Schilling falls short of Hall in 8th year on ballot

Curt Schilling fell short again, but he is trending in the right direction. He still has time.

Schilling learned Tuesday that he will not be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer, after his name appeared on 70 percent of ballots cast by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The former ace needed to appear on 75 percent of the ballots cast for enshrinement in Cooperstown, N.Y., on July 26, but he fell 20 votes shy of the 298 votes needed. It is a disappointing result for Schilling, but he has two years of eligibility remaining and momentum on his side. His vote percentage has increased each of the past three years since he appeared on 45% of ballots in 2017, rising to 51.2% in ‘18 and 60.9 percent in ‘19.

• Complete 2020 Hall of Fame election results

Derek Jeter and Larry Walker were elected as the Class of 2020 by the BBWAA. Jeter appeared on 99.7 percent of the ballots. Walker appeared on 76.6 percent of ballots in his 10th and final year of eligibility.

Schilling, whose career spanned 20 years and five teams, first blossomed in Philadelphia, where he was a three-time All-Star. In all, the right-hander won 216 games and posted a 3.46 ERA (127 ERA+) and a 4.38 strikeout-to-walk ratio that is the best in the modern era among those with at least 2,000 innings. His postseason exploits, including the famous “bloody sock” game with Boston in the 2004 American League Championship Series and his co-MVP honor in the 2001 World Series with Arizona, added to his argument.