The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced the Contemporary Baseball Era ballot for managers, executives and umpires on Monday, and the list of individuals up for election is a who’s who of managers and executives who made significant contributions to the game dating back to the late 20th century.
A 16-member panel consisting of Hall of Fame players, Major League executives, media members and historians will consider each of the eight candidates, who must receive at least 75% of the vote to be elected. The results of the Class of 2027 ballot will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 6.
Here’s a look at each of this year’s candidates:
Sandy Alderson
Alderson’s career in baseball began in 1981, when he left his private law practice to become the general counsel for the A’s. Two years later, he became the club’s general manager, succeeding Billy Martin. He then oversaw the building of a dynasty that would reach the World Series in three straight years from 1988-90, winning a championship in ’89.
The A’s reached the American League Championship Series again in 1992, but subsequently entered a rebuilding phase through the end of Alderson’s tenure with the club in 1997. He was succeeded in the GM role by Billy Beane of “Moneyball” fame. Alderson then became executive vice president for baseball operations for MLB from 1998-2005.
From 2005-09, Alderson served as Padres CEO, helping guide San Diego to National League West titles in 2005 and ’06. In 2011, Alderson became the Mets’ general manager, a position he would have through the 2018 campaign. He helped build the club into a contender, and in 2015, the Mets reached the World Series and lost to the Royals in five games. He was named Executive of the Year by Baseball America. In 2026, Alderson was elected to the A’s Hall of Fame.
Dusty Baker
Following an illustrious playing career with the Braves, Dodgers, Giants and A’s, Baker spent five seasons on San Francisco’s coaching staff -- that included serving as the team’s hitting coach from 1989-92. In 1993, he was named Giants manager and guided the club to a 103-59 record in his first year at the helm, winning NL Manager of the Year honors.
Baker went on to manage the Giants through the 2002 season, leading them to the playoffs in 1997, 2000 and ’02. In ’02, San Francisco reached the World Series but lost to the Angels in seven games. The Cubs hired Baker as manager prior to the ’03 campaign, and Chicago came one win shy of advancing to the World Series for the first time since 1945. He would serve as Cubs manager through 2006.
In 2008, Baker became the manager of the Reds and helmed Cincinnati to playoff appearances in 2010, ’12 and ’13. He then managed the Nationals from 2016-17, reaching the postseason in each of those years. The Astros brought Baker aboard as manager prior to the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and he finally won that elusive World Series title with Houston in 2022, before retiring following the ’23 season.
Baker, who is the only manager in MLB history to lead five different teams to the postseason, ranks eighth all-time with 2,183 managerial wins.
Bruce Bochy
Bochy is one of the most successful managers in Major League history, winning four World Series titles -- three with the Giants and one with the Rangers -- and tallying 2,252 wins to rank sixth on the all-time list. He is one of only three managers in MLB history to lead three different clubs to the Fall Classic.
Following a nine-year MLB career as a catcher with the Astros, Mets and Padres, Bochy served as the Padres’ third-base coach in 1993 and ’94, before being named manager prior to the 1995 season. In his second year at the helm, San Diego won the NL West, and two years after that, the club won its second NL pennant before being swept by the Yankees in the World Series.
Bochy managed the Padres through the 2006 season -- leading them to the NL West titles in 2005 and ’06 -- and in ’07, he was hired by the Giants to succeed Felipe Alou. His tenure in San Francisco was nothing short of legendary, with Bochy presiding over a club that won three World Series titles in a five-year span (2010, ’12 and ’14).
The Giants went to the playoffs again in 2016, losing to the Cubs in the NL Division Series. Bochy retired following the ’19 season. The Rangers wooed Bochy out of retirement ahead of the 2023 campaign, and in his first year with Texas, the Rangers won the first World Series championship in franchise history. Bochy retired after the ’25 season, and he is currently a special advisor to baseball operations for the Giants.
Joe Maddon
A three-time Manager of the Year and the only manager in more than a century to lead the Cubs to a World Series title, Maddon etched his name into the baseball history books as one of the most innovative skippers in the sport’s history.
Maddon’s baseball career began as a Minor League catcher in the Angels' system from 1976-78. He then managed in the Angels’ farm system from 1981-86, before he became the club’s roving Minor League hitting instructor from 1987-93. He joined the Major League coaching staff in ’94, and served as an Angels coach through 2005.
