NEW YORK — Ken Griffey Jr. has been elected to the baseball Hall of Fame with the highest voting percentage ever, and Mike Piazza also is headed to Cooperstown.
Jeff Bagwell and Tim Raines fell short in results announced Wednesday.
A star slugger of the Steroids Era never tainted by accusations of drug use, Griffey was on 437 of 440 votes in his first appearance on the Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot. His 99.3 percentage topped Tom Seaver's 98.84 in 1992.
Piazza, on the ballot for the fourth time, received 365 votes.
A player needs 75 percent to gain election.