Baker, Bochy, Maddon and Piniella
among 8 men on Hall of Fame contemporary era committee ballot
[November 03, 2026]
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Retired managers Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy,
Joe Maddon and Lou Piniella are among eight men on the ballot for
the Hall of Fame’s contemporary era committee for managers,
executives and umpires that meets on Dec. 6 at the winter meetings
in San Diego.
Former general managers Sandy Alderson and Brian Sabean also are on
the ballot along with the late Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner and
former player, broadcaster and National League President Bill White,
the Hall announced Monday.
The identities of the 16 voters will be announced closer to the
meeting, and 75% of the vote is needed for election. Anyone chosen
will be inducted into the Hall next July 25 along with players voted
in by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, whose balloting
will be announced on Jan. 19.
Piniella received 11 votes in 2023, when Jim Leyland was elected,
and 11 in 2018, when Harold Baines and Lee Smith were voted by the
today’s game era committee.
The Hall in 2022 restructured its veterans committees for the third
time in 12 years, setting up panels to consider the contemporary
baseball era from 1980 on and classic baseball era from before 1980.
The contemporary baseball era holds separate ballots for players and
another for managers, executives and umpires.
Baker, 77, was a two-time All-Star outfielder who hit .278 with 242
homers and 1,013 RBIs for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta, the
Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants from 1968-86, then
managed the Giants (1993-2002), Chicago Cubs (2003-06), Cincinnati
(2008-13), Washington (2016-17) and Houston (2020-23). He had a
2,183-1,862 regular-season record as manager over 26 seasons,
winning the 2022 World Series title. He was voted Manager of the
Year in 1993, '97 and 2000.
Bochy, 71, caught for the Astros, New York Mets and San Diego from
1978-87, then managed the Padres (1995-2006), the Giants (2007-19)
and Texas (2023-25). He had a 2,252-2,266 regular-season record as
manager over 28 seasons, winning World Series titles in 2010, ‘12,
’14 and '23. He was voted NL Manager of the Year in 1996.
Maddon, 72, managed the Angels (1996, ‘99, 2020-22), Tampa Bay
(2006-14) and Cubs (2015-19), leading the Cubs in 2016 to their
first World Series title since 1908. He had a 1,382-1,216
regular-season record as manager over 19 seasons and won Manager of
the Year awards in 2008, ’11 and '15.
Piniella, 83, was 1969 AL Rookie of the Year and a one-time All-Star
outfielder while hitting .291 with 102 homers and 766 RBIs for
Baltimore, Cleveland, Kansas City and the Yankees from 1964-84. He
managed the Yankees (1986-88), Cincinnati (1990-92), Seattle
(1993-2002), Tampa Bay (2003-05) and the Cubs (2007-10), compiling
an 1,835-1,713 regular-season record over 23 seasons. He won a World
Series title with the Reds in 1990 and was voted Manager of the Year
in 1995, 2001 and '08.
Alderson, who turns 79 on Nov. 22, was Oakland's general manager
from 1983-97, helping the A's win the 1989 World Series title. He
was Major League Baseball's executive vice president for baseball
operations from 1998 to 2005, CEO of the San Diego Padres from
2005-09 and worked for the Mets as general manager from 2010-18 and
as team president from 2020-23.
[to top of second column] |
Dusty Baker attends the Baseball Hall of Fame induction
ceremony in Cooperstown, N.Y., on July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth
Wenig, File)
Sabean, 70, was head coach at the University of
Tampa in 1983 and ’84, then joined the Yankees as a scout. He moved
up to director of scouting in 1986 and vice president of player
development/scouting in 1990, then joined the Giants in 1993 as
assistant to the general manager and vice president of
scouting/player personnel. He was promoted to senior vice president
of player personnel in 1995 and was general manager from 1996-14,
winning three World Series titles. Sabean was the Giants' executive
vice president of baseball operations from 2015-18.
Turner, who died on May 6 at age 87, bought the Braves in 1976 and
led the team until 1996, when Turner Broadcasting System merged with
Time Warner. He was a broadcasting innovator, turning WTBS into a
superstation with national distribution. His Braves won the 1995
World Series title.
White, 92, was an All-Star in five seasons as a first baseman and
occasional outfielder, hitting .286 with 202 homers and 870 RBIs for
the New York and San Francisco Giants, St. Louis and Philadelphia
from 1956-69. He won a World Series title with the 1964 Cardinals,
was a Yankees broadcaster from 1971-88 and NL president from
1989-94.
Each committee meets every three years. Classic baseball meets in
December 2027 and contemporary baseball/players in December 2028.
Managers and umpires were eligible if they had 10 or more big league
seasons and have been retired for five years, though people 65 and
older are eligible six months after retirement. Executives must be
retired for five years, but active executives 70 or older are
eligible.
A candidate who does not receive at least five of the 16 votes is
not eligible for the next ballot of that committee three years
later. A candidate who does not receive at least five of the 16
votes on multiple ballots would no longer be eligible for that
committee.
The ballot was picked by a historical overview committee that
included Adrian Burgos of the University of Illinois, Bob Elliott of
the Canadian Baseball Network, historian Steve Hirdt, La Velle Neal
of the Minnesota Star Tribune, former The Athletic writer David
O’Brien, José de Jesus Ortiz of Our Esquina Media, BBWAA
secretary-treasurer Jack O’Connell, former Fort Worth Star-Telegram
writer Jim Reeves, former San Francisco Chronicle writer Glenn
Schwarz, San Francisco Chronicle writer Susan Slusser and former
Southern California News Group writer Mark Whicker.
Buster Posey, Jon Lester and Ryan Zimmerman are among players
eligible for the BBWAA vote for the first time. Holdovers include
Chase Utley, Andy Pettitte and Félix Hernández.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved
 |
