(December 2, 2024)
There have been clear disparities in the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction process relative to black and white players, as well as with non-players. Unfortunately, many pundits, if not most, don’t see or acknowledge racial disparities in the voting results, particularly via the oft-called Veterans Committee. Author Sheldon Curry addresses this topic and much more in his tome titled“Tell Me Again Why These (Mostly) Black Players Are Not in the Hall of Fame? Is it Racial?????” The hard cover book contains 1,853 pages and culminates nine years of research and writing by the author. In it he addresses the inequities of the baseball Hall of Fame process, again particularly by the Veterans Committee through the December 2019 Modern Baseball Era Committee election, that has resulted in a disproportionate number of black players being denied induction into Cooperstown; from both major league baseball and the Negro leagues. The book addresses the often unfair and inequitable processes that lead to poor induction results for black players, as well as provides comprehensive profiles and discussions about a number of players that have been overlooked for the Hall of Fame, but should have a plaque in Cooperstown. The e-book version is available on Amazon.com/Kindle Store. If you would like to purchase the hard cover book, send your request to the currypages@gmail.com.
December 2, 2024
It’s Past Time That Allen, Parker and Tiant Get Inducted into Cooperstown.
Again, it’s been almost a year since my last post. Last year at this time I was encouraged to see manager Cito Gaston and executive Bill White among the candidates on the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee who considered eight non-players for induction into Cooperstown. I also wrote that manager Jim Leyland was the likely choice for induction. And sure enough he was the lone inductee from that eight-man ballot. Leyland joined third baseman Adrian Beltre, who received 95.1% support from the BBWAA, first baseman Todd Helton (79.7%) and catcher Joe Mauer (76.1%), as inductees in the Hall of Fame class of 2024.
On December 8, 2024, the Veterans Committee (technically the Classic Baseball Era Committee) will decide the HOF fate of eight men; seven players and one manager who were deemed to have made their greatest contribution prior to 1980. (Although one manager is on the December 8th ballot, the Classic Baseball Era Committee is set-up to consider players, managers, umpires and executives whose greatest contributions to baseball occurred before 1980. I’ll discuss some of the “omission ugliness” of this Era’s predecessors briefly a little later.)
The eight-man ballot contains Dick Allen, Ken Boyer, John Donaldson, Steve Garvey, Vic Harris, Tommy John, Dave Parker and Luis Tiant. All were outstanding players with Donaldson and Harris being greats of the Negro League. Vic Harris was also an outstanding manager and has been included on the ballot as such. Of course, if you’ve read my book and selected overviews you know that I address what I call deserving “combo” HOFers. Vic Harris embodies this and is clearly a more than worthy HOFer combining two outstanding facets of the game.
Allen, Parker and Tiant are three of the 13 players I profile in my book. Their inductions are long past due. Hopefully, they can gain the nod to Cooperstown. Unfortunately, Allen and Tiant passed away in 2020 and 2024, respectively. Boyer, Garvey and John are worthy candidates, but all fall somewhat short of the three players I profiled in my book. Donaldson and Harris have also been long overlooked by Cooperstown, and like Allen, Parker and Tiant, should already possess a plaque.
I was dismayed that Curt Flood, Vada Pinson and Maury Wills were excluded from this ballot. All three are among the 13 players I profiled in my book. The naysayer may hold that everyone can’t be on an eight-person ballot. I would agree. However, the issue are the gaps between consideration for induction. I’d like to see annual opportunities until such time as all worthy candidates are inducted. Per amendments to the process about two years ago, the three Era Committees will convene once every three years in rotating fashion. That’s an improvement from the five-year wait for the then-called Golden Days Era Committee who considered players from 1950-1969. I wrote extensively about this in my book and the unfairness of the process. From the turn of this Century to about 2016, the Hall of Fame effectively considered each of three ‘Eras’ just once every three years. The blatant unfairness of this is that one of the eras was the pre-integration era which was given equal consideration with the two post-integration eras. Blatant because the pre-integration era already possessed the greatest number of opportunities for induction than those players who played post 1947. Subsequently, they ‘righted’ that disparity by allowing pre-integration folks to be considered once every 10 years. However, when they did this, they increased the Golden Days players’ opportunities for consideration to five years. Hmm! Furthering the blatant unfairness that was “material” to the process of exclusion, greats from the Negro Leagues were not allowed to be considered! The recent changes to the process have eliminated that travesty and Negro League greats are now included with other Classic Baseball Era greats. And as I have rightfully and strongly been very critical of the Baseball HOF and its processes, I recognize some slight progress in moving towards correcting past wrongs with the induction of Negro League greats Bud Fowler and Buck O’Neil in the HOF class of 2022.
