Cooperstown Class of 2025

Yeah.  Yeah.  I know I'm late to the party again.  This post was originally scheduled for two weeks ago... but I got behind in my writing.  However it's not often that one of my favorite players gets voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, so better late than never.

Today's post honors the five new members to this very elite club.  Let's start with the two members voted in by the Classic Era Baseball Committee:

2001 Fleer Greats of the Game Autograph #NNO

Dick Allen played his final game when I was in preschool, so I don't remember watching him play.  However I've looked at his statistics and have read enough articles and blog posts to know that he was a great hitter.  I'm just sad that he didn't get inducted a few years earlier.

2013 Archives Fan Favorites Autographs #FFA-DP

Dave Parker is another one of those Hall of Very Good members who has made the jump over to the Hall of Fame... and I'm absolutely stoked for him and his fans.  His career numbers at the plate was super impressive, but I'll always remember him for teaming up with Gary Carter in the 1979 MLB All-Star Game to gun down Brian Downing at the plate.

Moving along to the three guys voted in by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.  Let's start with the guy that many bloggers have been rooting for the past few years:

2016 Archives Signature Series Buyback Autograph

1997 Topps Gallery #178

Out of the five guys in this class... Wagner is the one I'm least knowledgeable of.  I mean... I obviously know that he's one of the greatest left-handed relief pitchers of all-time.  But that's only because I've read that on your blogs.  Regardless... I'm happy there's another lefty headed to Cooperstown.

Speaking of lefties...

1999 Topps Traded Autograph #T33

Even though he spent over a decade with the New York Yankees... I was excited that Sabathia received the call to the hall on his first ballot.  I purchased this autograph back in 2018 for my Left-Handed Cy Young Award Winner PC.  Guess I need to track down another CC auto for my Left-Handed HOF PC.

Last, but certainly not least, the man who inspired this post:

2023 Finest Flashbacks Autograph #183

During the 2000's... Ichiro was one of the greatest and most exciting players in the game.  

Even if he wasn't from Japan, I would have been collecting his cards.  I just loved how he would slap the ball around the diamond like someone was controlling him in a video game.  It just seemed so easy to him.  Then there's the fact that he won ten consecutive Gold Glove Awards for his performance in right field.  If that wasn't enough to lock him in as a first ballot hall of famer... he also helped open the door for a generation of baseball players from Japan.

Congratulations Mr. Suzuki, Mr. Allen, Mr. Parker, Mr. Wagner, and Mr. Sabathia!

Happy Tuesday and sayonara!