Schilling sees support rise in HOF voting

PHILADELPHIA -- Curt Schilling is inching closer to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The former Phillies ace appeared on 60.9 percent of the 425 ballots cast by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Players must be named on 75 percent of ballots for enshrinement, meaning Schilling fell 60 ballots short of a trip this summer to Cooperstown, N.Y. But Schilling is trending in the right direction. He appeared on 51.2 percent of ballots in 2018.
• Complete HOF coverage | 2019 HOF voting results
Former Phillies great Roy Halladay was elected with 85.4 percent of the vote, joining Mariano Rivera, Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, Harold Baines and Lee Smith in the 2019 class. 
"[Four] men who absolutely deserved it," Schilling tweeted after. "They were better men than they were players and their [sic] HOF players. Congrats Mo, Doc, Moose and Edgar. You all are deserving!"

Players can be on the Hall of Fame ballot for 10 years, provided they receive at least 5 percent of the vote. This was Schilling's seventh year on the ballot, meaning he has three more shots to be elected by the BBWAA.
Other notable former Phillies to fall short include Scott Rolen with 73 votes (17.2 percent) and Billy Wagner with 71 votes (16.7 percent). It was Rolen's second year on the ballot. He received 10.2 percent of the vote last year. It was Wagner's fourth year on the ballot. He received 11.1 percent of the vote last year.
Other former Phillies to fall off the ballot because they did not receive 5 percent of the vote: Michael Young with nine votes (2.1 percent); Roy Oswalt with four votes (0.9 percent); and Placido Polanco with two votes (0.5 percent). Freddy Garcia and Juan Pierre received no votes.