Will Clark again falls short of Baseball Hall of Fame election

Will Clark, former Jesuit High School baseball star and 15-year veteran of the major leagues, failed to receive the required number of votes by the Today’s Game Committee for election into the National League Baseball Hall of Fame.  The results of the 16-member committee’s ballots were announced on Sunday, with Lee Smith and Harold Baines receiving the required 75% of the votes.  Clark was one of seven other candidates who received less than five votes.  Lou Piniella fell short with 11 votes.

The Today’s Game Committee is one of four era committees that replaced the former Veterans Committee which voted on players who were given additional consideration for Hall election after their initial 15-year eligibility period.  The Today’s Game Committee covers the period from 1988 to the present.

Clark had also been considered in 2017 by the Modern Era Committee covering the period 1970 to 1987, but he didn’t receive the required votes then.  He was eligible for consideration by both era committees since his major-league career spanned 1986 to 2000.

The other veteran players up for Hall of Fame consideration by the Today’s Game Committee were Albert Belle, Joe Carter, Orel Hershiser, Davey Johnson, Charlie Manuel, and George Steinbrenner.

Lee Smith, who was born in Jamestown, Louisiana, was a relief pitcher for 18 seasons, primarily for the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.  He finished with a 71-92 record and 3.03 ERA.  The hard-throwing right-hander is third on the all-time list for saves with 478, trailing only Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman.  He was an all-star seven times.

Harold Baines was a 22-year veteran of the big leagues, primarily with the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles.  He fell 134 hits short of the magical 3,000-hit club.  During his career, Baines hit 384 home runs and 1,628 RBIs, while compiling a .289 batting average.  He became a premier designated hitter, with only David Ortiz having more appearances as a DH.  He was a six-time all-star with a .324 batting average in 31 post-season games.

Clark’s career numbers included a slash line of .303/.384/.497, 284 home runs, and 1,205 RBIs.  He was a six-time all-star and finished in the top five for league MVP voting on four occasions.  He played for the Giants, Rangers, Orioles, and Cardinals.

Clark received only 4.4% of the votes by the Baseball Writers Association in his first year of eligibility for the Hall in 2006.  Consequently, he fell of the ballot for future consideration by the baseball writers since he did not receive the required minimum of 5% of the votes in his first year.

Click here for a series of articles chronicling Clark’s baseball career.