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One player earned induction into Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1977 with LF T.J. Nemeth securing the first ballot nod at 94.0%. Three others were above 60%, but short of the 66% threshold. 1B Ric Campbell had 63.5% in his second try, C Gray Caraway also had 63.5% with his seventh go, and LF C.J. West was at 62.4% in his fifth. Also above 50% were RF Gavin Gauthier (58.2%, 1^st), SP Jeremiah Rutledge (56.0%, 6^th), and Richard Theiman (55.3%, 4^th).



One player was cut after ten ballots with SP Danny Bartheleme. In 16 years almost exclusively with Boston, he had a 181-153 record, 3.24 ERA, 3110 strikeouts in 3171.1 innings, and 72.4 WAR. A good career, but he lacked the big award and any big statistical seasons. Thus, he peaked at 22.6% on his debut.



T.J. “Grave Digger” Nemeth – Right Fielder – Las Vegas Vipers – 94.0% First Ballot

T.J. Nemeth was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed outfielder from Deming, New Mexico; a town of around 15,000 people near the border. Nemeth was a stellar contact hitter who was terrific at putting the ball in play and avoiding strikeouts. He wasn’t a prolific slugger, but had a solid pop in his bat averaging around 25-30 home runs and 25-30 doubles per year. Nemeth rarely drew walks despite his ability to avoid Ks. He had below average speed and spent the majority of his career in right field with occasional starts in left. Nemeth was viewed as an average to above average defender for most of his career. He was a hard worker and viewed as an ironman who was rarely out of the lineup from injuries until his final years.

Nemeth attended Wake Forest in college and was picked 49^th overall by Las Vegas in the 1951 Major League Baseball Draft. He was a part-time starter in his rookie year, then would start 144+ games each year for the next decade with the Vipers. His second season was arguably his best as he won the batting title with a .373 average, led with 223 hits, and had a career best 7.5 WAR. This earned his first Silver Slugger and a second place finish in MVP voting.

Nemeth won his second Silver Slugger in 1954 with a league-leading 138 RBI and a career best 120 runs. He struggled in 1955, but bounced back for solid seasons for the rest of his Las Vegas run, winning his third Silver Slugger in 1957. He’d take third in MVP voting in 1957, but never win the big award. The Vipers were a regular contender in the 1950s with nine playoff berths in the decade, although they fell victim repeatedly to early exits. Las Vegas finally broke through and won the 1959 World Series. In 47 playoff games with the Vipers, Nemeth had 65 hits, 32 runs, 9 home runs, and 27 RBI.

Nemeth’s stats with Las Vegas saw 2382 hits, 1159 runs, 342 doubles, 310 home runs, 1219 RBI, a .318/.353/.499 slash, and 56.6 WAR. The team began to rebuild in the 1960s and Nemeth became a free agent for the 1965 season at age 34. He’d remain a popular figure among Vipers fans and would see his #8 uniform later retired. Nemeth signed a four-year, $696,000 deal with Hartford and had a solid debut season with the Huskies. Hartford would trade him the next year at the deadline to Omaha.

Nemeth stayed with Omaha through 1968 and had one last great year in 1967, posting 35 home runs. He was a journeyman who still provided a solid bat over the next three seasons between San Antonio, Oakland, and Portland. In summer 1971, the ironman suffered a torn UCL, ending his season and ultimately his career with a retirement at age 40.

Nemeth’s final stats: 3376 hits, 1652 runs, 509 doubles, 463 home runs, 1759 RBI, a .313/.350/.500 slash, wRC+ of 131, and 83.7 WAR. He retired 11^th all-time in hits and had almost quietly build up some solid numbers on the leaderboard. Voters didn’t hesitate to make Nemeth a first ballot selection at 94.0%, the lone member of the 1977 class.