Most voters, though, are apparently not Big Mac fans.

Election results were announced Tuesday afternoon and shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr., and outfielder Tony Gwynn both earned over 95 percent of the votes in their first year on the ballot. They will be inducted into the Hall July 29 at the Clark Sports Center.

Much of the talk leading up to Tuesday’s election focused on Mark McGwire, nicknamed ``Big Mac’’, who hit 583 career home runs, including a then-record 70 in 1998. McGwire lost credibility with the writers when he refused to answer questions during a Congressional hearing on steroids in March of 1995, famously saying over and over again that he was not there to talk about the past. Most took that as an admission of guilt.

McGwire got just 128 votes or 23.8 percent, well short of election but enough to keep him on the ballot next year. Players needed 75 percent of the vote for election, and five percent to stay on the ballot.

During conference calls on Tuesday afternoon, both Ripken and Gwynn said they were apprehensive as they waited for the phone calls telling them they were officially Hall of Famers, despite the fact both were considered locks for election.

"I just wanted to hear You’re in,’" Ripken said. ``And I was just relieved to hear those words. Although people speculate that it’s a given, I didn’t look at it like that.’’ [an error occurred while processing this directive]