Like, really! It exploded with tweets, facebook post, reddit screams and crying comment threads excoriating the inhumanity of leaving off this guy or that guy! It was as if these superstars didn't have 15 years, that's 15 YEARS, to be admitted into Baseball's ordained class of greats. But I assure you that this is nothing new, folks! Really... This is nothing new.
Still, I read writer and after writer, many of whom I greatly respect, lament about how the BBWAA and the rules for admittance into the Hall of Fame are corrupt or in need of significant changes. To that, I say "BS!"... To put it bluntly.
Let me tell you why by just listing how long it took other Hall of Famers to finally be admitted. It's an impressive list, and should provide enough evidence as to why the intense grumbling yesterday was an overreaction amplified by social media.
| Don Sutton | 5th Year |
| Don Drysdale | 10th Year |
| Duke Snider | 11th Year |
| Eddie Mathews | 5th Year |
| Yogi Berra | 2nd Year |
| Roy Campanella | 5th Year |
| Hank Greenberg | 9th Year |
| Joe DiMaggio | 4th Year |
| Dizzy Dean | 9th Year |
| Mel Ott | 3rd Year |
| Jimmie Foxx | 7th Year |
| Lefty Grove | 4th Year |
| Rogers Hornsby | 5th Year |
| Cy Young | 2nd Year |
| Tris Speaker | 2nd Year |
| Nap Lajoie | 2nd Year |
Just look at that list! Snider took 11 years- 11! Drysdale- 10 years. Even Yogi and Mr. Cy Young were not 1st ballot Hall of Famers. And possibly the greatest hitter of all-time, Rogers Hornsby, waited 5 years before getting his plaque. Also, keep this in mind, less than half of current inductees were elected by the writers. It truly is an exclusive club, and the writers have always treated it as a solemn duty that they do not take lightly. Historically, if there was even a question as to the worthiness of a player the writers have always chosen to defer to special committees filled with other past greats.
In the game of Baseball patience is a virtue, and having to wait is in no way an indictment of a players career.
It just might be that in our age of mass, constant, and quick communications, it only seems like we have witnessed a travesty of monumental proportions. I assure you, we have not. Those that deserve to be in the Hall of Fame will be in, it just won't be on your timetable.
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I agree, for the most part. I do think that there needs to be some rules-tweaking in the Hall. Maybe nothing major, but the rules have needed some updating for quite awhile now.
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