From one of the most star-studded ballots in years, the Baseball Writers' Association of America elected Nolan Ryan, George Brett, and Robin Yount to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on January 5, 1999.

It was the first time since 1936 that three or more players had been elected in their first year of eligibility. In 1936, the first year of voting for the Hall of Fame, legendary players Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson were enshrined.

Ryan received 491 out of the record 497 ballots cast, or almost 99 percent of the vote. One of the hardest-throwing pitchers ever, Ryan played with four teams over 27 major league seasons. The right-hander holds or shares more than 50 big-league records, including career strikeouts (5,714), no-hit games (7), and strikeouts in a season (383). Ryan had a career win-loss mark of 324-292 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.19 per 9 innings. Despite his success, however, Ryan never won the Cy Young Award, given annually to the best pitcher in both the American and National leagues since 1967.

Brett, the great Kansas City Royals third baseman, received just three fewer votes than Ryan to gain entry into the Hall of Fame. Brett was one of the dominant hitters of the 1970s and 1980s, leading the American League (AL) in batting three times. In 1980 Brett hit .390, which remains the highest AL average since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941. He also had 317 home runs and 3,154 hits over his career, and led the Royals to the 1985 World Series title.
Yount attracted 385 votes (77.5 percent), just enough to qualify for enshrinement. (Entrants must be named on a minimum of 75 percent of all ballots cast.) In a career much like Brett's, Yount spent 20 seasons with one team, the Milwaukee Brewers, where he was known for his hitting and tenacious play. A shortstop and center fielder, Yount had 3,142 career hits, a lifetime .285 average, and was the American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1982 and 1989. Yount led the Brewers to the 1982 World Series, where they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.

Among those players who fell short in the voting were catcher Carlton Fisk, a star with the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox who played in four different decades; Gary Carter, another catcher who had his best years with the Montréal Expos and New York Mets; and first baseman Tony Perez, one of the main cogs in the Cincinnati Reds' "Big Red Machine" in the 1970s. Induction ceremonies are scheduled for July 25, 1999, at the Hall of Fame site in Cooperstown, New York.
The official Web site for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum contains more information about Ryan, Brett, and Yount, including year-by-year statistics, as well as background on the institution. The official site of Major League Baseball features the latest news about the sport.