The Era’s Committee–made up of former players and executives–for the Baseball Hall of Fame looks at players who were not inducted into the Hall of Fame by the writers, and gives them a second chance to be elected as Hall of Famers. This year, the committee is set to vote on eight players from the “Classic Era” of Baseball from pre-1980. In order for these players to be elected to the Hall of Fame, they’ll need to achieve 75% of the Era’s Committee vote. Let’s break down the case for all eight of these players.

1. 1B/3B Dick Allen:

Philadelphia Phillies (1963-1969, 1975-1976), St. Louis Cardinals (1970), Los Angeles Dodgers (1971), Chicago White Sox (1972-1974), Oakland Athletics (1977)

Dick Allen was one of the best hitters in baseball when he was performing at his best. Allen led the league in On-Base Percentage (OBP) twice, slugging percentage (SLG) 3 times, and On Base + Slugging (OPS) 4 Times. Allen’s career reached its highest peak in 1972, when he was named American League “Most Valuable Player” in his first season as a member of the Chicago White Sox. While Allen never won a World Series, the corner infielder was one of the most consistent hitters in the MLB, earning 7 All-Star selections and batting over .300 in 7 seasons.

Allen was previously eligible on the Golden Era Ballot in 2021, where he finished one vote shy of being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. (MLB)

2. LHP John Donaldson: 

Negro Leagues Pitcher (1908-1941*)

Due to the common trend of Negro Leagues statistics being poorly archived, players from the Negro Leagues have not been recognized enough for their greatness. Fortunately, researcher Pete Gorton has been able to confirm many of Donaldson’s stats that cement him as one of the greatest pitchers in the history of Baseball. (You can view all of Gorton’s research here). Donaldson’s career spanned at least 33 years, with him having started playing professional baseball at the age of 17 years old.

Having played from 17 to at least 50, Donaldson was one of the most famous attractions in the Negro Leagues, justly nicknamed “Famous” John Donaldson (MLB). According to Gorton’s research, here are some of Donaldson’s career highlights:

• Struck out 500+ Batters in 3 Consecutive Seasons
• Recorded 5,081 Strikeouts (with over 200 of his starts not having stats listed)
• A pitching record of 121-8 from 1911 to 1913. 
• One of the first players on the legendary Kansas City Monarchs
• Minimum of 14 No Hitters & 2 Perfect Games

3. OF/Manager Vic Harris

Cleveland Tate Stars (1923), Toledo Tigers (1923), Cleveland Browns (1924), Chicago American Giants (1924-1925), Homestead Grays (1925-1933, 1935-1948), Detroit Wolves (1932), Pittsburgh Crawfords (1934), Baltimore Elite Giants (1949), Birmingham Black Barons (1950)

Vic Harris’s 27 year career, much like John Donaldon’s 30+ year career, is widely unaccounted for because of the poor recording keeping of the Negro Leagues. What is known about Harris is his career .303 average and at least 7 Negro League All Star appearances. According to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, “Harris had good speed and was a capable base stealer and feared base runner who thought the basepaths belonged to him. A slashing scrapper, he played to win, and his zealous hustle and aggressiveness often went beyond the bounds of reckless abandon” (Negro Leagues Baseball Museum)

A player manager for the legendary Homestead Grays, Harris played and managed during the Grays most dominant era, referred to as the “Long Gray Line” an era in which the Grays won 9 straight Eastern pennants and the 1943 Negro League World Series. (Negro Leagues Baseball Museum).

The Eras Committee is expected to announce the vote for the “Classic Era Ballot” on December 8th, with the players needing 75% of the vote (12 of 16) in order to be inducted as a part of the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

4. RHP Luis Tiant

Cleveland Indians (1964-1969), Minnesota Twins (1970), Boston Red Sox (1971-1978), New York Yankees (1979-1980), Pittsburgh Pirates (1981), California Angels (1982)

“El Tiante” was one of the Cuba’s greatest baseball players. His career 3.30 ERA and 229 Wins are not as well remembered as his unique pitching style. However, at his prime, Tiant was one of, if not the best pitchers in Baseball. Twice he led the American League in ERA, but never won the Cy Young Award. While arguments could be made in both seasons, Tiant’s 1968 innings pitched total of 258.1 (which is already unfathomable by today’s measured) was fewer than 1968 Cy Young winner Denny McLain’s 336 innings. Likewise, his 1.91 ERA over 179 innings pitched in 1972 was nearly doubled by 1972 Cy Young winner Gaylord Perry.