I also have an issue with Cooperstown effectively expanding and merging the pre-integration era by extending the year for consideration to 1980 (now called the Classic Baseball Era). This hurts the players, particularly black players, who made their greatest contributions prior to 1969 because now the pool of likely candidates is much larger when the whole history of the game from the 1870’s through 1980 can be considered for an eight-person ballot; as well as that 100-year plus era being considered once every three years. Sure, it hurts potential ballots for pre-integration players too. But again, they have had the longest time and the most chances to be considered for induction into Cooperstown; particularly relative to those who could not play before 1947. Hence, Flood, Pinson and Wills, among others, are left off this “100-year consideration” ballot.
Over the years I have written and spoken extensively about a number of players that are long overdue for Cooperstown. Among them are the aforementioned Dick Allen, Dave Parker and Luis Tiant. The following is a brief summary for each.
-Dick Allen is so Hall-worthy that his continued omission is disgraceful. He is also the embodiment of great talent, a great seven-year peak many in the Sabermetric community “require” and played in the era where the talent level was likely at its apex because of the presence of a number of black players in the 1960s and 1970s. His statistics, particularly his power numbers (home runs, RBI, slugging), batting average, OBP, as well as his base stealing, made him one of the best players of his era. He had several wonderful seasons, including his exceptional 1972 AL MVP year for the Chisox. Moreover, when all-time greats are eliminated like the remarkable Aaron, the incomparable Willie Mays, the renowned Clemente, and the brilliant Frank Robinson, he’s the next level. Offensively, in his prime he was arguably right there, as illustrated by his career OPS+ of 156. Relative to his era, Allen is better than the “next-level” Hall of Famers from their eras like Hugh Duffy, Elmer Flick, Fred Clarke, Sam Crawford, Edd Roush, Jim Bottomley, Goose Goslin, Heinie Manush, Kiki Cuyler, Earl Averill and Enos Slaughter to name a few. He certainly deserves Hall of Fame recognition. In my book, read Chapter 37 for the Allen overview, assessments and Hall of Fame comps.
-Dave Parker was a tremendous, all-around five-tool player, who was a two-time NL batting champ, an NL MVP, perennial all-star, multiple world champion and three-time Gold Glove winner in right field. Parker surpassed 2,700 hits and 500 doubles, while belting 339 home runs, had 4,405 total bases, more than 900 extra-base hits and almost 1,500 ribbies. He also possessed one of the finest throwing arms of any generation. In my book, read Chapter 45 for the Parker overview, assessments and Hall of Fame comps.
-Luis Tiant was a very good pitcher and a great competitor. He compiled 229 wins, over 2,400 strikeouts, 3,400+ innings, and threw an impressive 49 shutouts. Tiant was a stellar pitcher in the clutch as evidenced by his two complete game victories over the juggernaut Big Red Machine’s championship team in 1975. His performance was so good against one of the great teams of all time that he won the Babe Ruth award as the Most Valuable Player of that World Series despite the Bosox losing in seven games. Among the many achievements of his stellar career was a historic two 40 scoreless innings streaks and two sub-2.00 ERA seasons. In my book, read Chapter 48 for the Tiant overview, assessments and Hall of Fame comps.
Given the size of the ballot, the historical past practice of several iterations of the Veterans Committee, and the limiting process (i.e. a voter can only list a maximum of three people on the ballot), the likely inductees will be Dick Allen, Donaldson or Harris, and maybe Tommy John. Allen fell one vote shy in his last two opportunities in the December Veterans Committee’s votes of 2014 and 2021. I think this will be the year for Allen, though I thought that before. The sad part is if he receives the nod, he will not be here to receive the Cooperstown plaudits. SHAME on Cooperstown! I believe, and am hopeful, that the long overdue great resumes of Donaldson and/or Harris will finally be recognized with a plaque. I also think that the long good career of Tommy John will be recognized. And though I am not a ” he shouldn’t be in the HOF” person, I do believe that Tiant was the superior pitcher to Tommy John and should be the one inducted if only one of the two pitchers gets the nod in this election. Unfortunately, Harris or Donaldson, Parker, Tiant, Boyer, and Garvey will likely be kept waiting.
