Cooperstown: 2016 Baseball Hall of Fame

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Cooperstown will add two more names to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Photo Credit: Ewen Roberts, Flickr.com

Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza are your new Hall-of-Famers!

The two legendary baseball players were chosen January 6 as the latest men to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Griffey and Piazza needed 75 percent of the votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America to enter. Piazza received 83 percent of the vote on his fourth try. Griffey received an astounding 99.3 percent of the vote on his first try. It’s the most all-time since Tom Seaver was elected in 1992, where he received 98.84 percent of the vote.

Many can be said about these two men who gave it their all. Their stats are proof enough that they deserve this honor.

Griffey, The Kid, is a 13-time All-Star Outfielder who is sixth on the all-time Home Run list with 630. He is arguably the greatest center fielder to ever grace the game.

Piazza leads catchers in home runs with 396, and he has 427 total to boot. The 12-time All-Star is a lifetime .308 career hitter.

Stats are one thing, but one thing separates these two very different men apart from the rest: personal connection.

For many kids in the 1990s, Griffey was the man. Everyone looked up to him from his all-out effort to his photogenic swing. Behind this nearly unstoppable force was a humble mad achieving his dream in playing baseball. He truly was The Kid out there.

Piazza was also humble and let his actions speak louder than words. He put cities on his back when they needed him most, especially during times of great need.

Griffey. Piazza. These are two names that were already immortal in the Major Leagues. And now, their plaques will be proof of that.

Congratulations to both Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza for being voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame! See you in Cooperstown.

Remember to check out the Facebook page for the Update. You can also check out my professional website for my other works and accomplishments. Don’t forget to like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter and keep on reading. Until then, see you next time sports fans.

Yours Truly,

Sebastian Maldonado

Copyright @ 2007

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