EWB Sports Hall of Fame Discussion Thread

[sahyder1]

A maximum of 3 will be inducted each month. This thread will be updated in the future as I get more ideas from people as to how best to present this. In the mean time here is the original class.

Class of January 2009

Class of February 2009

Edited March 23, 2009 by sahyder1

[sahyder1]

Michael Jordan

Full Name: Michael Jeffrey Jordan

Nickname: Air Jordan

Date of Birth: 2/17/1963

Total Votes: 21

Points: 105

First Place Votes: 6

Our first inductee is a run away winner for the top spot in this original class of the EWB Sports Hall of Fame. Appearing on 21 (56.76%) of the 37 ballots cast, Jordan received a total of 98 points. The full voting breakdown can be found below.

Few can argue against the man’s greatness. He retired as 3rd (behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone) on the all time scoring list with a whopping 32,292 points. Had he not gone away to play baseball for 2 years in the prime of his career he would definitely be 2nd on the list. He is one of only 2 men in history to average more then 30 points a game and his 30.12 per game is #1 on the all-time list. He is a 5 time MVP and a 10 time All-NBA first team selection. While it is brilliance with the ball that everyone remembers he had a record 9 NBA All-Defensive First team selections. Michael Jordan is also a 14 time all-star (started all but one).

While his regular season numbers are great, in the playoffs he just took them to another level averaging 33.4 points (NBA record), 5.7 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game. He led the Chicago Bulls to 6 NBA titles (1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1997-98) and was the finals MVP each time. He’s a two time Olympic gold medalist (1984 and 1992). In 1996 for its 50th anniversary the NBA named its top 50 players of all time, Jordan of course was on it. Michael is on a short list of superstars that won a NCAA title (1982), an Olympic gold medal (1984 and 1992) and a NBA Championship (1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1997-98). Had he not returned to play for the Wizards he already would be a member of the Hall of Fame but with the NBA requirement of being out of the game for 5 years that day is coming soon.

Career Highlights:

Spoiler: Click here to view

• Five-time NBA Most Valuable Player (1987-88, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 1997-98)

• Ten-time All-NBA First Team selection (1986-87 to 1992-93, 1995-96 to 1997-98)

• Selected in 1996 as one of the "50 Greatest Players in NBA History"

• A member of six Chicago Bulls NBA championship teams (1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1997-98)

• Six-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player

• The 1987-88 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and record nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection (1987-88 to 1992-93, 1995-96 to 1997-98)

• Entering 2002-03, ranked first in NBA history in scoring average (31.0 ppg), second in steals (2,391), fourth in points (30,652) and in field-goals made (11,513), fifth in free-throws made (7,061), sixth in field-goals attempted (23,010) and eighth in free-throws attempted (8,448)

• Closed the 1997-98 season as the Bulls' all-time franchise leader in points, rebounds (5,836), assists (5,012), steals, games (930), field-goals made and attempted and free-throws made and attempted (8,115)

• Holds the NBA record for most seasons leading the league in scoring (10)

• Shares the NBA record with Wilt Chamberlain for most consecutive seasons leading the league in scoring (seven, 1986-87 to 1992-93)

• Holds the NBA record for most consecutive games scoring in double-digits (842)

• Holds the NBA record for most seasons leading the league in field-goals made (10) and attempted (10)

• Led the NBA in steals in 1987-88 (3.16 spg), 1989-90 (2.77 spg) and 1992-93 (2.83 spg)

• Holds the NBA single-game records for most free-throws made in one half (20 against the Miami Heat on 12/30/92) and most most free-throws attempted in one half (23 in the same game)

• Shares the NBA single-game records for most free-throws made in one quarter (14 against the Utah Jazz on 11/15/89 and against the Miami Heat on 12/30/92) and most free-throws attempted in one quarter (23 against the Miami Heat on 12/30/92)

• Holds the NBA Finals record for highest single-series scoring average (41.0 ppg in 1993)

• Entering the 2002-03 season, ranks as the all-time NBA Finals leader in three-pointers made (42), second in three-point attempts (114), third in points (1,176), fourth in steals (62), fifth in field-goals made (438), sixth in assists (209) and free-throws made (258), seventh in field-goals attempted (911) and eighth in free-throws attempted (320)

