Jan. 11, 2000 4:41 PM Reuters

COOPERSTOWN, New York, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Carlton Fisk and Tony Perez won baseball's highest honor on Tuesday when they were elected to the Hall of Fame in balloting conducted by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Fisk, the all-time major league leader in games caught and a standout hitter for a catcher, was the top vote-getter with 397 votes (79.6 percent) in his second year of eligibility.

The wait was substantially longer for Perez, a great clutch hitter most notably for the Cincinnati Reds powerhouse of the 1970s, who garnered 385 votes (77.2 percent) in his ninth year on the ballot.

A record 499 votes were cast by 10-year members of the BBWAA, with 375 votes required for election.

"I don't know if it was relief, but .. it was a proud moment," Fisk said about receiving the news. "It really was emotional. My wife and kids and I had tears in our eyes."

Said Perez: "Sometimes I got disappointed but I still got a lot of support. It's sweet now. I know I don't have to wait anymore."

Induction ceremonies are scheduled for July 23.

Jim Rice, a teammate of both Fisk and Perez, was a distant third in the voting with 257 votes. Gary Carter, the NL counterpart to Fisk for most of his career, was fourth with 248.

Ironically, when Fisk hit one of the most famous homers in baseball history, he passed first baseman Tony Perez along the way.

Fisk's defining moment was a 12th-inning homer that won Game 6 of the 1975 World Series for the Red Sox over the Reds.

His frantic waving at the ball to stay fair and subsequent leaping celebration as the ball hit the foul pole at Fenway Park is one of the most replayed World Series highlights.

"People that viewed that game saw that we were all people and we run the full gamut of emotions," Fisk said of his celebration. "It gave a little human touch to the game. I was happy to be part of it."

Fisk fell 43 votes shy of induction last season and might have gained entry in his first try if not for the star-studded 1999 class of Nolan Ryan, George Brett and Robin Yount. Fisk and Perez were fourth and fifth, respectively, in the voting.

A native of Vermont, the 52-year-old Fisk played his first 11 seasons with the Red Sox and 13 more with the Chicago White Sox.

An 11-time All-Star as well as the American League Rookie of the Year in 1972, Fisk was a career .269 hitter with 376 homers and 1,330 RBI. He caught 2,226 games and also holds the record for most homers by a catcher (351).

Perez, a native of Cuba, enjoyed a 23-year career with Cincinnati, Montreal, Boston and Philadelphia, Perez batted .279 with 379 homers while driving in 1,652 runs.

The 57-year-old appeared in six National League Championship Series and five World Series. He hit .435 in the 1972 World Series, collecting hits in all seven games. He was an All-Star seven times and was named the MVP of the 1967 contest in Anaheim.

Rounding out the top 10 in voting were Bruce Sutter (192), Rich Gossage (166), Steve Garvey (160), Tommy John (135), Jim Kaat (125) and Dale Murphy (116).

Additional enshrinees can be named by the Veterans Committee, which meets February 29 in Tampa, Florida. Among the leading candidates will be Sparky Anderson, Perez's manager in Cincinnati.

Eligible players in 2001 will include Dave Winfield, Don Mattingly and Kirby Puckett.