Can a player be removed from the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame is the most prestigious honor any player can receive. The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) holds an annual election to elect retired baseball players into baseball immortality, while the Era Committee elects players who have fallen off the BBWAA's ballot.

Players who receive at least 75 percent of BBWAA votes are sent into the Hall of Fame, while players who receive less than 5 percent of votes are removed from future ballots. Since its commencement in 1936, a total of 349 individuals have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, including 277 players.

Throughout the Hall of Fame's 89-year history, only one player has earned an unanimous induction: New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera. The Yankees legend received 425 of 425 votes (100 percent) in 2019.

Rivera and his wife were accused in a lawsuit of "failing to protect a young girl who was sexually abused by an older child during a summer camp trip sponsored by their church," per Jake Offenhartz of the Associated Press. Clara Rivera, the wife of the Hall of Fame inductee, is a pastor at the Refuge of Hope Church in Rye, New York. The couple's attorney denied all allegations as "completely false."

While the legal process has yet to play out, some fans have questioned whether the unanimous inductee could be removed from the Hall of Fame.

Can a player be removed from the Baseball Hall of Fame?

The removal of any player from the Hall of Fame is unlikely, but not impossible. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum's BBWAA rules for election do not outline any process for removing an inductee, and there is no precedent for removing an inductee who has already been enshrined.

According to Rule 5, voting should factor "the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played." That rule could be interpreted as implying that legal matters should not factor into the election process. However, the rules leave room for any potential amendments up to the organization's board of directors.

"The Board of Directors of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. reserves the right to revoke, alter or amend these rules at any time," Rule 9 states.

The lawsuit was filed against the Refuge of Hope church, not against the Riveras themselves. That could complicate any potential action taken by the board. Regardless, history suggests that Rivera's removal is highly unlikely.

Former second baseman Roberto Alomar was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011, and he remains enshrined despite being banned from baseball due to sexual misconduct allegations in 2021. The Toronto Blue Jays reactivated Alomar's jersey number and removed his Hall of Fame banner from Rogers Centre, but he remains the only player in MLB history to be a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and the MLB's permanently-ineligible list.

Rivera had a dominant career in the Yankees' bullpen during his 19-year career. He notched a sub-3.00 ERA in 17 seasons and a sub-2.00 ERA in 11 seasons while compiling 652 career saves, most in MLB history. The 13-time All-Star had a 0.70 ERA over 141 postseason innings and led the Bronx Bombers to five World Series titles.

Japanese legend Ichiro Suzuki was expected to be the second unanimous selection, but he fell just one vote short of the honor while being inducted into the 2025 class, per MLB.com.