ACBL Hall of Fame

Class of 1953

Thanks to everyone for voting.  Here are the results of the ACBL Hall of Fame election.  With all 14 managers voting, 11 votes were needed for election.  Here are the new inductees:
 

LUKE APPLING
1930 New Jersey Gamblers, 1931 Bergen Barflies, 1932-33 Kentucky Funky Colonels, 1934-36 Bushwood Gophers, 1937-43, 45-46 Bedrock Water Buffaloes, 1946-50 Pennsylvania Peanuts

 A slick-fielding shortstop, he was the first ACBL player to play in 20 seasons, playing with 3 different franchises while setting ACBL records in games played and at bats….hit over .300 in seven seasons, leading the league with a .375 average in 1940 and a .359 average in 1943…he ranks 2nd all-time in the ACBL in hits and 3rd all-time in walks, as well as ranking in the top 10 in a number of other batting categories…had 6 hits in a game twice…he walked more than twice as much as he struck out throughout his career…played in the post-season four times, but never made it to the World Series….missed the 1944 season & parts of the 45-46 season due to war service…his 1943 season ranks among the most prolific in ACBL history, as he knocked out 208 hits and drew 98 walks for a .451 on-base percentage.

 

MEL HARDER
1930 Dumont Dark Stockings, 1931-43 Bergen Barflies

 A mainstay of the Bergen pitching staff during the Barflies’ streak of playoff appearances, he is among the ACBL leaders in numerous pitching categories….won 226 games, 5th all-time in the ACBL, in an 18 year career, all but one year of which was spent with Bergen…appeared in the playoffs in nine seasons, winning three World Series rings….won 20 games 4 times and threw a no-hitter against Adirondack in 1938…won the Colonial League Cy Young award in 1935, with a 24-4 record, 7 shutouts, and a sparkling 1.85 ERA…returned from war service in 1942 to go 12-4 with a 1.55 ERA to lead the Barflies to another World Series appearance…elected in his 4th year on the Hall of Fame ballot.

 

ERNIE LOMBARDI
1931-47 Iowa Harvesters

 The best hitting catcher in ACBL history, he played his entire 17 year career with the Iowa Harvesters, helping them to three World Series appearances, including the ACBL Championship in 1937…he was at his best in the pressure of theWorld Series, hitting .366 in 19 games…he hit over .300 eight times, with a career-best .377 in 1938, a season in which he struck out only 7 times in over 500 plate appearances….hit a career high 23 HRs in 1939 and added 3 HRs in the 1946 World Series….hit .301 for his career, ranking in the top 20 all-time in the ACBL…elected in his 4th year on the Hall of Fame ballot.

 

Here are the complete voting totals.  For the second year in a row Bob Johnson missed election by one vote.  He, along with every player who received at least one vote, will appear again on next year’s ballot. 

Luke Appling – 13 – ELECTED

Mel Harder – 12 – ELECTED

Ernie Lombardi – 12 – ELECTED

Bob Johnson – 10
Bucky Walters – 8
Chuck Klein – 7
Dolph Camilli – 6
Hal Trotsky – 6
Wes Ferrell – 4
Stan Hack – 4
Gabby Hartnett – 4
Lloyd Waner – 3
Rudy York – 3
Tommy Bridges – 2
Curt Davis – 2
Ken Keltner – 1
Eddie Lake – 1
Thornton Lee – 1
Claude Passeau – 1
Schoolboy Rowe – 1
Al Evans – 0
Joe Gordon – 0
Harry Gumbert – 0
Frankie Gustine – 0
Tommy Henrich – 0
Kirby Higbie – 0
Johnny Lindell – 0
Eddie Miller – 0
Roy Weatherly - 0