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Major League Baseball’s 1967 Hall of Fame class inducted three players. Starting pitcher Rayan Orozco was a no-doubt pick, earning the first ballot nod at 95.8%. The other two inductees barely were above the 66% threshold, but crossed the line. Closer Rodrick Wisdom on his debut got to 68.4% and first baseman Jackson Hilton on his second attempt finished at 66.8%. 2B Bodie Howard was close on his seventh go but short at 61.2%. Two others, both on their third try, were above 50% in right fielders Estefan Salinas and Gene Jobgen.



Two players were removed after ten ballots. RF Eli Dewalt had an 18-year career with 2844 hits, 1384 runs, 436 home runs, 1480 RBI, .302 average, and 66.2 WAR. He lacked individual accolades with one Silver Slugger, meaning he never got much traction, peaking at 34.4% on his second ballot and ending at 17.9%. Also cut was catcher Alejandro Fernandez, who debuted at 48.0% but ended at 7.2%. In 18 seasons, he won nine Silver Sluggers, had 1827 hits, 1196 runs, 427 home runs, 1149 RBI, and 70.5 WAR. Fernandez was likely the best catcher of his era, but the Hall of Fame’s anti-catcher bias struck again due to the lack of counting stats that come with the position. That, and his best years came with forgettable Louisville teams.

Also worth a mention was CF Myeong-Won Lee, who was dropped after falling below 5% on his fifth ballot. Dooming him from induction was a split career between CABA and MLB. He was a three-time MVP in eight seasons with Haiti, then had a long run with Philadelphia’s dynasty. Over 23 total seasons, he had 2969 hits, 1696 runs, 438 doubles, 185 triples, 498 home runs, 1610 RBI, and 122.7 WAR; plus six Gold Gloves and nine Silver Sluggers. The combined resume makes Lee likely the best player to be left out of any Hall, but the split tallies were just low enough in each league to keep him from stronger consideration.



Rayan Orozco – Starting Pitcher – Indianapolis Racers – 95.8% First Ballot

Rayan Orozco was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Candelaria, Puerto Rico; a barrio of around 20,000 people in the northern part of the island. Orozco had 10/10 stuff at his peak with 99-101 mph velocity, along with great movement and good control. He had an extreme groundball tendency with a stellar sinker and forkball, along with a great slider and okay changeup. Orozco also was terrific at holding runners and was known for strong stamina when healthy.

After becoming a high school star on the island, Orozco came stateside and played college baseball for Georgia. As someone born outside of the main US or Canada, he wasn’t eligible in the first three rounds of the MLB Draft due to the regional restrictions. In 1945, he was the first of the fourth round picks, selected by Columbus. However, Orozco couldn’t come to terms with the Chargers and returned to Georgia for his senior season. He took second in NCAA Pitcher of the Year voting in 1946 and was picked second in the fourth round, 152th overall, by Indianapolis. Orozco’s entire pro career would be with the Racers.

Orozco was an immediate success for what had been a struggling Indianapolis franchise in recent memory. His rookie year was worth 7.5 WAR, posting a 2.30 ERA over 238.2 innings. He took second in both Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year, dropping the latter to future HOF 1B Jaxson Bradley. Orozco’s sophomore season saw him claim Pitcher of the Year with a career-best 9.6 WAR and the National Association lead in ERA and FIP-.

He would go onto have 11 seasons worth 6+ WAR and would lead in FIP- four times, strikeouts once, and ERA twice. Orozco’s second Pitcher of the Year came in 1950 with a 2.37 ERA, 20-7 record, and 8.4 WAR. He took second in 1954, third in 1956 and 1957, second again in 1958, and third in 1959. In 1954, he was the strikeout leader for the only time in his career with 285. During his run, Indy started to see occasional success. He pitched in the playoffs four times with the Racers taking the NACS in 1952, 1957, and 1959; although each time they fell in the World Series. In his postseason career, Orozco had an 11-5 record in 131.1 innings with a 2.54 ERA, 130 strikeouts, 1.05 WHIP, and 3.5 WAR.

Orozco’s first major injury was a torn labrum in May 1953, which put him out the rest of that season. He bounced back the next year at age 29 with a great season, but suffered another partial tear in 1955. He torn his labrum again at the end of the 1956 campaign, but still bounced back for three more great seasons. In 1960 at age 35, shoulder inflammation knocked him out almost the entire season. These injuries finally caught up to him as Orozco struggled in a 1961 season that also saw rotator cuff inflammation. He opted to retire after the 1961 season at age 37, with his #34 uniform being immediately retired by the Racers.

Orozco’s final stats: 207-125 record, 2.83 ERA, 3236.2 innings, 3128 strikeouts, 299/424 quality starts, 146 complete games, FIP- of 69, and 97.5 WAR. Very few Hall of Fame MLB starters finished with a sub-three ERA and his tallies don’t look out of place even with injuries hurting his longevity. Orozco was regularly a top five pitcher in MLB in the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s and the star for Indianapolis, earning an easy first-ballot induction at 95.8%.



Rodrick Wisdom – Closer – Hartford Huskies – 68.4% First Ballot

Rodrick Wisdom was a 6’5’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Asheville, North Carolina; a city of around 100,000 people in the western part of the state. At his peak, Wisdom threw fire with an incredible 99-101 mph cutter. His only other pitch was a solid changeup, but this one-two punch combined with great movement and good control made Wisdom a force at his best. His strikeouts weren’t as outstanding as many other elite closers, but the cutter was excellent at earning very fieldable outs. He had good stamina and could hold runners, but having only two pitches meant his pro career was in the bullpen.

