The votes were tallied in Cooperstown and, for the first time since 1955, four former players were elected to become members of the Hall of Fame.  Ballot newcomers John Smoltz, Pedro Martinez, and Randy Johnson, along with third-timer Craig Biggio, became the newest members of baseball’s greatest fraternity, garnering more than 75% of the votes.  Only three other candidates, Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, and Tim Raines, managed to top 50% of the vote.

The news for players with PED connections was mixed, with Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds gaining a little ground, while Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire lost votes.  Don Mattingly falls off the ballot after 15 tries.  17 candidates who were eligible for the first time will drop off the ballot due to not receiving 5% of the vote.

As for the newest Hall of Famers, I’ve somehow seen 755 baseball games over the past 30 years, none of which included Pedro Martinez or Randy Johnson.  John Smoltz I saw twice, during his closing phase.  Craig Biggio, as an everyday player, was the enshrinee I saw most often, including Game 2 of the 2005 World Series.

Craig Biggio’s numbers in games I attended were:

HOF Career Batting

BA	At Bats	Runs	Hits	RBI	Walks	Strike Outs	Doubles	Triples	HR	SB	GIDP	Errors	Games
0.1875	80	11	15	4	9	15	4	0	2	1	0	2	23

John Smoltz’s numbers in games I attended were:

HOF Career Pitching

Wins	Losses	ERA	Saves	IP	Hits	Runs	ER	Walks	Strike Outs	HR	HBP	Appearances
0	0	4.5	2	2	2	1	1	0	4	0	0	2