On Wednesday, the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017 was announced. This year the induction will feature three highly regarded stars of Major League Baseball: Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines, and Ivan “Pudge” Rodriquez. The trio will be walking down the sidewalks of Cooperstown this coming July.
Bagwell, former first baseman of the Houston Astros, holds a career .292 batting average, 449 home runs, and 1,529 RBI. Along with Bagwell’s towering numbers as a slugger, he was fifth to reach 300 home runs, 1,000 RBI and 1,000 runs scored in his first ten seasons in the Major Leagues. Bagwell was voted the National League Rookie of the Year in 1991. He then won the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1994. Bagwell was a four-time MLB All-Star, claimed a Silver Slugger three times, and holds a Gold Glove.
Tim Raines, who is known for the 13 seasons he spent with the Montreal Expos, was a left fielder. Raines had a success-filled career, as his biggest number known was the amount of bases Raines stole. Raines carries 808 career stolen bases with him entering Cooperstown, putting him fifth on the list of all-time stolen base leaders. Not only did Raines steal bases, but he squared the ball up well, with a lifetime .294 average, 170 home runs, and 980 RBI.
Ivan Rodríguez won 13 Gold Gloves as a catcher. He played 21 Major League seasons for the Texas Rangers, Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Houston Astros, and Washington Nationals.  Along with 13 Gold Gloves in his trophy case, Rodríguez also won the 2003 World Series when he was with the Florida Marlins. Rodríguez was also awarded the American League MVP award in 1999. One of the best defensive catchers in the history of the game, Ivan Rodríguez is going to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Theses three players had outstanding careers that cannot be taken away. Three well-known former stars of the Major Leagues, Bagwell, Raines, and Rodríguez will be inducted into the best group of players ever known in the game of baseball. The induction takes place on July 28-31, 2017.