04/19/24
March 12, 2007
You mean we were supposed to elect people?: The Baseball Hall of Fame has a board meeting on Tuesday. On the agenda is a look at tweaking a Veterans Committee that has failed to elect a single person -- player, manager, exec or umpire -- in three tries over the last five years. This might be a good time to contact your favorite board member with suggestions.
posted by The Crafty Sousepaw to baseball at 12:19 PM - 7 comments
What about decreasing the number of players on the ballot?
posted by bperk at 02:08 PM on March 12, 2007
Dear Favorite Veteran's Committee Hall Of Fame Voter, What? Did Jim Rice, like, punch your kid - then proceed to punch all your buddies' kids? What's the freaking deal, yo? Also - Please help settle a bet between a friend and I. How many blow jobs did Bruce Sutter have to perform to get in? I say 30. My friend says he's still blowin' today. Sincerely, Local Baseball Fan #4,387
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 02:51 PM on March 12, 2007
Dear Favorite Veteran's Committee Hall Of Fame Voter, What? Did Jim Rice, like, punch your kid - then proceed to punch all your buddies' kids? What's the freaking deal, yo? Also - Please help settle a bet between a friend and I. How many blow jobs did Bruce Sutter have to perform to get in? I say 30. My friend says he's still blowin' today. These complaints should be directed to the BBWAA, not the Veterans Committee. I (surprise, surprise) like these suggestions from Joe Sheehan (free content, I think) at (the dread) Baseball Prospectus. (Summary -- ditch the Veterans Committee, close the Hall to former players not on the BBWAA ballot (sorry Ron Santo, Dick Allen, Sweet Lou Whitaker, etc.), and create a separate committee of executives and baseball historians to elect one non-player per year or every other year.) Good historical perspective on the role of the Veterans Committee in that article as well.
posted by holden at 04:19 PM on March 12, 2007
These complaints should be directed to the BBWAA, not the Veterans Committee. Well then, that should have been the title of this FPP. I'll not have my fun ruined by such trivialities. This is art - not science, m'boy.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 04:28 PM on March 12, 2007
Pete Rose probably bet this kind of thing would happen.
posted by warstda at 10:17 AM on March 13, 2007
NAH He bet against it.
posted by sumokenobi at 07:53 PM on March 14, 2007
My prediction, which leans heavily toward wishful thinking, is this: -- Players are dropped from the Veterans ballot altogether. -- Hall of Fame players are dropped from the committee -- now designated only for the election of non-players -- and placed in the hands of the board members and Frick Award (broadcasters) and Spink Award (sportswriters) winners. -- The 75% line is maintained. -- A formal decision is made to create an award in Buck O'Neil's name to honor individuals who have made substantial overall contributions to the game of baseball. I think there's a 50/50 chance that this award will be unveiled on Tuesday, 50/50 that it will wait until this year's Induction Ceremony.