[illeracula]

Hall of Fame Voting Results:
The ballots are counted and the results are in. This year we will witness three players added to the Hall of Fame. Cornell Pearson, Mike Banks, and Jorge Morán received the ultimate honor this year in being voted as the newest members of the Hall of Fame.

The full voting results are included here. Players require 75% of ballots cast to be elected to the Hall, may stay on the ballot for up to 10 years if they receive at least 5% of the votes. Players must be retired for 5 years before they are eligible for induction to the Hall of Fame.

SP Cornell Pearson 94.3 (1st year) Inducted HOF
CL Mike Banks 90.9 (3rd year) Inducted HOF
SP Jorge Morán 90.2 (2nd year) Inducted HOF
SP Pedro Rivera 71.6 (1st year)
SP Matt Hollis 44.3 (6th year)
C Richard Taylor 27.3 (6th year)
SP Robert Walker 19.3 (1st year)
LF Glenn Jenkins 8.0 (9th year)
CF Andrés Salinas 7.6 (1st year)
C Jesús Núñez 5.3 (4th year)
RF Steve Williams 4.9 (9th year) Dropped
C Domingo Valéncia 3.8 (1st year) Dropped
CL John Heath 1.9 (1st year) Dropped

Pearson Honored by First Ballot Selection to DBL Hall of Fame:
During his fantastic pitching career Cornell Pearson was hard-nosed competitor. Prior to an important game, he once told reporters, "If we lose today, it will be over my dead body. They'll have to leave me face down on the mound."

It was this attitude that helped to inspire Pearson to such an outstanding career. Today he was rewarded with his admission into the DELMARVA Baseball League Hall of Fame.

Pearson retired from baseball at age 36 and fashioned a 192-84 won-lost record in his career with a 2.98 ERA. The gifted hurler appeared in 384 games, fanned 2077 hitters and piled up 2484 innings pitched.

One of his managers at the induction ceremony observed, "Cornell was a bulldog on the mound. If a man put a gun to my head and said I'm going to pull the trigger, if you lose this game, I'd want him to pitch that game."

Banks Joins Greats in DBL Hall of Fame:
The DELMARVA Baseball League Hall of Fame has added a new immortal to its roster. The great bullpen specialist Mike Banks was inducted today as baseball's newest legend.

"I'm humbled to be here," Banks said. "This is hallowed ground. My whole career has been storybook. I've kept running into the right people at the right time. I've often said that I was like a kid on a carnival ride at the amusement park, and I didn't get off -- I just stayed on it my whole baseball career. To my hundreds of teammates through the years...thanks for sharing the ride with me. It was amazing."

Banks also thanked his dad and older brother for believing in him, when he didn't believe in himself. His dad always told him he was going to be big baseball star one day. Banks would always reply, "Aww, c'mon, Dad, that's never going to happen." Throwing in the backyard, his older brother would always goad him, "You're throwin' like a sissy." He would then put everything he had, and more, into the next pitch.

Well, that sissy did pretty well. Over his career Banks appeared in 1123 games, recorded 338 saves, fanned 1308 batters in 1145.2 innings, and compiled an impressive 3.12 ERA with a 64-78 won-lost mark. He didn't just become a baseball star, he became a Hall of Famer.

Hall of Fame Inducts Starting Pitcher:
Today was a historic day that Jorge Morán will never forget. The superb pitcher was inducted into the DELMARVA Baseball League Hall of Fame alongside the great baseball immortals of the past.

He was introduced by one of his former managers, who said, "He was the best I have seen in my lifetime. Jorge was a fabulous pitcher. The key to his success was that he threw the ball as far from the bat and as close to the plate as possible."

The talented pitcher retired from baseball at 42, but not before he amassed 200 victories. In his illustrious career, Jorge Morán was 200-129 with a 3.41 ERA. He made 530 mound appearances and struck out 2382 in 2932 innings.

Morán brought down the house with his closing remarks: "This is really a sad day for me. I've never had a job. I've always played baseball. I guess I'll have to go to work now."

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I have to admit I am surprised that Pearson made it and Rivera didn't on their fast ballot. Rivera doesn't have the Golden Arm Awards that Pearson had, but when he retired he was the All-Time strike-out king, and is still #2 on the list. The more I look at Pearson's stats, the more I wonder if I made the correct choice or not. And if Golden Arms account for so much why is Matt Hollis having troubles getting in? I wonder if he ever will... Pearson deserves this, being in the Hall, but maybe not first ballot. It just a tough thing to pick.

Overall these 3 players fit nicely into the mix of players that are already into the Hall.

Pearson is only the 4th player to wear a Cavaliers hat into the Hall, Banks the first Admiral and Moran the second Blue Crab. I hear the Blue Crabs will be retiring his number 35 this season.

Congrats to the Class for '37.