On the 13th ballot Bruce Sutter became the only player selected for this year's Hall of Fame induction ceremony eeking it our with 76.9% of the vote. One of the few four relievers in the hall, beat out Jim Rice and Goose Gossage who could not break 65%.
It's rare to go from the pen to the hall, but this selection gives me hope that Mariano Rivera will get his spot in Cooperstown sooner after retirement rather than later. It could be a tough vote, but it wouldn't surprise me if he gets in on the first ballot.
I tend to agree with the stinginess of the Hall of Fame committees, but why Sutter and not Gossage? Their career stats were similar, although Sutter's career was shorter. Maybe we'll have to wait until 2007, Gossage's 13th year in retirement, to become the 5th reliever to be inducted into the hall.