Time running out for Walker's deserved induction into Hall of Fame
Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.) is in his second-last year of eligibility on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.
*This article was originally published on the Inside the Seams website. You can read it here.
By Tracy Ringolsby
Inside the Seams
As strong a case as can be made for Larry Walker and the Hall of Fame, time is running out. He is in his ninth year on the ballot. With changes in the voting that were made for the 2016 election, players were reduced from up to 15 years on the ballot to a maximum of 10 years.
Of the 128 players elected by the veteran members of the BBWAA, only one player among the 25 who were elected in their ninth year of eligibility or later has been enshrined since the ballot was reduced to 10 years — Tim Raines in 2017.
Raines, like Walker, both began their careers with the Montreal Expos.
Next year will be the 10th and final year of eligibility of Walker, whose candidacy would then be turned over to the Veterans Committee.
Can Walker make it 26?
The veteran members of the BBWAA have selected 128 of the 323 elected members of the Hall of Fame.
The wait was worth it for these Cooperstowners: