Lou Piniella, Jim Leyland Among 2024 Baseball HOF Contemporary Era Candidates

Former MLB managers Lou Piniella and Jim Leyland are among the eight nominees that will be considered for the Baseball Hall of Fame by the contemporary era committee.

MLB announced the nominees, which includes four managers, two executives and two umpires, on Thursday with the committee set to vote on their candidacy on Dec. 3 during the winter meetings in Nashville, Tennessee.

The veterans committee was the group that previously voted on a select group of contributors, including managers, executives, umpires and players who have been retired for at least 15 years, to the sport of baseball for the Hall of Fame.

In April 2022, the Baseball Hall of Fame restructured the voting process for the eras committee that would consolidate "eras into two timeframes–the Contemporary Baseball Era, consisting of the period from 1980 to present day, and the Classic Baseball Era, consisting of the period prior to 1980 and including Negro Leagues and pre-Negro Leagues stars."

These contemporary baseball era committee will be voting on these eight nominees. The BBWAA-appointed historical overview committee selected the finalists from a pool of eligible candidates.

Piniella and Leyland are the biggest names among the finalists. Piniella played 18 seasons in MLB, but he's best known for his 23-year managerial career that included stints with the New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs. He won a World Series title with the Reds in 1990.

Leyland managed four different teams over 22 seasons, including 11 years with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986 to '96. His clubs made three appearances in the World Series, highlighted by a victory in 1997 as skipper of the Florida Marlins.

Both Piniella (1,835 wins) and Leyland (1,769 wins) rank in the top 20 in MLB history in managerial victories. There are only four managers with more career wins than they have not in the Hall of Fame. Three of them—Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy and Terry Francona—managed teams in 2023.

Davey Johnson, who is also nominated for his managerial contributions, ranks 33rd in MLB history with 1,372 wins. He was the winning manager when the New York Mets won the 1986 World Series.

Former Toronto Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston is one of 10 skippers to win at least two World Series titles who are not currently in the Hall of Fame.

Hank Peters, who died at the age of 90 in 2015, worked in the front office for the Kansas City Athletics, Cleveland and Baltimore Orioles. He also served as president of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues and chief executive of Minor League Baseball.

Bill White served as president of the National League from 1989 to '94. He also worked as a television and radio analyst for the New York Yankees after retiring as a player following the 1969 season.

Joe West has umpired more games than anyone else in MLB history. Ed Montague was an MLB umpire from 1976 to 2009.