Best moments from 2018 Baseball Hall of Fame inductees

The runaway headliner for the class of 2018, Jones reaches Cooperstown with the support of 410 of 422 possible votes. That 97 percent of possible support was well-earned by the third baseman, who spent his entire 19-year career with the Atlanta Braves after being selected with the top pick of the 1990 draft. He became one of the most beloved players of his generation and the fifth member of the storied Braves of the 1990s to join the Hall, alongside Greg Maddux (2014), Tom Glavine (2014), John Smoltz (2015) and Bobby Cox (2014).

By ’95 the Braves had already won the fourth of their eventual record of 13 consecutive division titles but had come up short in twice in World Series play. After a cup of coffee with the club in 1993, Jones missed all of 1994 due to an ACL tear. After finishing second in NL Rookie of the Year voting in his delayed rookie campaign, Jones made his postseason debut in 1995 and had an undeniable impact, hitting .363 en route to helping the Braves to their only World Series title during his run.

Jones’ peak season came in 1999 when he took home National League MVP honors. His year included a .319 average with 45 home runs, 41 doubles and 110 runs batted in. He became the first player in history to top .300 with 40+ homers, 40+ doubles and 100+ RBI, while also getting 100+ walks, scoring 100+ runs and stealing 20+ bases. This all came on the heels of not getting selected for the NL All-Star team, no less.

Chipper didn’t miss the following season's All-Star festivities, especially with them held at Turner Field in Atlanta. Jones was elected as a starter for the game and was a scourge for AL pitching, going 3-for-3 including a big home run against White Sox hurler James Baldwin. Although the AL won the game 6-3, Jones put a stamp on the game at the heart of his prime.

On June 5, 2008, Jones swatted his 400^th career home run against Florida Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco. It came during a stretch when Jones hit well over .400 before finishing the year at .364, good for his only batting title. The year also marked his 14^th straight season of hitting at least 20 home runs, tying Braves Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews for the most consecutive such seasons to start a career.

In career that was often defined by a flair for the dramatic, Jones’ final career home run served as an extension of that legend. With the Braves down in the bottom of the ninth against the Phillies on Sept. 12, Jones' 468^th career homer came as a walk-off against Jonathan Papelbon to secure an 8-7 victory. It was the ninth walk-off bomb of his career. Jones finished his career behind only Mike Schmidt and Eddie Mathews for most career home runs by a third baseman and third-most by a switch-hitter, trailing only Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray.

Arguably no player made more of something out of nothing than Guerrero, as his famous lack of discretion at the plate led to an astonishing career of tormenting opposing pitchers. One of the most fun players of any generation, Guerrero makes the Hall on his second year of eligibility, appearing on 92.9 percent of ballots. A unique standout in the history of two franchises after a distinguished career with the Montreal Expos early in his career, Guerrero will become the first player in Hall of Fame history to have the Angels logo appear on his plaque.

Although he hit just .185 in his first nine-game taste of the big leagues, Guerrero did manage to provide a snapshot of the power that resulted in 449 homers over the next 16 years. It came on Sept. 21, just three days after his MLB debut, against Braves All-Star closer Mark Wohlers, capping the first multi-hit game of his career.

The outfield exploits of Guerrero could be an adventure at times, as he finished with the most outfield errors in MLB history with 125. Guerrero often made up for those mishaps with one of the most powerful outfield arms of all time, one that accounted for 126 outfield assists in his career. One of the most memorable ropes he unleashed in his career came in 2001, when he threw out Blue Jays catcher Alberto Castillo after taking a Shannon Stewart base hit on one bounce and then uncorking a rifle of a throw that cut down Castillo at home — with no bounces.

Guerrero’s career north of the border came to close in 2003 during the waning years of the Expos, who relocated to Washington, D.C., two years later. Although his tenure in Montreal was just eight seasons, he remains a favorite of enduring Expos fans for his time in Quebec. His .323 average, .978 OPS and 234 home runs are top on the club’s pre-Nationals era, and he was an All-Star in four of his seven full seasons.

Guerrero headed west after signing a five-year, $70 million deal with the Anaheim Angels in January 2004. Upon arrival in the American League, he made an immediate impact, taking home AL MVP honors. Guerrero hit .337 along with 39 home runs, 126 RBI and crossed the plate an AL-best 124 times. Overall, he finished in the league’s top 10 in of 20 different categories and made his postseason debut after leading the Angels to a 92-70 record and American League West championship.

After six strong seasons in Anaheim, Guerrero moved on to the Texas Rangers before finally landing with the Baltimore Orioles for his final season. On Sept. 26 , 2011, he connected for his 2,587^th hit, which moved him past Julio Franco for the most by a Dominican-born player in MLB history. Guerrero is now in second place, with Adrian Beltre passing him in 2014.

