Billy Wagner misses out on Baseball Hall of Fame election by excruciatingly close margin
Billy Wagner fell just short of being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, despite being one of the best relievers of his generation.
Billy Wagner falls short of Hall of Fame
Billy Wagner, known as one of the best and most reliable relievers of his era, narrowly missed out on being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He received 73.8% of the vote, which fell just short of the required 75%. According to CBS Sports, Wagner was only five votes shy of reaching the threshold.
While Joe Mauer, Adrian Beltre, and Todd Helton were elected to the Hall of Fame, it was disappointment for Wagner. This was his ninth year on the ballot, and he only has one more chance to make it to Cooperstown via voting from the Baseball Writers Association of America.
Wagner's disappointment and appreciation
In an interview with MLB.com, Wagner expressed his disappointment, saying it was "super disappointing" to miss out this time. However, he remained humble and congratulated the players who were elected, stating, "They deserve it." Despite not being elected, Wagner recognizes the privilege of being on the Hall of Fame ballot.
The baseball community also expressed their disappointment that Wagner did not make it into the Hall of Fame this year. Former MLB pitcher C.J. Nitkowski described it as "brutal" that Wagner missed out by just five votes in his ninth attempt. Others, like Ben Verlander, called the situation "crazy."
Wagner's impressive career
Throughout his 16-year career, Billy Wagner was a seven-time All-Star. He played for multiple teams, including the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and Atlanta Braves. In his final season in 2010, he was selected as an All-Star.
Wagner's career statistics are noteworthy. He finished with a 2.31 ERA and recorded 422 saves. When facing him, batters on both sides of the plate had a batting average under .190. Despite missing out on the Hall of Fame this year, Wagner's impressive career will likely earn him a spot in the future, especially when players like Ichiro Suzuki appear on the ballot for the first time.
