The Baseball Hall of Fame announced part of the class of 2014 on Monday morning as part of the Expansion Era ballot. Former Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox, former Oakland Athletics and St Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, and former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre were elected unanimously by the committee. None of the other candidates on the ballot recieved more than six votes, with 12 votes being the benchmark to election.
None of the three elections were a surprise. La Russa, Cox, and Torre rank third, fourth, and fifth on baseball's all-time wins list, combining to win 17 pennants, eight World Championships, and ten Manager of the Year awards. La Russa won the World Series in 1989 with the A's and in 2006 and 2011 with the Cardinals, while Torre won the World Series with the Yankees in 1996 and in each year from 1998-2000. Cox reached the zenith of baseball in 1995 with the Braves.
These three managers also have the three most playoff appearances in baseball history. You might be inclined to point to the Wild Card, but the trio combined to win just five Wild Card berths of their respective careers.
The remainder of the Hall of Fame inductees will be announced in January.
Photo via MLB
