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Seattle Mariners’ Ken Griffey Jr. hit a solo home run on a pitch from Texas Rangers’ Tommy Hunter during the fourth inning in Seattle in Oct. 2009. (AP Photo/John Froschauer, File)
NEW YORK » Ken Griffey Jr. has been elected to the baseball Hall of Fame with the highest voting percentage ever, and Mike Piazza also is headed to Cooperstown.
Jeff Bagwell and Tim Raines fell short in results announced today.
A star slugger of the Steroids Era never tainted by accusations of drug use, Griffey was on 437 of 440 votes in his first appearance on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot. His 99.3 percentage topped Tom Seaver’s 98.84 in 1992.
Piazza, on the ballot for the fourth time, received 365 votes.
A player needs 75 percent to gain election. Bagwell missed by 15 votes and Raines by 23 in totals announced today.
After about 100 writers who no longer are active lost their votes under new rules, there were significant increases for a pair of stars accused of steroids use. Roger Clemens rose to 45 percent and Barry Bonds to 44 percent, both up from about 37 percent last year.
Cheaters
Talking about three who didn’t vote for Jr.?
Three voters didn’t vote for Jr? Their Hall voting privileges should be revoked.
Bet they only vote white.
Wouldn’t it be interesting to find out if these three voted for Piazza?