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Maddux, Glavine, Thomas voted to Hall of Fame

Greg Maddux, shown in 2009 when the Chicago Cubs retired his number, is considered one of the favorites to win induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame when voting results are announced Wednesday. (UPI Photo/Brian Kersey)
Greg Maddux, shown in 2009 when the Chicago Cubs retired his number, is considered one of the favorites to win induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame when voting results are announced Wednesday. (UPI Photo/Brian Kersey) | License Photo

NEW YORK, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Long-time Atlanta Braves pitching teammates Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine and slugger Frank Thomas have been voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

A year after no living player was inducted into the Hall of Fame, the Baseball Writers Association of America selected three players for induction. It is the most since the induction class of 1999, which also included three players.

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A total of 571 qualifying members of the BBWAA voted for the Hall of Fame this year. A player needed to be named on 75 percent -- 429 -- of the ballots to be voted in.

Maddux was listed on 555 (97.2 percent). Glavine was on 91.9 percent and Thomas on 83.7 percent.

Craig Biggio, who amassed 3,060 hits in 20 seasons with the Houston Astros, missed by two votes of gaining a spot in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Maddux was voted in after a 23-season career in which he won 355 games, which is the eighth-most all-time. He won four consecutive Cy Young Awards (1992-95) and was third in the Most Valuable Player voting in 1995 when he went 19-2 with a 1.63 earned run average.

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Glavine was in the majors for 22 seasons, going 305-203. The 305 wins is 21st most. He won Cy Young Awards in 1991 and 1998, which were two of his five 20-win seasons.

Thomas hit 521 home runs, tied for 18th most with Willie McCovey and Ted Williams. He played 19 years -- 16 with the Chicago White Sox --- and won back-to-back MVP's (1993-94) and won AL batting title in 1997 when he hit .347.

Induction ceremonies are scheduled for July 26-27 in Cooperstown, N.Y.

It was earlier announced former managers Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox and Joe Torre would be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer. They are third through fifth, respectively, in all-time managerial wins. They were voted in Dec. 9 by the Expansion Era Committee.

Also to be honored this year are Joe Garagiola, who is being given the Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award; Roger Angell, winner of the J.G. Spink Award for meritorious baseball writing; and Texas Rangers play-by-play announcer Eric Nadel, being presented the Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting.

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Last year no one was voted in by the BBWAA, a result that was seen as a statement against the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Players such as all-time home run leader Barry Bonds and 354-game-winning pitcher Roger Clemens were bypassed in their first year of eligibility because of alleged PED use.

Bonds was named on 34.7 percent of the ballots this year and Clemens on 35.4 percent.

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