1996-2005
Perhaps the greatest Hall class since the inaugural 1936 one arrived in 1999. It featured three legends: Nolan Ryan, George Brett and Robin Yount.
The careers of Brett and Yount can be summed up simply. Brett was the greatest Royal ever; Yount was the greatest Brewer. You’d be hard-pressed to find a half dozen fans of either team to argue that point.
"A fierce competitor and one of baseball's most intimidating figures on the pitching mound."From Nolan Ryan's Hall of Fame plaque
Ryan had no team — he pitched lengthy stints with the Angels, Astros and Rangers after coming up with the Mets. His record, however, is staggering. For starters, he pitched through parts of 27 seasons, debuting in 1966 and retiring in 1993. Ryan’s 324 victories came in a stunning 616 decisions, a total that is still fourth all time behind only Cy Young, Walter Johnson and James Galvin.
For good measure, he still holds the career strikeout record (5,714), which likely won't be broken any time soon (or, potentially, ever).
1996-2005 personal favorite: If Nolan Ryan never existed, you’d still give this to the Brett-Yount 1999 class. How often have the greatest players in the history of two different franchises entered Cooperstown arm in arm?