PATRICK,

Can we see a sample list of the auto-nominees, say, for one of the older leagues? I think it would ease people's minds if we actually SAW what types of players would be making the ballot.

Quote: Originally Posted By iain on 1/13/2010The key word is NOMINATION
Look at the pile of crap that gets nominated for the MLB HOF each season... Pat Hentgen??? Be serious....

I don't believe anybody is "nominated" for the general BBWAA elections. They show up on the ballot once they meet the eligibility requirements. If they truly don't belong, they'll be dropped from future consideration if and when they fail to receive 5% of the vote.

Quote: Originally Posted By MikeT23 on 1/13/2010IAIN!!! Nominate Slammin' Sammy Davis!!!! Or I'll be forced to rejoin HJ!!

Is that a threat or a promise?

Quote: Originally Posted By tecwrg on 1/13/2010

Quote: Originally Posted By iain on 1/13/2010
The key word is NOMINATION.
Look at the pile of crap that gets nominated for the MLB HOF each season... Pat Hentgen??? Be serious....

I don't believe anybody is "nominated" for the general BBWAA elections. They show up on the ballot once they meet the eligibility requirements. If they truly don't belong, they'll be dropped from future consideration if and when they fail to receive 5% of the vote.

I'm almost positive there's a threshold of some sort that players must meet in order to be included on the ballot.

Are you really suggesting that only a handful of players with MLB experience retire each year?

Apparently it's a "year of service" thing: http://community.baseballhall.org/Page.aspx?pid=388

3.Eligible Candidates -- Candidates to be eligible must meet the following requirements:
A. A baseball player must have been active as a player in the Major Leagues at some time during a period beginning twenty (20) years before and ending five (5) years prior to election.
B. Player must have played in each of ten (10) Major League championship seasons, some part of which must have been within the period described in 3 (A).
C. Player shall have ceased to be an active player in the Major Leagues at least five (5) calendar years preceding the election but may be otherwise connected with baseball.
D. In case of the death of an active player or a player who has been retired for less than five (5) full years, a candidate who is otherwise eligible shall be eligible in the next regular election held at least six (6) months after the date of death or after the end of the five (5) year period, whichever occurs first.
E. Any player on Baseball's ineligible list shall not be an eligible candidate.

Oh, but wait.....

4. Method of Election:
A. BBWAA Screening Committee — A Screening Committee consisting of baseball writers will be appointed by the BBWAA. This Screening Committee shall consist of six members, with two members to be elected at each Annual Meeting for a three-year term. The duty of the Screening Committee shall be to prepare a ballot listing in alphabetical order eligible candidates who (1) received a vote on a minimum of five percent (5%) of the ballots cast in the preceding election or (2) are eligible for the first time and are nominated by any two of the six members of the BBWAA Screening Committee.
B. Electors may vote for as few as zero (0) and as many as ten (10) eligible candidates deemed worthy of election. Write-in votes are not permitted.
C. Any candidate receiving votes on seventy-five percent (75%) of the ballots cast shall be elected to membership in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

(emphasis mine)

So, yes... the short answer is that they do, in fact, have to be nominated.

toddcommish:

There are going to be a lot of guys at first because we are updating the eligibility retroactively. Over time the list will diminish because not a lot good or great players retire every season.

would the integrity of the nominations be better if you were only allowed to nominate players NOT from your franchise?

Quote: Originally Posted By iain on 1/13/2010
So, yes... the short answer is that they do, in fact, have to be nominated.

I stand corrected.

Quote: Originally Posted By patrickm885 on 1/13/2010toddcommish:

There are going to be a lot of guys at first because we are updating the eligibility retroactively. Over time the list will diminish because not a lot good or great players retire every season.

That's kind of my point. Maybe you shouldn't allow user nominations for the first go-round and stick with the auto-noms.

Kinda like the Baseball Hall of Fame started with Ruth, Cobb, Wagner, Johnson, and Mathewson... the real cream of the crop.

right, so in ruth league, only hawk walker would be eligible the first time around.

i like that idea.

As a side note to all of this discussion, will we soon be able to see more than just a measly 5 leaders in the records page? How hard could that be to program?

When voting for HOF, it would be nice to know if a guy is 8th all time in HR's or 28th.

Quote: Originally Posted By schedule1 on 1/13/2010
right, so in ruth league, only hawk walker would be eligible the first time around.

i like that idea.

You're just hoping that your Hawk Walker jersey will go up in value when you try to dump it on eBay...

it's a one-of-a-kind! i'll have to post a picture tonight.