The latest Hall of Fame voting results have been announced and the great Portland middle infielder Andy "Lemonhead" Wilson, the WPK's first dominant superstar, fell just shy of getting enough votes for Hall induction in his third time on the ballot.
While he still has many years to earn induction the path will likely get tougher going forward, with sure first ballot inductees like Jake Harris and Cheol-han Lee hitting the ballot next time around to be followed by Jesus Casiano and Jamel McNeil on the 1984 ballot, Nate Bennett (the career home run leader) in 1985, though at this time the 1986 ballot looks weaker and if Wilson can hang around until then he just might have a chance at that time.
A pair of great relievers, Pat Brooks in his second year of eligibility and Benni Heregger in his first, had fine showings but are unlikely to ever earn induction. Another solid closer who had his best years as a member of the Denver Brewers and was a 6-time All-Star, Miguel Solis, did not get enough votes to move onto a second ballot and sees his hopes, small as they were, dashed.
Two-time MGL Pitcher of the Year Jose Santos, one of the more beloved figures of his generation. garnered votes on 41.4% of the ballots submitted this year but again, with his more spectacular counterparts Harris and Lee eligible next year, the chances of Santos getting in anytime soon, if ever, are probably not great.
(Back to Wilson: there are rumblings that the WPK is looking at naming the various minor leagues in honor of former WPK players and that Andy Wilson is a prime candidate for being honored in this way.)