Baseball HOF: Clean out the riffraff

Sounds like the system bill james floated in the politics of glory. Very interesting idea.

 

Examples?

 

The "compilers" idea, for starters.

 

Winfield, Puckett, Murray

 

I think you could make a pretty compelling argument that the veterans committee selected players, that most of them don't belong.

And as long as the writers make arbitrary standards for who gets in and who doesn't, the hall will always be a little dumb in my opinion.

 

I'd hate to be the guy who has to tell a HOF-quality player he better retire now and stop compiling.

 

When compilers were sinners.

 

Was the compiler ever dominant? Was he ever considered one of the best at his position when he played?

 

But there were some players like Mattingly who was dominant for 5-6 years. Was the best at his position. But couldn't hang on in order to compile. He's shut out.

 

I worked in Eppa Rixey's hometown. If he's removed from the Hall people there might riot.

 

Deadball era guys are so tough because a lot of people look at them through today's lens and the numbers look terrible. And there is the fact that you are voting for Hall of Fame guys based on history to that point. They look worse when they get passed by later generations.

And for some of those listed by JayFarrar:

Frank Chance should be in. The other poem subjects, probably not, but that stretch of dominance by the Cubs without any of them would be repped by just Three-Finger Brown.
Waddell had a really great seven-year stretch at the turn of that century.
For a mostly 1800s guy, Joe Kelley stands on his merits. No one's heard of him now but looking back, I don't see why he wouldn't/shouldn't have made it.
Ross Youngs is the Old-Timey Kirby Puckett, except in Youngs case his career was ended by death. He had really good numbers the first full seven years of his career, had a below average one and then had his last season cut short by the disease that killed him the next year. And he has the postseason credit as well