Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh, Wampum's Dick Allen fall short in Hall of Fame vote

Danny Murtaugh, who managed the Pittsburgh Pirates to World Series championships in 1960 and ’71, fell short of being voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously on Sunday afternoon.

Despite a push by his Pirates players ranging from Bill Mazeroski and Manny Sanguillen to Dave Cash and Al Oliver — who all wrote editorials supporting his candidacy — Murtaugh received three or fewer votes. A 75% vote was required from the 16 members of the Golden Days Era committee, which considers candidates whose primary contributions came from 1950-69.

The Golden Days Era committee elected four new members of the Baseball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2022: Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso and Tony Oliva. Wampum native Dick Allen, a seven-time All-Star who was 1964 NL Rookie of the Year and 1972 MVP, fell one short vote. He received 11 votes (68.8%).

Murtaugh, who died after a stroke at age 59 in 1976, managed the Pirates for 15 seasons in four stints between 1957-76, compiling a 1,115-950-3 record with five seasons of 92 or more victories. His .540 winning percentage ranks better than 11 Hall of Fame managers and is tied with another, Leo Durocher.

Under Murtaugh, the Pirates made history by fielding the first all-minority starting lineup in major league history against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sept. 1, 1971, on the way to winning the World Series.

Allen batted .292/.378/.534 with 1,848 hits, 351 home runs and 1,119 RBIs in 15 seasons.

Bud Fowler and Buck O’Neil were elected by the Early Baseball Era Committee, which considered a 10-person ballot of candidates whose primary contribution the game came prior to 1950.