• Holds the NBA Playoffs record for highest career scoring average (33.4 ppg)

• Established an NBA Playoffs record with 63 points against the Boston Celtics on 5/20/86

• Entering the 2002-03 season ranks as the all-time NBA Playoffs leader in field-goals attempted (4,497), free-throws made (1,463) and attempted (1,766), second in steals (376) and field-goals made (2,188), fifth in assists (1,022), seventh in three-point attempts (446) and ninth in three-pointers made (148)

• Recorded two playoff career triple-doubles, both against the New York Knicks (5/9/89 and 6/2/93)

• Participated in 13 NBA All-Star Games (1985, 1987-1993, 1996-98, 2002-03), starting 13 times, and missed another due to injury

• Named the MVP of the 1988, 1996 and 1998 NBA All-Star Games

• All-time NBA All-Star Game leader in steals (35) and ranks second in field-goal attempts (206), third in points (242), fourth in scoring average (20.2 ppg), and eighth in assists (52)

• Notched the first triple-double in All-Star Game history, with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, in the 1997 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland

• Won the Slam Dunk Contest in 1987 and 1988, also participating in 1985

• Notched his 28th career triple-double, with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, against the Toronto Raptors on 4/14/97

• Returned from retirement against the Indiana Pacers on 3/19/95 and posted 19 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals in 43 minutes

Awards:

Spoiler: Click here to view

1981 McDonald's All American

1983-84 NCAA AP Player of the Year

1983-84 NCAA John R. Wooden Award

1983-84 NCAA Naismith Men's College Player of the Year Award

1984-85 NBA Rookie of the Year

1987-88 NBA All-Star Game MVP

1987-88 NBA Defensive Player of the Year

1987-88 NBA MVP

1990-91 NBA Finals MVP

1990-91 NBA MVP

1991-92 NBA Finals MVP

1991-92 NBA MVP

1992-93 NBA Finals MVP

1995-96 NBA All-Star Game MVP

1995-96 NBA Finals MVP

1995-96 NBA MVP

1996-97 NBA Finals MVP

1997-98 NBA All-Star Game MVP

1997-98 NBA Finals MVP

1997-98 NBA MVP

Other Honors:

Spoiler: Click here to view

1982-83 NCAA AP All-America (1st team)

1983-84 NCAA AP All-America (1st team)

1984-85 NBA All-NBA (2nd team)

1984-85 NBA All-Rookie (1st team)

1986-87 NBA All-NBA (1st team)

1987-88 NBA All-Defensive (1st team)

1987-88 NBA All-NBA (1st team)

1988-89 NBA All-Defensive (1st team)

1988-89 NBA All-NBA (1st team)

1989-90 NBA All-Defensive (1st team)

1989-90 NBA All-NBA (1st team)

1990-91 NBA All-Defensive (1st team)

1990-91 NBA All-NBA (1st team)

1991-92 NBA All-Defensive (1st team)

1991-92 NBA All-NBA (1st team)

1992-93 NBA All-Defensive (1st team)

1992-93 NBA All-NBA (1st team)

1995-96 NBA All-Defensive (1st team)

1995-96 NBA All-NBA (1st team)

1996-97 NBA All-Defensive (1st team)

1996-97 NBA All-NBA (1st team)

1997-98 NBA All-Defensive (1st team)

1997-98 NBA All-NBA (1st team)

Voting Summary:

Jordan appeared on 21 of the 37 ballots cast. His 105 points easily make him the top inductee in this original ballot. Jordan received the most first place votes at 6. With there being 37 voters the most points anyone could’ve got was 370, Jordan received 105 an impressive 28.38%.

Muhammad Ali

Full Name: Muhammad Ali

Nickname: The Greatest, The Champ, The Louisville Lip

Date of Birth: 1/17/1942

Total Votes: 14

Points: 75

First Place Votes: 5

Muhammad Ali transcended sports in the US at a key time in this country’s history. Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., Ali emerged as not just an athletic figure but a political figure when racism was rampant.

In his 61 fights Ali amassed a record of 56-5 with 37 of his wins coming via a knock out. Ali won the heavyweight championship 3 times despite having 3.5 years taken from him in the prime of his career when he refused to be drafted into the US Army for the Vietnam War, a war he didn’t believe in. Ali just may be the most quoted athlete of all time. He was quoted as saying” I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong ... They never called me nigger." His refusal to serve in that war was another positive step towards civil rights in the US. A gold medalist at the 1960 Olympics, Ali reportedly threw away his medal when he returned home and was refused entrance into a restaurant because of his skin color. He did get a replacement many years later during the 1996 Olympics.