Previous Posts
November 29, 2023
Now That McGriff Finally Got His Due, Let’s See About Gaston and White.
Yes, it’s been almost a year since I last posted. Last year at this time I wrote that Fred McGriff probably would get the nod from the Veterans Committee (technically the Contemporary Baseball Era for players who made their greatest contribution from 1980 to the present day). He did. McGriff joined Scott Rolen, who received 76.3% from the BBWAA, as inductees in the Hall of Fame class of 2023. On December 3, 2023, the Veterans Committee (technically the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee who will consider non-players) will decide the HOF fate of eight men; four managers, two executives, and two umpires who were deemed to have made their greatest contribution from 1980 to the present day. The eight-man ballot contains the following: managers Cito Gaston, Davey Johnson, Jim Leyland, and Lou Piniella; executives Hank Peters and Bill White; and umpires Ed Montague and Joe West. All are worthy of consideration for Cooperstown. Of the four managers, Leyland is the only one who did not have an extensive playing career. In fact, Leyland never played major league baseball. This shouldn’t hurt Leyland but having a playing career, particularly 10 or more years, as was the case for Gaston, Johnson and Piniella, definitely doesn’t hurt their candidacies.
I am encouraged to see Gaston and White on the ballot, particularly since I wrote about both in my book. Both have strong cases; Gaston with his two world championships has more than the other three managers on the ballot, who all have one championship. Also, Gaston’s two pennants exceed both Johnson and Piniella and is one shy of Leyland. Of course, the elephant in the room is that Gaston was never given the same kudos and recognition for his managerial skills as the other three. If this continues in the voting process, Gaston will fall short. We’ll see. Bill White is the classic combo Hall of Fame candidate. He had an excellent playing career as he was named to eight all-star teams in five seasons (remember two Mid-Summer Classics were played from 1959-1962), he played on a world championship team with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964, and was a seven-time Gold Glove winner at first base. As an executive, he was the National League President from 1989-1994, being the first African American to hold that position. He also was a long-time broadcaster with the New York Yankees in the 1970s and 1980s. I reference the latter because broadcasting has helped other inductees gain Veterans Committee approval. Some who benefited include Richie Ashburn, Phil Rizzuto and Ron Santo. Consciously/formally/officially, broadcasting shouldn’t be in the hopper when candidates are considered, but broadcasting has seemed to creep into the voters’ mind for some candidates subconsciously/informally/unofficially(?). When considering Bill White, the Committee must ensure that what has been good for the goose, has to be good for the gander. Notwithstanding my comments for Gaston and White, Jim Leyland is the likely choice for induction. Again, we’ll see.
December 2, 2022 (Post No. 1)
Can’t Unequivocally Opine That Cooperstown Followed My Bent, But Certain Voting Results and Structural Changes Certainly Indicate They May Have Taken What I Wrote to Heart.
I am going to be brief here and cut to the chase. After completing the book and having a small number of hard copies printed in September 2021, I commenced sending books to a select few journalists, to the Chairman of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, Player Association President Tony Clark, and the Negro League Baseball Museum. Each book was accompanied by a letter requesting that each entity try to get behind some of the themes and players I wrote about in the book to foster equity. Admittedly, I can’t be sure if they read any or all of the tome, but I strongly believe that among those who received the book, I definitely believe some “listened” to what I wrote. Also, a number good folks in my circle opined that I was too laid back in believing the book might not have made a difference. Hence, I followed their advice and prepared this overview.