The National League’s most dominant closer sees the doors to the Hall open for him in his third year of eligibility after appearing on 79.9 percent of ballots. Hoffman played a significant role in evolving the modern-day, one-inning closer from a niche role to a required part of every roster. Hoffman joins former teammate Tony Gwynn as the second player to have the Padres logo displayed on his Hall of Fame plaque.

Perhaps no Hall of Famer’s career got started further away from where it ended up. Long before finding glory following AC/DC's "Hell’s Bells" ringing out through stadium speakers in San Diego, Hoffman began his career as a shortstop in the Cincinnati Reds system. After proving to be less than formidable at the plate, the life-altering decision to move him to the mound was made by his minor league manager Jim Lett, where he proved immediately successful. The rest, as they say, is history.

Both the Reds and Marlins had Hoffman in their grasps on his way to the majors before he was dealt to the Padres in 1993 as part of trade that sent Gary Sheffield to Miami. Hoffman assumed the closer role full time the following year and quickly got to work on crafting his legacy there. He saved 30 games for the first time in 1995, 40 for the first time the following year and led the NL in saves for the first time in 1998, when he notched 53. Except for 2003, when he missed all but nine games due to injury, Hoffman averaged more than 42 saves per year from 1996 to 2007.

By 2006, Hoffman had the all-time saves record Lee Smith held within his sights. Hoffman recorded career save No. 478 in the Padres’ final home game of the season. The victory was a 2-1 win over the Pirates that kept San Diego atop the NL West. Seven days later, he closed out another game, which clinched a second consecutive NL West title for the Padres.

A year later, Hoffman’s venerable tenure in San Diego made history again. On April 28, Hoffman earned a save in a 3-2 victory over the Dodgers. It also marked his 803rd appearance as a Padre, setting a new MLB record for most outings for one franchise. It broke the previous record held by the legendary Walter Johnson with the Washington Senators, as well as Elroy Face of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hoffman ultimately worked 902 games for the franchise over 16 years.

The final stop in Hoffman’s career was in Milwaukee, where he spent the last two years of his career at age 41 and 42. The wily vet still had some history to make, which he did in 2010 when he notched career save No. 600 against the St. Louis Cardinals. It made Hoffman the first pitcher in MLB history to reach both 500 and 600 saves, two of the 12 MLB records he set in his career.

It was a long and well-worn path for Morris to arrive in the Hall, but he finally has his day in the sun via the Modern Committee. The longtime Detroit Tiger and postseason hero with the Minnesota Twins stands as one of the most accomplished pitchers of the 1980s and gives the 1984 World Series champion Detroit Tigers a third member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, joining manager Sparky Anderson (2000) and fellow 2018 inductee Alan Trammell.

Although Morris made his MLB debut in 1977 and his first All-Star Game in 1981, it was not until 1983 that he really broke out as one of the best pitchers in the American League. He won 20 games on the year and worked an American League-high 293.2 innings, spearheaded by 20 complete games. He also led the league in strikeouts for the only time in his career with 232 and finished third in AL Cy Young voting.

Morris’ dominance carried over to the next season, when early in the year he threw a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox. He recorded 19 of the Tigers’ MLB-best 104 wins en route to winning the franchise’s first World Series since 1968. In Morris’ debut postseason, he began crafting an October legacy that would define his career, going 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA, including two complete-game victories over the Padres in the World Series.

Although he posted a career-worst 6-14 record in the final season of the decade, Morris still put the finishing touches on a strong run throughout the '80s. His 162 wins were most of the decade, 22 more than the next closest hurler, Dave Stieb. Although Morris never won the Cy Young, he did finish in the top 10 in voting five times during the decade, finishing thi^rd in 1981 and 1983.

1990 was Morris’ final year in Detroit, after which he signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Twins. Despite being 36, he proved to still have plenty in the tank, winning 18 games, making the AL All-Star team and finishing fourth in Cy Young voting. But the veteran hurler saved his best for last, when he authored the greatest World Series Game 7 performance ever. Morris threw 10 shutout innings against the Braves to will the Twins to a World Series victory. He went 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA and was World Series MVP.

A year later, Morris found himself in a new home yet again, this time with the Toronto Blue Jays. Despite the change of scenery, Morris still found himself taking the ball to open the season. He was opening day starter during both of his seasons in Toronto, setting an MLB record with 14 consecutive opening day starts. Despite a declined impact in his late 30s, Morris won his third and fourth World Series rings with the Blue Jays.

