ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, March 5, 1997 TAG: 9703050108
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: TAMPA, FLA.
SOURCE: Associated Press
NELLIE FOX'S FATE rests in the hands of baseball's Veterans Committee.
Luis Aparicio arrived for spring training in 1956 as a rookie shortstop eager to learn. He found the perfect teacher in Nellie Fox.
``I would follow him around all the time,'' Aparicio said. ``I just tried to be like him.''
Aparicio went on to a distinguished career, becoming one of the greatest shortstops ever and earning induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. And 41 years later, it's Fox, his Chicago White Sox teammate, who likely will follow Aparicio. This time, into the Hall.
Fox, who finished two votes shy of induction in 1985, is expected to be named as the Hall's 175th former major-league player when the Veterans Committee announces its decision at 2 p.m. today.
In the 1985 vote by the Baseball Writers Association of America, 10 years after his death from cancer at age 47, Fox was named on 295 of 395 ballots for 74.68 percent, just below the 75 percent needed for induction.
In March 1996, Fox met the 75 percent criteria in the veterans voting, but received one vote less than pitcher Jim Bunning - and because rules say the 15-man committee can elect only one former major-leaguer, Bunning went to Cooperstown and Fox had to wait.
Fox was a 12-time All-Star who batted at least .300 six times and hit .288 during a 19-year career - 14 with the White Sox. He was the American League MVP in 1959 for the last Chicago White Sox team to make the World Series.
Fox still holds the record for playing 798 straight games at second base, and he struck out only 216 times in 9,232 at-bats, the third-best percentage (.023) in modern history.
Pittsburgh second baseman Bill Mazeroski, whose home run won the 1960 World Series, and Larry Doby, the AL's first black player, are also expected to get consideration from the committee.
The Veterans Committee will look at candidates in four areas - former major leaguers; a composite ballot of Negro Leaguers, umpires, executives and managers; 19th century players and personnel; and Negro Leaguers. Only the top nominee from each category will be elected to the Hall, provided he is named on 75 percent - 12 votes - of the ballots.
LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Nellie Fox, shown here in a 1953 photo, still holdsby CNBthe record for consecutive games played at second base with 798.