Bench, Yaz Just Waiting in Hallway : Since They Retired, It’s Just Been a Matter of Time

NEW YORK —  Johnny Bench and Carl Yastrzemski had good reason to stay close to a phone last night.

Sometime this evening, the call would come letting them know if they are the newest members of baseball’s Hall of Fame. The rest of the world will hear about it at 8 p.m., PST, when the results are officially released.

Last year, Willie Stargell was the 17th player elected in his first year of eligibility and most observers expect Bench and Yastrzemski will be Nos. 18 and 19.

Jim Bunning will be waiting by the telephone, too. For Bunning, it’s the 13th year he has waited for a call in the affirmative.

After missing by 21 votes in 1987, Bunning fell 4 votes shy with 317 (74.2%) last year.

“I thought I had a shot,” said Bunning, who is eligible for 2 more years if he doesn’t make it. After that, he must wait 3 years before he can be considered by the Veterans Committee.

“I think I was right the first time,” Bunning said, “If you don’t make it right away, you should take your name off the ballot so you won’t have to go through this every year.”

Bunning’s near miss wasn’t the closest in voting history. Former Chicago White Sox second baseman Nellie Fox missed by 1 vote in 1985, his last season of eligibility.

Reflecting on the weak field last year, nine writers returned signed ballots without votes. Fourteen of the 45 players listed failed to receive a vote.

If the nine writers had not sent in their ballots, the total would have been 418, meaning 75% would have been 314 votes and Bunning would have made it.

Bunning was 224-184 with a 3.27 earned-run average and 2,885 strikeouts, second to Walter Johnson on the all-time strikeout list when he retired. He won 100 games in each league and also had a no-hitter in each league, including a perfect game while pitching for Philadelphia against the New York Mets on June 21, 1964.

In addition to Bench and Yastrzemski, pitchers Gaylord Perry and Ferguson Jenkins also appear on the ballot for the first time.

To be on the ballot, a player must be retired for 5 years and to be elected must be named on 75% of the ballots cast.

While Jenkins and Perry are given an outside chance of making it in tonight, Yastrzemski and Bench are already making plans for spending a July weekend in Cooperstown.

Yastrzemski and Bench not only have outstanding statistical credentials, but carry an image of being among the upper echelon of baseball’s stars.

Yastrzemski took over in left field for Hall of Famer Ted Williams and asserted himself with authority.

Yaz finished with 3,419 hits and 452 home runs. He was on 16 All-Star teams, won six Gold Gloves as the Red Sox’ left fielder and won the American League MVP Award in 1967, when he won the Triple Crown and led Boston to the pennant.

He also holds league records for the most intentional walks, 190; most at-bats 11,988, and most plate appearances, 13,990.

Yaz reached base on a hit or a walk 5,264 times during his career, ranking third behind Pete Rose, 5,822, and Ty Cobb, 5,440.

“I accomplished something no one else has ever done,” Yastrzemski, the only American Leaguer to have 3,000 hits and 400 home runs, said. “I’m very pleased and very proud of my accomplishments.”

Bench holds the record for most homers by a catcher, 327. Overall, he hit 389 home runs and won 10 Gold Gloves while helping the Reds win the World Series in 1975 and 1976.

“Johnny Bench was the prototype catcher of his time,” former Cincinnati Manager Sparky Anderson said. “He was a great talent and a leader.”

Despite stellar numbers, Perry and Jenkins present a problem in ethics for some of the voters.

Perry was 314-265 for eight major league teams in 22 seasons. He also had a 3.10 earned run average and 3,534 strikeouts.

But some voters, who asked not to be identified, said Perry’s reputation of throwing a spitball might have an influence on their vote.

“I think I have the credentials to be in the Hall of Fame, but it probably won’t be on the first try,” Perry said.

Jenkins had a lifetime record of 284-226 and 3,192 career strikeouts. But he also had a link to drugs. While with the Texas Rangers, he was suspended from Sept. 9-25, 1980, following his Aug. 25 arrest in Canada on charges of cocaine possession. That probably will cost him some votes.

CARL YASTRZEMSKI’S CAREER STATISTICS

A look at the statistics of Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox:

REGULAR SEASON

Year Team AB R H HR RBI Avg. 1961 Boston 583 71 155 11 80 .266 1962 Boston 646 99 191 19 94 .296 1963 Boston 570 91 183 14 68 .321 1964 Boston 567 77 164 15 67 .289 1965 Boston 494 78 154 20 72 .312 1966 Boston 594 81 165 16 80 .278 1967 Boston 579 112 189 44 121 .326 1968 Boston 539 90 162 23 74 .301 1969 Boston 603 96 154 40 111 .255 1970 Boston 566 125 186 40 102 .329 1971 Boston 508 75 129 15 70 .254 1972 Boston 455 70 120 12 68 .264 1973 Boston 540 82 160 19 95 .296 1974 Boston 515 93 155 15 79 .301 1975 Boston 543 91 146 14 60 .269 1976 Boston 546 71 146 21 102 .267 1977 Boston 558 99 165 28 102 .296 1978 Boston 523 70 145 17 81 .277 1979 Boston 518 69 140 21 87 .270 1980 Boston 364 49 100 15 50 .275 1981 Boston 338 36 83 7 53 .246 1982 Boston 459 53 126 16 72 .275 1983 Boston 380 38 101 10 56 .266 Totals 23 Years 11,988 1816 3419 452 1844 .285 PLAYOFFS 1975 Boston 11 4 5 1 2 .455 Totals 11 4 5 1 2 .455 WORLD SERIES 1967 Boston 25 4 10 3 5 .400 1975 Boston 29 7 9 0 4 .310 Totals 54 11 19 3 9 .352

JOHNNY BENCH’S CAREER STATISTICS

A look at the statistics of Johnny Bench of the Cincinnati Reds:

REGULAR SEASON

Year Team AB R H HR RBI Avg. 1967 Cinc. 86 7 14 1 6 .163 1968 Cinc. 564 67 155 15 82 .275 1969 Cinc. 532 83 156 26 90 .293 1970 Cinc. 605 97 177 45 148 .293 1971 Cinc. 562 80 134 27 61 .238 1972 Cinc. 538 87 145 40 125 .270 1973 Cinc. 557 83 141 25 104 .253 1974 Cinc. 621 108 174 33 129 .280 1975 Cinc. 530 83 150 28 110 .283 1976 Cinc. 465 62 109 16 74 .234 1977 Cinc. 494 67 136 31 109 .275 1978 Cinc. 393 52 102 23 73 .260 1979 Cinc. 464 73 128 22 80 .276 1980 Cinc. 360 52 90 24 68 .250 1981 Cinc. 178 14 55 8 25 .309 1982 Cinc. 399 44 103 13 38 .258 1983 Cinc. 310 32 79 12 54 .255 Totals 17 Years 7658 1091 2048 389 1376 .267 PLAYOFFS 1970 Cinc. 9 2 2 1 1 .222 1972 Cinc. 18 3 6 1 2 .333 1973 Cinc. 19 1 5 1 1 .263 1975 Cinc. 13 1 1 0 0 .077 1976 Cinc. 12 3 4 1 1 .333 1979 Cinc. 12 1 3 1 1 .250 Totals 83 11 21 5 6 .253 WORLD SERIES 1970 Cinc. 19 3 4 1 3 .211 1972 Cinc. 23 4 6 1 1 .261 1975 Cinc. 29 5 6 1 4 .207 1976 Cinc. 15 4 8 2 6 .533 Totals 86 16 24 5 14 .279