Molitor, Eck get call in 2004
NEW YORK -- Hitting star Paul Molitor and reliever Dennis Eckersley were elected
to baseball's Hall of Fame on Tuesday in their first year of eligibility.
Molitor was picked on 431 of 506 ballots (85.2 percent) cast by reporters who have been members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America for 10 or more years. Eckersley was selected on 421 ballots (83.2 percent).
For more: Paul Molitor | Dennis Eckersley
Roaring '20s have produced most in HOF
When it came to the debuts of Hall of Famers, the stars from the 1920s prove to be one of baseball's most formidible generations.
| Decade | Inductees |
| 1870-79 | 9 |
| 1880-89 | 18 |
| 1890-99 | 22 |
| 1900-09 | 18 |
| 1910-19 | 24 |
| 1920-29 | 34 |
| 1930-39 | 18 |
| 1940-49 | 18 |
| 1950-59 | 23 |
| 1960-69 | 20 |
| 1970-79 | 9 |
| 1980-89 | 1 |
Thirty-four future inductees into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown became stars in Major League Baseball from 1920-1929. Among those making their debuts are such stars as Lou Gehrig (1923), Billy Terry (1923), Hack Willson (1923), Red Ruffing (1924), Al Simmons (1924), Jimmie Foxx (1925), Mel Ott (1926), and Carl Hubbell (1928).
Currently, the years of 1910-1919 rank second with 24 debuts of future Hall of Famers including Babe Ruth.
Currently nine players from the 1970s, including new inductees Dennis Eckersley and Paul Molitor, have been elected to the Hall of Fame. Only one player who debuted in the 1980s -- Kirby Puckett -- has been elected to the Hall of Fame.
MOST HOFERS DEBUTING IN SAME SEASON
In 1880, future Hall of Famers Roger Connor, Ned Hanlon, Mikey Welch, Charley Radbourn, Tim Keefe and Buck Ewing were introduced to baseball fans. It happened again in 1912 with Herb Pennock, Eppa Rixy, Ray Schalk, Stan Coveleski, Rabbit Maranville and Casey Stengel all making their debuts.
Three seasons later, in 1915, six more Hall of Famers became a part of the game. Those were Dave Bancroft, Dazzy Vance, George Sisler, Sam Rice, George Kelly and Rogers Hornsby.
The feat of six happened in back-to-back seasons in 1923 and 1924. In 1923, Jocko Conlon, Heinie Manush, Lou Gehrig, Ted Lyons, Bill Terry and Hack Wilson debuted. In 1924, fans were introduced to Freddie Lindstrom, Al Simmons, Earle Combs, Red Ruffing, Chick Hafey and Charlie Gehringer.
MOST HOFERS DEBUTING IN ONE GAME
On May 5, 1871, three future Hall of Famers debuted in the same game and on the same team. Al Spalding, George Wright and Harry Wright made their debuts with the Boston Red Stockings of the National Association. A day later, another Hall of Famer, Cap Anson, made his debut with the Rockford Forest Citys
On May 1, 1880, Roger Connor and Mickey Welch debuted for the Troy Trojans. In that same game, Ned Hanlon made his debut for the Cleveland Blues.
Source: Baseball Hall of Fame
More info on
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From Babe Ruth
to Hank Greenberg to Dave Winfield, here's a list of baseball's Hall of
Fame inductees. 
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