Sometimes, a new Hall of Fame class fits neatly together in baseball history.
Jimmie Foxx and Mel Ott, 500-homer sluggers in the shadow of Babe Ruth, went in together in 1951.
Johnny Bench and Carl Yastrzemski, one-city institutions who met in a sublime World Series, took their turn in 1989.
Both reached the World Series twice, winning once.
More than anything else, the pairing of McGriff and Rolen is a powerful reflection of the changing standards for baseball’s highest honor.
Persons:
Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott, Babe Ruth, Johnny Bench, Carl Yastrzemski, Reggie Jackson, Fred McGriff, Scott Rolen, McGriff, Rolen
Organizations:
of, Star, Contemporary Baseball