In 2006, the Rays signed Maddon to be their manager, and within two years, he had led Tampa Bay to the World Series, where it lost in five games to the Phillies. He guided the Rays back to the postseason three more times, in 2010, ’11 and ’13. In 2015, the Cubs signed Maddon, and he immediately shepherded the young club to a playoff appearance on the heels of a last-place finish in the NL Central the prior year.
The Cubs were swept in that fall’s NL Championship Series by the Mets, but it was clear that the North Siders were ahead of schedule with their rebuild. The next year, Maddon’s squad broke a 108-year championship drought by winning a thrilling seven-game Fall Classic against Cleveland. Chicago was back in the playoffs in each of the next two years, but fell short of winning another title. Maddon then came full circle in his career by managing the Angels from 2020-22.
Lou Piniella
Piniella enjoyed an 18-year Major League career as a left fielder, primarily with the Yankees, winning two World Series titles with New York in 1977 and ’78. Following his playing career, he was hired by Yankees owner George Steinbrenner to be the manager of the Bronx Bombers in 1986.
Ahead of what would have been Piniella’s third season managing the Yankees, he moved into the general manager position before taking over as manager again midway through the 1988 campaign. The Yankees didn’t make the playoffs in any of those years, and Piniella was not extended as manager in '89.
In 1990, Piniella became the Reds’ manager, and he led Cincinnati to a surprising wire-to-wire first-place campaign to win the NL West and face the heavily favored A’s in the World Series. Piniella’s crew shocked the baseball world by sweeping the A’s. He would manage Cincinnati for two more seasons before the Mariners hired him to take the helm in Seattle.
Piniella’s most famous managerial tenure came with the Mariners from 1993-2002. The man they call “Sweet Lou” guided Seattle to its first playoff appearance in 1995, then led Seattle to postseason appearances again in 1997, 2000, and ’01 -- the 2001 team set a Major League record with 116 wins before losing to the Yankees in the ALCS. He was named AL Manager of the Year twice, in 1995 and 2001.
In 2003, Piniella was hired to be the Rays’ manager, and he was Tampa Bay’s skipper through the 2005 season. From 2007-10, he managed the Cubs, leading Chicago to the postseason in 2007 and ’08. Piniella has been on an Era Committee ballot three times before -- including in 2018 and ’23, when he fell one vote shy of election.
Brian Sabean
Sabean’s baseball career began in the college coaching ranks. He was the head coach at the University of Tampa from 1983-84, and after he led the school to its first NCAA tournament appearance, he became the director of scouting for the Yankees from 1986-90. From 1990-92, he was the vice president of player development and scouting for the Yanks.
In 1997, the Giants named Sabean their general manager, which was the beginning of a 29-year tenure with San Francisco that has resulted in three World Series championships (2010, ’12 and ’14), four NL pennants (2002, ’10, ’12 and ’14), five NL West titles (1997, 2000, ’03, ’10 and ’12) and three other postseason berths via the Wild Card (2002, ’14 and ’16).
Sabean was named the Baseball America Executive of the Year in 2003 and 2012.
Ted Turner
Turner, who passed away on May 6, was a legend in the fields of media and sports. He founded the Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) in 1976, and the Cable News Network (CNN) in 1980, revolutionizing cable television. He also owned the Braves from 1976-96, seeing his franchise become the “team of the ’90s” and bring Atlanta its first major sports championship with a World Series victory in 1995.
Under Turner’s ownership, the Braves established one of the greatest starting rotations in baseball history, with three future Hall of Famers -- Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine -- leading the way while earning a combined seven Cy Young Awards.
With a lineup that featured Hall of Famers Chipper Jones and Fred McGriff, as well as All-Stars David Justice and Marquis Grissom, the Braves finally won it all in 1995, in the midst of a historic run of 14 straight division titles and five NL pennants. Turner oversaw the transformation of the club from a perennial cellar dweller into a powerhouse for decades.
Turner created a winning legacy in Atlanta that led to 20 more playoff appearances after his ownership of the franchise concluded, as well as another World Series title in 2021.
Bill White
Over a 13-year Major League career as a first baseman and outfielder, White was an eight-time All-Star, a seven-time Gold Glove Award winner at first and a World Series champion with the Cardinals in 1964. He posted a career .806 OPS with 202 home runs, also playing for the Giants and Phillies.
Following his playing career, White became a broadcaster for the Yankees, calling games with former Yankees shortstop Phil Rizzuto for 18 seasons. In 1989, White was named president of the NL, becoming the first Black league president of any major North American sports league. White served in that position until 1994, and during that span, he oversaw the expansion of the league by two teams, with the birth of the Rockies and Marlins in '93.