Eight Managers and Executives Named to Hall of Fame Committee Ballot

The National Baseball Hall of Fame has released the eight candidates for its contemporary era committee for managers, executives, and umpires.

The committee is scheduled to convene on December 6 during the winter meetings in San Diego. Seven of the eight men on the ballot have served as managers, while one is a former team owner. The panel requires a 75% majority of the 16 voters to elect a candidate.

Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy, Joe Maddon, and Lou Piniella are among the retired managers on the list. Former general managers Sandy Alderson and Brian Sabean also appear on the ballot. The late Ted Turner, owner of the Atlanta Braves, and Bill White, a former player, broadcaster, and National League President, round out the group of eight.

Baker, age 77, posted a 2,183-1,862 record over 26 managerial seasons. He managed the Giants, Cubs, Reds, Nationals, and Astros, winning the World Series with Houston in 2022. Bochy, 71, compiled a 2,252-2,266 record over 28 seasons. He won four World Series titles with the Giants and Rangers. Maddon, 72, led the Cubs to a 2016 championship, their first since 1908, and holds a 1,382-1,216 career record. Piniella, 83, finished 1,835-1,713 in 23 seasons and won the 1990 World Series with the Reds.

Alderson, who turns 79 on November 22, served as the Oakland A's general manager when they won the 1989 World Series. He later held executive roles with MLB, the Padres, and the Mets. Sabean, 70, was the Giants' general manager from 1996 to 2014, a period in which the team won three World Series titles. Turner died in May at age 87 after leading the Braves to a 1995 championship. White, 92, won a ring with the 1964 Cardinals and served as NL president from 1989 to 1994.

Piniella is the only candidate on the ballot with previous voting history. He received 11 votes in 2023 when Jim Leyland was elected. He also received 11 votes in 2018 during the election of Harold Baines and Lee Smith. Candidates who do not receive at least five of the 16 votes are ineligible for the next ballot, which occurs three years later. Those who miss the threshold on multiple ballots lose eligibility entirely.

The Hall restructured its veterans committees in 2022, separating the contemporary era from 1980 onward from the classic era. This current ballot is for the contemporary group of managers, executives, and umpires. Players from the same era will be considered by a separate panel in December 2028. The classic era committee meets in December 2027.

Eligibility for managers and umpires required 10 or more major league seasons and five years of retirement, with a six-month waiver for those 65 and older. Executors had to be retired for five years, though active executives aged 70 or older qualified. A historical overview committee selected the eight candidates. The group included academics, journalists, and baseball historians such as Adrian Burgos and Steve Hirdt.

If elected, the chosen candidates will be inducted on July 25 of next year. They will join the players selected by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The BBWAA ballot will be released on January 19. First-time eligible players for that vote include Buster Posey, Jon Lester, and Ryan Zimmerman. Holdovers on the player ballot include Chase Utley, Andy Pettitte, and Felix Hernandez.