There are only eight third basemen in the Baseball Hall of Fame:

1. Frank Baker
2. Eddie Mathews
3. Jimmy Collins
4. Brooks Robinson
5. George Kell
6. Pie Traynor
7. Fred Linstrom
8. Mike Schmidt

Three-time National League Most Valuable Player Mike Schmidt was elected to the Hall of Fame today in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, it was announced jointly by Hall of Fame chairman Edward Stack and BBWAA president Paul Meyer of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Schmidt, who set numerous records in an 18-year playing career as an eight-time home run champion and 10-time Gold Glove third baseman with the Philadelphia Phillies, was also a record setter in the 60th Hall of Fame balloting by the BBWAA.

In the largest election in history, 460 ballots were cast, and Schmidt was named on 444 for the most total votes of any Hall of Famer. He bested the previous marks set In 1994 by his onetime teammate, Steve Carlton, who was named on 436 of 455 ballots.

In receiving 96.52 percent of the vote, Schmidt ranks fourth on the all-time list. The only players who received a greater percentage of the vote were Tom Seaver (98.84 percent) in 1992, Ty Cobb (98.23) in 1936 and Henry Aaron (97.83) in 1982.

No one else on the 39-player ballot achieved the 75-percent (345 votes) required for election. Pitcher Phil Niekro was second in the voting with 286 votes (62.17 percent), and another 300-game winner, Don Sutton, was third with 264 votes (57.39). First baseman Tony Perez was the only other player named on more than half the ballots with 259 votes (56.30).Rounding out the top 10 were Steve Garvey, 196; Tony Oliva, 149; Ron Santo, 139; Jim Rice, 137; Bruce Sutter, 137, and Jim Kaat, 100.

Schmidt, who will be inducted July 30 in ceremonies at Cooperstown, N.Y., is the 10th third baseman elected to the Hall of Fame and only the fourth by the BBWAA. The others were Pie Traynor in 1946, Eddie Mathews in 1978 and Brooks Robinson in 1983.

Schmidt becomes the 220th Hall of Famer. He is the 86th selection in BBWAA voting and the 26th to win election in his first year on the ballot following the initial election in 1936 of Cobb, Honus Wagner, Babe Ruth, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson.

This is the eighth consecutive year in which someone has been elected on the first ballot. Schmidt follows Carlton, Reggie Jackson (1993), Seaver ('92), Rod Carew ('91), Jim Palmer and Joe Morgan (both '90), Johnny Bench and Carl Yastrzemski (both '89) and Willie Stargell ('88).

Other first-ballot Hall of Famers were Aaron, Ernie Banks, Lou Brock, Bob Feller, Bob Gibson, Al Kaline, Sandy Koufax, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Stan Musial, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Jackie Robinson, Warren Spahn, and Ted Williams.

The complete 1995 vote follows:

Mike Schmidt 444, Phil Niekro 286, Don Sutton 264, Tony Perez 259, Steve Garvey 196, Tony Oliva 149, Ron Santo 139, Jim Rice 137, Bruce Sutter 137, Jim Kaat 100, Tommy John 98, Dick Allen 72, Minnie Minoso 66, Curt Flood 59, Joe Torre 50, Luis Tiant 45, Dave Concepcion 43, Bobby Bonds 35, Vada Pinson 32, Thurman Munson 30, Graig Nettles 28, Vida Blue 26, Mickey Lolich 26, Ron Guidry 25, Rusty Staub 23.

The following Players failed to receive the necessary 5-percent (23 votes) to remain on the ballot and have been eliminated from consideration:

George Foster 19, Don Baylor l2, Buddy Bell 8, Darrell Evans 8, Kent Tekulve 6, Bob Forsch 2, Willie Hernandez 2, Mike Krukow 1, Chris Speier 1, Jim Sundberg 1, Doyle Alexander 0, Greg Gross 0, Rick Rhoden 0, Manny Trillo 0