Ozzie Smith is part of the Contemporary Baseball Eras Committee Panel.
St. Louis Cardinals legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith is part of the Contemporary Baseball Eras Committee panel that will help decide the Hall of Fame fate of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Dale Murphy and others this weekend.
After missing out on the Hall of Fame for 10 years on the traditional ballot, those three, plus Carlos Delgado, Gary Sheffield, Fernando Valenzuela, Jeff Kent, and Don Mattingly will have a chance to make the Hall of Fame through this method. The vote is Sunday, with the induction ceremony taking place next July.
Valenzuela was a brief member of the Cardinals.
The Ozzie Smith file
One of the greatest defenders in baseball history, Smith spent 19 years in the big leagues with the San Diego Padres and Cardinals. A 15-time All-Star, he was a 13-time Gold Glover, a Silver Slugger, a World Champion (1982) and a Clemente Award winner.
A career .262 hitter, he only hit 28 home runs and brought in 793. He stole 580 bases lifetime, including five seasons of 40 or more. He had 57 for the Cardinals in 1988. He made the All-Star team each year from 1981-92.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.
About the Contemporary Baseball Era Ballot:
The following comes from the Baseball Hall of Fame:
The Era Committees consist of three different electorates: The Classic Baseball Era, consisting of the period prior to 1980 and including Negro Leagues and pre-Negro Leagues stars; and the Contemporary Baseball Era, consisting of the period from 1980 to present day. The Contemporary Baseball Era is split into two separate ballots – one ballot to consider only players who made their greatest impact on the game since 1980, and another composite ballot consisting of managers, executives and umpires whose greatest contributions to the game have come since 1980.
This 'Era' is up for induction in 2026, and then not again until 2029, as the Eras rotate in terms of eligibility.
Players need to receive 12-of-16 votes (75 percent) in order to receive induction to the Hall of Fame.
About Valenzuela
He spent 17 years in the big leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers, California Angels, San Diego Padres and Cardinals, finishing with St. Louis in 1997. In total, he was 173-153 with a 3.54 ERA and he helped spark "Fernando Mania" in 1980. He won double-digit games in 10 different seasons, and won 21 games in an All-Star season of 1986. He won the World Series with Los Angeles in 1981 and also captured a Cy Young, six All-Star Game appearances and a Gold Glove Award.
He was a Rookie of the Year and a two-time Silver Slugger at the plate.
Valenzuela was no longer the same with the Cardinals in that 1997 season, going 0-4 in just five starts with a 5.56 ERA. Regardless of how he finished, his impact on the game, and on the Latin community, is undeniable.
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