NEW YORK (AP) — Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz dominated in an era of offense, each in their own way.
The 6-foot-10 Big Unit became the tallest of 215 players elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame and the 5-foot-11 Martinez the shortest pitcher picked for Cooperstown since Whitey Ford in 1974.
Smoltz, who found unusual success both as a starting pitcher and a reliever, also was voted in Tuesday along with Craig Biggio, the first time since 1955 writers picked a quartet of players in one year.
For many, the election of Johnson and Martinez was the long and short of it.
“You’re talking about freakish talent,” Smoltz said. “I’ve never seen at each person’s height anybody come close to what they were able to do.”
Johnson, Martinez and Smoltz were crowned by big margins on their first tries, the first trio of pitchers voted in together by the writers.
Biggio made it on his third attempt after falling two votes shy last year.
Steroids-tainted stars Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa again fell far short of half of the votes and appear to have little chance of reaching the necessary 75 percent during their remaining time on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot.
“It’s actually sad, to be honest. It’s sad,” Martinez said. “People I admired are not going in with me.”
The quartet will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 26. The BBWAA had not voted in four players together since selecting Joe DiMaggio, Gabby Hartnett, Ted Lyons and Dazzy Vance 60 years earlier
Mike Piazza fell 28 votes short but increased his percentage to 69.9 from 57.8 in 2013 and 62.2 last year.
Both making their third appearances, Clemens received 37.5 percent and Bonds 36.8 percent.
In his ninth and next-to-last year of eligibility, McGwire got 10 percent — less than half his peak of 23.6 percent in 2008. Sosa was on 6.6 percent of the ballots, just above the 5 percent threshold for remaining on next year’s list.
Don Mattingly received 9.1 percent in his 15th and final appearance on the ballot.
Under a change made by the Hall’s board last summer, players’ eligibility was cut from 15 years to 10 but the 11-15 group was grandfathered.
Among the 17 first-time eligibles who will be dropped are Carlos Delgado (3.8 percent) and players’ association head Tony Clark, who did not get any votes.
Ken Griffey Jr., Trevor Hoffman and Billy Wagner are among the players eligible for the first time in next year’s ballot.