A trio of dominant pitchers – Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz – and 3,000-hit second baseman Craig Biggio will comprise baseball's first four-man Hall of Fame class in 60 years.
In results announced Tuesday by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, the pitchers were all landslide choices in their first year on the ballot -- Johnson earning a best 97.3% -- and Biggio got in after falling two votes short a year ago.
It's the first time BBWAA voters have selected this many players since 1955, when Joe DiMaggio, Dazzy Vance, Ted Lyons and Gabby Hartnett got in.
Biggio got past the magic 75% of ballots cast in his third year of eligibility.
Catcher Mike Piazza takes over Biggio's next-in-line status, moving to 69.9% this year, his third on the ballot, from 62.2% a year ago.
Only once have the writers chosen more than four – in 1936 when Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Babe Ruth, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson formed the Hall's initial class.
Seven-time MVP Barry Bonds and seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens both fell well short of election in their third year on the ballot.
There still hasn't been a unanimous selection – not for any of the legends chosen in '36 or anytime since.
The record remains 98.8% by Tom Seaver in 1992 and Nolan Ryan in 1999. Cal Ripken was on 98.5% in 2007 and Cobb led the first group with 98.2%, a number matched by George Brett in '99.
Players become eligible five years after retirement and can remain on the ballot for 10 years – down from 15 years in changes made this year – as long as they show up on at least 5% of ballot.
