Selig, Schuerholz elected to Hall of Fame; Johnson falls short

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - Former Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig and longtime Royals and Braves general manager John Schuerholz were elected to the Hall of Fame this evening, emerging as the only two inductees from a list of candidates selected by the newly altered version of the Veterans' Committee that included former Nationals manager Davey Johnson.

Johnson received fewer than five votes from the panel of 16 Hall of Fame members, executives and veteran media members who made the selection. He would have needed 12 votes for election. The announcement was made live on MLB Network at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, host of the Winter Meetings.

Schuerholz, the architect both of the Royals' 1985 championship club and the Braves' 1990s dynasty, was a unanimous choice by the voters. Selig, whose 22-year tenure as commissioner featured both significant highs and lows, was named on 15 of 16 ballots.

Former manager Lou Piniella received seven votes. All of the seven other candidates on this year's new "Today's Game" ballot - Johnson, Harold Baines, Albert Belle, Will Clark, Orel Hershiser, Mark McGwire and George Steinbrenner - received fewer than five votes.

The chances of Johnson landing in Cooperstown seemed unlikely, but he does have a compelling case for serious consideration. His .562 career winning percentage is the highest among any non-Hall of Famers who managed at least 10 years in the big leagues, and he ranks 15th in major league history with a record that was 301 games over the .500 mark (1,372-1,071).

Ultimately, it may have been Johnson's one World Series title and one pennant victory (both with the powerhouse 1986 Mets) that left him a bit short of induction. Each of the 22 other Hall of Fame managers from the modern era won at least two pennants.

Johnson did guide four different franchises to the postseason, taking the Mets (twice), Reds (once), Orioles (twice) and Nationals (once) into October play. His teams also finished with a winning record in 13 of his 14 full seasons as a major league manager.

Brought out of retirement by the Nationals in June 2011 following Jim Riggleman's surprise resignation, Johnson found himself with a golden opportunity to boost his legacy. And when he led the Nationals to the 2012 National League East title, he was well on his way.

But after losing Game 5 of the National League Division Series to the Cardinals and then finishing a distant second with 86 wins in 2013, Johnson's managerial career ended on something of a sour note, probably spoiling whatever chance he had to make it to Cooperstown.