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Once again, the addition of a series of exceedingly well-qualified newcomers to the Hall of Fame ballot prevented any of the holdover candidates from gaining traction. Five candidates were tabbed for induction -- all of them first-time candidates. Left fielder Tim Raines, the all-time stolen base leader, who also ripped 3,359 hits, was a near-unanimous selection with 98.9% of the vote. Southpaw Vida Blue, who posted a 261-131 career record with 4,092 strikeouts, matched Raines with 98.9% of the vote. Fellow lefty Carl Hubbell, a 4-time strikeout champ and 5-time WHIP leader, drew 97.8% of the vote. Catcher Mickey Cochrane, a 7-time All-Star with 427 career homers, nabbed 76.4% of the vote. First baseman George Scott, a 6-time All-Star with 579 career longballs, edged over the threshold with 75.7% of the vote. The historically large induction class was just the second time in the last 22 years that five players were voted into the Hall.

Raines was drafted eighth overall by the New York Emperors following the 2050 season. As an 18-year-old rookie in 2051, Raines hit a solid .290 with 8 homers, 55 RBI's, 125 runs scored, a league-leading 13 triples, and 54 steals. The following year, Raines hit .287 with 17 dingers, 88 RBI's, 138 runs scored, and 69 steals. Raines burst into stardom in 2053, making the first of six All-Star teams and winning his first Silver Slugger award, as he hit .329 and slugged .533, with 23 homers, a league-high 15 triples, 87 RBI's, 140 runs scored, and a league leading 83 steals. In 2054, Raines hit .328 and slugged .520, with 13 longballs, 76 RBI's, 130 runs scored, 104 walks, and league-high 74 steals. The next season, he hit. 302 with 43 doubles, 14 jacks, 66 RBI's, 124 RBI's, and he led the league with 92 steals. In 2056, Raines hit .332 with 45 doubles, 18 homers, 64 RBI's, 128 runs scored, and he led the league once again with 90 steals. He followed that up by hitting a career-best .350, smacking 10 longballs, plating 68 runs, scoring 98 runs, and swiped a league-high 86 bags in just 127 games. In 2058, Raines hit .321 and slugged .533, ripping 76 extra-base hits, including 22 dingers, drove in 82 runs, scored a league-high 130 runs, and led the league in steals for the sixth straight season, nabbing 101 bases. Raines posted a .313/ .424/ .576 slash line in 2059, ripping a career-high 33 homers, driving in 103 runs, scoring 123 runs, and stealing 53 bases, as he led the league in runs scored and on-base percentage, as he led the Emperors to the Continental League pennant. Raines was limited to 113 games in 2060 due to a strained ACL, but he hit .307 with 10 homers, 58 RBI's, and 45 steals. He rebounded the following year to hit .324 with 21 longballs, 85 RBI's, 108 runs scored, and a league-high 56 steals. He hit .290 in 2062 with 24 homers, 88 RBI's, 122 runs scored, 114 walks, and 53 steals. After an injury-ravaged 2063 campaign, where he was limited to 49 games due to a ruptured MCL, he rebounded to hit .287 the following year with 22 homers, 98 RBI's, 122 runs scored, 104 walks, and 33 steals. Raines hit .290 with 27 dingers, 87 RBI's, 117 runs scored, 100 walks, and 44 steals in 2065. From 2066 through 2068, Raines remained a steady offensive force, hitting between .283 and .315 with double-digit homers each year, and he also ripped a league-high 9 triples and stole 63 bags in 2068. After an off year in 2069, Raines struggled mightily in 2070, hitting just .228. Raines enjoyed a renaissance at age 38, hitting .299 with a .432 on-base percentage, including 24 homers, 79 RBI's, 119 runs scored, 131 walks, and 32 steals in 2071, leading the Emperors to the first World Series title in franchise history, scoring 15 runs in 24 postseason games. For his career, Raines sported a .302/ .405/ .483 slash line, with 3359 hits, including 657 doubles, 132 triples, 364 homers, 1534 RBI's, 2266 runs, 1899 walks, 1175 steals, a 135 OPS+, and 96.0 WAR. At the time of his induction, Raines ranked first all-time in steals, fourth in runs scored, and 27th in hits. A six-time All-Star, Raines also won two Silver Slugger awards. Raines appeared in 15 postseasons, hitting .274 in 181 games, including 44 doubles, 8 triples, 28 homers, 88 RBI's, 125 runs scored, and 72 steals. Raines also ranked 8th all-time in postseason hits, third in runs scored, and was tied for the lead in postseason steals.

