The Golden Era Committee was one of three 16-member committees appointed by the board of directors of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ("the Hall of Fame") in 2010 to replace the National Baseball Hall of Fame Committee on Baseball Veterans (best known as the Veterans Committee), which had been formed in 1953. All of these committees were established to consider and elect eligible candidates to the Hall of Fame who were not elected via the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) ballot.
The Golden Era Committee considered players no longer eligible for election via BBWAA balloting—along with managers, umpires, and executives—from the 1947 to 1972 era.[1] Half of the committee's 16 members were Hall of Fame inductees, and the balance were baseball executives and media members. A BBWAA-appointed Historical Overview Committee would identify ten candidates for consideration by the Golden Era Committee every three years.
The Golden Era Committee considered nominees in 2011 (selecting Ron Santo) and in 2014 (making no selections). In July 2016, the Hall of Fame announced a restructuring of committees; the Golden Era Committee was superseded by the Golden Days Committee, to consider candidates from 1950 to 1969, beginning in 2021 for induction in 2022.[2]
All candidates receiving votes on at least 75% of ballots cast will earn election.[1]
(Major League Baseball Winter Meeting, December 5, 2011)
The Baseball Hall of Fame officially named this group the "Golden Era Committee", which voted for the first time on December 5, 2011. The Hall of Fame members on the committee were inducted as players except for executive Pat Gillick and Tommy Lasorda who was inducted as a manager.
The Golden Era Committee elected Ron Santo to the National Baseball Hall of Fame with 15 out of 16 of their votes. With a 75 percent vote needed for election,[3] Santo was the first and only Golden Era Ballot candidate elected to the Hall of Fame Class of 2012.[4] The Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held on Sunday, July 22, 2012, in Cooperstown, New York.[4]
Candidate | Category | Votes | Percent | |
---|---|---|---|---|
bgcolor=lightyellow | Player | 15 | 93.75% | |
Player | 10 | 62.5% | ||
Player | 9 | 56.25% | ||
Player | 9 | 56.25% | ||
Player | 8 | 50% | ||
Executive | 3 | 18.75% | ||
Player | 3 | 18.75% | ||
Executive | 3 | 18.75% | ||
Player | 3 | 18.75% | ||
Player | 3 | 18.75% |
(Major League Baseball Winter Meeting, December 8, 2014)
The Golden Era Committee's 16-member voting electorate, appointed by the Hall of Fame's board of directors, was announced at the same time as the ballot of 10 candidates. All of the Hall of Fame members on this committee were inducted as players, except for executive Pat Gillick.
The ballot for election by the Golden Era Committee was released on October 30, 2014;[5] the committee voted at the MLB winter meetings in San Diego on December 8, 2014, with the results announced by MLB immediately thereafter. Election criteria remained the standard 75%, or 12 of 16 votes.[6] None of the candidates received enough votes, continuing a long period of difficulty in electing players eligible under the Hall's special committees; the last living player elected to the Hall after the expiration of their BBWAA eligibility was Bill Mazeroski in 2001.[7]
Candidate | Category | Votes | Percent | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dick Allen | Player | 11 | 68.75% | |
Tony Oliva | Player | 11 | 68.75% | |
Jim Kaat | Player | 10 | 62.5% | |
Maury Wills | Player | 9 | 56.25% | |
Minnie Miñoso | Player | 8 | 50% | |
Ken Boyer | Player | < 3 | < 18.75% | |
Gil Hodges | Player | < 3 | < 18.75% | |
Bob Howsam | Executive | < 3 | < 18.75% | |
Billy Pierce | Player | < 3 | < 18.75% | |
Luis Tiant | Player | < 3 | < 18.75% |