St. Louis Cardinals hero and Baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith is part of the Contemporary Baseball Eras Committee panel that will assist decide the Hall of Fame fate of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Dale Murphy and others this weekend.
After missing out on the Hall of Fame for 10 years on the standard vote, those three, plus Carlos Delgado, Gary Sheffield, Fernando Valenzuela, Jeff Kent, and Don Mattingly will have a chance to make the Hall of Fame through this method. The induction ceremony is scheduled for July of next year, and the vote is on Sunday.
Valenzuela was a brief member of the Cardinals.
The Ozzie Smith file
Smith, one of the best defenders in baseball history, played for the San Diego Padres and Cardinals for 19 years in the major leagues. He was a 15-time All-Star, a 13-time Gold Glover, a Silver Slugger, a 1982 World Champion, and the recipient of the Clemente Award.
A career . Despite being a 262 hitter, he only hit 28 home runs while scoring 793. Over his career, he stole 580 bases, including five seasons with 40 or more. He had 57 with the Cardinals in 1988. He made the All-Star squad each year from 1981-92.
In 2002, he was admitted into the Hall of Fame.
About the Contemporary Baseball Era Ballot:
The following comes from the Baseball Hall of Fame:
The Era Committees consist of three different electorates: The Classic Baseball Era, comprising of the era previous to 1980 and encompassing Negro Leagues and pre-Negro Leagues heroes; and the Contemporary Baseball Era, consisting of the period from 1980 to present day. The Contemporary Baseball Era is separated into two separate ballots – one vote to evaluate solely players who made their biggest effect on the game since 1980, and another composite ballot consisting of managers, executives and umpires whose greatest contributions to the game have come since 1980.
This ‘Era’ is up for induction in 2026, and then not again until 2029, since the Eras rotate in terms of eligibility.
need to receive 12-of-16 votes (75 percent) in order to receive entry to the Hall of Fame.
About Valenzuela
He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, California Angels, San Diego Padres, and Cardinals during his 17-year career in the major leagues, concluding with St. Louis in 1997. In total, he was 173-153 with a 3.54 ERA and he helped inspire “Fernando Mania” in 1980. He won double-digit games in 10 separate seasons, and won 21 games in an All-Star season of 1986. In addition to winning the 1981 World Series with Los Angeles, he also won a Gold Glove Award, a Cy Young Award, and six All-Star Game appearances.
He was a Rookie of the Year and a two-time Silver Slugger at the plate.
Valenzuela was no longer the same with the Cardinals in that 1997 season, going 0-4 in just five starts with a 5.56 ERA. Regardless of how he concluded, his impact on the game, and on the Latin community, is unmistakable.
