A pair of ex-Indians players, second baseman Roberto Alomar and pitcher Bert Blyleven, are announced as this year’s Hall of Fame inductees.

Alomar achieved the honor in just his second year of eligibility. He was a 12-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner during his 17-year career. He finished with a lifetime batting average of .300 and had 2,724 career hits. He fell just eight votes short of election in his first year on the ballot. Alomar played for San Diego, Toronto, Baltimore, Cleveland, the New York Mets, the Chicago White Sox, and Arizona during his MLB career.

It was the 14th try for Blyleven after a 22-year career in the Majors and his second-to-last ballot appearance possible. He played with five different franchises (Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, California, and Texas), winning a total of 287 games with a career 3.31 ERA and 3,701 strikeouts, the fifth-most in baseball history. He was an All-Star in 1973 and again in 1985. He missed induction the previous year by just five votes. He was uniquely tied to Roberto, as he had played with his father, Sandy Alomar Sr., during their time together with the Rangers.

Former MLB general manager Pat Gillick, who helped construct the Toronto Blue Jays championship teams in 1992 and 1993 that Alomar was a part of, joined the pair through the Expansion Era balloting.

Photo: AP File