It was an emotional moment for Wagner, who has used his time coaching baseball at the Miller School in Charlottesville, Virginia; travel baseball and helping his alma mater Ferrum College, to keep from overwhelming himself with the looming finality of his final year on the ballot.

Billy Wagner came through in his final inning. In his 10th and last bid on the ballot, the former Mets closer earned what might as well have been his 423rd save, clearing the 75 percent threshold to join Ichiro Suzuki and CC Sabathia (along with the already-elected Dave Parker and Dick Allen) as entrants into Cooperstown.