Baseball Shrine Selections Due Sutton Learns Today If He’ll Be Admitted Into The Hall Of Fame

Long after his 324th and last victory, Don Sutton is looking for one more win.

Sutton hopes it comes today when the Hall of Fame election results are announced. But the former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher is not planning a party for the early evening.

“I don’t have any champagne ready,” he said. “I am disappointed not to already be there, and I’m not expecting it this year.”

Tony Perez, Jim Rice and Ron Santo, along with first-year candidates Gary Carter, Bert Blyleven and Jack Clark, lead the list of former players on the ballot. Sutton is hoping to duplicate the feat of Phil Niekro, who was elected last January on his fifth try.

The longtime Atlanta knuckleballer was 318-274 lifetime with a 3.35 ERA and 3,342 strikeouts. Sutton was 324-256 with a 3.26 ERA and 3,574 strikeouts.

Next year, a dazzling crop of candidates will be eligible for the first time. Nolan Ryan, George Brett and Robin Yount appear shoo-ins, and Carlton Fisk and Dale Murphy also figure to get consideration.

There are 26 players on the ballot, nine of them for the first time. Ten-year members of the Baseball Writers Association of America do the voting.