Second baseman Roberto Alomar and pitcher Bert Blyleven have been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, it was just announced.
The Hall says that Alomar, “who was in his second year on the ballot, received 523 votes, the third highest total in history, for a 90-percent plurality.” Over a 17-season Major League career, he played with the San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles. Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Alomar was an All-Star 12 times and won 10 Gold Gloves.
Blyleven received 463 votes, or 79.7 percent of the 581 cast. To be elected, a player must be named on at least 75 percent of the ballots.
He pitched 22 seasons “with the Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians and California Angels” and finished with a 287-250 record and 3,701 strikeouts.
Former St. Louis Cardinal slugger Mark McGwire was named on 19.8 percent of the ballots, which means he got enough votes to be considered again next year. He admitted last year that he had used steroids during his career.
Update at 3 p.m. ET: The highlight of McGwire’s career, of course, came in 1998 when he broke what was then the single-season home run record of 61 (set by the Yankees’ Roger Maris). McGwire ended the season with 70 home runs.
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