Dale Murphy still waits for a call from the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Murphy, the former Brave and two-time National League MVP, was not voted into the Hall of Fame on the Modern Baseball Era ballot announced Sunday night. Murphy was one of 10 on the ballot for the Class of 2020, nine players and one executive.
Marvin Miller and Ted Simmons were voted into the Hall of Fame by the veterans committee. Simmons spent last three seasons of his 21-year career with the Braves from 1986-88.
Murphy missed out along with former players Dwight Evans, Steve Garvey, Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Thurman Munson, Dave Parker and Lou Whitaker on the ballot.
A candidate needed to receive votes on 75 percent of the ballots cast by the 16-member veterans’ committee to be inducted in Cooperstown on July 26, 2020. Miller and Simmons will be joined by any electees from the 2020 Baseball Writers’ Association of America election, to be announced on Jan. 21, 2020.
Simmons received 13 votes (81.3%) and Miller received 12 votes (75%). Evans (8 votes, 50%), Parker (7 votes, 43.8%), Garvey (6 votes, 37.5%), Whitaker (6 votes, 37.5%) rounded out the top of the balloting. Murphy, John, Mattingly and Munson each received three-or-fewer votes.
Murphy played 18 seasons with the Braves, Phillies and Rockies, winning back-to-back NL MVPs in 1982 and 1983. Roger Maris and Murphy are the only players to win consecutive MVPs and not gain Hall of Fame enshrinement after becoming eligible. A seven-time All-Star, Murphy won five Gold Glove Awards and four Silver Slugger Awards in center field. Murphy finished his career with a .265 batting average with 398 home runs and 1,266 RBIs.
Murphy thanked those who offered their support with a post on social media. On Sunday night, he tweeted: “Thank you all!! Nancy and I and our family can’t thank you enough for all of your support for the HOF. Very happy for Ted and Marvin Miller. I was luck to be Ted’s teammate for 3 years. And Marvin Miller battled for us players relentlessly. Congratulations to both!”
Simmons played 21 seasons with the Cardinals, Brewers and Braves from 1968-88. The switch-hitting catcher compiled a .285 batting average, 2,472 hits, 483 doubles, 248 home runs and 1,389 RBI. He garnered MVP votes seven times in his career and finished among his league’s top 10 players in batting average six times. Simmons 193 hits in 1975 are the most of any catcher who caught at least 150 games in a season, and his 192 hits in 1973 rank second on that same list. Among those who played at least 50 percent of their games at catcher, Simmons ranks second in hits, second in doubles, second in RBI and fifth in runs scored.
Miller was elected as the head of the Major League Baseball Players Association in 1966. Within a decade, Miller had secured free agency for the players via the arbitration process when Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith played out their contracts following the 1975 season. By the time Miller retired in 1982, the average player salary was approximately 10 times what it was when he took over.
The 16-member Modern Baseball Era Committee commissioned with the review of the 10-name ballot was comprised of Hall of Fame members George Brett, Rod Carew, Dennis Eckersley, Eddie Murray, Ozzie Smith and Robin Yount; major league executives Sandy Alderson, Dave Dombrowski, David Glass, Walt Jocketty, Doug Melvin and Terry Ryan; and veteran media members/historians Bill Center, Steve Hirdt, Jack O’Connell and Tracy Ringolsby.
The veterans committee will next consider candidates in 2022 for the 2023 Induction year.
