Here’s a handful of beloved Boston athletes who also happen to be first ballot hall of famers in their respective sports.
As I’m typing this, it’s Election Day. You may or may not be reading it on Election Day, but it’s the whole “cast your ballot” concept that got me thinking about going into the Hall of Fame on your first go-round. It’s not an easy feat.
I did some digging around and, as you’d expect, there are indeed a number of Boston sports legends from Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, and the National Basketball Association who’ve pulled it off.
First Ballot Hall of Famers: By the Numbers
By my count down the list on Baseball Reference, Cooperstown has enshrined 61 first ballot hall of fame players as of 2024. Canton has quite a few more: 92 as of 2024. And they’ve only been inducting since 1967. Take a look here.
The NBA list is a bit shorter: 54 first-timers. Digging into the Hockey Hall of Fame, the list is shorter still: fewer than a dozen first ballot HoFers since 1945. So now that we’ve crunched some numbers, let’s feed them through the Boston filter.
First Ballot Hall of Famers: Boston’s Best
I figured a half-dozen would be the way to go, because 6 is half of 12 and my name’s Adam 12. Also, I know your time is valuable, and I don’t want to waste it with a big laundry list of names you won’t retain. Just a few now, maybe a few more at a later date.
Scroll on for two Sox, two Pats, a Bruin, and a Celt. And if you like my no-nonsense approach, you can read about the time I snuck into the 2013 World Series here.