Let’s look at this. As I have been reminded, the ‘proof’ or ‘evidence’ is stark. Minnie Minoso was finally inducted effectively 58 years after he retired and 40 after his last cameo in 1980. Tony Oliva was inducted 40 years after first being eligible for BBWAA consideration in 1982. Bud Fowler and Buck O’Neil should have received their nods years ago. Both are illuminating examples of the failure of the Veterans Committee structure over many years. Nineteen seventy-one was the first year Negro League players could be considered for Cooperstown. Over the next 50 years or so, Negro League players could only be considered sporadically for Cooperstown. If Negro League players had continual/annual/separate Committee opportunities; or if Negro League players would have been consistently considered with the other Veteran candidates, more Negro League players (and non-players) would have a plaque in Upstate New York. Being a pioneer and a great player, Fowler should’ve had a plaque earlier, and so should the iconic O’Neil. And if you are one of those who say Fowler and O’Neil shouldn’t be inducted before the likes of Oscar Charleston, Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Martin Dihigo and John Henry Lloyd to name a few all-time greats; you would be right. But this makes my point. If there had been annual consideration for Negro League players and other baseball people, Fowler and O’Neil, along with several others who are still waiting for their plaques, would be in Cooperstown.
Structurally, I am not pleased with the changes made in 2022 by the Hall of Fame, though on the surface it may appear to be a tiny bit better for those folks who made their greatest contributions prior to 1980; seeming to allow for a ”faster” opportunity to be considered. I say no. One of the issues I raise in the book was the unfairness launched about 12 years ago when Cooperstown gave the Pre-Integration Era the same opportunity as the other Eras, particularly the Golden Days Era. This despite the Pre-Integration Era baseball folks having already received many chances to be considered and inducted. Interestingly, while this was going on, there were some pundits opining that the Golden Days Era already had all of its deserving folks inducted. How did that make any sense given that the players from the Golden Era couldn’t largely be considered for Cooperstown until the 1980s; as there was arguably nowhere close to representative numbers for Veterans Committee consideration for Cooperstown until that decade? To add fuel to the fire, Cooperstown also had a number elections that did not allow Negro Leaguers to be considered on the Pre-Integration Era ballots. A ruse they apparently thought would fly since they had the one special attempt to elect Negro Leaguers in 2006, when 18 were inducted. However, this plays into a problematic narrative and problematic results. Effectively, determining that there are no more worthy Negro League players. I’ll stop here because if you read the book, you know where I stand on this.
Back to the previous Era Committees and some of the changes. Cooperstown did away with what had been three- or four-Era Committees. There is now effectively two Era Committees; a Contemporary Baseball Era (1980 forward) and a Classic Baseball Era (pre-1980). In the previous structures, the opportunities for the Golden Days Era, typically for players from 1947 to 1972+-, had anywhere from three to five years to be considered. Now that has been amended; however not to the previous Golden Days Era’s benefit in my opinion. The players from that Era have been mucked over continuously. First, the ill-established ‘equal’ opportunity with a segregated era that already had many chances, certainly many more than the Golden Days players. Then the Golden Days Era got messed over and skipped in what was a previously scheduled opportunity. During the previous every-three-year cycle, the Golden Days Era had an election in December 2014 for the 2015 induction class. The next scheduled election was December 2017 for the 2018 induction class. You guessed it; Cooperstown made some changes and announced that not only would the Golden Days Era only be considered once every five years (which was awful on its own), their next opportunity would be in December 2020, for the 2021 induction class. Then, understandably, the covid-19 pandemic pushed that Eras’ election to December 2021. HOWEVER, believe it or not, Cooperstown conducted an election to induct its annual broadcaster and baseball writer in December 2020. A great big HMM? So; they can induct a broadcaster and a writer, but they can’t have an election for the players? Don’t mind saying it; the overwhelming/OVERWHELMING number of broadcasters and writers are not black, but there are a number players that are black. I’m just sayin.’
Of course, going forward the challenge is that by lumping the former Golden Days Era with the Pre-Integration Era, it further reduces opportunities for the players that primarily played from Jackie Robinson’s debut in 1947 to 1980. The Golden Days Era contains several of the players I write about like Dick Allen, Curt Flood, Vada Pinson, and Maury Wills. And those from the Golden Days Era are still on the same opportunity consideration time frame as the Pre-Integration Era that has had numerous bites at the Cooperstown apple. Furthermore, they reduced the ballot from 10 to eight and the maximum number of votes that can be cast by a voter from four to three. You tell me; is that limiting or what? Finally, Cooperstown clearly stipulates Negro Leaguers can be considered with pre-integration players, which they didn’t do previously largely the last 10-12 years or so (definitely not clearly), but now they are lumped in with players from 1947 to 1980. I call BS, particularly since there will also be a separate vote for executives, umpires and managers in the induction class years of 2024 and 2027 for the post 1980 Contemporary Baseball Era. Meanwhile, the Classic Baseball Era folks who get their next chances for induction in the induction class years of 2025 and 2028, don’t have a separate committee for their era’s non-players. So, don’t celebrate the changes, this is certainly worst for the 1947-1980 period, as well as for Negro Leaguers. Lastly, it’s also interesting that the Contemporary Baseball Era non-player opportunities in 2024 and 2027 precede the chances for the Classic Baseball Era, whose ballots will also include non-players. Wow! Maybe the appropriate words are inconsistent, hypocritical…...The fight for equity goes on.
