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Two players received the nod for Major League Baseball’s 1981 Hall of Fame voting. RF Gavin Gauthier on his fifth attempt made it across the 66% requirement with 73.6%. Joining him was CF Vince Scarpello at 70.9% for his debut ballot. Two others were incredibly close with closer Kelly Hughes at 65.9% on his debut and SP Richard Thieman at 65.1% for his eighth try. RF Bo Salinas also had a strong debut at 61.7%. Four others were above the 50% mark.



One of those was Jeremiah Rutledge, who got 55.6% and was dropped after ten failed attempts on the ballot. He was a reliever for the first five years of his 15 year career, then a starter after with his longest tenure with New York. He led in strikeouts seven straight seasons, but his overall tallies were on the lower side with a 146-129 record, 3.23 ERA, 3091 Ks in 2485.2 innings, and 59.1 WAR. He got as high as 64.2% on his ninth ballot, but didn’t have the accumulations or major awards to get across the line.

Also dropped after ten tries was fellow pitcher Thomas Perez, who ended at 33.0% and peaked at 40.8%. He had a 19-year career with Louisville primarily and posted a 250-233 record, 3.32 ERA, 4732.1 innings, 2813 strikeouts, and 84.6 WAR. The accumulations are there, but he also had no major awards and was never a league leader, leading many voters to dismiss him as a compiler and “Hall of Very Good” player.



Gavin “Busboy” Gauthier – Right Field – Calgary Cheetahs – 73.6% Fifth Ballot

Gavin Gauthier was a 6’4’’, 205 pound right-handed right fielder from Saskatoon, the largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. Gauthier was a well-rounded hitter who wasn’t amazing at anything, but very solid at all phases with the bat. He averaged around 30-40 home runs per year reliably while consistently batting over .300 with a good clip of walks drawn and not too many strikeouts. Gauthier’s gap power was solid as well and got you 25-35 doubles per year despite slow baserunning speed. He was a career right fielder and firmly below average defensively, but not atrocious. The main knock on him was a lack of leadership, loyalty, and work ethic, which made him at times disliked by those around him.

Gauthier left Canada to play college baseball for Ball State. He excelled as a Cardinal, twice winning the college Silver Slugger in RF and finishing second in MVP voting in 1951. In 143 college games, Gauthier had 195 hits, 93 runs, 30 doubles, 45 home runs, 119 RBI, and 11.7 WAR. This made him a top prospect for the 1952 Major League Baseball Draft and he would return to the Canadian prairies when picked eighth overall by Calgary.

Gauthier was immediately a starter for the Cheetahs and a good one, earning 1953 Rookie of the Year honors. He’d go onto win seven Silver Sluggers (1955, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 68) as a consistent solid presence in the lineup. 1958 was his best season and his only time as an MVP candidate, taking second in the voting. Gauthier was the WARlord that year at 9.0 and leader in runs (117), total bases (386), slugging (.648), and wRC+ (176), adding a career best 203 hits and 48 home runs. He’d lead the next year with 125 RBI, but these were his only times as a statistical leader.

Gauthier also played off and on for Canada in the World Baseball Championship, playing 98 games between1954-63. He had 80 hits, 52 runs, 28 home runs, 61 RBI, and 3.8 WAR. His debut tournament was easily the best in 1954 as he had 26 hits, 17 runs, 11 home runs, and 21 RBI, helping Canada to the World Title. He’d miss a chunk of that season with a strained PCL. Injuries hurt him at various points, missing much of 1957 to a broken bone in his elbow, half of 1963 with a torn UCL, and two months in 1965 from a fractured finger.

Calgary found some success later in Gauthier’s run, making the playoffs four times from 1961-65. However, they were always a wild card and never got out of the second round. He had 15 hits, 14 runs, 3 home runs, and 11 RBI in 18 playoff starts for only a .224 average. His production waned a bit into his 30s, in part to injury. Gauthier finished in Calgary with 2286 hits, 1224 runs, 436 home runs, 1416 RBI, and 72.8 WAR with a .316/.382/.556. The Cheetahs would ultimately retire his #29 uniform as well.

After the 1967 season, the now 36-year old Gauthier became a free agent for the first time and signed a three-year, $702,000 deal with Pittsburgh. He had a resurgence in his Pirates debut, winning his seventh and final Silver Slugger. However, a fractured elbow in 1969 spring training cost him almost the entire season. Pittsburgh let him go and Gauthier would then spend his final two seasons with Charlotte. After lackluster production and more injuries, he was let go after the 1971 season by the Canaries. Gauther went unsigned in 1972 and retired that winter at age 41.

