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For the third time in its history, the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame had a class with five players inducted. The 1970 group joined the 1934 and 1960 classes to have the distinction. On top of being a large group, it is a very impressive group with all five being first ballot selections and three of them being above 90%. The stars were pitchers Spenser Emond and Trevor Brown at 98.6% and 97.7%, respectively, plus CF Adam Lewis at 91.4%. Also getting the nod were 3B Robert Pimental at 83.3% and closer Eric Lay at 78.4%. No one else was above 60%, but there were five who were in the 50% range.



One player was dropped after ten failed attempts on the ballot. 2B Bodie Howard had a 17-year career between Washington, Calgary, and San Antonio with six Silver Sluggers, posting 2688 hits, 1287 runs, 282 home runs, 1202 RBI, a .309/.367/.463 slash and 77.8 WAR. He got close on a few occasions with 61.2% in 1967 and 60.9% in 1969, before plummeting to a low of 33.0% on his last attempt. A lack of big power numbers or playoff notables likely sank him despite seemingly having a solid resume, especially for a second baseman.



Spenser Emond – Starting Pitcher – San Diego Seals – 98.6% First Ballot

Spenser Emond was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Crockett, California; a small town of 3,000 people located 28 miles northeast of San Francisco. Emond is on the shortlist for MLB’s all-time greatest pitcher, known for outstanding stuff, good movement, and great control; especially in his later years. Emond’s velocity peaked in the 98-100 mph range with four great pitches; a fastball, curveball, sinker, and splitter. This profile led to an extreme groundball tendency. Emond also had excellent stamina and durability, along with a fantastic knack for holding runners. On top of all this, he was a great leader and incredibly intelligent, making him one of the most popular and beloved players in the history of the game.

Emond left California for Bowling Green State University in Ohio and in three college seasons, had a 2.21 ERA with 13.0 WAR and 323 strikeouts in 338.1 innings. In the 1945 MLB Draft, Emond was picked 23^rd overall by San Diego and he’d ultimately spend his entire career with the Seals. He earned all-star honors in his rookie season, starting 25 games in 1946. He would go onto start the full 34-35 games without fail for the next decade, emerging as an ace. In every full season except his first two, Emond earned 7+ WAR. He was the American Association WARlord six times, ERA leader four times, wins leader thrice, strikeout leader twice, WHIP leader five times, and quality starts leader five times.

In his second season, Emond finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He won the award for the first time in 1948 with a 2.37 ERA and 10.1 WAR. He’d have four seasons worth 10+ WAR and nine worth 9+. He was third in PotY voting in 1951, then won it for the second time in 1952. His third trophy came in 1953, followed by additional wins in 1955, 57, 59, and 62. He was also second in 1956 and third in 1958. Emond was the first and as of 2037 only MLB Pitcher to win the award seven times. 1953 was the highest WAR total at 11.6 and FIP- at 55. His best ERA was 2.32 in 1957, best WHIP was 0.97 in 1960, top strikeout tally was 306 in 1956, and best ERA+ was 177 in 1957.

Emond joined San Diego right after they had made it to the American Association Championship Series. They made it again his rookie year, then had a five-year playoff drought. The Seals became a playoff contender in the 1950s, making the postseason six times from 1952-58. They broke through with a dynasty run, winning the World Series in 1955, 56, and 58. Emond was a big playoff performer in the 1955 and 1958 runs especially, missing the latter stages of 1956 to a sprained ankle. In the playoffs, Emond had a 6-3 record in 11 starts with a 2.72 ERA over 89.1 innings with 83 strikeouts.

Emond was also in many ways the ace for the United States national team, pitching in the World Baseball Championship from 1948-61. He had an impressive 41-12 record over 467 tournament innings with a 2.58 ERA, 649 strikeouts, and 16.3 WAR. He led all pitchers in the tournament in wins five times, innings four times, strikeouts thrice, and WAR thrice, winning eight world titles with the American team. As of 2037, no pitcher has more complete games (20) or shutouts (7) in WBC history. Emond is second all-time in wins and innings pitched, both just behind Parker Harpaz. He’s also fourth in strikeouts and total WAR among pitchers.

After being incredibly durable in his 20s, Emond’s first injury setback came in the summer of 1957 with a strained abdominal muscle putting him out two months. He bounced back with no drop in production, although the Seals dropped to a mid-tier for the remainder of his run. In 1960 at age 35, a sprained ankle caused Emond to miss about half the season. 1961 was the big one, a torn elbow ligament in late April, putting him out for the entire season and putting his career in jeopardy.

The 37-year old Emond bounced back with a stellar 1962, relying more on great control as opposed to his prior power. This won him his seventh and final Pitcher of the Year. In spring training of 1963 though, disaster struck again with a torn UCL. Emond missed all of 1963 and attempted a comeback in 1964, posting merely pedestrian numbers for the first time. A fractured elbow in late July ended his season and he opted to retire there at age 39. Naturally, his #31 uniform was immediately retired by San Diego. In that last season, he was able to reach the 300 win milestone, becoming only the fifth player to do so. He’d fall 15 short of the 4000 threshold.

