The Veterans Committee is the popular name of various committees of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum that elect participants other than recently retired players.
50-629: Originally, it referenced the National Baseball Hall of Fame Committee to Consider Managers, Umpires, Executives and Long-Retired Players ; a former voting committee of the Baseball Hall of Fame that provided an opportunity for Hall of Fame enshrinement to all individuals who are eligible for induction but ineligible for consideration by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). The term "Veterans Committee"
100-617: A dominant force in the early years of the baseball writers, being elected as president of the association during nine consecutive terms. Jackson finally retired in 1919, while Sanborn returned to assume the position of president. After that, Jackson became a member of the BBWAA Board of Directors. In 2007, the BBWAA opened its membership to web-based writers employed on a full-time basis by "websites that are credentialed by MLB for post-season coverage." The organization's primary function
150-642: A new arrangement it separately considered candidates from the Negro leagues and from the 19th century with authority to select one from each of those, via two special ballots. The older players eligible were those with ten major league seasons beginning 1946 or earlier; those who received at least 100 votes from the BBWAA in some election up to 1992; and those who received at least 60% support in some election beginning 1993. Players on Major League Baseball's ineligible list could not be elected. The committee could elect up to four people each year. During much of its existence,
200-607: A player or two every year. The Veterans Committee mandate of up to two players was increased briefly from 1995 to 2001. In these years, the committee could elect one extra player from the Negro leagues and one from the 19th century in addition to the two regular players. Starting in 1995, the Veterans Committee met in closed sessions to elect as many as two executives, managers, umpires, and older major league players—the categories considered in all its meetings since 1953. By
250-581: A reason to be there. The organization began with 43 founding members. They included Joe S. Jackson , who became the association's first president. At that time, Jackson was the sporting editor (today called sports editor ) of the Detroit Free Press . Also selected as officers were Irving E. Sanborn of the Chicago Tribune , syndicated columnist Hugh Fullerton , and The Boston Globe baseball writer Tim Murnane . A second meeting
300-549: A year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Committee scheduling for 2022 and beyond is not presented here, as the structure of committees was further amended in April 2022. The criteria for committee eligibility differed for players, managers, and executives: The Hall of Fame announced additional changes to its era committees on April 22, 2022, effective immediately. The multiple eras previously utilized were collapsed into just two eras:
350-419: Is a list of members of the Veterans Committee from its establishment in 1953 to its radical reformation in 2001, along with the dates of their membership. As of December 2008, for 2009 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting , members of the Veterans Committee were: As of November 2010, for 2011 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting , the only committee members announced were those voting for
400-640: Is presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the United States to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball ". It is named for Ford C. Frick , former Commissioner of Major League Baseball . Prior to his career as an executive, Frick was a baseball writer and occasional broadcaster; he gained fame as a ghostwriter for Babe Ruth in the 1920s. The award was created in 1978, and named in tribute to Frick following his death that year. Though they are sometimes erroneously referred to as "Hall of Famers", honorees are not inducted into
450-511: Is taken from the body's former official name: National Baseball Hall of Fame Committee on Baseball Veterans , which first met in 1953. The committee structure and voting process has undergone multiple changes, most recently in April 2022. Currently, baseball players and non-players (managers, executives, and umpires) considered by the committee are classed into two timeframes, the Contemporary Baseball Era (1980–present) and
500-475: Is the highest award given by the BBWAA. First awarded in 1962 to J. G. Taylor Spink , longtime publisher of The Sporting News , it was named the J. G. Taylor Spink Award until adopting its current name in February 2021. It has been awarded annually for "meritorious contributions to baseball writing", except for one year during the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike . Recipients are not considered members of
550-421: Is to work with Major League Baseball and individual teams to assure clubhouse and press-box access for BBWAA members. In addition, BBWAA members also elect players to the National Baseball Hall of Fame , which is the organization's most public function. All writers with 10 continuous years of membership in the BBWAA, plus active BBWAA membership at any time in the preceding 10 years, are eligible to vote for
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#1732771960207600-692: The 2011 election process that began late in 2010. The two biggest changes are: Candidates were classified by the time-periods that cover their greatest contributions: Candidates from each era were considered every third year, starting with the Expansion Era in the 2011 election (December 2010, 2013), followed by the Golden Era (December 2011, 2014) and then by the Pre-Integration Era (December 2012, 2015). The existing Historical Overview Committee formulated each ballot for release in