Despite regularly posting devastating power numbers throughout his career, Thome flew under the radar somewhat in a very power-friendly era. Ultimately, his undeniable consistency and impact won out, as he was elected to the Hall in his first year of eligibility, appearing on 89.8 percent of ballots. One of the game’s great personalities in addition to talents, Thome becomes the first player to represent the Cleveland Indians on his plaque since Lou Boudreau in 1970.

By 1995, it been eight years since the Indians had a winning season and 51 years since their last postseason appearance. However, a new core of young stars, including Thome, Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez, Kenny Lofton and Carlos Baerga put the American League on notice, winning 100 games en route to an AL pennant and going to Game 6 of the World Series before falling to the Braves.

Although Thome had a pair of 20-homer seasons under his belt already, he really blew up on the scene following the Indians' breakout in ’95. Thome launched 38 home runs in 1996, the first of nine consecutive years of 30 or more homers. Thome was a three-time All-Star for the Indians and is the franchise’s all-time home run leader with 337.

Regardless of what uniform Thome donned, he hit. When he connected for 42 home runs with the White Sox in 2006, it marked the third franchise he topped 40 with after doing so with the Indians three times and the Phillies twice. He also stands as one of only four players to hit 100 home runs for three different teams, alongside Reggie Jackson, Darrell Evans and Alex Rodriguez.

Although he stayed outside of the spotlight for much of his career, eventually Thome’s consistency paid out with a powerful exclamation point. On Aug. 15, 2011, Thome slugged home runs No. 599 and 600 against the Detroit Tigers, with the notorious pull hitter ironically hitting both shots into the left field stands. Thome became the eighth player in history to meet the 600 mark.

Thome’s patience in his career was legendary, as he racked up 1,747 walks in his career, seventh most all time. However, that patience ran thin when the stakes were high late in games, as he often made clear. Thome’s walk-off home run against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 24, 2012, was the 13^th of his career, setting an MLB record that still stands. It broke a six-way tie with a few of the biggest names in the fraternity he is preparing to join: Jimmie Foxx, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, Frank Robinson and Babe Ruth.

Although Trammell’s career was often overshadowed by some legendary fellow HOF shortstops of his era, including Cal Ripken, Ozzie Smith and Barry Larkin, one of the great shortstops of the 1980s finally gets his due. After breaking in with the Tigers at age 19, he spent the next 20 years in the Detroit infield, becoming one of the franchise’s most beloved players. Such as is the case with former teammate Jack Morris, Trammell reaches the Hall via the Modern Game Committee, where he appeared on over 80 percent of ballots.

The beginning of the Trammell’s two-decade run at shortstop for the Tigers began late in 1977, on the second half of a double header against the Boston Red Sox. He joined another rookie by the name of Lou Whitaker in the infield that day. The two would go on to play together for the next 18 years for the Tigers, becoming the longest-running double play duo in MLB history.

Although he became an All-Star and hit .300 for the first time by 1980, Trammell struggled a bit at the dish afterward, hitting .258 in each of the next two years. However, he bounced back in a major way in 1983, hitting .319 with 14 home runs, 66 RBI and 30 stolen bases while picking up his third Gold Glove in four years. In the process, he won AL Comeback Player of the Year honors for his progress.

The Tigers played like a team of destiny in 1984, jumping out to a 35-5 start and never looking back, winning an MLB-best 104 games with Trammell leading the way. His .314 average was fifth-best in the AL, and he again took home a Gold Glove, his fourth. Nevertheless, he saved his best for last with a dominant October performance, hitting .364 in the ALCS before upping the ante to .450 (9-for-20) against the Padres in the World Series. The Tigers won the series 4-1, and Trammell picked up World Series MVP.

Although he was already established as one of the best players in the American League, 1987 proved to be a signature season for Trammell. Manager Sparky Anderson put an interesting twist on his lineup, moving Trammell to the cleanup spot, where he responded with a career year. Trammell hit .343 and set career highs with 205 hits, 28 home runs, 109 runs scored, 105 RBI and a .953 OPS. He saved his best for last, hitting .417 in September and October. Despite being ultimately edged out for AL MVP honors by Toronto’s George Bell, Trammell led the Tigers to an AL East title, besting Bell’s Blue Jays by two games.

All great things come to end, as did the marriage of Trammell and Whitaker. It was a shared career with eerie parallels: Trammell an All-Star six times, Whitaker five. Whitaker’s 2,369 hits edge Trammell’s 2,365. On Sept. 13, 1995, they set an appropriate record as a pair for most games played together by teammates, 1,915. The pair would again come together at "The Corner" one last time in 1999, when they returned among Detroit greats to take the field last as a part of the finale game at Tiger Stadium.