Managers La Russa, Torre, Cox elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
From SABR member Barry Bloom at MLB.com on December 9, 2013:
For the first time in the history of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, three of the greatest managers of a generation — Bobby Cox, Joe Torre and Tony La Russa — will be inducted on the same day this coming summer.
The three, who accumulated 7,558 regular-season wins, 17 pennants and eight World Series titles, were elected unanimously by the 16-member Expansion Era Committee during a lengthy meeting on Sunday. The announcement by Hall of Fame chairman Jane Forbes Clark was made on Monday morning as the annual Winter Meetings began.
Cox spent 25 of his 29 seasons as a big league manager with the Braves, winning the 1995 World Series and 14 consecutive division titles. Torre, who managed for 29 seasons, won six pennants and four World Series with the Yankees in an eight-year period from 1996-2003. La Russa managed for 33 years, winning it all once with the A’s and twice with the Cardinals. They all were notified of their elections at about 8:30 a.m. ET.
“I am thrilled that these great managers during my tenure as Commissioner will join the legends of our game in the halls of Cooperstown,” Commissioner Bud Selig said. “In careers of consistent excellence and incredible longevity, Bobby, Tony and Joe all left indelible impacts on our national pastime. For decades, these three individuals not only led great ballclubs, but instilled in their teams a brand of class and professionalism that baseball fans admired. It is fitting that Bobby, Tony and Joe will share our game’s highest honor together.
“Joe and Tony have been outstanding members of our staff at Major League Baseball in recent years. On behalf of all of their colleagues with MLB, it is an honor to congratulate them and their families on this milestone. I look forward to a remarkable day for all of baseball next July 27 in Cooperstown.”
Read the full article here: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/tony-la-russa-joe-torre-bobby-cox-elected-to-baseball-hall-of-fame?ymd=20131209&content_id=64493980&vkey=news_mlb
Originally published: December 13, 2013. Last Updated: December 13, 2013.