NEW YORK — Mariano Rivera has become baseball's first unanimous Hall of Fame selection, elected along with Roy Halladay, Edgar Martinez and Mike Mussina.
Rivera received all 425 votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America announced Tuesday. The quartet will be enshrined in Cooperstown along with Today's Game Era Committee selections Harold Baines and Lee Smith on July 21.
Rivera is baseball's career saves leader with 652. Armed with his signature cut fastball, he won five World Series over 19 seasons with the New York Yankees.
Ken Griffey Jr. held the mark for top percentage at 99.32 when he was on 437 of 440 ballots two years ago.
Halladay, an ace with the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies, got 85.4
Martinez was a .312 hitter over 18 seasons with Seattle. He got 85.4
Mussina was a steady left-hander for the Yankees and Baltimore Orioles who went 270-153 with 2,813 strikeouts over 18 seasons. He received 76.7
Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens made gains but again fell short in their seventh time on the ballot. Bonds got 59.1
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Jake Seiner, The Associated Press