Change baseball HOF voting rules?

3stars

Thoughts on the following: Every eligible player gets one turn on the HOF ballot, but writers are allowed to vote for as many as they want.

If I'm a player, if I don't get in on the first try it means I wasn't the greatest. If I got in on the 10th ballot, I couldn't help feel like it was a mercy vote that got me in. Either you are good enough or not. Aging on a ballot only helps those who aren't "the best".

craig44

Joe DiMaggio was a third ballot hofer. It took Jimmie Foxx 6 votes to get elected. Rogers Hornsby and lefty grove were also not first ballot hofers. I don't think aging on the ballot has hurt their legacies any.

Coinstartled

@craig44 said:
Rogers Hornsby and lefty grove were also not first ballot hofers.

That's just the way it is...

stevek

The MLB Hall of Fame has become not only about greatness which it should be, but also about just excellence, even sometimes very goodness.

It ain't gonna change because it's become all about the money. The more players in there, the more money they think they're making, and they may be right. So nothing is going to change.

I've been to the Hall twice, and highly recommend it. Just ignore the silliness of players who shouldn't be in there, and enjoy the rest, because most of it is really quite enjoyable.

craig44

I am a big hall type, but there have been some poor selections, even for me. there was a run in the 70's with the Frisch selections that was pretty poor. And now with Morris, Baines and L Smith. ugh. just more poor selections. dont let it ruin it for you, it is still a great place!

bronco2078

Larry Walker could have gotten in are you Fking kidding me?? It's a joke

1951WheatiesPremium

I think it is watered down since the early days but these aren’t crimes against humanity, either.

I think sometimes you have to go case by case, too. There are some guys who have been publicly deemed unworthy that were Veterans Committee selections, as if they don’t mention how he earned enshrinement every time the guy comes up.

Not to mention that certain guys have now started to view this as more of a club.

As for Harold Baines and his upcoming induction, I’m more and more ok with it. He wouldn’t make my Hall of Fame (no chance) but he was a really good player for a really long time who has been described as a high character guy. Family man, played clean, worked hard, played hurt, etc. - the kinds of things we wish were true of all athletes but know that in reality that is not the case...

galaxy27

all of these guys backdooring the hall are paving the way for the cozeners

there will come a day when the mere mention of Cooperstown will elicit a chuckle

garnettstyle

@MLBdays said:
Vet Committee is the weak link......Bill Mazeroski is all you need to know.....a joke.

I would take Mazeroski over Baines. Best defensive 2nd baseman in history. And arguably the most famous home run in WS history.

JoeBanzai

@galaxy27 said:
all of these guys backdooring the hall are paving the way for the cozeners

there will come a day when the mere mention of Cooperstown will elicit a chuckle

"Cozeners" excellent word!

JRR300

@garnettstyle said:

Best defensive 2nd baseman in history.

To that, I say did you ever see Robbie Alomar?

Justacommeman

@JRR300 said:

@garnettstyle said:

Best defensive 2nd baseman in history.

To that, I say did you ever see Robbie Alomar?

The irony is I doubt he saw Mazeroski play. He’s a Pirates fan so draw the line

m

JRR300

I saw them both, although I saw Alomar a lot more, but it isn't even close. I don't think Maz could have handled Astroturf.

garnettstyle

@JRR300 said:

@garnettstyle said:

Best defensive 2nd baseman in history.

To that, I say did you ever see Robbie Alomar?

Mazeroski: 113 defensive career Win Shares is 1st all time in the history of MLB for a second baseman.

Estil

From 1937-61, NOBODY got in on the first ballot.

craig44

for those who think there are too many players represented in the HOF, there have been 19183 players from 1871 to 2018. of those, 226 made it to cooperstown. that is about 1.2%. now that is a pretty exclusive club. are there some in there i would remove? sure. but I would rather err on the side of caution. for the small hall guys, how exclusive should the hall be? should we make it only the top 1%? that would give us a 192 man hall. should we do .5% that would give us a 96 man hall. what about 1.2% of currently enshrined players? that would give us a 2-3 person hall. what do you think?

bronco2078

@craig44 said:
for those who think there are too many players represented in the HOF, there have been 19183 players from 1871 to 2018. of those, 226 made it to cooperstown. that is about 1.2%. now that is a pretty exclusive club. are there some in there i would remove? sure. but I would rather err on the side of caution. for the small hall guys, how exclusive should the hall be? should we make it only the top 1%? that would give us a 192 man hall. should we do .5% that would give us a 96 man hall. what about 1.2% of currently enshrined players? that would give us a 2-3 person hall. what do you think?

its not a numbers thing. Its just that there are scrubs in the hall that got in because its rigged and people left out for the same reason.

Sportswriters choose , a more useless form of humanity does not exist , except maybe political pundits on tv

craig44

couldnt agree more about the sportswriters. and the political pundits...