Chipper, Thome headline Hall of Fame class

Tribune News Service These six are players being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame today in Cooperstown, N.Y. Top row from left are Chipper Jones, James Thome and Vladimir Guerrero. Bottom row from left are Trevor Hoffman, Jack Morris and Alan Trammell.

for the Cleveland Indians. When he toured the Hall of Fame in late February to prepare for induction day, Thome got misty when he walked into the Plaque Gallery where his bronze likeness will hang after today’s ceremony.

Expect more of the same when he stares out at the big crowd during his speech.

“It’s been an absolute dream,” Thome said. “I try to keep that (life) pretty simple, but it’s been very special to enjoy this with the ones you really care about and the people that are ... happy for you. That means so much.

“To go there and now call that home is just incredible.”

Hoffman, chosen in his third year on the ballot, played the bulk of his career with the San Diego Padres before finishing with the Milwaukee Brewers. After failing to impress the front office in three years as a shortstop, he switched to the bullpen and became a star. Using a stultifying

changeup, Hoffman recorded 601 saves over 18 seasons, second all-time to former Yankees star Mariano Rivera’s 652.

Guerrero was elected on his second try, receiving 92.9 percent of the vote. The nine-time All-star outfielder batted .318 with 449 homers and 1,496 RBIS and was a notorious bad-ball hitter, a skill he learned as a kid growing up in the Dominican Republic playing a game similar to cricket.

Although he played half his career with the Montreal Expos, Guerrero will be the first player to enter the Hall wearing the cap of the Los Angeles Angels, the team where he enjoyed his greatest success. He helped lead the Angels to the postseason five times in six seasons, reaching career highs for runs (124), hits (206), and RBIS (126) in 2004 when he won AL MVP honors.

“I was happy to be in a situation where the team was playing for something,” Guerrero said through translator Jose Mota. “That inspired me and the rest of the team.”

Among those accompanying Guerrero on Sunday will be his son, Vladimir Jr., considered the top prospect in the minor leagues. Guerrero will deliver most of his speech in Spanish with Mota translating before a crowd expected to number around 50,000.

“I want it to come out as naturally as possible,” Guerrero said. “I’m going to keep it as simple as possible. I’m not nervous, but you never know.”

Morris pitched 18 seasons for the Tigers, Twins, Blue Jays and Indians, and played on four World Series champions. In the 1980s, he led all pitchers with 2,444.2 innings pitched and 162 wins and topped all AL pitchers in strikeouts with 1,629.

The crowning achievement of Morris’ career was his 1-0 complete-game victory in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series while pitching for his hometown Twins against the 24-yearold Smoltz and the Braves. Minnesota manager Tom Kelly wanted to take him out after nine innings and the 36-year-old Morris convinced him not to.

“That was Jack Morris,” Trammell said. “That just tells you what’s inside of him. He wasn’t going to give up anything.”

That Morris had to wait so long to be picked for the Hall promises to make his speech memorable.

“I’ve had a long time to think about writing one,” he said. “I wanted this to be an impactful speech. I wanted it to be something that had meaning. When I started actually putting it into words, it was not as easy as I thought it was going to be.

“If I was going to do it justice, I’d probably have to write a 1,500-page book, but we don’t have time for all of that.”

Trammell played shortstop for 20 seasons – all for the Tigers – and earned six All-star Game selections, four Gold Glove Awards and three Silver Slugger Awards. His .977 fielding percentage ranks sixth among shortstops with at least 2,000 games played.

“It’s overwhelming, to be honest with you,” said Trammell, now 60. “To say that you’re part of that group, it’s hard to comprehend.”

This year’s class matches the biggest lineup of living players to be inducted since 1955, when Joe Dimaggio, Gabby Hartnett, Ted Lyons, Dazzy Vance, Home Run Baker and Ray Schalk were enshrined. That means the inductees won’t have much leeway in the length of their speeches.

It’s difficult to imagine what a nerve-wracking scenario it promises to be for Jones – his wife is pregnant with a son whose name will be Cooper in honor of the special day. Talk about pressure. “It’s going to be a pretty nervous time for me personally,” Jones said. “The fact that my wife is due the day after, I’ll be looking down at her making sure she’s giving me the thumbs-up, making sure she’s not going into labor while I’m up on stage.

“If it does happen, it’s going to be an exciting time.”