Steve Garvey might not be elected to Senate. How about Baseball HOF? - Los Angeles Times
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Steve Garvey might not be elected to the Senate. How about the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Steve Garvey drops to his knees and raises his fists in front of pitcher Bob Welch.
Steve Garvey, on his knees, celebrates the final out of the 1981 NLCS with pitcher Bob Welch, left.
(Ronald C. Modra / Sports Imagery / Getty Images)
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Steve Garvey is on the ballot Tuesday — and again next month.

On the election day ballot: Garvey, the longtime Dodgers star, against Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank) for a U.S. Senate seat representing California.

Garvey is expected to lose handily. He spent one of the final days of the campaign attending the Dodgers’ World Series championship celebration.

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However, Garvey will be up for election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in December.

The Hall announced Monday that Garvey and former Dodgers teammate Tommy John are two of eight candidates selected for this year’s Classic Baseball Era ballot.

Checking in with Steve Garvey, who won a World Series with the Dodgers and a National League pennant with the Padres and is running for U.S. Senate in California.

Oct. 4, 2024

Candidates must get 75% of the vote from a committee appointed by the Hall, with any winners announced Dec. 8 and inducted into Cooperstown next July. The Baseball Writers Assn. of America votes on more recently retired players; those results will be announced in January and any winners also would be inducted next July.

Joining Garvey and John on the committee ballot: Dick Allen, Ken Boyer, Dave Parker, Luis Tiant and Negro League standouts John Donaldson and Vic Harris.

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The Hall affords a second chance to players not elected in BBWAA voting, with committees evaluating players based on the era in which they made their greatest contribution.

The Classic Baseball committee considers players that starred primarily before 1980. The Contemporary Baseball committee considers players that starred primarily after 1980, such as Fernando Valenzuela. That committee next makes its selections in 2025.

The committee last met in 2023 to consider this ballot: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Albert Belle, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff, Dale Murphy, Rafael Palmeiro and Curt Schilling. The committee that year comprised largely Hall of Famers and executives of major league teams.

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Bonds, the only seven-time most valuable player in major league history, and Clemens, the only seven-time Cy Young winner, were both linked to the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

The only player elected by that committee: McGriff.

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