This weekend marks the induction of the newest members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown. The inductees, announced earlier this year, are CC Sabathia, Ichiro Suzuki and Billy Wagner. Ichiro and Sabathia made it on their first ballot, while Wagner was on his 10th.
Joining this illustrious trio is a pair of deserving Veterans Committee picks, Dick Allen and Dave Parker.
As is my custom, here’s a brief galley of covers featuring these new immortal baseball legends.
CC Sabathia
Sabathia spent nearly two decades in the Majors, primarily with the Indians and Yankees. During those years he racked up six All-Star nods, a Cy Young Award, and a World Series title.
Ichiro Suzuki
Ichiro fell shy just one vote of a unanimous selection, which is further proof that some baseball writers need to find a new line of work. Nevertheless, the achievements speak for themselves. While Pete Rose supported may disagree, Ichiro is regarded by many as the greatest hitter in the history of the game.
Billy Wagner
Billy the Kid was one of the most dominant relievers of his era. He racked up 422 saves over 16 seasons with the Astros, Phillies, Mets, Red Sox, and Braves. He was also selected to seven All-Star teams and finished in the top ten in saves in the National League ten times.
Dick Allen
Allen’s tenure in Philadelphia was tumultuous to say the least. He excelled in spite of abuse from the fans and the organization, and enjoyed a successful stint with the White Sox.
Dave Parker
Cobra, who just left us recently, was an offensive powerhouse who helped led two teams in two decades — the Pirates in 1979 and the Athletics in 1989 — to World Series titles. He also enjoyed a career resurgence in the mid ’80s with the Reds.
