Here are the results from the voting for the 2nd class of the ACBL Hall of Fame.   In an election where it took at least 11 votes to qualify for induction, we had one unanimous selection, 2 players who made it with 12 and 11 votes each, and 6 others who received votes and will return to next year's ballot.  In a good imitation of the voting for the Baseball Hall of Fame, one of our selections this year was a player who barely missed out on election last year.  In addition, the number of votes for players who returned to this years' ballot was often different than the number of votes they received last year.  But let's end the suspense - drumroll please!  Here are the results:

 

Charlie Gehringer - 14 - ELECTED

Larry French - 12 - ELECTED

Earl Averill - 11 - ELECTED

 

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Wally Berger - 7

Wes Ferrell - 7

Gabby Hartnett - 6

Buddy Myer - 3

Gus Suhr - 2

Charlie Root - 1

 

CHARLIE GEHRINGER began his career with the Miami Mirage in 1930 and moved with the Mirage to Pennsylvania when the franchise was relocated in 1932.  Gehringer played in the post-season 5 times, including 4 league championship appearances and one trip to the World Series, where he received a ring when Pennsylvania won the ACBL title in 1940.  The sure-handed 2nd baseman ranks in the all-time top 10 in many ACBL hitting categories, including 4th in doubles, 6th in runs, and 7th in batting average.  Gehringer finished his career with an impressive .401 on base percentage and knocked out 66 doubles in 1936, 2nd most in a season in league history.  Gehringer was particular lethal in the league wildcard series, batting .382 in four appearances as he helped his team to victories in that series 3 times.  His best season was the 1936 campaign in which he hit .384, led the Federal League in not only 2Bs but also hits with 253, hit 24 HRs and struck out only 6 times in over 700 plate appearances.

 

LARRY FRENCH spent his entire 13 year career with the Santa Barbara Dons.  French made four post-season appearances, including one trip to the ACBL World Series where he fired a shutout although the Dons lost that 1939 series to Bergen.   French won 20 games in a season a remarkable 7 times and ranks 3rd all-time in career wins in the ACBL with 233.  He was an extremely durable pitcher and ranks 2nd all-time in the ACBL in both innings pitched and games started.  French also appears on the all-time leader boards in strikeouts with 1357 and ERA, finishing his career with a stellar 3.02 mark.  His career was extremely consistent, but his best year may have been 1935, when he went 23-8 with an ERA of 1.94.  He ended his career in 1942 by becoming Santa Barbara's closer, appearing in 47 games and recording 11 saves with an ERA of 1.65.

 

EARL AVERILL played 11 seasons with the New York Knights before completing his career in 1941 with the Iowa Harvesters.  Averill went to the post-season 8 times in his 12 year career, reaching 1 World Series with the New York Knights in 1938.  He ranks in the all-time ACBL top 10 in both HRs and RBIs, hitting over 20 HRs in 7 seasons and driving in more than 100 runs six times.  He led the Colonial League in HRs in 1931 and walks in 1937.  In addition to his reputation as a power hitter Averill was an on-base machine, finishing his career with a .384 OBP.  He played all three OF positions and totaled 166 OF assists over his career.  His best season was 1936, when he hit .380, 2nd in the Colonial League, drove in 145 runs, also 2nd in the league, knocked out 238 hits, and struck out only 13 times in nearly 700 plate appearances.