Billy Wagner fights back tears as he enters Baseball of Fame in final year on ballot
NY Post
It was a long time coming, but Billy Wagner finally closed it out.
And he couldn’t keep the emotions from flowing.
The seven-time All-Star, in his final year of eligibility, was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame with 82.5 percent of the vote.
When Wagner got the call on his phone that he’d indeed be among this year’s class of three — which includes Ichiro Suzuki and CC Sabathia — he could not help but get choked up.
Once he picked up the phone and heard the news, the ex-Mets reliever became overcome with emotion as tears of joy came out.
Nine times Wagner recorded at least 30 saves in a career that spanned 16 seasons and five teams (Astros, Phillies, Mets, Red Sox, Braves).
In a different time, in a season to come, we may be inclined to wax poetic about the way this one played out. In a different time, in a season to come, the Nets will be seeking to stack wins and not losses, will be fighting for playoff seeding and not for a few extra ping-pong balls in the draft lottery this spring.
The NBA has an All-Star Game problem. Despite Adam Silver’s efforts to inject juice into the February showcase — including a format alteration to the 2025 game that is too confusing to attempt to understand before it’s inevitably changed again — there’s little interest in watching teams eschew defense for a series of layup line highlights. That also means the most entertaining part of the NBA All-Star Game is just like the Pro Bowl — debating over who should get a spot.