COOPERSTOWN (N.Y.) — The Baseball Hall of Fame is reorganizing its veterans committees for the first time in twelve years.
Friday’s announcement by the Hall indicated that it will revamp the panels to create the Contemporary Baseball Era starting in 1980 and the Classic Baseball Era beginning in 1980. A separate ballot will be held for players in the Contemporary Baseball Era, and one for managers, executives, and umpires.
Each ballot will contain eight candidates, rather than the 10 previously. To be eligible for election, you must vote at least 75%.
Beginning in January, the player ballot includes candidates who have been disabled for 16 seasons. This is one year after having exhausted eligibility for the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot.
Each committee will meet every three years, starting with Contemporary Baseball/Players in December, Contemporary Baseball/Managers-Umpires-Executives in December 2023 and Classic Baseball in December 2024.
In 2010, three committees were established by the Hall: Pre-Integration (1871-1946), Golden (1947-72) & Expansion (starting with 1973). This was changed to four committees in 2016. They were: Early Baseball (1871-1949), Golden Days, Modern Baseball (1970-87), Expansion (starting in 1973), and Today’s Game (1988-16).
There will be 10 candidates for the Ford C. Frick Award, which recognizes a baseball broadcaster who is a leader in his or her field. At least one must also be a foreign-language broadcaster. Four consecutive years of awards will be given to national and local broadcasters, beginning in 2023. In 2026, the ballots will be rerun.
The Frick Award ballot has been rotated among Major League Markets, National Voices (broadcasters who made significant contributions on a national scale) and Broadcasting Beginnings. These are early team voices and pioneers in baseball broadcasting.