His legacy was cemented long before his retirement but even now he is larger then life. He is not on the top of everyone’s list as far as boxers are concerned but there is little argument that his legacy is recognized by all. He is one of only 3 boxers to be named “Sportsman of the Year” by Sports Illustrated and in 1997 ESPN made him a recipient of the “Arthur Ashe Courage Award.” In 1999 BBC named him the Sports Personality of the Century. In 2005 Ali, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the US.

Ali was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.

Voting Summary:Actually averaged more points per ballot then Jordan but appeared on 7 less ballots. Made a late surge to finish 2nd. Next to Jordan, Ali was the only other candidate receiving at least 20% (20.27%) of the points.

Wayne Gretzky

Full Name: Wayne Douglas Gretzky

Nickname: The Great One

Date of Birth: 1/26/1961

Total Votes: 13

Points: 63

First Place Votes: 3

While you can make arguments for who the greatest to ever play a sport is in pretty much any sport, in hockey there is little argument. Wayne Gretzky completely changed the game. He is one of only 2 men in North American sports history to have their jersey retired throughout the league.

Wayne dominated the game from the get go scoring 50+ goals in each of his first 8 seasons in the NHL. Just how dominant was Wayne throughout his career? He ended his NHL career with almost a hundred more goals then any other player in history. He recorded over 700 more assists then any other player in league history and had an eye popping 970 points more then any other player in league history. He led the league in points 11 times including 8 straight at one point. Gretzky is a 9 time Hart Trophy winner as the MVP of the league including a stretch of 8 in a row. Wayne has 10 of the 11 highest single season point totals in league history. There have been 13 instances when a man has had 100 assists or more in a season, Wayne has 11 of them.

Upon his retirement in 1999, Gretzky became the 10th and final player to have the waiting period waived for his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Awards:

Spoiler: Click here to view

1979-80 NHL Hart Memorial Trophy

1979-80 NHL Lady Byng Memorial Trophy

1980-81 NHL Art Ross Trophy

1980-81 NHL Hart Memorial Trophy

1981-82 NHL Art Ross Trophy

1981-82 NHL Hart Memorial Trophy

1981-82 NHL Lester B. Pearson Award

1982-83 NHL Art Ross Trophy

1982-83 NHL Hart Memorial Trophy

1982-83 NHL Lester B. Pearson Award

1983-84 NHL Art Ross Trophy

1983-84 NHL Hart Memorial Trophy

1983-84 NHL Lester B. Pearson Award

1984-85 NHL Art Ross Trophy

1984-85 NHL Conn Smythe Trophy

1984-85 NHL Hart Memorial Trophy

1984-85 NHL Lester B. Pearson Award

1985-86 NHL Art Ross Trophy

1985-86 NHL Hart Memorial Trophy

1986-87 NHL Art Ross Trophy

1986-87 NHL Hart Memorial Trophy

1986-87 NHL Lester B. Pearson Award

1987-88 NHL Conn Smythe Trophy

1988-89 NHL Hart Memorial Trophy

1989-90 NHL Art Ross Trophy

1990-91 NHL Art Ross Trophy

1990-91 NHL Lady Byng Memorial Trophy

1991-92 NHL Lady Byng Memorial Trophy

1993-94 NHL Art Ross Trophy

1993-94 NHL Lady Byng Memorial Trophy

1998-99 NHL Lady Byng Memorial Trophy

Other Honors

Spoiler: Click here to view

1979-80 NHL NHL All-Star Team (2nd)

1980-81 NHL NHL All-Star Team (1st)

1981-82 NHL NHL All-Star Team (1st)

1982-83 NHL NHL All-Star Team (1st)

1983-84 NHL NHL All-Star Team (1st)

1984-85 NHL NHL All-Star Team (1st)

1985-86 NHL NHL All-Star Team (1st)

1986-87 NHL NHL All-Star Team (1st)

1987-88 NHL NHL All-Star Team (2nd)

1988-89 NHL NHL All-Star Team (2nd)

1989-90 NHL NHL All-Star Team (2nd)

1990-91 NHL NHL All-Star Team (1st)

1993-94 NHL NHL All-Star Team (2nd)

1996-97 NHL NHL All-Star Team (2nd)

1997-98 NHL NHL All-Star Team (2nd)

Voting Summary:

Actually appeared on the same number of ballots as the 4th place candidate but edged him out based on points. Wayne appeared on 13 ballots (35.14%) taking 63 points (17.03%).

