Ripken, Gwynn join Hall

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. knew the Baseball Hall of Fame would come calling Tuesday.

But expecting that call – and receiving it – proved two different things for the two newest members of baseball’s most prestigious club.

Gwynn and Ripken both received overwhelming support when the annual Baseball Writers Association of America vote was announced. Ripken received 537 votes or 98.53 percent, the third-highest percentage behind Tom Seaver (98.83 in 1992) and Nolan Ryan (98.79 in 1999). Although he was not a unanimous pick as some predicted, Ripken received a record number of votes. An all-time high of 545 ballots was cast.

Gwynn, meanwhile, received 532 votes or 97.61 percent, the seventh-best percentage.

“Getting the call was a combination of both elation and relief,” said Gwynn of the Hall of Fame welcome call that came from BBWAA secretary/treasurer Jack O’Connell. “When I answered the phone and he said you made the Hall of Fame, I lost it.

“I felt all along I was going to get in. But until it’s verified, until that phone rings, you’re not really sure. It’s just an unbelievable feeling.”

Like Ripken, Gwynn was eligible for the Hall of Fame for the first time this year. But while the effervescent Gwynn seemed overwhelmed by the magnitude of the day, the always stoic Ripken sounded more relieved than excited.

“Although everyone around you says it’s going to be a shoo-in, a no-brainer, I never think that,” Ripken said. “It’s almost an extension of a boyhood dream. It makes it real now. There’s a sense of relief and a great sense of contentment.”

Mark McGwire, the third high-profile newcomer to the ballot, received 128 votes or 23.5 percent, 281 votes shy of the 409 votes needed to reach the 75 percent level necessary for induction. McGwire received enough votes to remain on the ballot for the 2008 election.

Rich Gossage received the most votes of any player not inducted: 388, or 21 short of induction at 71.2 percent. Jim Rice received 346 votes (63.5 percent) and Andre Dawson got 309 votes (56.7 percent). No other player got more than 50 percent of the vote.

Ripken and Gwynn will be inducted into Hall on July 29 in Cooperstown along with any players, managers, umpires or officials elected by the Veterans Committee on Feb. 27.

Ripken played 21 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles and is one of eight players in history to amass at least 3,000 hits (3,184) and 400 home runs (431). He played in a record 2,632 consecutive games, was named to 19 All-Star teams, won two American League Most Valuable Player Awards (1983, 1991) and two Gold Gloves at shortstop.

Ripken was the 1982 American League Rookie of the Year, and won a World Series title with the Orioles in 1983. He broke what was once thought as an unbreakable mark when he played in his 2,131st consecutive game on Sept. 6, 1995, surpassing Lou Gehrig’s record. He voluntarily stopped his streak on Sept. 20, 1998.

But for all the records, Ripken said the highlight of his career was recording the last putout of the 1983 World Series when the Orioles defeated the Philadelphia Phillies.

“I equated today’s call with what it was like in the tying game when I got to 2,130,” Ripken said. “I knew that tomorrow was going to happen and it was inevitable at that point. … It’s a wonderful moment, wonderful feeling. But it still doesn’t compare with catching the final out of the World Series.”

Gwynn played 20 seasons with the San Diego Padres and won eight National League batting championships, tied with Honus Wagner for the most. He was selected to 15 All-Star Games.

Gwynn’s career batting average of .338 ranks 19th all-time and his 3,141 hits rank 17th. He reached the 3,000-hit mark in the third-fewest games in history.

Among non-power hitters, Gwynn’s Hall of Fame vote totals are nearly unsurpassed. Of the four batters with better Hall vote percentages than Gwynn, only Ty Cobb had fewer than 300 homers.

“When you make the conscious decision to be the kind of player I was, you better be pretty consistent at it and you better do a lot of it,” said Gwynn of his remarkable bat control. “But that percentage question was starting to concern me, so I’m glad I didn’t get more than Seaver and I don’t have to answer those questions. I feel guilty enough getting in and not seeing guys like Goose, Jim Rice, Andre Dawson and Bert Blyleven. I think those guys are Hall of Famers, too.”