1956-1965
Among a relatively mundane succession of election results, one clearly stands out. In 1962, Hall voters enshrined pitching great Bob Feller and groundbreaking Dodger Jackie Robinson.
The Robinson election, with 77.5 percent of the 160 voters, had and still has obvious profound cultural implications. Aside from that, he was 1947 Rookie Of the Year, 1949 MVP, 1949 batting champion (.342), and a key figure on seven pennant winners, among them the 1955 World Champions.
"A player of extraordinary ability renowned for his electrifying style of play."Jackie Robinson's Hall of Fame plaque
That's not meant to overlook Feller, who was named on 93.8 percent of the ballots. A 266-game winner who lost all or most of four seasons to Naval combat service during World War II, he set the strikeout record, seven times leading the league in that category.
1956-65 personal favorite: There’s no getting past the Feller-Robinson 1962 enshrinement, both for the quality of the candidates and also for the social and cultural implications. And, for what it’s worth, that 1962 class also included a pair of old-timers: Edd Roush and Bill McKechnie.