The final stats for Emond: 304-165, 2.83 ERA, 4476.1 innings, 3985 strikeouts to 990 walks, 382/543 quality starts, 300 complete games, 49 shutouts, a FIP- of 69 and WAR of 139.0. At retirement, he was third all-time in wins, second in complete games, fourth in strikeouts, and third in WAR among pitchers. All time in MLB, he’s one of only five pitchers with a sub three ERA and 250+ wins and most impressively, he did it with his entire career in the higher offense DH’d American Association, while the others with similar ERAs spent much or all of their time in the National Association. Emond was THE pitcher of the late 40s and 1950s, a key part of San Diego’s dynasty, and a massive national star throughout the United States. Any discussion about MLB’s greatest pitcher will have Emond’s name quickly brought up among the candidates.



Trevor Brown – Starting Pitcher – Toronto Timberwolves – 97.7% First Ballot

Trevor Brown was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Oakville, Ontario; part of the greater Toronto area. Brown had a diverse selection of pitches and used them to reliably coax groundballs. His stuff was never considered amazing with 93-95 mph peak velocity, but he had excellent movement and decent enough control. Brown’s five pitchers were slider, forkball, changeup, splitter, and cutter; with the forkball viewed as the best pitch. He was considered good at holding runners and solid defensively, once winning a Gold Glove. Brown also won a Silver Slugger as he was an okay bat by pitcher standards, with a career .184 average. Brown was viewed as very durable with great stamina for much of his career, although he didn’t stick around in any one place very long because he was a total jerk.

Brown left Canada to play college baseball for the Georgia Bulldogs, finishing third in Pitcher of the Year voting his freshman season. In college, he had a 2.16 ERA, 26-9 record, and 307 strikeouts in 300 innings with 11.6 WAR. The 1943 MLB Draft sent Brown back close to home, picked 33^rd overall by Toronto. He was used mostly in relief as a rookie, then became a full-time starter for the rest of his career when healthy. He ultimately stayed with the Timberwolves through mid 1950, posting a 90-63 record, 3.30 ERA, 1097 strikeouts in 1524.2 innings, and 27.8 WAR. His lone Gold Glove came in 1947 with Toronto.

The Timberwolves made the playoffs thrice in Brown’s tenure, getting as far as the National Association Championship Series twice. He had strong playoff numbers with a 2.24 ERA in 52.1 innings. He had reliable innings with multiple 5+ WAR seasons, but he wasn’t elite yet. Combined with Brown being a lousy person, Toronto felt trying to re-sign him to a big deal as he approached free agency wasn’t a good option. He struggled a bit in early 1950 and was traded in the summer to Chicago for pitcher Sam Rosado and infielder Nick Brusse. He finished the year with the Cubs and made one playoff start, then entered free agency at age 27. Brown found a buyer with Montreal, signing a four-year, $209,600 deal.

He spent three seasons with the Maples, posting a 52-29 record, 2.78 ERA, 551 strikeouts, and 17.8 WAR. His lone Silver Slugger came in 1952 and he saw a career-best 8.2 WAR and 28 quality starts in 1953. Montreal won the World Series in 1951 with Brown posting a 3.02 ERA over seven playoff starts between the 1951 and 52 campaigns. With 1953’s success, Brown declined the option for the final year of his contract, seeking a big payday. Phoenix gave him that to the tune of four years, $361,000.

Brown’s Firebirds tenure was very short with the team trading him in the summer of 1954 to Louisville for three prospects. In 1955 at age 31, Brown won Pitcher of the Year for the first time with the Lynx, a season that included a no-hitter on July 4 against Kansas City. He struck out eight and walked one, also collecting his 200^th career strikeout in the game. Brown played two and a half seasons with Louisville, posting a 2.60 ERA, 41-25 record, and 14.4 WAR. Again seeking a bigger paycheck, Brown opted out of the Lynx deal and signed a five-year, $600,000 deal with Tampa starting in 1957.

Brown would play all five years with the Thunderbirds in his most impressive run. Over his mid 30s, he had a 65-43 record, 2.95 ERA, 625 strikeouts, and 23.8 WAR. He also made five playoff starts with a 3.72 ERA for Tampa. In 1958 at age 34, Brown won his second Pitcher of the Year, posting a career-best 301.1 innings pitched, adding a 2.45 ERA and 8.1 WAR. After being incredible durable, calamity struck with a torn UCL in late July of 1960, knocking Brown out the rest of 1960 and the vast majority of 1961.

Tampa didn’t re-sign him and he entered free agency at age 38 off a major injury. Brown signed for 1962 with Ottawa and put up solid numbers in a partial season with a strained forearm knocking him out two months. Brown played with San Francisco in 1963 and Albuquerque in 1964 with injuries limiting his useful in both seasons. A torn rotator cuff in summer 1964 effectively ended his career at the age of 41.

Brown’s final stats: 284-191, 3.02 ERA, 4597.0 innings, 3043 strikeouts, 1229 walks, 385/586 quality starts, 231 complete games, an FIP- of 85, and 97.7 WAR. He wasn’t as dominant and lacked big strikeout numbers relative to other Hall of Fame pitchers, but longevity and innings are important attributes. Even without a signature run with a team and his general disposition, two Pitcher of the Year awards and solid accumulated stats meant Brown couldn’t be overlooked, earning 97.7% and a first ballot nod.