The full voting breakdown is attached. Here are some stats that stick out:

Spoiler: Click here to view

*Only one female got a vote

*Only 3 coaches got a vote

*About 2/3 of the nominees were North Americans

*20 different individuals got at least one first place vote

*78 different individuals got at least one vote

*Only 4 guys appeared on more then 25% of the ballots

*Michael Jordan was the only one to appear on more then 50% of the ballots

*The top 5 finishers were each from a different sport

[sahyder1]

Pele

Full Name: Edison Arantes do Nascimento

Nickname: "The King of Football"

Date of Birth: 10/23/1940

Total Votes: 12

Points: 70

First Place Votes: 4

In a career that included 4 World Cup appearances and 3 World Cup titles, Pele put together one of if not the greatest soccer careers of all time. His career was in its infancy in the 1958 World Cup when he put himself on the map worldwide scoring a hat-trick in the semis and then going on to score two more goals in the final. He pretty much never looked back after that. He went on to score 77 international goals (placing him 3rd on the all time list) with 12 (4th all time) of them coming in the World Cup. In 1994 when FIFA announced its all time World Cup, Pele was one of the 3 forwards named to the team. His 1,283 first class goals are recognized by FIFA as the most ever by anyone in the world. He first retired in 1972 before making a brief comeback in the start up North American Soccer League.

Career Achievement:

Spoiler: Click here to view

* FIFA World Cup Golden Ball (Best Player):

o Winner (1): 1970

* Athlete of the Century, elected by world wide journalists, poll by French daily L'Equipe: 1981

* Athlete of the Century, elected by International Olympic Committee: 1999

* Athlete of the Century, by Reuters News Agency: 1999

* UNICEF Football Player of the Century: 1999

* FIFA Player of the Century : 2000

In December 2000, Pelé and Maradona shared the prize of FIFA Player of the Century by FIFA. The award was originally intended to be based upon votes in a web poll, but after it became apparent that it favoured Diego Maradona, many observers complained that the Internet nature of the poll would have meant a skewed demographic of younger fans who would have seen Maradona play, but not Pelé. FIFA then appointed a "Family of Football" committee of FIFA members to decide the winner of the award. The committee chose Pelé. Since Maradona was winning the Internet poll, however, it was decided he and Pelé should share the award.

* Football Player of the Century, elected by France Football's Golden Ball Winners : 1999

* Football Player of the Century, by IFFHS International Federation of Football History and Statistics: 1999

* South America Football Player of the Century, by IFFHS International Federation of Football History and Statistics: 1999

* Laureus World Sports Awards Lifetime Achievement Award from South African President Nelson Mandela: 2000

A consensus of media and expert polls rank Pelé as the greatest footballer of all time.[31]

* BBC Sports Personality of the Year Overseas Personality:

o Winner (1): 1970

* BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award:

o Winner (1): 2005

Voting Summary:

Pele appeared on 12 of the 33 ballots cast. His 70 points easily make him the top inductee on this second ballot. Pele was one of two men to receive 4 first place votes on this 2nd ballot. He received the same amount of votes as Wayne Gretzky but was beat out on points.

Babe Ruth

Full Name: George Herman Ruth Jr.

Nickname: "Babe", "The Bambino", and "The Sultan of Swat"

Date of Birth: 2/6/1895

Total Votes: 8

Points: 49

First Place Votes: 4

Babe Ruth dominated his sport like few had before him. A lot of people aren't aware that he was a pretty good pitcher before he became the most feared hitter in the sport. In 1921 he his 162nd Home Run....which at the time made him the all time Home Run leader. He would go on to hit 714, a mark which stood until Hank Aaron broke it in 1974. While his power hitting numbers are astonishing his career batting average is equally remarkable at .342 a mark that is really tough for power hitters to touch. He played in a stadium catered for a swing like his with a short porch in right field that was perfect for a left handed power hitter. He is an athlete who came across at just the right time. He lived a lifestyle which in today's media world probably would have brought a lot of negative attention to the team and maybe even serve as a distraction.