December 2, 2022 (Post No. 2)
Can’t Call This Upcoming Veterans Committee Election as Bonds, Clemens and Others Await Their Fate.
Will the upcoming December 4, 2022 election be the day (or era) of reckoning for Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Rafael Palmeiro? Players who have HOF career stats, but have been hampered by the allegations or rumors of PED use or association. Bonds and Clemens were considered 10 times by the writers without receiving a Hall nod. Their annual support was almost identical, with the two players finishing literally within two- to-three votes of each other in every election. Bonds topped out at 66%, while Clemens’ high was 65.2%, both in the last year of their BBWAA eligibility in 2022. Palmeiro’s high vote was 12.4% in 2012 his second year on the ballot. Two elections later his support dropped to 4.4%, under the 5% threshold needed to continue receiving writer consideration. Relative to Bonds and Clemens, Palmeiro’s light support is understandable. Though he had a fine career and posted HOF career stats, he was not in their class. (And lying before Congress didn’t help his cause either since he reportedly tested positive for steroid use shortly after testifying before that body in 2005, stating that he had never taken a PED. Palmeiro has continued to maintain that he has never knowingly taken a PED.)
We may already have a peek into the window of the upcoming results for the aforementioned three players given who was not included on the ballot. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were left off the eight-player ballot. Given that they posted typically recognized HOF-caliber stats, yet were left out, may indicate who the 16 voters will back on December 4th. If the BBWAA “boycott” of those hampered by the PED cloud continues in the Contemporary Baseball Era vote, one would think that those without taint will benefit. Of the remaining five players on the ballot, Curt Schilling has his well-chronicled issues, while some of the BBWAA folks didn’t like Albert Belle. In my opinion, what one thinks of a player should not matter when it comes to evaluating what they did on the field. I clearly don’t agree with nor like some of the stuff I’ve read about Schilling, nor some of the comments reportedly made by him, but he should be judged for Cooperstown for what he did on the field. (That said, let me be clear.; if a player clearly hindered, prevented, or otherwise was found to harm players during their careers, then I think that’s when a Hall voter should take their actions into account because that would be another matter entirely.)
That leaves three players to round out the eight-player ballot: They are Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff and Dale Murphy. All were very good players who were liked in varying degrees. Because of the PED cloud potentially continuing to hang over two of the greatest whoever played in Bonds and Clemens, Mattingly/McGriff/Murphy might become” favorites” among those who won’t vote for Bonds, Clemens, Belle or Schilling (nor Palmeiro), I will take a guess that if a Bonds and/or Clemens don’t receive the nod, it will probably be McGriff. Stay tuned. Lastly, I think Lou Whitaker continues to get a raw deal as he was left off the ballot. It’s more problematic given his longtime teammates Jack Morris and Alan Trammell were inducted by the Veterans Committee in 2018, while Whitaker was inexcusably left off the same ballot. Go to the excerpt page and see some of my strong comments on this matter.
August 27, 2022
Now That a Good First Step Has Taken Place, It’s High Time for Sustained Fairness and Progress.
On July 24, 2022, The National Baseball Hall of Fame inducted seven players, six by the Veterans Committee. Four of the six are black and all had been denied a plaque far too long. As stated in my post last December, this was a step in the right direction. The induction results were in stark contrast to the woeful Veterans Committee results that showed that no black player (nor non-player) from major league baseball was elected by the Veterans Committee between 1999 (Orlando Cepeda’s induction) and 2019 (Harold Baines and Lee Smith’s induction). And during that span 25 white players and non-baseball playing folks were inducted compared to just the two black folks (Baines and Smith). And more egregiously, from 2008 through the election of December 2017 (for the 2018 induction class), there were 20 folks inducted to Cooperstown, all white, none black.