Blue was drafted 35th overall by the St. Louis Pilots following the 2050 campaign. Blue started out as a reliever, and as an 18-year-old rookie in 2051, he was brilliant out of the pen, notching 21 saves, an 0.96 ERA, and an 0.84 WHIP in 56 innings. In 2052, Blue saved 39 games, posting a 1.46 ERA and an 0.96 WHIP, fanning 97 batters in 74 innings. He had a dominant 2053 campaign, winning the Reliever of the Year award, saving a league-high 38 games, with a 1.35 ERA, an 0.86 WHIP, and 115 strikeouts, yielding a single homer in 73 innings. He won another Reliever of the Year award in 2054, saving 31 games with a 1.05 ERA, an 0.78 WHIP, and an incredible 123-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 77 innings. Blue moved into the rotation in 2055, going 8-3 with a 2.30 ERA and 0.92 WHIP despite missing two months with a back injury. In 2056, Blue went 12-8 with a 2.79 ERA and an 0.98 WHIP, fanning 246 batters. The next year, Blue finished fifth in the Cy Young voting, going 16-4 with a 2.41 ERA, an 0.96 WHIP, and 270 strikeouts. In 2058, Blue sported a 13-12 mark despite a 2.64 ERA, an 0.96 WHIP, 315 strikeouts, and he led the league in innings. Blue suffered an off-year in 2059, going 13-7 despite a 4.38 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. Following the season, he signed with the Virginia Beach Admirals as a free agent. Blue had a solid 2060 campaign, going 16-9 with a 3.42 ERA, an 0.92 WHIP, and 260 strikeouts. Blue finished fourth in the Cy Young voting in 2061, going 22-2 with a 2.93 ERA, an 0.99 WHIP, and 232 strikeouts. He was limited to 21 starts the following year due to a hamstring injury, as he went 11-4 with a 3.33 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. The next year, he went 15-5 with a 3.54 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and 236 strikeouts. In 2064, Blue sported a 16-4 mark with a 3.03 ERA, an 0.99 WHIP, and 232 strikeouts. After an off year in 2065, Blue rebounded to lead the league in victories, going 20-7 with a 3.62 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and 305 strikeouts. Blue had a strong 2067, going 19-6 with a 3.21 ERA, an 0.94 WHIP, and 245 strikeouts. He led the league in victories the following year, going 18-6, while sporting a 3.54 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. Blue struggled over the final three years of his career, going a combined 31-32 with ever-increasing ERA's and WHIP's. For his career, Blue notched a 261-131 mark with 129 saves, yielding a 3.33 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 3531 innings, fanning 4092 batters while walking 724, posting a 137 ERA+, and 102.0 WAR. Blue led the league in victories three times and saves once- a combination never previously achieved in HRDL history. Blue ranked 7th all-time in strikeouts, 14th in winning percentage, and 22nd in WAR. He made six All-Star teams and won two Reliever of the Year awards. In 30 postseason starts spread out over 12 postseasons, Blue posted a middling 8-10 record with a 4.59 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP, fanning 182 batters in 176 innings.