650-501: The 2007 elections, the makeup of the committee was again changed, and several procedures were also modified: The threshold for induction remained at 75% of all who voted on the appropriate ballot. In the first election held under the new rules, two managers and three executives were elected in December 2007 as part of the 2008 election process . The Hall announced a new Veterans Committee voting process on June 26, 2010, effective with
700-511: The BBWAA is involved in the award and Hall of Fame voting processes at all, citing in some cases journalistic integrity and the need to remain unbiased in their coverage of newsworthy events. The BBWAA's most public function is to annually vote on candidates for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In addition, the BBWAA is responsible for voting on several annual awards in each major league which are presented annually at
750-687: The Classic Baseball Era (before 1980). Voting is conducted annually in December, with any elected persons inducted into the Hall of Fame the following calendar year. Balloting currently rotates on an annual basis for nominees selected from one of three groups: players of the Contemporary Baseball Era, non-players of the Contemporary Baseball Era, and all persons of the Classic Baseball Era. The Veterans Committee can be traced back to 1939 when Commissioner of Baseball Kenesaw Mountain Landis formed
800-414: The Contemporary Baseball Era (1980–present) and the Classic Baseball Era (prior to 1980). An annual rotation of three ballots was also defined: The rotation will then continue every three years. A one-year waiting period beyond potential BBWAA eligibility (which had been abolished in 2016) was reintroduced, thus restricting the committee to considering players retired for at least 16 seasons. The following
850-677: The Early Baseball committee once every 10 years. While meetings take place in December, voting was included with the induction class for the following calendar year (e.g. December 2016 committee balloting was part of 2017 Hall of Fame elections and induction). The induction ceremony originally scheduled for July 26, 2020, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic ; persons originally scheduled for induction in 2020 were inducted in 2021. Committee meetings originally scheduled for December 2020 (Golden Days and Early Baseball) were postponed for
900-414: The Hall of Fame radically changed the composition and election procedures for the Veterans Committee, which was revised to consist of: All members of the former Veterans Committee remained active until the expiration of their terms. Only two were on the committee for the 2003 election , the first under the new election procedures. Only one of the former Veterans Committee members ( John McHale ) remained on
950-405: The Hall of Fame's Board of Directors, was announced at the same time as the ballot of 10 candidates. The Baseball Hall of Fame officially named this group the "Golden Era Committee" ("The Committee"), which voted for the first time on December 5, 2011. All of the Hall of Fame members on this committee were inducted as players, except for executive Pat Gillick. The Pre-Integration ballot for election
1000-412: The Hall of Fame. Honorees (if living) give a speech at the Hall of Fame during induction weekend, and their names are added to a plaque in the Hall's library. As of 2024, none of the winners of the award have gone on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Detail on the selection process for the award when it was first established is lacking. From 2004 to 2016 , fans were allowed to vote for three of
1050-670: The Hall of Fame. The BBWAA also votes annually for the Kenesaw Mountain Landis Most Valuable Player Award , Cy Young Award , Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award , and Manager of the Year Award in each of the two major leagues . The Hall of Fame also empowers the BBWAA's Historical Overview Committee, made up of 11 or 12 veteran BBWAA members, to formulate the annual ballot for the Veterans Committee . Considering
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#17327719602071100-430: The Hall's special committees. Speaking on MLB Network's Hot Stove immediately after it broadcast the announcement, Major League Baseball's official historian John Thorn expressed surprise and disappointment at the results, noting that he had felt there were three particularly strong candidates (prior to the announcement, he had commented favorably on the candidacies of Doc Adams and Harry Stovey ); he speculated that
1150-442: The Hall, baseball executives, members of the media and historians: Blyleven, Gillick, Niekro, DeWitt, Hughes, Hirdt, Morris, Smith and T.R. Sullivan previously served on the committee which selected the 2013 inductees. For the second consecutive year, none of the candidates received enough votes for election; it marked the third consecutive year – and the fifth time in seven years – in which no former players were chosen by
1200-695: The National Baseball Hall of Fame but are permanently recognized in an exhibit at the Hall's library. For information about the chapter and its presiding officer, see footnote and Red Foley (past chairman). For a list of presidents and secretaries from 1908 to the present, see footnote During the 2012 World Series, the Association elected its first female president, Susan Slusser , of the San Francisco Chronicle . "Baseball Writers Unite." Washington Post, October 15, 1908, p. 9. Ford C. Frick Award The Ford C. Frick Award