The question before us now is does the induction of black players Minnie Minoso and Tony Oliva, by the formerly named Golden Days Era Committee, and Bud Fowler and Buck O’Neil, by the formerly named Early Era Committee, finally portend a new day dawning for black players in Cooperstown? In addition, it was a long overdue induction of Gil Hodges whom I contend is the white player outlier, similar to many black players who have not been inducted, or like Minoso, Oliva, Fowler and O’Neil, have taken much too long to receive their plaudits from Cooperstown. It is too early to surmise if positive change will be constant. But when we see the inductions of the four black players by the Veterans Committee, along with finally recognizing Hodges, and Jim Kaat (who has also waited awhile), and we witnessed the first-ballot election of the stellar David Ortiz who had been rumored, fairly or not, to have failed a PED test in the early 2000s, this might represent some new thinking throughout the voting body relative to long-overlooked players and those with some questions about artificially enhancing performance. And we may be in the infant stage where the BBWAA is not be as stringent regarding those players who have had some type of PED rumors, which has typically harmed their HOF candidacy. (In fact, in recent years fairly or not, there have been some other players who have been rumored to have had some type of association in some fashion with PEDs; inductees like Jeff Bagwell, Mike Piazza and Ivan Rodriguez have had this reported on occasion.)
Earlier this year, Cooperstown once again revised the committee names, timelines and eras that players and non-players can be considered. Hence, the next election by the traditionally called Veterans Committee will take place in December 2022 (for the 2023 induction class) under a new name and amended parameters. That election will consider players whose greatest contributions to the game primarily occurred from 1980 to the present for those no longer eligible for BBWAA consideration. Such players will be considered by the newly named Contemporary Baseball Era Committee. Though I will address this in some detail later, I’m interested to see how players like Fred McGriff and Lou Whitaker, among some notables, will fare (i.e., make the ballot? gain induction?). Also in another post, I will address what I think of the most recent structural changes. In the book through the December 2019 election, I wrote at length about the structure of the Veterans Committee and the typically unfair ways it hindered black MLB players from gaining induction while effectively all but eliminating Negro Leaguers from even being considered.
In closing this post I’ll reiterate (and will keep doing so until they get it right for a sustained period) that the better results and ballot consideration from the December 5, 2021 election was hopefully not a pacifying one-off, but the beginning of real fairness in the process. And that's what halloffameinjustice.info wants to see.
December 31, 2021
Yes, it was a Step in the Right Direction, But Because of Past Wrongs, There’s a Lot More That Needs to be Done.
In the December 1st post, I asked the following: Will the poor past election results continue, or will a new day finally dawn for black players in Cooperstown? That query was based on the woeful Veterans Committee results that showed that no black player (nor non-player) from major league baseball was elected by the Veterans Committee between 1999 (Orlando Cepeda’s induction) and 2019 (Harold Baines and Lee Smith’s induction). And during that span 25 white players and non-baseball playing folks were inducted in stark contrast to the two black folks (Baines and Smith). And more egregiously, from 2008 through the election of December 2017 (for the 2018 induction class), there were 20 folks inducted to Cooperstown, all white, none black.
On December 5th, six were elected to Cooperstown. Four from the Golden Days Era ballot; Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso, and Tony Oliva. And two from the Early Baseball Era ballot; Bud Fowler and Buck O’Neil. Kudos to all six. Relative to the overriding issue at hand, four of the six are black. Clearly a step in the right direction. However, as much as I don’t want to be negative or rain on anyone’s parade, the pathetic history of the Veterans Committee in regards to black players dictates that Cooperstown needs to be called into question and held accountable for their past practices. As I write in the book, Minoso, Oliva, O’Neil and Hodges were long overdue (the latter was not black for those not in the know). Hence, some progress. And the great player and pioneer Bud Fowler is also a welcome addition and more than deserving of the nod. Though I don’t take issue with Kaat, my problem is how he compares with some others, particularly Luis Tiant who would have been eligible next year, but per a new rule established by the Hall of Fame, can’t be considered because he received fewer than three votes in successive elections. You may say what’s the problem with that? Well, it brings the whole issue of the lack of objectivity and fairness front and center. As I grant Kaat the advantage over Tiant in some aggregate categories, which should never be minimized, Tiant effectively dominates him in the rate categories, while also doing well in aggregate categories himself. So, the fact that Kaat received enough support to stay on a ballot, then receive the nod, while a pitcher clearly his superior can’t be considered, at least for the foreseeable future is a problem. In the book I lay out a comp for the two hurlers and the contrasts are stark and clearly in Tiant’s favor.