Hubbell was drafted first overall by the San Antonio Marksmen following the 2056 season, and from the outset, he justified that early draft spot. As a 23-year-old rookie in 2057, Hubbell went 17-8 with a 2.31 ERA, an 0.89 WHIP, and a league-leading 282 strikeouts, earning fifth place in the Cy Young Award voting. In 2058, Hubbell was even better, going 17-10 with a 2.16 ERA, and he led the league with an 0.78 WHIP and 346 strikeouts, setting franchise records in both categories. The next year, Hubbell sported a 19-6 mark along with a 2.35 ERA, once again leading the league with an 0.81 WHIP and 335 strikeouts. Hubbell earned a third-place finish in the Cy Young voting in 2060, going 16-10 while winning the ERA crown with a 2.33 mark, and notching his third straight WHIP title (0.85) and leading the league for the fourth straight season with 279 strikeouts. In 2061, he took a step back, going 16-11 despite a 3.57 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, and 270 strikeouts. The next season, Hubbell notched a 16-8 mark along with a 2.83 ERA, an 0.96 WHIP, 270 strikeouts, and earned a Gold Glove. In 2063, Hubbell sported a 17-10 record with a 3.45 ERA, a league-leading 0.91 WHIP, and 251 strikeouts. Hubbell won the 2064 Cy Young Award, going 16-9 with a 2.70 ERA, a league-leading 0.77 WHIP, and 275 strikeouts, as he led the Marksmen to a World Series title, allowing just 1 run in 8.1 innings. Following the season, Hubbell jumped ship to the rival El Paso Armadillos in free agency, and although he remained effective, he ceased to be dominant. In 2065, Hubbell notched a 17-10 mark, along with a 3.60 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, and 280 strikeouts. The following year, he went 15-12 with a 4.01 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and 264 strikeouts. Hubbell began to suffer a severe loss of velocity before the 2068 season, as he went 14-12 with a 3.95 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and his K/9 plummeted by 4.5 strikeouts, as he whiffed just 165 batters. The next year, Hubbell went just 9-13 with a bloated 5.02 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. Following the season, he signed with the Phoenix Lizards. In 2070, he went 16-4 with a solid 3.66 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP despite fanning just 133 batters in 221 innings. He went 19-10 in 2071 despite a 4.77 ERA, a career-worst 1.40 WHIP, and the four-time strikeout king fanned a seemingly impossible 49 batters in 215 innings, and retired after the season. For his career, Hubbell notched a 236-144 record, a 3.31 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP (ranking 13th all time) in 3312 innings, with 3575 strikeouts (ranking 17th all time) and 527 walks, a 135 ERA+, and 88.2 WAR. In addition to winning a Cy Young Award and a Gold Glove, Hubbell led the league in WHIP five times, in strikeouts four times, and in ERA once. Hubbell sported a 9-9 postseason mark in 23 postseason starts, along with a 3.11 ERA, an 0.88 WHIP, and 150 strikeouts in 156 innings.

Cochrane was drafted third overall by the Milwaukee Raccoons following the 2053 season. As a 21-year-old rookie in 2054, he hit .298 with 14 homers and 71 RBI's. The next year, he hit .320 and slugged .531, smacking 19 longballs adn plating 82 runs. He took a step back in 2056, hitting just .253 with 10 dingers and 40 RBI's, as he was limited to just 118 games due to an oblique injury. Cochrane blossomed into stardom in 2057, becoming the first catcher to win MVP honors, as he posted a .354/ .448/ .698 slash line, with 40 doubles, 38 homers, 118 RBI's, 112 runs scored, and led the league in slugging percentage. He finished second in the MVP voting the following year, hitting .318 and slugging .677, belting 41 longballs, driving in 87 runs, and scoring 116 runs. In 2059, Cochrane hit .320 and slugged .590, smacking 35 jacks, plating 108 runs, and scoring 96 runs. He slipped in 2060, hitting .278 with 27 homers and 88 RBI's, but rebounded in 2061 to hit .312 and slug .613, with 41 homers and 123 RBI's. In 2062, Cochrane hit .267, drilling 26 homers and knocking in 76 runs. The following year, he hit .300 with 28 longballs and 91 RBI's. In 2064, Cochrane hit .264 with 23 homers and 82 RBI's. He signed with the Jacksonville Gulls in free agency prior to the 2065 campaign. He played three moderately effective seasons in Jacksonville, hitting either 20 or 21 homers each season, with RBI totals ranging from 79 to 94, but batted below .250 in two of the three seasons. In spring training of 2068, he was unexpectedly traded to the Omaha Falcons for two relief pitchers. In 2068, Cochrane hit just .248, although he smacked 29 homers and knocked in 108 runs. He slipped to hit just .239 with 21 dingers and 77 RBI's in 2069. Cochrane then signed with the New Orleans Crawfish, where he spent two ineffective seasons in part-time play before retiring after the 2071 campaign. For his career, Cochrane posted a .280/ .382/ .506 slash line, with 2256 hits, including 465 doubles, 35 triples, 427 homers, 1485 RBI's, 1422 runs scored, 1279 walks, 57 steals, a 138 OPS+, and 91.1 WAR. A seven-time All-Star, Cochrane won four Silver Slugger awards in addition to his 2057 MVP Award. Among catchers, Cochrane ranked 7th all-time in homers and 4th in RBI's. In 85 postseason games, spread out over 8 postseasons, he hit .270 and slugged .523, with 21 homers and 49 RBI's.