1250-709: The New York chapter's dinner: In or about 2000, the BBWAA took over the voting responsibility for the Edgar Martínez Award , given each year to the outstanding designated hitter in the American League . From 1953 to 1962, the BBWAA presented a "Sophomore of the Year Award" in each league. In 1997, a 36-member BBWAA panel selected the Major League Baseball All-Time Team . The annual BBWAA Career Excellence Award
1300-564: The October or November before the next planned induction ceremony. The Expansion Era ballot included 12 candidates, while the other two ballots included ten each. The Hall's Board of Directors selected 16-member committees for each era, made up of Hall of Famers, executives, baseball historians, and media members. Each committee convened at the Winter Meetings in December to consider and vote on candidates from its assigned era. As before,
1350-529: The Old-Timers Committee to consider players from the 19th century for induction to the Hall of Fame. In 1939, the committee selected five players. In 1944, shortly after Landis' death, the committee voted him into the Hall via a special election . Landis was the 28th person inducted to the Hall—over the next several years, the committee added 23 more: 10 in 1945, 11 in 1946, and 2 in 1949. In 1953,
1400-445: The Veterans Committee consisted of 15 members selected by the Hall of Fame for defined terms. A six-man subcommittee of this group met as a screening committee to determine who would be on the ballot. The committee met annually to consider candidates in four separate categories: players, managers, umpires, and executives. The Veterans Committee met privately, and its ballots and voting results were generally not revealed prior to 2003. From
1450-441: The Veterans Committee met for the first time under the name Committee on Baseball Veterans. In its first voting, the 11-member committee elected six players to the Hall. Starting in 1955, they would meet to elect up to two players in odd-numbered years. In 1959, Lee Allen succeeded Ernest Lanigan as Hall of Fame historian. According to Bill James , Paul Kerr (president of the Hall of Fame from 1961 to 1978) would generally convince
1500-418: The award's ten annual nominees; in the final years of fan voting, it was conducted on the Hall's Facebook page. Through 2013 , seven candidates were selected by a committee consisting of previous Frick Award winners and broadcast historians and columnists, which also determined the final recipient. Beginning with the 2014 award, the final election committee no longer selected any of the finalists; that became
1550-421: The committee for the 2005 and 2007 elections , and his term expired immediately after the 2007 election. The election procedures instituted in 2003 are listed below. The procedures were changed again in 2007 . Rules, and portions thereof, that changed in 2007 are indicated in italics . Using these procedures, no one was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 2003, 2005, or 2007. Following
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1600-418: The committee to select players that Allen suggested to him, until Allen's death in 1969. In 1961, the Veterans Committee expanded from 11 to 12 members. In 1962, the Veterans Committee went back to annual elections to the Hall of Fame, with the continued mandate to elect up to two players a year. In 1971, the Veterans Committee made seven selections; partly in response to such a large class, the Veterans Committee
1650-426: The following balloting rotation, which will then repeat: For several years in the early 2000s, Frick Award honorees also became life members of the Veterans Committee , which considers candidates for Hall of Fame induction who are not eligible for the regular voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America – specifically, players no longer on the BBWAA ballot and all non-players. However, starting with
1700-561: The mid-1970s until 2001, the top candidate in each category was elected to the Hall of Fame if he earned at least 75% of the committee's votes. The Board of Directors reformed the system radically with new rules enacted in August 2001. Formerly, 15 members were appointed to limited terms; the new Veterans Committee would comprise all living members of the Hall, plus recipients of the Spink and Frick awards to writers and broadcasters. In particular,
1750-546: The new members were 61 living Hall of Famers, 13 living recipients of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award , 13 living recipients of the Ford C. Frick Award , and three members of the previous committee with terms that had not yet expired. Elections for players retired more than 20 years would be held every other year and elections for (managers, umpires and executives) would be held every fourth year. The first cycle for both categories would be in 2002 and 2003 for induction in 2003. In 2001,
1800-548: The number of good candidates may have deadlocked the voting once again, and suggested that the Hall may need to amend the voting process in the future. The committee consisted of the following individuals: The committee consisted of the following individuals: The committee consisted of the following individuals: The cutoff for election to the Hall of Fame remained the standard 75%; as the Modern Baseball Era Committee consisted of 16 members, 12 votes
1850-415: The post-1972 Expansion Era candidates: As of November 2011, for 2012 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting , the 16-member Golden Era Committee was announced: As of November 2012, for 2013 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting , the 16-member Pre-Integration Era Committee was announced: The Pre-Integration Committee's 16-member voting electorate, appointed by the Hall of Fame's Board of Directors,
1900-503: The ready availability of television broadcasts for the majority of baseball games, plus instant access to information through the Internet, some have called into question why the BBWAA has not broadened its membership rules to include broadcasters and researchers. (Similar arguments were made for the inclusion of Web-based journalists, before the BBWAA added Web writers to its ranks in December 2007.) Others have openly questioned why
