On This Day: The First Inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame

On this day in 1936, the first baseball players were elected to the Hall of Fame. Here they are by order of the percentage of votes they received.

Ty Cobb

Ty Cobb, who set 90 Major League Baseball records during his career, still holds the record for career batting average (.367). He’s also one of only two players with over 4,000 hits in his career. In most discussions, he is considered the best baseball player ever.

Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth was the first player to hit over 60 home runs in one season and was the first to hit over 700 in his career. Before becoming a home run hitter, though, Ruth was a decent pitcher who compiled a record of 94-46. Also, Ruth’s combination of talent, popularity, and personality made him America’s first sports celebrity.

Honus Wagner

Honus Wagner won eight batting titles during his career, which ties him for the most in National League history. Despite what people in the Bronx may think, Wagner is considered the greatest shortstop to ever play the game. Ty Cobb once said Wagner was “maybe the greatest star ever to take the diamond.” (Factoid: A 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card sold for $2.35 million in 2007, making it the most expensive baseball card in history!)

Christy Mathewson

Christy Mathewson had a career earned run average of just 2.13! Over his career, he had nine 20-win seasons and five 30-win seasons, and finished with 373 wins; the third highest total in MLB history. In addition, like so many other professional athletes, he was multi-talented and played football for a season in the NFL in 1902.

Walter Johnson

Walter Johnson is another prolific pitcher and one of only two players with over 400 wins in his career. Johnson holds the record for most career shutouts (110), and at the time of his election, he held the record for most career strikeouts (3,509). Johnson was the Roy Halladay of his era, though, and in one season accounted for 40% of his teams victories.

Astonishingly, none of these players were unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame! It’s hard to believe that somebody actually thought these guys weren’t that great. Keeping that in mind, I suppose Mark McGwire and Bert Blyleven shouldn’t feel so bad.

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