He was inducted inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936

His presence in baseball goes well beyond his great hitting numbers. Nothing has fueled the greatest rivalry in sports like the "Curse of the Bambino." It is alleged that his sale from the Red Sox to the Yankees created a curse on the team that wouldn't come off for 86 years. The Red Sox won a championship in 1918 but would not give Ruth a pay raise. He orchestrated a sale to the New York Yankees for $100,000 in a move that is safe to say was the worst transactions in sports if not all of business. While Ruth went on to win 4 more World Series titles the Red Sox would not win their next title until 2004. Even though the talk of curse didn't hit mainstream until 1986 its origins some would argue have been there for a long time.

Brief history:

Spoiler: Click here to view

* In 1946, the Red Sox appeared in their first World Series since the sale of Babe Ruth, and were favored to beat the St. Louis Cardinals. The series went to a seventh game at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. In the bottom of the eighth inning, with the score tied at 3-3, the Cardinals had Enos Slaughter on first base and Harry Walker at the plate. On a hit and run, Walker hit a double to very short left-center field. Slaughter ran through the third base coach's stop sign and beat Boston shortstop Johnny Pesky's relay throw to home plate. Some say Pesky hesitated on the throw, allowing Slaughter to score, but Pesky has always denied this charge. Film footage is inconclusive, except that it shows Pesky in bright sunlight and Slaughter in shadow. Boston star Ted Williams, playing with an injury, was largely ineffective at bat in the Series.

* In 1948, the Red Sox finished the regular season tied for first place, only to lose the pennant to the Cleveland Indians in the major leagues' first-ever one-game playoff.

* In 1949, the Red Sox needed to win just one of the last two games of the season to win the pennant, but lost both games to the Yankees, who would go on to win a record five consecutive World Series from 1949 to 1953.

* In 1967, the Red Sox surprisingly reversed the awful results of the 1966 season by winning the American League pennant on the last weekend of the season. In the World Series, they once again faced the Cardinals, and just as in 1946, the Series went to a seventh game. St. Louis won the deciding contest 7-2 behind their best pitcher Bob Gibson; Gibson defeated Boston ace Jim Lonborg, who was pitching on short rest and was ineffective. Gibson even hit a home run off Lonborg in the game.

* In 1972, the Red Sox lost the division title to the Detroit Tigers by a half-game. The season began with a 13-day strike that resulted in some teams playing up to nine fewer games that season. Additionally, the Red Sox lost a game when it was rained out and the decision was made not to replay it. In the second-to-last game of the season, they lost to the Tigers, 3-1, after a potential run was lost when Luis Aparicio slipped rounding third.

* In 1975, the Red Sox won the pennant and met the dynastic Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. The Red Sox won Game 6 on a famous walk-off home run by catcher Carlton Fisk, setting the stage for the deciding Game 7. Boston took a quick 3-0 lead, but the Reds tied the game. In the top of the ninth, the Reds brought in the go-ahead run on a Joe Morgan single that scored Ken Griffey, Sr., winning what is regarded as one of the greatest World Series ever played.

* In 1978, the Red Sox held a 14-game lead in the American League East over the Yankees on July 18. However, the Yankees subsequently caught fire, eventually tying Boston atop the standings on September 10 after sweeping a four-game series at Fenway Park, an event known to Red Sox fans as the "Boston Massacre." Six days later, the Yankees held a 3½ game lead over the Red Sox, but the Sox won 12 of their next 14 games to overcome that deficit and force a one-game playoff on October 2 at Fenway Park. The memorable moment of the game came when light-hitting Yankee shortstop Bucky Dent cracked a three-run home run in the seventh inning that hit the top of the left field wall (the Green Monster) and skipped out of the park, giving New York a 3-2 lead. The Yankees held on to win the playoff game 5-4, then defeated the Kansas City Royals in the ALCS and won their second straight World Series over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

* In Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, Boston (leading the series three games to two) took a 5-3 lead in the top of the 10th inning. In the bottom half of the frame, Red Sox reliever Calvin Schiraldi quickly retired the first two batters, putting the team within one out of winning the World Series. However, the New York Mets scored three unanswered runs, tying the game on a wild pitch from Bob Stanley and winning it when Boston first baseman Bill Buckner allowed a ground ball to roll through his legs, hit by the Mets' Mookie Wilson, scoring Ray Knight from second base. In the seventh game, the Red Sox took an early 3-0 lead, only to blow it and lose 8-5. The collapses in the last two games prompted Vecsey's articles. As it has turned out, this would be the most recent time that the Red Sox lost even a World Series game.

