Posted by MikeT23 on 12/16/2016 9:21:00 AM (view original):
Yeah, I think I said that.

"I don't really care who is already in. Some were obvious mistakes, some I simply don't think are HOFers, some I'm sure are HOFers. But that doesn't matter. The standard for HOF for someone else is not my standard."

Your standard is not aligned with reality.

Posted by bad_luck on 12/16/2016 9:51:00 AM (view original):

Posted by MikeT23 on 12/16/2016 9:21:00 AM (view original):
Yeah, I think I said that.

"I don't really care who is already in. Some were obvious mistakes, some I simply don't think are HOFers, some I'm sure are HOFers. But that doesn't matter. The standard for HOF for someone else is not my standard."

Your standard is not aligned with reality.

And yours is?

Or did I miss Edgar Martinez's plaque when I was there a month ago?

Perhaps the guy claiming Martinez and Lofton should be in the HOF should examine his reality.

I didn't see Lofton's plaque there, either.

Posted by MikeT23 on 12/16/2016 9:59:00 AM (view original):
Perhaps the guy claiming Martinez and Lofton should be in the HOF should examine his reality.

As much as I criticize HOF voters, they've done a good job. There are only a few non-veterans committee inclusions that were a mistake.

There are a handful of players that deserve to be in but aren't and have fallen off the ballot. I probably wouldn't put Lofton in that group. I think Martinez will make it at some point because he belongs.

Here's how Edgar Martinez can become a member of the Hall of Fame. Probably the only way.

Posted by tecwrg on 12/16/2016 10:10:00 AM (view original):
Here's how Edgar Martinez can become a member of the Hall of Fame. Probably the only way.

He got over 40% of the vote in a very crowded ballot last year. He only has three years left but I wouldn't be surprised if he takes a big step forward this year.

Posted by bad_luck on 12/16/2016 10:17:00 AM (view original):

Posted by tecwrg on 12/16/2016 10:10:00 AM (view original):
Here's how Edgar Martinez can become a member of the Hall of Fame. Probably the only way.

He got over 40% of the vote in a very crowded ballot last year. He only has three years left but I wouldn't be surprised if he takes a big step forward this year.

Or, he can pay $50 for a membership. $80 if he wants to include the entire family.

I think a reasonable size for a HOF is one person for every year the league has been around. That doesn't mean you MUST enshrine one player a year, and avoids the mentality of "We HAVE TO make sure someone is elected this year". Maybe have an election once every five years and have a maximum of five people each time. By having longer gaps between elections, you allow more time to evaluate a player against his peers and against the historical context of what he did.

Assuming MLB started in 1885, that would mean 130 people (give or take) should be in the HOF. Maybe 20 or 30 are contributors/coaches (your Connie Macks and Branch Rickeys, for example) and the rest are the players. Right now, there are over 300 people, with over 200 players. So, they're averaging 1.7 players for EVERY YEAR of MLB's existence. Are you telling me that two players retire every year that deserve to be in the HOF in five years?

Is the Hall of Fame a museum, or is it a shrine to the greatest ballplayers? Right now, it's a museum.

Tec > Edgar Martinez.

I am in Cooperstown every year. Thus, we can all agree I am the site authority on all things Hall of Fame.

That said, nobody belongs in the Hall simply because a player considered similar is in.

Posted by edsortails on 12/16/2016 11:47:00 AM (view original):
I am in Cooperstown every year. Thus, we can all agree I am the site authority on all things Hall of Fame.

That said, nobody belongs in the Hall simply because a player considered similar is in.

No one is saying that.

Posted by toddcommish on 12/16/2016 10:38:00 AM (view original):
I think a reasonable size for a HOF is one person for every year the league has been around. That doesn't mean you MUST enshrine one player a year, and avoids the mentality of "We HAVE TO make sure someone is elected this year". Maybe have an election once every five years and have a maximum of five people each time. By having longer gaps between elections, you allow more time to evaluate a player against his peers and against the historical context of what he did.

Assuming MLB started in 1885, that would mean 130 people (give or take) should be in the HOF. Maybe 20 or 30 are contributors/coaches (your Connie Macks and Branch Rickeys, for example) and the rest are the players. Right now, there are over 300 people, with over 200 players. So, they're averaging 1.7 players for EVERY YEAR of MLB's existence. Are you telling me that two players retire every year that deserve to be in the HOF in five years?

Is the Hall of Fame a museum, or is it a shrine to the greatest ballplayers? Right now, it's a museum.

I don't necessarily disagree with your sentiment here but I wonder how far away from that we really are?

There are about 140 position players currently in. If you wipe away a lot of the old timers and veterans committee selections that just suck, you're down to 110 or 100. Take away the handful of bad BWAA voted in players and you've got a number in the 90's. There are even fewer pitchers. Knock out the really bad ones and you're south of 50.

That's a pretty slim HOF, especially when ~19,000 people have played major league baseball.

I guess my question is, would that make the Hall of Fame better? Not better in a statistical sense, but more enjoyable or more special?

Yeah, everyone knows there are some selections that don't make any sense, but the Hall of Fame is really for the fans. Is it better if the best players from your childhood or years as a hard core fan aren't able to be elected?

Does it hurt the Hall to have guys like Kirby Puckett and Catfish Hunter and Jim Rice next to Babe Ruth and Greg Maddux?

Or is it better to just accept that some mistakes were made and enjoy the fact that Gwynn and Ripken can be elected in the same year and Pedro and Randy Johnson can be elected in the same year?

...

And tec has the Simpsons right under the monitor. That seems to fit my perception of his approximate intellectual level.

I believe there's a SpongeBob there too. Does that change things?