http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/history/first5/default.htmThe "First Five"
A Look at the Original Members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame
By Dan Holmes
The plaques of the original class of the Hall of Fame have a special place in the Hall of Fame Gallery.
When the inaugural Hall of Fame ballots were counted in 1936, five players had received at least 75% of the votes cast - the standard set for election by the Baseball Writers' Association of America that still exists today. Those players were the first five men elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The five players were, in order of votes: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson.
These five players were the first to be acclaimed as Hall of Famers. They were worthy of the honor: Cobb, the most prolific hitter in history; Ruth, the game's greatest home run hitter; Wagner, star shortstop and batting champion; Mathewson, the winningest pitcher in National League history; and Johnson, considered one of the hardest throwers ever to take the mound.
On June 12, 1939, Cobb, Johnson, Mathewson, Ruth and Wagner, as well as 21 others who had been elected from 1937-1939, were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. That day, four of the "First Five" were in attendance, along with seven other electees for the opening of the Hall of Fame. Mathewson had died on October 7, 1925.
Since that first election in 1936, more than 180 players have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Yet the "First Five" hold a special place in Baseball history. In the Hall of Fame, the plaques of those five men stand separate facing visitors as they immediately enter the gallery. Additionally, the Hall of Fame's logo honors the "First Five" with five white stars on a field of blue. In many ways, these five players serve as a standard bearer for future inductees.
Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, who won 318 games in his marvelous career, echoes the sentiments of many of the living Hall of Famers:
"In many ways I think some of us feel we belong in Cooperstown, but when you talk about Ruth, Cobb, Wagner, Mathewson and Johnson, you realize you aren't in their category. Those players and a few others, were the true legends"
Ty Cobb
Cobb played 24 years in the major leagues and owned almost 100 baseball records when he retired. His lifetime batting average remains the benchmark in batting excellence. Playing 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers and two with the Philadelphia Athletics, "The Georgia Peach" won 12 batting titles. He received votes on 222 of the 226 ballots cast in 1936. The Hall of Fame has several artifacts from Cobb's career, including his spikes, bat, sunglasses, sliding pads and a Detroit Tigers' team sweater.
Hall of Fame executive Branch Rickey, who managed against Cobb in his prime, said of Ty: "I saw him make plays that no one else would dare to try. He was a master at calculating the odds, and he was in a class by himself on the base paths. He had brains in his feet."
Walter Johnson
The "Big Train" was one of the hardest throwing pitchers of his, or any other era. He won 417 games in his 21-year career, despite pitching for several mediocre Washington Senators teams. Since 1918, his 12th season in the majors, Johnson's shutout total has stood unequaled in baseball history. He retired as the career leader in strikeouts, having fanned at least 200 batters seven times. In the seventh game of the 1924 World Series, Johnson entered the contest in the ninth inning and pitched four innings of shutout relief to lead the Senators to their only World Series championship. Johnson was named on 189 of the 226 Hall of Fame ballots cast in 1936. A barnstorming banner promoting Johnson's team of stars against another team managed by Babe Ruth, is included in the Hall of Fame's collections, as well as a campaign pin distributed when Johnson ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Congress following his playing career.
Christy Mathewson
Mathewson was a clean-living role model for thousands of young baseball fans across America in the early 1900s. On the mound, the righthander won 373 games and anchored John McGraw's New York Giants pitching staff from 1900-1916. "Matty" was known for his outstanding control and his wicked breaking pitch, which he called the "fadeaway." "Big Six" was at his best in the post-season, and in 1905 he almost single-handedly won the World Series when he shut out the Athletics in Games One, Three and Five, allowing just 14 hits in the three contests. Mathewson received 205 of the 226 possible 1936 Hall of Fame votes. The Hall of Fame collections include a Mathewson jersey and an autographed baseball.
Babe Ruth
Ruth seemed at times larger than life. His Hall of Fame plaque states he was the "greatest drawing card in (the) history of baseball." Until he came along, team's played for one run and long-ball hitters were considered anomalies. Ruth quickly won over the American public to his style of ball, which he implemented with his booming bat. Yet Ruth was a great baseball player, not just a slugger. "The Bambino" posted a 94-46 pitching record and was regarded as one of the best left-handed pitchers in the game in the early portion of his career. He retired as the all-time leader in home runs, runs batted in, slugging percentage and walks. "The Sultan of Swat" was named on 215 of the 226 ballots in the 1936 election for the Hall of Fame. Among the Ruth items included in the Hall of Fame collections are his locker from Yankee Stadium, the bat he used to hit his 60th home run in 1927, the baseball from his 500th home run, his bowling ball and bowling shoes.
Honus Wagner
Hall of Fame executive Branch Rickey, a renowned evaluator of talent, declared Wagner "the greatest player who ever lived." Wagner used his huge hands and long arms to patrol several defensive positions, most notably shortstop. "The Flying Dutchman" won eight National League batting titles and retired with more than 3,000 hits. Immensely popular, Wagner was the first player to have his signature on a Louisville Slugger bat. Like Ruth, Wagner garnered 215 votes in the first Hall of Fame balloting. The Hall of Fame collections include a Wagner jersey, cap, spikes and bat from his playing career. A scorecard from the first Hall of Fame game, which Wagner managed in, on June 12, 1939, is also a part of the Hall of Fame's collections.