Tiant’s 1975 postseason run cemented him as one of the all-time greats, pitching three complete games in the Boston Red Sox’ fall to the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. Despite putting up great seasons, Tiant raised his career ERA nearly 40 points from 2.93 to 3.30 in his later career, after posing a 3.89 ERA in his final eight seasons as a major leaguer.

5. OF Dave Parker:

Pittsburgh Pirates (1973-1983), Cincinnati Reds (1984-1987), Oakland Athletics (1988-1989), Milwaukee Brewers (1990), California Angels (1991), Toronto Blue Jays (1991)

Dave Parker is a 7-time All Star, 2-time World Series winner, 2-time batting title winner, and the 1978 National League’s Most Valuable Player. One of the most feared players of his time, Parker’s 19 year career was not enough to see him be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame while he was eligible on the writer’s ballot. Many contribute this to the “Pittsburgh Drug Trials” an event that saw multiple members of the Pittsburgh Pirates–including Parker, be called to testify against the Philadelphia clubhouse attendant who was charged with 16 counts of distributing cocaine. (Palm Beach Post).

While off the field issues steered writers away from voting for Parker, the 1978 MVP’s on the field talent cemented him as a legend of the 1970s and 1980s. The outfielder finished inside the Top-5 of MVP voting on 4 occasions outside of his 1978 win. With Parker being affected by Parkinson’s Disease, the Era’s Committee might be more willing to induct Parker, and give him his place amongst the immortals of baseball.

6. LHP Tommy John

Cleveland Indians (1963-1964), Chicago White Sox (1965-1971), Los Angeles Dodgers (1972-1978), New York Yankees (1979-1982, 1986-1989), California Angels (1982-1985), Oakland Athletics (1985)

Tommy John’s legacy might be the groundbreaking elbow surgery that was named after him. As the first recipient of the surgery to repair a torn UCL, John went on to pitch another 13 years before retiring at the age of 46. An electric pitcher before elbow surgery, Tommy John was only a one time all-star before 1975, despite pitching a 2.97 ERA, including 4 sub-3.00 ERA seasons outside of his 1968 All-Star Appearance.

The left-handed pitcher had his best four year stint post his namesake surgery, with 3 consecutive All-Star appearances from 1978-1980, and 3 top-five finishes in the Cy Young Award voting. While Tommy John’s career numbers are largely inflated to the longevity of his career, John’s historical significance to the game of baseball is his biggest attribute towards becoming the next Hall of Famer.

7. 1B/3B Steve Garvey 

Los Angeles Dodgers (1969-1982) San Diego Padres (1983-1987)

Steve Garvey broke out in 1974, founding his power stroke after 4 seasons of having an increasing role in the Los Angeles Dodgers teams of the early 70s. With 21 home runs in 1974, Garvey cemented his spot as an impact player for the Dodgers, finishing his season as the league MVP. While Garvey benefitted from being a top performer on the league’s best team in 1974, the 1968 First Round pick was consistent over the remainder of his time with the Dodgers, hitting .306, recording over 1700 hits and leading the league in hits twice.

After winning the 1981 World Series with Los Angeles, Garvey played one more season in Los Angeles before moving further south to San Diego. Garvey would continue to play well and playing in his 10th and final All-Star game in 1985. Garvey played the most games out of any major leaguer on 6 separate occasions.

8. 3B/CF Ken Boyer

St Louis Cardinals (1955-1965), New York Mets (1966-1967), Chicago White Sox (1967-1968), Los Angeles Dodgers (1968-1969)

Ten years before Steve Garvey won his Most Valuable Player award after being the biggest producer on the best team in baseball, Ken Boyer won the 1964 Most Valuable Player after leading the Cardinals to a National League pennant. The case for that Most Valuable Player award came from Boyer leading the MLB in Runs Batted In. Undoubtedly the highlight of his career, Boyer would lead the Cardinals to be 1964 World Series champions in his only playoff appearance.

While stats from the 50s and 60s don’t translate as well with the advanced metrics that exist in the modern game, Boyer was labeled as one of the best defenders in baseball during his prime. A 5 time gold glove award winner, Boyer’s prime years saw him be named an 11-time All-Star and his number 14 is retired by the Cardinals.