Closest brushes with Hall of Fame

Gary Carter fell 11 votes shy of Hall of Fame induction in 2002. T. G. Higgins/Getty Images

If history is any indication, the sixth time will the charm for Gary Carter.

Carter's vote total has jumped every year that he has been on the Hall of Fame ballot, going from 168 (33.8 percent) in 1999 to 248 (49.7) in 2000 to 334 (64.9) in 2001 and 343 (72.7) in 2002. It takes 75 percent to be elected.

No player who ever received 70 percent of the vote failed to reach Cooperstown. In fact, of the 12 players who had come closer than Carter, eight gained election with the following ballot.

The other four -- Nellie Fox, Jim Bunning, Orlando Cepeda, Frank Chance -- were elected a few years late by the Veterans Committe.

Close Calls
Players who came the closest without being elected to the Hall of Fame
Year	Player	Ballots	Votes	Pct.	Short
1985	Nellie Fox	395	295	74.68	2
1947	Pie Traynor	161	119	73.91	2
1988	Jim Bunning	427	317	74.24	4
1986	Billy Williams	425	315	74.11	4
1994	Orlando Cepeda	455	335	73.63	7
1967	Joe Medwick	292	212	72.60	7
1945	Frank Chance	247	179	72.47	7
1953	Bill Terry	264	191	72.35	7
1968	Roy Campanella	283	205	72.44	8
1951	Paul Waner	226	162	71.68	8
1997	Don Sutton	473	346	73.15	9
1975	Robin Roberts	362	263	72.65	9
2002	Gary Carter	472	343	72.67	11
1983	Harmon Killebrew	374	269	71.93	12
1984	Hoyt Wilhelm	403	290	71.96	13
1954	Joe DiMaggio	252	175	69.44	14