As folks celebrate the overdue induction of Buck O’Neil, the lingering and problematic operative word is “overdue.” Cooperstown had a chance to properly fete the great and regal O’Neil while he was alive in 2006, but failed miserably. Shortly thereafter he passed away. Same for the stellar Minoso. He did not garner the requisite votes in December 2014 and he passed away in 2015. This pattern is inexcusable, particularly for those who have been overlooked for far too many years. That said, I couldn’t be more pleased with the election of the great Fowler, who was a great player, leader and pioneer. Hopefully his induction will foster many to become aware of his exemplary play and accomplishments. Of course, I’m not going to let go of the problematic issue of Negro League players not allowed to be considered by the Pre-Integration Era Committee in previous elections. So as Fowler and O’Neil’s elections are a step in the right direction, there is a lot of correcting that needs to be done before fairness and equity can take a seat in the house. Much more must be done to materially address the lack of opportunities denied Negro League players. To start, Negro League players should not be “relegated’ to being considered every 10 years by the Early Era Committee. Because of the stark racism and exclusion from the national pastime, then the subsequent exclusion from being considered for Cooperstown, followed by the sporadic periods that Negro League players could be considered, all warrant significantly more opportunities than once a decade. As I outline in the book, there should be a separate committee and procedure established to consider Negro Leaguers on a regular basis to ensure that all worthy of a plaque in Cooperstown receives the long overdue honor.
December 1, 2021
Will the Poor Past Election Results Continue, Or Will a New Day Finally Dawn for Black Players in Cooperstown?
The elephant in the room is that no black player (nor non-player) from major league baseball was elected by the Veterans Committee between 1999 (Orlando Cepeda’s induction) and 2019 (Harold Baines and Lee Smith’s induction). Yes, for 20 years there was not one black former major leaguer deemed worthy by the Veterans Committee. In fact, since Cepeda was inducted in 1999, there have been 25 white players and non-baseball playing folks inducted versus two black folks (Baines and Smith). More egregiously, from 2008 through the election of December 2017 (for the 2018 induction class), there were 20 folks inducted to Cooperstown, all white, none black. Now let that sit for a moment.
About three weeks ago the ballots were released for the upcoming December 5, 2021 elections for the Golden Days Era and the Early Baseball Era. Both elections were originally scheduled for December 2020, but were postponed due to the covid-19 pandemic. Among the 10 candidates on the Golden Days ballot are four players profiled in the book, all who should have been in Cooperstown years ago. They are Dick Allen, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva and Maury Wills. (Also on the ballot are players Ken Boyer and Gil Hodges and manager Danny Murtaugh, all who have good cases). However, there is extreme disappointment that Curt Flood and Vada Pinson were left off the ballot. And given that Marvin Miller was finally inducted in the Class of 2020, it’s even more glaring that Flood is not on the ballot given he and Miller were integral in the groundbreaking challenge that changed baseball forever and for the better. Of course, of the two, Flood paid dearly for his stance and courage as he effectively gave up his excellent playing career.
From the Early Era, there are four Negro League players on the ballot that are profiled in the book. They are Home Run Johnson, Buck O’Neil, Dick Redding, and Tubby Scales. Also, incredibly (relative to past practice), there are three more Negro Leaguers on the ballot; John Donaldson, Bud Fowler and Vic Harris. All who are also worthy and two of whom are mentioned as such in the book. While having seven Negro League players on the Early Era ballot is good, plaudits should be restrained because of the Hall’s pathetic past record in not allowing Negro League players to be considered on any of the Early Era or Pre-Integration Era ballots that commenced about a decade or so ago. Yes, this is a step in the right direction, but let’s see the results and what happens going forward. Ditto the Golden Days era. Hopefully, this more “objective” consideration is not a pacifying one-off, but the beginning of real fairness in the process. And at minimum, that's what halloffameinjustice.info wants to see.