Though Dale Murphy and Fred McGriff, the two marquee Atlanta Braves on the 2011 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, came up (quite) short this year, they’ll be joined next year by five players who spent time in a Braves uniform. Most noteworthy to longtime Braves fans: catcher Javy Lopez, who played 12 seasons in Atlanta and was a very good hitter in addition to catching (most of) perhaps the greatest pitching rotation ever.
Outfielder Brian Jordan, who played five seasons for the Braves in addition to a stint with the Atlanta Falcons, is also up, along with pitchers Terry Mulholland and Mike Remlinger, plus third baseman Vinny Castillo.
None of these players is likely to make it in next year, with Barry Larkin and Jeff Bagwell the only real possibilities at this point, though 2012 could be another dry year. Baseball is so weird, y’all.