We’ll know the latest additions to the Hall of Fame on Wednesday. 37 names on the ballot, of which maybe one or two will be enshrined a few months from now. But what about their teammates? Most of those brothers in arms (and bats and gloves) won’t sniff the Hall. Are there any who will be able to say “I played with him”?
Thanks to Baseball Reference’s “Oracle of Baseball” its relatively easy to determine the guys who were at one time or another teammates of those on the ballot (or anyone in the Majors for that matter).
I put each of the 37 balloted names through the Oracle, and it produced the following:
- The players on the ballot had a combined 4,654 unique teammates (roughly 1/4 of everyone who has ever played the game).
- David Wells was a teammate to 20 players on this year’s ballot, the most of any “teammate” (more on him later).
- 1,215 of the 4,654 teammates could be connected to only one of the 37 names on the ballot.
- 30 of the teammates were themselves elected to the Hall: Andre Dawson, Barry Larkin, Bert Blyleven, Bruce Sutter, Cal Ripken, Carlton Fisk, Dave Winfield, Dennis Eckersley, Eddie Murray, Fergie Jenkins, Gary Carter, Gaylord Perry, George Brett, Jim Rice, Kirby Puckett, Mike Schmidt, Nolan Ryan, Ozzie Smith, Paul Molitor, Phil Niekro, Reggie Jackson, Rich Gossage, Rickey Henderson, Roberto Alomar, Ryne Sandberg, Steve Carlton, Tom Seaver, Tony Gwynn, Tony Perez and Wade Boggs.
- Roger Clemens, with his record seven Cy Young Awards, had 511 teammates. Coincidentally, 511 is of course the total wins in Cy Young‘s career.
Four men played with at least half of the names on this year’s ballot (hint: it helped if you moved from team to team throughout a hopefully long career yourself):
20 names
David Wells played with: Alan Trammell, Bernie Williams, Curt Schilling, Fred McGriff, Jack Morris, Jeff Cirillo, Mike Piazza, Mike Stanton, Rafael Palmeiro, Reggie Sanders, Roberto Hernandez, Roger Clemens, Rondell White, Royce Clayton, Ryan Klesko, Sandy Alomar, Shawn Green, Tim Raines, Todd Walker, Woody Williams
19 names:
David Weathers played with: Bernie Williams, Craig Biggio, David Wells, Fred McGriff, Jack Morris, Jeff Bagwell, Jeff Cirillo, Jeff Conine, Jose Mesa, Julio Franco, Mike Piazza, Mike Stanton, Reggie Sanders, Roger Clemens, Rondell White, Royce Clayton, Sammy Sosa, Sandy Alomar, Tim Raines
Julian Taverez played with: Barry Bonds, Curt Schilling, David Wells, Fred McGriff, Jack Morris, Jeff Cirillo, Jose Mesa, Julio Franco, Kenny Lofton, Larry Walker, Reggie Sanders, Roberto Hernandez, Rondell White, Royce Clayton, Sammy Sosa, Sandy Alomar, Tim Raines, Todd Walker, Woody Williams
Ruben Sierra played with: Alan Trammell, Bernie Williams, David Wells, Don Mattingly, Edgar Martinez, Jeff Cirillo, Julio Franco, Kenny Lofton, Mark McGwire, Mike Stanton, Rafael Palmeiro, Reggie Sanders, Roger Clemens, Rondell White, Royce Clayton, Sammy Sosa, Shawn Green, Tim Raines, Woody Williams
