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The 1989 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame ballot was a weaker one and very nearly ended up with no players inducted. However, LF Ron Perry managed to narrowly earn a first ballot induction, crossing the 66% threshold with 67.7%. Five others were above 50%, led by closer Angelo Kiernan and catcher Gavin Geogham both at 59.7% with the former on his third try and latter in his seventh. Catcher Earl Tucker had 51.7% in his seventh ballot, LF Simao Ojeda had 51.7% in his tenth, and 2B Bobby Davis had 50.3% in his seventh.



Ojeda was dropped after ten failed attempts with his last ballot being his highest, usually hovering in the 40s. In 17 years with eight teams, he had 2712 hits, 1431 runs, 377 doubles, 126 triples, 168 home runs, 893 RBI, 1094 walks, a .314/.391/.446 slash, 879 stolen bases, and 53.1 WAR. Ojeda was a solid lead-off man who led in average twice and steals six times, but he didn’t win any major awards and lacked the power numbers voters expect from a corner outfielder.

Also dropped after ten ballots was pitcher James Eisenhuth, who pitched 15 years primarily with Houston. He peaked at28.4% on his debut before ending at 10.4%. Eisenhuth had a 216-164 record, 3.45 ERA, 3590 innings, 2408 strikeouts, and 79.6 WAR. A solid reliable career, but he had no major awards or league leading stats to speak of.



Ron Perry – Left Field – Washington Admirals – 67.7% First Ballot

Ron Perry was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed left fielder from the capital of Ireland, Dublin. Perry was known for having an excellent eye for drawing walks and a good knack at avoiding strikeouts. He was also a solid contact hitter with a respectable pop in his bat, averaging around 20-30 home runs and 25-30 doubles per season. Perry primarily played defensively in left field and was viewed as a very average fielder. He had a good arm, but weak range and was a very slow baserunner. He was considered quite durable most of his career and had a scrappy work ethic, making him a fan favorite at each of his stops.

Perry left his native Ireland for the United States as a teenager and picked up baseball more fully there. He ended up playing college baseball at Auburn and in 141 games posted 142 hits, 86 runs, 23 home runs, 102 RBI, and 4.0 WAR. Perry wasn’t eligible for the first three regional rounds of the 1963 MLB Draft, but was picked sixth in the fourth round by Washington with the 153^rd overall pick. The Admirals opted to keep Perry in minor league Richmond for the entire 1964, where he excelled and won a minor league MVP with 55 home runs and 166 RBI.

Perry’s majors debut came as a part-time start in 1965, posting a solid 3.4 WAR rookie season. He’d become a full-time starter for Washington for the next six seasons, leading in runs scored in 1967 and doubles in 1971. In 1966, the Admirals had an incredible turnaround season, going from 55 wins to 93 wins and a World Series appearance. They would end up being a mid-tier team for the rest of his run. He had four seasons worth 6+ WAR and two worth 8+. However, sharing a position with guys like Garland Mulholland and Connor Neumeyer meant Perry never won a Silver Slugger or was a MVP finalist despite his efforts.

Perry’s scrappiness made him a very popular player for Washington regardless. He was also well liked back in Ireland and he played in the World Baseball Championship from 1965-83 for the Irish squad. In 144 WBC games, he had 120 hits, 89 runs, 20 doubles, 29 home runs, 81 RBI, 90 walks, a .236/.351/.459 slash, and 5.2 WAR. For his Admirals tenure, Perry had 1249 hits, 689 runs, 193 doubles, 200 home runs, 663 RBI, 544 walks, a .303/.383/.506 slash, and 46.4 WAR.

It seemed like Washington wanted him for the long run, signing Perry to a seven-year, $2,470,000 contract extension before the 1971 season. After a 8.5 WAR 1971, he had a less impressive 3.8 WAR in 1972. The Admirals stunned the baseball world by straight up cutting Perry in August 1972, which created lingering tensions between him and the franchise to this day. Speculation remains to this day on what the true motives were behind the baffling move, especially to a guy as well liked generally.

Perry finished the 1972 season with Montreal, then entered 1973 as a 30-year old free agent. He signed a five-year, $1,920,000 deal with Houston and ultimately played three solid seasons with the Hornets, posting 520 hits, 289 runs, 73 home runs, 285 RBI, and 16.9 WAR. Houston was a wild card twice in his run, but were one-and-done both times. After the 1975 season, Perry exercised his contract’s opt-out and signed a five-year, $2,750,000 deal with Las Vegas.

Although it wasn’t his best run by raw statistics, his Vipers tenure might be his most historically relevant and some felt he should’ve gone into the Hall of Fame in purple. Las Vegas had a dynasty run in the late 1970s, making it to the 1976, 78, and 79 World Series and taking the title in 1976 and 1979. Perry was a reliable starter in that stretch and was a solid playoff performer. In 70 postseason starts, he had 3.2 WAR, a .286/.413/.469 slash, 70 hits, 51 runs, 17 doubles, 8 home runs, 34 RBI, and 52 walks.

Perry continued his reliable production through his 30s and finally started to decline a bit in the early 1980s. Small injuries began to cost him some games and by 1983, he was only a part-time starter. Perry retired after the 1983 season at age 41. For his Las Vegas tenure, he had 1098 hits, 645 runs, 174 doubles, 163 home runs, 570 RBI, 585 walks, a .285/.381/.469 slash, and 28.5 WAR.

For his entire career, Perry posted 2894 hits, 1637 runs, 462 doubles, 440 home runs, 1527 RBI, 1351 walks, a .296/.382/.489 slash, 147 wRC+, and 92.7 WAR. Very nice totals, but not eye-popping numbers that made him a lock. He also very rarely was a league leader and didn’t have any big awards to his name, making some voters skeptical. Still, Perry was well-liked by the baseball press and fans and his playoff role with Las Vegas pushed him just past the line for enough voters. Perry was barely a first ballot selection at 67.7%, but was first ballot nonetheless and the only MLB Hall of Famer inducted for 1989.