Former Tigers, Martin, J Fetzer, J McHale up for HOF

Former Tigers manager Billy Martin, owner John Fetzer, GM John McHale up for HOF

November 9, 2007
FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES

Former manager Billy Martin and ex- Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley are among 20 candidates for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by its Veterans Committee.

Sixteen members of the committee will vote on a list of seven managers and three umpires, while another 12-member group will select from a list of 10 executives.

Both votes will be taken Dec. 2 and announced the following day, the Cooperstown, New York-based Hall of Fame said in a statement. A candidate needs 75 percent of the votes to be inducted.

Besides Martin, managers on the ballot are Whitey Herzog, Davey Johnson, Gene Mauch, Danny Murtaugh, Billy Southworth and Dick Williams. Umpires to be considered are Doug Harvey, Hank O’Day and Cy Rigler.

Two former Tigers executives also made the cut for the ballot. John Fetzer, Tigers owner from 1961 to 1983, and John McHale, general manager from 1957 to 1958.

The rest of the executives ballot has O’Malley, who moved the Dodgers to Los Angeles from Brooklyn, and one of his general managers, Buzzie Bavasi; Bowie Kuhn and Marvin Miller, who battled as baseball commission and head of the players’ union; Barney Dreyfuss; Bob Howsam; Ewing Kauffmann; and Gabe Paul.

The Veterans Committee also votes for players in two other ballots that aren’t considered this year. Bill Mazeroski was the last player voted into the Hall of Fame by the committee, in 2001.

I think they ALL fall a little bit short.