254 wins, finishing in the top-five in American League Cy Young voting five times, and leading the AL in wins two times doesn’t get you very far with Hall of Fame voters these days.
Thus is the reality for former Twin Jack Morris, who spent just one season with Minnesota, but was an integral part of the Twins 1991 run to a World Series ring, finally finishing the job in Game 7 of the Series by putting up one of the greatest pitching performances in baseball history.
But in his 15th and final year on the Hall of Fame ballot, Morris appears to be out of luck when the announcement of those headed to Cooperstown comes at 1 p.m. Wednesday.
According to Baseball Think Factory, a website tracking results via all the Hall of Fame ballots they can find, Morris has received less than 59 percent of votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America.
The BBWAA accounts for about one-quarter of votes, and in order to reach the Hall, the ex-player in question must receive 75 percent to get in.
The only chance Morris would have after this year would be getting in by way of debate conducted by a separate committee for players whose 15 years on the ballot are up.
That last ditch possibility is considered a long shot.
At least one man is very adamant about “Black Jack” getting in, MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick, who voted Morris, and only Morris, on his ballot.
Unfortunately for Jack, who received just 67 percent of votes on each of the last two ballots, it appears there aren’t enough Ken Gurnicks in the world to get Morris a spot among baseball’s best.
