Wilhelm and Brock Are Named to Cooperstown’s Hall of Fame

Hoyt Wilhelm, who confounded batters until age 49 with a knuckleball, and Lou Brock, baseball’s all-time stolen base leader, were elected to the Hall of Fame Monday.

Nelson Fox, the second baseman for the Chicago White Sox who died in 1975, missed entrance to Cooperstown by two votes--the smallest margin by which a player has ever failed to make the Hall.

Wilhelm, who missed last year by just 13 votes, was named on 381 of the 395 ballots cast by the Baseball Writers Assn. of America. Brock, becoming only the 15th player to enter on his first try, collected 315 votes.

Wilhelm and Brock were the only players from the list of 41 to receive at least 297 votes, which represents the necessary 75% of the ballots cast. Each writer is permitted to vote for up to 10 candidates.

Fox, a durable second baseman noted more for his fielding than his bat, received 295 votes--74.6%--in his final year of the 15-year enshrinement period. He had fallen 30 or 40 votes short the last few elections. He died of skin cancer in 1975 at age 47.

It was the closest a player had come to the 75% figure without gaining entrance since voting began in 1937. In 1975, Ralph Kiner was elected to the Hall of Fame with 273 votes--one more than the requirement that season.

Fox can immediately be enshrined into the Hall of Fame by a special vote of the Veterans Committee, but it is unlikely that would happen in his first year of eligibility.

Others receiving considerable support this year were Billy Williams (252 votes), Jim Bunning (214), Jim (Catfish) Hunter (212), Roger Maris (128), Harvey Kuenn (125), Orlando Cepeda (114) and Tony Oliva (114).

“That’s great,” Wilhelm, 61, said at the Atlanta airport. “I think that’s the ultimate for any player that’s played a few years in the big leagues. It’s a great thing to do.”

Wilhelm and Brock will officially gain entrance to the Hall Of Fame during induction ceremonies at Cooperstown, N.Y., July 28.

Wilhelm pitched for the New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Angels, Atlanta Braves and Dodgers. He apppeared in a record 1,070 games and had a 143-122 record with a lifetime 2.52 earned-run average. Brock, who spent the bulk of his 18-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals, finished with 3,023 hits and set a record 938 stolen bases.