The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York is going to get a significant upgrade this year. Not that the current membership is lacking in any way, they are the greatest of the greats, but it’s high time that these three giants in the game of baseball took their rightful places among their peers.
The MLB Hall of Fame’s 16 member Expansion Era Committee met in Orlando, Florida at the site of Baseball’s annual Winter Meetings and voted unanimously to elect three former team managers to Cooperstown.
Managers of MLB teams don’t make it into the Hall of Fame that often, so when they do it is a special occasion. When three genuine baseball icons are to be inducted together on July 27,2014, there will be genuine cause for celebration.
Joe Torre, Tony La Russa and Bobby Cox will be enshrined in the hallowed halls among baseballs finest in a ceremony. The good thing about this particular trio is that they are all still alive and kicking.
Joe Torre has been in consideration for this honor for some time now. Torre excelled both as a player and a manager in the majors with 2,342 hits and 252 home runs as a player. He earned the National League MVP Award in 1971 and was named to the MLB All-Star team nine times.
As a manager, Torre ranks 5th in the most wins category with 2,326 victories with the Mets, the Braves, the Cardinals, the Yankees and finally the Dodgers. He is one of only 5 MLB managers who have won the World Series at least 4 times.
Bobby Cox managed the Braves for 25 seasons in two separate stints. He also managed the Toronto Blue Jays for four years. Cox collected 5 pennants and won the 1995 World Series with the Braves. He ranks 4th on the all-time win list with 2,504.
Tony LaRussa’s name is well known to anyone who has followed baseball over the years. La Russa holds the honor of being one of only two managers to have won a World Series in each league. His teams won six pennants and La Russa comes in third in the all-time wins department with 2,728. He led 3 different teams into postseason play.
The enshrinement ceremony will be something to see and hear. Baseball fans everywhere will be tuning in to hear what these great men have to say as they accept this very special honor. Congratulations to all three.
