Leyland is very well liked in the baseball world...players, executives, and writers.

Purity tests for HOF'rs aside, being well liked is a big plus when it comes time to vote.

I find him a boring pick, but I don't find the pick unsurprising.

* Bochy, Baker and Francona will be elected as managers

I needed to look this up as to me post-season means a lot for managers:

Murtaugh/Gaston/Tom Kelly 2 Pennants- 2 WS
Houk 3 Pennants- 2 WS
Leyland 3 Pennants- 1 WS
Martin 2 Pennants- 1 WS
Piniella 1 Pennant- 1 WS

For managers, 3 titles is automatic, 2 and either another pennant or lots of wins usually gets you in. Houk certainly an outlier due to great NYY teams. Bill Carrigan other 2 timer not in.

The 3 pennants separate Leyland and he had some terrific Tigers teams that came up short.

Houk and Charlie Grim look to be only 3 time pennant winners not elected. Grimm has no titles.

EDIT- as HOF speculator I have the attached......

The odds of a corrupt result when you have a voting body of 16 insiders in a closed session is extremely high.

This format is a horrible idea if the intent is any kind of an honest outcome. The writers process has its issues but there are few corrupt choices from that process.

I have to admit to being happy Joe West didn't come close to getting in. He was part of the group that received less than 5 votes.

Get rid of these Committees. Too much cronyism. Need a much broader base of voters.

I agree.....what about giving all HOFers a vote? Still need 75%.

Or a diverse group selected from different constituencies.

100% agree

I believe the HOF tried giving all living members a vote for a few years. No one got elected, so they changed the system.

I think baseball card cutup artists have severely dwindled the supply of early Jim Leyland cards from the late 1980's when fashioning under eye shadows and ear canals in their artwork.

Brian (now I have to dig out one of my 1987 Topps of him before I absentmindedly send it off to the art scissor underworld )

Bochum has five pennants and four WS. He will be a lock. A couple posts earlier shortchanged him. I listened to every game White did for years with the Yankees. We had a running joke the way he’d call games. “Line drive to right… check that - grounder to second.” “Deep to center (voice rises). That ball is .. caught on the outfield grass.” I thought he’d get in and I was OK with that.

Could not agree more. He wanted the Indians, but CBS had to let the Yankees go. He said he would return them to glory and did so. Went through a rough stretch and then did it again. Even when they weren't winning the WS they were for the most part competitive.