Eckersley, Molitor gain baseball immortality

NEW YORK -- Paul Molitor and Dennis Eckersley were elected to baseball's Hall of Fame on Tuesday in their first year of eligibility.

Molitor was picked on 431 of 506 ballots (85.2 percent) cast by reporters who have been members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America for 10 or more years. Eckersley was selected on 421 ballots (83.2 percent).

To gain election, a player must be chosen by at least 75 percent of the voters (380).

Molitor was with family and friends in Minneapolis when he got a telephone call with the good news.

"There was a huge sigh of relief on my part," Molitor said. "The room kind of erupted with some screaming and applause. It was pretty emotional. I don't think it's one of those moments you can really plan for."

Second baseman Ryne Sandberg was third with 309 votes, 61.1 percent, up from 49.2 last year. He was followed by Jim Rice (276), Andre Dawson (253), Rich Gossage (206), Lee Smith (185) and Bert Blyleven (179).

Pete Rose, ineligible for the ballot because of his lifetime ban, received 15 write-in votes, three fewer than last year. Rose, who admits in his soon-to-be-released autobiography that he bet on the Cincinnati Reds while managing them, must be reinstated by December 2005 to appear on the BBWAA ballot.

Fifteen players will be dropped from next year's ballot because they failed to draw at least 5 percent of the votes. That group includes first baseman Keith Hernandez (22 votes), who was on the ballot for nine years, and pitcher Fernando Valenzuela (19), who was on for two.

With quick wrists and smarts at the plate, Molitor ranks eighth on the career list with 3,319 hits. He batted .306 with 1,782 runs and 1,307 RBIs in 21 seasons for Milwaukee (1978-92), Toronto (1993-95) and Minnesota (1996-98).

A seven-time All-Star, Molitor was the MVP of the 1993 World Series for the Blue Jays. He hit .418 in his two World Series appearances, and will begin his first season as batting coach for Seattle this year.

A third reliever

Eckersley joins Hoyt Wilhelm and Rollie Fingers as the only pitchers who were primarily relievers elected to the Hall by the BBWAA. Wilhelm got the call in 1985, Fingers in '92.

Eckersley is third on the career saves list with 390, trailing Lee Smith and John Franco. Relying on pinpoint control, he was the most effective reliever in baseball from 1988-92, helping the Athletics win four division titles and one World Series.

He won the AL MVP and Cy Young Awards in 1992 with one of the greatest seasons by a reliever, going 7-1 with 51 saves and a 1.91 ERA.

But what sets Eckersley apart from other relievers is the early success he had as a starter before switching to closer.

The six-time All-Star won 20 games for Boston in 1978 and even threw a no-hitter for Cleveland in 1977. He finished with 197 wins and 1,071 appearances in a 24-year career.

Induction ceremonies are July 25 in Cooperstown, N.Y.