Candidates for 2017 Election of the Shrine of the Eternals

The Baseball Reliquary, Inc. has announced its list of fifty eligible candidates for the 2017 election of the Shrine of the Eternals, the membership organization’s equivalent to the Baseball Hall of Fame. This year marks the nineteenth annual election of the Shrine, a major national component of the Baseball Reliquary, a Southern California-based organization dedicated to fostering an appreciation of American art and culture through the context of baseball history. The fifty-four individuals previously elected to the Shrine of the Eternals are, in alphabetical order: Jim Abbott, Dick Allen, Roger Angell, Emmett Ashford, Moe Berg, Sy Berger, Yogi Berra, Steve Bilko, Ila Borders, Jim Bouton, Jim Brosnan, Bill Buckner, Glenn Burke, Roberto Clemente, Steve Dalkowski, Dizzy Dean, Rod Dedeaux, Jim Eisenreich, Dock Ellis, Eddie Feigner, Mark Fidrych, Curt Flood, Ted Giannoulas, Josh Gibson, Jim “Mudcat” Grant, Pete Gray, Arnold Hano, William “Dummy” Hoy, Bo Jackson, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Bill James, Dr. Frank Jobe, Bill “Spaceman” Lee, Roger Maris, Marvin Miller, Minnie Minoso, Manny Mota, Don Newcombe, Lefty O’Doul, Buck O’Neil, Satchel Paige, Jimmy Piersall, Pam Postema, Jackie Robinson, Rachel Robinson, Lester Rodney, Pete Rose, Casey Stengel, Luis Tiant, Fernando Valenzuela, Bill Veeck, Jr., Maury Wills, Kenichi Zenimura, and Don Zimmer.

The Shrine of the Eternals is similar in concept to the annual elections held at the Baseball Hall of Fame, but differs philosophically in that statistical accomplishment is not a criterion for election. Rather, the Shrine’s annual ballot is comprised of individuals – from the obscure to the well-known – who have altered the baseball world in ways that supersede statistics.

On a procedural level, the Shrine of the Eternals differs significantly from the Baseball Hall of Fame in the manner by which electees are chosen. While the Baseball Hall of Fame’s electees are chosen in voting conducted by a select group of sportswriters or committees, the Baseball Reliquary chooses its enshrinees by a vote open to the public. A screening committee appointed by the Reliquary’s Board of Directors prepares a ballot consisting of fifty candidates, on which the membership votes annually. The three candidates receiving the highest percentage of votes gain automatic election.

Among the fifty eligible candidates for 2017, eight individuals appear on the Shrine of the Eternals ballot for the first time, and two (Leo Durocher and Bob Uecker) return after a long absence. The newcomers and newly returned, in alphabetical order, are:

Babe Dahlgren (1912-1996) – Reputed marijuana user who unenviably followed Lou Gehrig as Yankees first-baseman

Mo’ne Davis (b. 2001) – First female to pitch in LLWS, tossing a shutout

Leo Durocher (1905-1991) – “The Lip,” best known for his insistence that “Nice guys finish last.”  

Oscar Gamble (b. 1949) – Part of the Yankees Zoo of the 1970s; known for his out-sized Afro

Sam Nahem (1915-2004) – A so-so pitcher known for his studious ways and post-baseball leadership in union work

Manuel “Shorty” Perez (1904-1981) – Legendary manager of the “Yankees of East LA,” the Carmelita Chorizeros 

Manny Ramirez (b. 1972) – Powerful hitter who reenergized the Cleveland Indians in the 1990s, then helped break “the Bambino’s Curse,” before becoming “Mesmerizing Manny” in LA

Vin Scully (b. 1927) – The voice, the storyteller, the great oral historian who broadcast the Dodgers for decades

John Thorn (b. 1947) – Historian who has failed to acknowledge the significance of The Baseball Reliquary

Bob Uecker (b. 1935) – Witty, less than mediocre catcher who identified the backrow of the outfield grandstand as the “Uecker Seats”

A complete list of all fifty candidates for the 2017 election of the Shrine of the Eternals follows. Election packets, containing ballots and biographical profiles of all candidates, will be mailed to Baseball Reliquary members on April 1, 2017. To be eligible to vote, all persons must have their minimum $25.00 annual membership dues paid as of March 31, 2017.

The three new inductees will be announced in May, with the Induction Day ceremony scheduled for Sunday, July 16, 2017. In addition to the presentation of plaques to the 2017 inductees, this year’s ceremony will honor the recipients of the 2017 Hilda Award (named in memory of Hilda Chester and acknowledging a baseball fan’s exceptional devotion to the game) and the 2017 Tony Salin Memorial Award (presented annually to an individual dedicated to the preservation of baseball history).

For additional information on the Shrine of the Eternals, contact Terry Cannon, Executive Director of the Baseball Reliquary, at P.O. Box 1850, Monrovia, CA 91017; by phone at (626) 791-7647; or by e-mail at terymar@earthlink.net.

The Shrine of the Eternals: Candidates for the 2017 Election

The number to the right of candidates’ names indicates the number of years on the Shrine of the Eternals ballot.