The baseball writers' Hall of Fame vote was announced today and though the voters seemed to like a bunch of candidates (five got over fifty percent), they only took one to the big dance. Bruce Sutter is now a Hall of Fame or at least a Hall of Famer-elect.

Many will look at Sutter's stats and say that he doesn't deserve the honor, but if you study the history of relief pitching (as I have), his impact is without question. If that makes him more of a Candy Cummings-type of selection, so be it. It all ends up in the same place, as they say.

And though the naysayers had be believing that no one would garner enough votes to merit election, I should have seen the writing on the wall. Last year Sutter got two-thirds of the vote.

Of the previous 48 men who received at least two-thirds of the vote but not the requisite 75% for election, 73% made it to the Hall within by the next ballot. All of them got into the Hall eventually, though one (Nellie Fox) took 12 years.

As for the next four in the vote, all of whom received at least 50%, I say take heart. Gil Hodges is the only man to receive at least 50% of the writers' vote and not get elected (and he might finally get there next year if the vets can ever pick anyone again). As for Rice, Gossage, and Dawson, who all got at least 60% of the vote, in the past 54% of those receiving that high a percentage went in by the next ballot. 71% got in within two years.

Oh, and by the way, it's the second time since 1986 that at least three players have gotten at least 60% of the vote without reaching the magical 75%. '83 had the most with five, and 1946 and '51 are the only ones with four.

And don't feel so badly for Sutter given that he cleared the bar by a measly ten votes (390 were needed and he got 400). Plenty of previous Hall of Famers have Fosbury Flopped over the bar with less room to spare.

Sutter is the 24th to go in by ten votes or less:

It's not so bad for a pitcher to be in the company of Cy Young and Lefty Grove after all.

Percentage-wise, Sutter was a bit closer, coming in at 11th for the lowest among all Hall-of-Famers:

Finally, the election of Sutter adds another Hall of Famer to the resumes of the Braves, Cubs, and Cards who are now third, fourth, and fifth (respectively) all time in Hall of Fame players. Here are the all-time standings. Surprisingly, the Yankees place seventh, one spot behind the Red Sox and just one ahead of the lowly Phils (though the Phils are famous for trading future Hall-of-Famers early in their careers):