He did it, folks !!!
Mariano Rivera became the first unanimous Hall of Famer, as all of the 425 ballots, had a checkmark by his name.
Rivera, joins former Yankee Mike Mussina, former first ballot Hall of Famer Roy Halladay, and former AL West for Edgar Martinez.
If anyone was going to make history, it was Mariano, as he set an MLB Record with 652 saves in 17 years with the Yankees (1996-2013). The previous record was another Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman at 601.
42 of those 652 saves, came in the postseason( An MLB record), while also posting a 0.70 ERA( Another MLB record) to go with it.
Not only was MO great on the field, but he was great off it.
Mariano has the same amount of respect to everyone around him, as he didn’t really have any issues with anyone that he met, throughout his long career in the majors.
Rivera also helped out his home country Panama, in popularity, and financially as well.
Also, MO will be the last player in the Hall
of Fame to wear number 42, as it has been retired all around baseball.
Another thing, that has been retired at Yankee Stadium, is the song “Enter Sandman “, by Metallica, that was played every time Mariano came out of the bullpen since 1999.
Just all around a great guy, and very deserving.
Now, as for the other 3 guys who got in, Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, and Roy Halladay. They all had special reasons too why they got the call to the Hall.
For Edgar Martinez, it was his 10th and final year on the ballot, as he was able to receive 85.4% of the vote, surpassing the 75% threshold needed, to get in.
Edgar was an amazing DH for the Seattle Mariners throughout his career, especially against Mariano Rivera, as he went 15 for 19, against the finest closer of all time.
One of the things, that Edgar had going for him off the field, was his humility.
For Roy Halladay, this comes with a heavy heart, as he, unfortunately, passed away last year.
But Roy was amazing in his playing days with the Blue Jays and Phillies, getting over 200 wins in his career ( At 203), and averaging about 7 complete games a season, which is incredible!
I send congratulations out to the Halladay family, especially his wife Brendan. Your husband really deserved it, and now he will be remembered forever.
Roy will not put a team, on his Hall
Of Fame cap, as his wife has said, that the Jays and Phils, meant too much to him, that he couldn’t choose one.
For Mike Mussina, he may have had no Cy Young awards, but he was consistently a great pitcher year after year for 18 years( 10 with the Baltimore Orioles, and 8 with the Yankees).
Mike got over 200 wins at 270, was a 5x All-Star, and a 7 time Gold Glove winner.
We will see, whether he chooses the Yankees or the Orioles, as his Hall of Fame cap. Or he can choose neither, like Greg Maddux, and now Roy Halladay.
FUN FACTS:
Edgar Martinez may have gone 15 for 19 against Mo in his career. But he went 1 for 5 in his final career at-bats against him, after Mariano changed the way he used his cutter. Which is the only pitch he threw from when he started in 1995 and retired in 2013.
Look, everyone, I may seem like a reporter to some of you, but I’m not even eligible at least yet to have a Hall of Fame ballot like most official reporters and writers do.
However, I put together my own HOF ballot, that I would like to share with you guys, so without further ado.
Here it is...
If I was eligible to have an HOF ballot, I would put
Mariano Rivera
Roy Halladay
Edgar Martinez
Mike Mussina
** Fred McGriff
Curt Schilling
Andy Pettite
Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens.
Into the HOF.
All of the 4 Hall of Famers were on my virtual ballot.
I even made an early 2020 ballot, for next year, when we might see another player get unanimously voted in. His name is DEREK JETER!!!!
The Yankee captain needs no introduction, as he was on the team from 1995-2013. That’s all I’m going to say about him for now. I will say more about him, at next years election, where he is projected to get in.
But anyway here is my early 2020 ballot.
*Derek Jeter
*Alfonso Soriano
Andy Petttie
Curt Schilling
Barry Bonds
Rodger Clemens
Via Starting 9 on Twitter.
** Larry Walker
*Jason Giambi
Josh Beckett
*= 1st time on ballot
**= Last time on ballot
The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on July 21st in Cooperstown!
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