1974 Hall of Fame
By the 70's there was still a bit of a traffic jam of great names needing votes. That being said, there are some elites that just have to cut to the front of the line for voters when their name finally appears on the ballot. Sure, there will always be that holdout that refuses to vote for anyone making their debut (except Mariano Rivera) but some best of the best just can not be denied. In 1974, another one of those undeniable names appeared on his first and only ballot: The Mick. Icing on the cake for Mantle was that the voters were sending him to the Hall with his long time teammate Whitey Ford (his 2nd ballot, but who's counting when you finally get the votes?). The other committees added four other names, but 1974 was clearly headlined by pinstripes.