Scott was drafted 11th overall by the Ottawa Parliamentarians following the 2054 season. As a 21-year-old rookie in 2055, Scott split time evenly between first base and third base, hitting .261 with 8 homers and 27 RBI's in 189 plate appearances. The following year, Scott again struggled to earn regular playing time, despite hitting a robust .344 with 23 homers and 74 RBI's in just 366 plate appearances. He finally became a full-time first baseman in 2057, as he hit .305 and slugged .538, with 33 dingers and 122 RBI's. Scott starred in 2058, hitting .331 and slugging .631, with 90 extra-base hits, including 41 homers, 126 RBI's, and 112 runs scored. Scott returned to the hot corner in 2059 and didn't miss a beat, hitting .316 and slugging .596, with 43 homers, 129 RBI's, and 116 runs scored. He returned to first base in 2060 as he had a mammoth campaign, hitting .323 with 57 homers, a franchise-record 168 RBI's, and 123 runs scored, finishing fourth in the MVP voting. In 2061, Scott hit .324 and slugged .560, belting 34 homers and driving in 136 runs. He hit .321 and slugged .639 in 2062, mashing 53 longballs and knocking in 148 runs while scoring 122 runs. He continued to rake in 2063, hitting .327 and slugging .623, belting 46 jacks and knocking in 114 runs. In 2064, Scott won the batting title and led the league in slugging percentage despite missing over 40 games with a sprained knee, posting a .358/ .415/ .705 slash line with 42 homers and 115 RBI's in just 118 games, as he finished fourth in the MVP voting. Following the season, he signed with the Oklahoma City Otters in free agency. After his initial season in Oklahoma City was ruined by a broken elbow, limiting him to just 57 games, Scott remained a fearsome power hitter, although he never again topped .280. He rebounded in 2062 to hit .275 with 46 longballs and 126 RBI's. The next season, he hit .276 with 36 dingers, 118 RBI's, and 100 runs scored. In 2068, Scott collapsed to hit just .218, although he belted 38 homers, drove in 76 runs, and scored 105 runs. The following season, he hit a more respectable .264, but slipped to 21 homers and 79 RBI's. Following the 2069 campaign, he signed with the San Francisco Longshoremen as a free agent. In two seasons by the bay, Scott failed to hit over .240, although he averaged 25 homers and 91 RBI's per season, and he retired after the 2071 season. For his career, Scott posted a .294/ .363/ .555 slash line, with 2632 hits, 499 doubles, 49 triples, 579 homers, 1778 RBI's, 1534 runs, 874 walks, 63 steals, a 140 OPS+, and 72.1 WAR. A six-time All-Star, he won two Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove. Scott played in only four postseasons, and in 38 games, he hit .261 with 5 homers and 16 RBI's.

Leading vote recipients include: Tim Raines, LF, NY: 98.9%
Vida Blue, LHP, STL/VB: 98.9%
Carl Hubbell, LHP, SA/ ELP/ PHO: 97.8%
Mickey Cochrane, C, MIL/JAX/ OMA/ NOR: 76.4%
George Scott, 1B/3B, OTT/ OKC/ SF: 75.7%
Whitey Kurowski, 3B, WAS/ STL/ CAL: 73.4%
Justin Upton, LF, MIN/ ATL/ SD/ LV: 63.3%
Johnny Evers, 2B, SD/ HOU : 62.9%
Mike Hampton, LHP, BIR/ NY/ MIN: 61.0%
Bobo Newsom, RHP, PHI/TOR: 59.6%
Fred Beck, RF/ CF, WAS/ OTT : 50.2%
Charlie Hayes, 3B, BAL: 47.6%

Notable players who fell off the ballot include Bobo Newsom, a two-time Cy Young winner and four-time strikeout champ who also notched 179 saves, as his eligibility expired; shortstop Leo Cardenas, a four-time Gold Glover who rapped 321 homers; catcher Wally Schang, a six-time All-Star with a career .401 on-base percentage and 229 homers; and right fielder George Selkirk, who slugged .547 over his career with 489 homers.

Here is a look at the newest Hall of Famers: