These three players, along with Dave Parker and Dick Allen, who were chosen by the most recent Era Committee, will be inducted in Cooperstown this coming summer. The necessary first step, though, is clearing that 75% threshold for election and then getting the official call from the Hall.

Great news for Tazewell native and former Ferrum College pitcher Billy Wagner as he cracks the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his 10th and final year on the ballot. Last year, Wagner was 5 votes away from getting into the hall.

New York Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca, left, congratulates closer Billy Wagner by patting him on the cap after the Mets 4-3 win over the New York Yankees in 2006. Billy Wagner was unhittable as a pitcher and now he’s officially a baseball immortal.

In his 10th and final year on the ballot, former Astros closer Billy Wagner earned is place in Cooperstown, N.Y. in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Baseball Hall of Fame class will include five players. Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner will join Dick Allen and Dave Parker in Cooperstown this summer, the BB

Ichiro Suzuki and CC Sabathia were elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame on Tuesday night, Suzuki in overwhelming fashion, while Billy Wagner made the most of his 10th and final appearance on the ballot, clearing the 75% barrier to inclusion by earning 325 of 394 votes.

That was one of the best debut seasons ever. Ichiro was an All-Star and won a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove award in right field. He not only coasted to the Rookie of the Year award but narrowly surpassed Jason Giambi to win the MVP. He joined Fred Lynn as the only rookies to be named the Most Valuable Player.

The Baseball Hall of Fame has three new members. Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wanger were voted into the Hall of Fame on Tuesday. Outfielder Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones fell just short of immortality.

Ichiro Suzuki missed unanimous election to the Baseball Hall of Fame by one vote Tuesday night when he headlined a three-player class selected by the 394 voting members of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Billy Wagner was unhittable as a pitcher and now he’s officially a baseball immortal.

Billy Wagner, a flamethrowing left-hander who was one of the elite closers of his generation, will take his place among the game’s greatest players of all-time after being elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in voting revealed Tuesday.