* In 1988 and 1990, the Red Sox advanced to the American League Championship Series, only to suffer four-game sweeps both times at the hands of the Oakland Athletics. They were also swept by the Cleveland Indians in the 1995 and 1998 AL Division Series, and were defeated by the Yankees four games to one in the 1999 ALCS.

* In 2003, the Red Sox were playing the Yankees in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. Boston held a 5-2 lead in the eighth inning, and manager Grady Little opted to stay with starting pitcher Pedro Martínez rather than go to the bullpen. New York rallied off the tired Martínez, scoring three runs off a single and three doubles to tie the game. In the bottom of the 11th inning, Aaron Boone launched a solo home run off knuckleballing Boston starter Tim Wakefield (pitching in relief) to win the game and the pennant for the Yankees.

While some are obvious stretches, combined with events happening over the course of 86 years they do tend to get lumped in.

Career achievements:

Spoiler: Click here to view

# 2x All-Star selection (1933, 1934)

# 7x World Series champion (1915, 1916, 1918, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1932)

# 1923 AL MVP

# First player to hit 30, 40, 50 and 60 home runs in a season

All-time ranks:

Spoiler: Click here to view

* 3rd on all-time home run list with 714

* 10th on all-time batting average list with .342

* 2nd on all-time RBI list with 2,217

* 1st on all-time slugging % with 0.690

* 2nd on all-time on-base % list with .474

* 1st on all-time OPS with 1.164

* 4th on all-time runs list with 2,174

* 6th on all-time total bases list with 5,793

* 3rd on all-time bases on balls list with 2,062

Voting Summary:

Ruth received 4 first place votes. He finished 5th on the original ballot.

Jackie Robinson

Full Name: Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson

Nickname:

Date of Birth: 1/31/1919

Total Votes: 5

Points: 40

First Place Votes: 3

A great player whose off the field achievements shine even brighter then his on the field ones. At the age of 28, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier as the first African-American in MLB history.

Despite the thousands of death threats that he received his career started in the perfect manner winning the Rookie of the Year in 1947 and finishing 5th in MVP voting. While his career was not long because of the obvious late starts he did make 6 World Series appearances in his 10 years playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson scored more than 100 runs in six of his ten seasons and had a .311 career batting average, a .409 career on-base percentage, and substantially more walks (740) than strikeouts (291).

He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot and in 1997 to mark the 50th anniversary of his debut his #42 was retired throughout the MLB. It was the first time a major North American sports league had taken such an action.

Career Highlights:

Spoiler: Click here to view

Career highlights and awards

* Negro League All-Star selection (1945)[1]

* 6x All-Star selection (1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954)

* World Series champion (1955)

* 1947 NL Rookie of the Year

* 1949 NL MVP

Voting Summary:

Jackie Robinson received 3 first place votes. He finished 3rd on this ballot securing a spot into the EWB Sports HOF despite finishing 14th on the first ballot.

[NobBe Nobbs]

At the age of 28, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier as the first African-American in MLB history.

[citation needed]

[DMN in the House]

Professional baseball does not equal MLB, Be.

[NobBe Nobbs]

Probably, but why does it credit him as playing in Major League Baseball if that's not the case?

[DMN in the House]

Probably because those were one of the 'Major Leagues' of the time, but the current MLB is the National League (which was around, but he did not play in), and the American League. Nevermind the fact that it would probably be better wording to say that Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the 'modern era' anyway.

[NobBe Nobbs]

Probably because those were one of the 'Major Leagues' of the time, but the current MLB is the National League (which was around, but he did not play in), and the American League. Nevermind the fact that it would probably be better wording to say that Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the 'modern era' anyway.

Oh, I see, it was MLB in the technical sense but not the spirit. I don't actually know the second thing about baseball (the first thing being that Reggie Jackson was fantastic).