnny Bench, Whitey Herzog, Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer, Tony Perez, Frank Robinson, Ryne Sandberg and Ozzie Smith; major league executives Bill Giles (Phillies), David Glass (Royals), Andy MacPhail (Orioles) and Jerry Reinsdorf (White Sox); and veteran media members Bob Elliott (Toronto Sun), Tim Kurkjian (ESPN), Ross Newhan (retired, Los Angeles Times) and Tom Verducci (Sports Illustrated).”

Note, as my previous column stated, that the committee has four (4) MLS executives who will, perhaps, not vote for Miller. If that were true, then he would votes from every other member of the committee to be elected, a challenging scenario.

The nominees, in addition to Miller are: “…former players Vida Blue, Dave Concepcion, Steve Garvey, Ron Guidry, Tommy John, Al Oliver, Ted Simmons and Rusty Staub; former manager Billy Martin; and executives Pat Gillick, and George Steinbrenner.”

The results of the Expansion Era vote will be announced on December 6 at 10 a.m. ET from the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Fla. I’ll be tuned into the announcement. Will you?