Wisdom went west for college with the Oregon Ducks. He was a starter in college and earned the 24^th overall pick in the 1943 MLB Draft by Atlanta. He struggled in limited use in his first two years, followed by a partial stint with mixed results at closer in year three. His next three years with the Aces were more solid, earning Reliever of the Year in 1948 and a third place finish in 1949. In six seasons with the struggling Atlanta franchise, Wisdom had a 3.57 ERA, 90 saves, 258 strikeouts in 302.1 innings, 112 shutdowns, and 8.7 WAR.

Before the 1950 season, the now 26-year old Wisdom was traded to Hartford for three prospects, beginning his signature MLB run. He signed a three-year extension quickly and ultimately spent 12 seasons with the Huskies; a very long tenure for any reliever. Wisdom was the starting closer for all but the final season with Hartford, winning his second Reliever of the Year in 1958 and taking second in both 1950 and 1955. He had a 29-save opportunity streak from August 1954 to June 1955 and had a 22 game scoreless streak during that run as well.

Hartford never had a losing record during Wisdom’s tenure and he got to pitch in seven postseasons. He posted a 3.33 ERA over 48.2 innings with 13 saves. The Huskies were National Association champs in his debut year of 1950, but unfortunately for him couldn’t get beyond the NACS in the other seasons. Wisdom became the third MLB closer to reach 400 career saves and by the time he was done, was the all-time saves leader at 441. In total with the Huskies, he had 351 saves with a 2.24 ERA, 864 innings, 852 strikeouts, 409 shutdowns, and 25.1 WAR.

In 1961, the now 37-year old Wisdom was moved out of the closer role for the first time in his Huskies career as his cutter velocity had dropped a few miles per hour of velocity. He wasn’t re-signed after the season, although the franchise would retire his #68 uniform (not that #68 was in particular high demand). Wisdom went south of the border and pitched two seasons in middle relief for Juarez, then two with Torreon. Dwindling production and a partially torn labrum in 1964 ended his effectiveness, as he retired at age 42 following the 1965 season.

The final MLB stats for Wisdom: 441 saves, 2.59 ERA, 1020 appearances, 1166.1 innings, 1110 strikeouts, 362 walks, 521 shutdowns, 70 FIP- and 33.8 WAR. He was the first reliever to pitch in more than 1000 games and remains second all-time in both saves and games as of 2037; getting passed by only Carson Hanford in both. The lack of big strikeout numbers meant his WAR was actually mid-grade among MLB Hall of Famers despite his tenure. However, such longevity and consistency aren’t common for relievers, earning Wisdom the first ballot nod, even if only barely at 68.4%.



Jackson Hilton – First Baseman – Jacksonville Gators – 66.8% Second Ballot

Jackson Hilton was a 5’11’’, 195 pound left-handed first baseman from Graham, North Carolina, a tiny town of under 20,000 people in the north central part of the state. At his prime, Hilton was one of the top home run hitters in Major League Baseball, while adding solid contract and gap power skills. He was viewed as above average at drawing walks and at avoiding strikeouts, once posting a 40-game on base streak. A very slow baserunner, Hilton was a career first baseman and was considered a bit below average, but not atrocious defensively.

Hilton attended Northwestern and was a stud designed hitter as a freshman, winning a Silver Slugger. He took College World Series MVP as the Wildcats were the 1942 National Champion. When eligible for the MLB Draft, it was Jacksonville who picked Hilton up, fifth overall in the 1944 Draft. He would be only the second player inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Gator, joining Del Klassen.

Hilton won Rookie of the Year in 1945 with a 37 home run season. He’d go onto hit 30+ home runs in 12 different seasons and 40+ in six straight seasons from 1946-51. During that run, he led the American Association in dingers three times. His career best of 51 in 1952 oddly enough wasn’t the lead. He also had seven straight 100+ RBI seasons, including 148 in 1950. His best season by WAR was 8.0 in his second year, which also had a career best .336.

Hilton won five Silver Sluggers at the competitive first base slot: in 1946, 48, 49, 50, and 52. He never won MVP, although he took second in 1946 and third in 1952. Jacksonville made the playoffs four times in his early years, although only once did they get as far as the AACS. In 18 playoff games, he had 15 hits, 10 runs, 6 home runs, and 12 RBI. Hilton also started in the 1947 World Baseball Championship and was a reserve in 1948 and 1950, posting 7 home runs in 75 at bats. In total with the Gators, he had 1985 hits, 1128 runs, 475 home runs, 1315 RBI, a .300 average, and 59.1 WAR. The franchise would honor him by eventually retiring his #39 uniform; the first player to earn the honor for Jacksonville.

At age 33, Hilton declined his contract option and became a free agent for the 1957 season. He signed a five-year, $330,000 deal with Omaha, nearly doubling his yearly salary. His production had dropped from his early 20s, although he still gave the Hawks four decent seasons. He posted 431 hits, 246 runs, 95 home runs, 254 RBI, and 8.7 WAR. Hilton crossed the 500 home run and 1500 RBI milestones with Omaha. He was moved to a bench role in his final season with the Hawks and became a free agent after the 1960 season. Hilton spent 1961 as a minor league reserve in Chattanooga, retiring after the season at age 37.

Hilton’s final stats: 2416 hits, 1374 runs, 361 doubles, 570 home runs, 1569 RBI, a .290/.358/.545 slash and 67.7 WAR. A fine career, but a bit lower on the leaderboards than most other MLB Hall of Famers. For a first baseman especially, usually bigger final stat lines are needed to stand out. Hilton was well known and generally popular and as they say, chicks dig the long ball. In his 20s, few players offered his reliable power. Hilton missed the cut on his first ballot at 60.3%, but barely snuck across the 66% threshold in his second try at 66.8%.