Back in October, as RSNStats mentioned briefly, the National Baseball Hall of Fame entertained 10 new names for enshrinement and on Sunday the decision was made for two.
Longtime baseball executive John Schuerholz and former major league commissioner Allan “Bud” Selig are the latest Hall of Famers, entering through the 16-member “Today’s Game Era” Committee. The Hall has four such Eras Committees (which was the group’s name going back to 1936 before it became known as the Veterans Committee). Each committee offers a second-chance for baseball immortality to players, as well as non-players, such as managers, umpires, and club executives.
John Schuerholz is known for his work with the Royals and especially the Braves, but he got his start in 1966 as a personal assistant to Lou Gorman, then director of player development for the Orioles. It was Gorman who took Schuerholz with him to the Royals, a new expansion team in 1969. Gorman went on to run the Mariners, itself an expansion team in 1976, before becoming General Manager of the Red Sox from 1984-93.
With Schuerholz and Selig the Hall now boasts 314 total inductees, 71 of whom are currently alive.
Schuerholz and Selig are considered members of the Class of 2017 along with any members elected by the Baseball Writers Association of America when their ballots are tabulated on January 18. The 2017 Induction Ceremony will be held at the Hall on July 30.