Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 1939

The 1939 elections to select inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame were the last ones conducted prior to the Hall's opening that year. Needing just one addition to complete the initial goal of 10 inductees from the 20th century, members of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) were once again given authority to select any players active in the 20th century, excepting active players. Difficulties in convening the Centennial Commission of the previous two years led to an even smaller Old-Timers Committee selecting inductees from the 19th century - a cause of particular urgency to many who had been anticipating the five promised but unfulfilled selections in that area for over three years.

The BBWAA regular election

A total of 274 ballots were cast, with 2710 individual votes for 108 specific candidates; 206 votes were required for election. Although three stars of the 1920s did very well, the balloting was otherwise dominated by players of the 1900s and 1910s, who many voters felt should be given priority. Players who had been retired over 20 years received 60% of the votes, and accounted for 14 of the top 20 in the balloting. Due to frustration over the fact that no 19th century players had yet been selected, a number of players from that era whose careers extended into the 20th century only briefly (or not at all) even received some votes, as did some managers. The results were announced in January 1939. The three candidates who received at least 75% of the vote and were elected are indicated in bold italics; candidates who have since been selected in subsequent elections are indicated in italics:

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• George Sisler - 235
• Eddie Collins - 213
• Willie Keeler - 207
• Rube Waddell - 179
• Rogers Hornsby - 176
• Frank Chance - 158
• Ed Delahanty - 145
• Ed Walsh - 132
• Johnny Evers - 107
• Miller Huggins - 97
• Rabbit Maranville - 82
• Jimmy Collins - 72
• Roger Bresnahan - 67
• Fred Clarke - 59
• Mordecai Brown - 54
• Wilbert Robinson - 46
• Chief Bender - 40
• Herb Pennock - 40
• Ray Schalk - 35
• Hugh Duffy - 34
• Ross Youngs - 34
• Hughie Jennings - 33
• Joe McGinnity - 32
• Frank Baker - 30
• Mickey Cochrane - 28
• Addie Joss - 28
• Eddie Plank - 28
• Frankie Frisch - 26
• Clark Griffith - 20
• Bill Terry - 16
• Dazzy Vance - 15
• Johnny Kling - 14
• Nap Rucker - 13
• Joe Tinker - 12
• Babe Adams - 11
• Pie Traynor - 10
• Harry Heilmann - 8
• Edd Roush - 8
• Max Carey - 7
• Bill Dinneen - 7
• Kid Nichols - 7
• Nick Altrock - 6
• Jack Chesbro - 6
• Sam Crawford - 6
• Duffy Lewis - 6
• Amos Rusie - 6
• Casey Stengel - 6
• Mike Donlin - 5
• Harry Hooper - 5
• Dickie Kerr - 5
• Bobby Wallace - 5
• Hank Gowdy - 4
• Rube Marquard - 4
• Stuffy McInnis - 4
• Zack Wheat - 4
• Jimmy Archer - 3
• Earle Combs - 3
• Red Faber - 3
• Joe McCarthy - 3
• Fred Tenney - 3
• Donie Bush - 2
• Bill Carrigan - 2
• Gavvy Cravath - 2
• Lou Criger - 2
• "Wild Bill" Donovan - 2
• Buck Ewing - 2
• Eddie Grant - 2
• Hans Lobert - 2
• Ossee Schreckengost - 2
• "Smokey Joe" Wood - 2
• Dave Bancroft - 1
• Jack Barry - 1
• Marty Bergen - 1
• Bill Bradley - 1
• George J. Burns - 1
• Wilbur Cooper - 1
• Lave Cross - 1
• Jake Daubert - 1
• Larry Doyle - 1
• Art Fletcher - 1
• Chick Fraser - 1
• Kid Gleason - 1
• Burleigh Grimes - 1
• Charlie Grimm - 1
• Noodles Hahn - 1
• Jesse Haines - 1
• Bucky Harris - 1
• Waite Hoyt - 1
• Charlie Irwin - 1
• "Sad Sam" Jones - 1
• Joe Kelley - 1
• Otto Knabe - 1
• Tommy Leach - 1
• Herman Long - 1
• Dolph Luque - 1
• Sherry Magee - 1
• Pat Moran - 1
• Art Nehf - 1
• Roger Peckinpaugh - 1
• Heinie Peitz - 1
• Hub Perdue - 1
• Deacon Phillippe - 1
• Al Schacht - 1
• Everett Scott - 1
• Urban Shocker - 1
• Jake Stahl - 1
• Harry Steinfeldt - 1
• Hack Wilson - 1