Gauthier’s final stats: 2637 hits, 1386 runs, 429 doubles, 496 home runs, 1591 RBI, a .308/.375/.539 slash, 147 wRC+, and 79.6 WAR. Certainly not stats that look out of place among MLB’s Hall of Famers, but not eye popping ones. Plus, Gauthier never won MVP or was part of any postseason successes. This hurt him in the eyes of some voters and although he was always above 50%, he missed out in his first four ballots. His third try in 1979, Gauthier was short by the slimmest possible margin at 65.9%. He dropped to 62.6% the next year, but got the bump on his fifth try to earn induction in 1981 at 73.6%.



Vince Scarpello – Center Field – Philadelphia Phillies – 70.9% First Ballot

Vince Scarpello was a 6’0’’, 170 pound center fielder from the capital of Virginia, Richmond. Scarpello was a great athlete who at his peak could reliably bat around .300 with 25-30 home runs and around 25-30 doubles/triples per year. He had a solid eye and was good at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Scarpello had good speed, but his baserunning instincts weren’t always the best as he got caught stealing more than he succeeded. Scarpello was a career center fielder and a very good one defensively, winning three Gold Gloves. His play style made him an extremely popular player with the fans, although he was viewed by many as a bit of a mercenary, playing with ten different teams in his career.

Scarpello attended Penn State University and in 141 college games had 143 hits, 87 runs, 20 doubles, 34 home runs, and 102 RBI with 5.9 WAR. The nearby Philadelphia Phillies took notice and picked Scarpello fifth overall in the 1954 MLB Draft. He had an incredible rookie season with 9.5 WAR and ultimately career bests in hits (201), average (.349), and OPS (1.013). Scarpello easily won Rookie of the Year and even took second in MVP voting. The next year, he was third in MVP voting and won his first of five Silver Sluggers. He’d win the award again twice more with the Phillies in 1959 and 1960, taking third and second in MVP voting those years, respectively.

Scarpello led in WAR in 1957 with 8.3 and 1960 with 9.8. He also led in runs scored with 112 in 1960, although these were his only times as a league leader despite his successes. The Phillies made the playoffs thrice in his tenure, getting as far as the National Association Championship Series in 1960. He had 15 hits, 7 runs, 5 home runs, and 14 RBI in that run. In total with Philadelphia, Scarpello had 1023 hits, 569 runs, 180 home runs, 532 RBI, a .310/.382/.550 slash and 51.4 WAR. However, he opted to try free agency, becoming one of the most desired on the market in many years. At only age 27, Scarpello signed an eight-year, $1,402,000 deal with San Francisco beginning in the 1961 season.

Scarpello won Silver Sluggers in his first two seasons with the Gold Rush, giving him five for his career. He also won Gold Gloves in 1962 and 1964. San Fran made the postseason four times in his tenure, although he was pedestrian in 20 starts with 0.0 WAR. The Gold Rush’s best effort was an AACS berth in 1965. Scarpello only played five years in the Bay, posting 807 hits, 472 runs, 126 home runs, 390 RBI, and 28.6 WAR.

Scarpello missed some time to injury and saw his production drop a bit in his fifth season with San Francisco. Scarpello opted out of his deal after the 1965 season and opted for free agency again, signing at age 32 to a five-year, $1,060,000 deal with Chicago. His first year as a Cub was solid, winning his third Gold Glove. The next two were plagued with injuries, including a torn labrum in 1967. Scarpello’s Cubs tenure was three seasons with 10.7 WAR. He became a free agent again at age 35 and signed with Toronto.

He was healthier with the Timberwolves, but Scarpello at this point was no longer an elite level player. 1970 would see a World Series appearance as Toronto fell to the fledgling New Orleans dynasty. He had a solid run with 22 hits, 9 runs, 5 home runs, and 11 RBI. Scarpello left that offseason for Ottawa, where he picked up his 2500^th career hit and 400^th home run. The Elks would trade him mid 1972 to New Orleans for four prospects and he’d get a World Series ring with the Mudcats, who won their third straight. Scarpello bounced around in his final three seasons between Columbus, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Seattle and would retire after the 1975 season at age 41.

Scarpello’s final stats: 2794 hits, 1577 runs, 431 doubles, 128 triples, 452 home runs, 1378 RBI, 1044 walks, a .278/.347/.482 slash, 137 wRC+, and 107.5 WAR. At the time, he was the 20^th batter in the Hall of Fame with 100+ WAR. His lack of a lengthy run with one team and unremarkable back half hurt him with some voters, but Scarpello’s resume was still undeniable. He earned the first ballot induction at 70.9%.