1950-404: The role of a Hall of Fame research committee. Other changes in the selection process were also announced for the 2014 award; these changes were similar to those instituted in 2010 for Veterans Committee balloting. From 2014 to 2016, candidates were considered every third year, based on the era in which they made their most significant contributions: The Hall of Fame announced further changes to
2000-466: The selection process in 2016 that took effect immediately, with the first award affected by these changes being that for 2017. Fan voting was eliminated, and the final ballot was cut from 10 to 8. Candidates were still considered every third year, but in mostly different categories: In April 2022, the Hall of Fame announced further changes to the Frick Award selection process. The size of the ballot
2050-519: The three years after his death, two more teammates ( Jim Bottomley and Freddie Lindstrom ) were elected. After Frisch died and Terry left the committee, elections were normalized. After the 1977 election, the Veterans Committee was limited to two selections overall per year. In 1978, membership increased to 15 members; five Hall of Famers, five owners and executives, and five sportswriters. The members would meet in Florida during spring training to elect
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2100-707: The threshold of induction remained at 75% of those voting. On July 23, 2016, the Hall of Fame announced changes to the Era Committee system. Highlighting these changes was a restructuring of the time-frames to be considered, with a much greater emphasis on modern eras. Additionally, those major league players, managers, umpires and executives who excelled before 1950, as well Negro leagues stars, would still be afforded an opportunity to have their careers reviewed, but with less frequency. Separate 16-member subcommittees were defined to vote on individuals from different eras of baseball, with candidates still being classified by
2150-470: The time-periods that covered their greatest contributions: The size of all committee ballots was set at 10 candidates. Whilst there was previously a one-year waiting period after elimination from annual BBWAA consideration, that waiting period was removed. The Today's Game and Modern Baseball committees were scheduled to convene twice every five years, the Golden Days committee once every five years, and
2200-444: Was announced at the same time as the ballot of 10 candidates: The Expansion Era Committee's 16-member voting electorate, appointed by the Hall of Fame's Board of Directors, was announced at the same time as the ballot of 12 candidates. The Hall officially calls this group the "Expansion Era Committee", but media still generally refer to it as the "Veterans Committee". The Golden Era Committee's 16-member voting electorate, appointed by
2250-492: Was founded in 1908 and is known for its annual awards and voting on membership in the Baseball Hall of Fame . The BBWAA was founded on October 14, 1908, to improve working conditions for sportswriters in the early part of the 20th century; It also sought to promote uniformity of scoring methods, and to professionalize the press box, such that access was limited only to working reporters, telegraphers, and others who had
2300-584: Was held in New York City in December; Sanborn decided he could not serve as an officer at that time, and he was replaced by William Weart of the Philadelphia Times . The slate of officers was ratified, and anyone who wrote about baseball in major league cities was eligible for membership. This policy changed, however, in December 1913, at which time it was decided that minor-league baseball writers could also become members. Then, Jackson became
2350-544: Was released on October 5, 2015; final voting was conducted by the Pre-Integration Committee, a 16-member body which met at baseball's winter meetings in Nashville on December 6, with 75% (12 of 16 votes) required for election; results were announced the following morning. The committee's members, appointed by the Hall of Fame's board of directors, were announced later in fall 2015 and included members of
2400-491: Was restored to 10 nominees, while also requiring that at least one candidate be a foreign-language broadcaster. The election cycle was also revised, effective with the 2023 balloting: four consecutive elections will have a composite ballot of local and national broadcasters, followed by one election for broadcasters whose careers ended prior to 1994 (the introduction of the Wild Card era). Thus, recipients will be selected per
2450-461: Was the minimum for selection. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , meetings of the Early Baseball committee and Golden Days committee were postponed from December 2020 to December 2021. Baseball Writers%27 Association of America The Baseball Writers' Association of America ( BBWAA ) is a professional association for journalists writing about Major League Baseball for daily newspapers, magazines, and qualifying websites. The organization
2500-519: Was then limited to selecting two players and one non-player every year. Frankie Frisch , a 1947 inductee to the Hall, was a major voice on the committee in the 1970s. Backed by former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Bill Terry and sportswriters J. Roy Stockton and Fred Lieb , who had covered Frisch's teams, he managed to get five of his teammates elected to the Hall by the committee between 1970 and 1973: Jesse Haines , Dave Bancroft , Chick Hafey , Ross Youngs , and George Kelly . Additionally, in
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