1942

This might be the last year for a while for someone to “sneak” in. It’s about to get really crowded with A, B and C Grade candidates, and all those Frankie Frisch buddies as well. I have a hard time guessing which Negro Leaguers will do well, so I’ll list them too. I’ll capitalized those that I think are next to automatic choices (understanding that I could be wrong).

1942: Bill Riggins, BILL TERRY
1943: Jim Bottomley, FRANKIE FRISCH, ROGERS HORNSBY, JUDY JOHNSON
1944: John Beckwith, MICKEY COCKRANE, Bill Foster, GOOSE GOSLIN, Waite Hoyt, Bullet Rogan, Clint Thomas
1945: LOU GEHRIG, George Giles, Tony Lazzeri, Dick Lundy, Heinie Manush, Pie Traynor
1946: Fat Jenkins, Ben Taylor
1947: Earl Averill, OSCAR CHARLESTON, Dizzy Dean, LEFTY GROVE, GABBY HARTNETT
1948: CHARLIE GEHRINGER, TURKEY STEARNS
1949: CARL HUBBELL
1950: CHUCK KLEIN, AL SIMMONS, MULE SUTTLES
1951: Joe Cronin, Jimmy Crutchfield, MARTIN DIHIGO, JIMMY FOXX, PAUL WANER, Jud Wilson, Wild Bill Wright
1952: COOL PAPA BELL, BILL DICKEY, JOSH GIBSON, Sammy Hughes
1953:Newt Allen, HANK GREENBERG, Stan Hack, BILLY HERMAN, Ernie Lombardi, MEL OTT, Red Ruffing
1954: Ray Brown, Joe Greene, Joe Medwick, George Scales, HILTON SMITH, Ted Strong, ARKY VAUGHN
1955: Gene Benson, Quincey Trouppe, DEVIL WELLS
1956: LUKE APPLING, Sam Bankhead, LEON DAY, Joe Gordon, BUCK LEONARD, Biz Mackey, Double Duty Radcliffe

I have 30 names capitalized over this 15 year period (not that all of them will go in their 1st or 2nd year, but most will). After 1956, it gets a little less crowded for about a decade. Very few additional Negro Leaguers will be added (Dandridge and Paige in ’59, Butts and O’Neill in ’61, Willard Brown in ’62), and for the most part, the white superstars of the late ’40s and early ’50s lasted until the early ’60s. There weren’t a lot of super-duper superstars who retired between 1951 and 1959.

My guess is: if you’re on the ’42 ballot and don’t get in this year, odds are you’re not going in at all.

Now for the ballot….

Hippo Vaughn has used up his eligibility, and Tank Carr, Dave Malacher, Dobie Moore and Jack Quinn drop for lack of support.

This election will end Wednesday night.

10 Babe Adams
7 Dave Bancroft 10th
2 Max Bishop
1 George Blaeholder
12 George Burns
1 Jack Burns
2 Earle Combs
10 Wilbur Cooper
1 General Crowder
7 Bingo DeMoss 10th
1 George Earnshaw
4 Red Faber 7th
3 Burleigh Grimes
1 Charlie Grimm
10 Heinie Groh 6th
11 Harry Hooper
1 Travis Jackson
1 Mark Koenig
1 Freddie Lindstrom
2 Rabbit Maranville 9th
1 Firpo Marberry
3 Ollie Marcelle
8 Carl Mays 8th
1 Bing Miller
1 George Myatt
3 Lefty O’Doul
2 Bob O’Farrell
3 Herb Pennock
1 Flint Rhem
3 Sam Rice 5th
1 Bill Riggins
4 Eppa Rixey
5 Eddie Rommel
6 Edd Roush 4th
4 Joe Sewell 3rd
9 Urban Shocker
6 Chino Smith
1 Bill Terry
1 George Uhle
7 Cy Williams
3 Hack Wilson
12 Ross Youngs
1 Tom Zachery

Bob’s ballot:

1. Terry
2. Sewell
3. Groh
4. Rice
5. Roush
6. Bancroft
7. Faber
8. Maranville
9. Wilson
10. Marberry

Terry’s ballot:

1: Rabbit Maranville
2: Dave Bancroft
3: Bill Terry
4: Joe Sewell
5: Edd Roush
6: Harry Hooper
7: Sam Rice
8: Heinie Groh
9: Firpo Marberry
10: Burleigh Grimes

Results:

11 ballots, the results:

99 Bill Terry
70 Joe Sewell
***************
63 Edd Roush
51 Heinie Groh
50 Sam Rice
38 Rabbit Maranville
37 Dave Bancroft
35 Carl Mays
32 Red Faber
31 Bingo DeMoss
24 Chino Smith
21 Burleigh Grimes
21 Urban Shocker
21 Hack Wilson
13 Firpo Marberry
12 Eddie Rommel
11 Babe Adams
11 Ollie Marcelle
8 Max Bishop
7 Earle Combs
5 Wilbur Cooper
5 Harry Hooper
3 Herb Pennock
2 George Burns
1 Travis Jackson