Never Understand Baseball Hall of Fame Voting Process

Posted on 08. Mar, 2011 by Corey in All, General Baseball.

Although I will love the game of baseball until death do us part, there are still certain things that I don’t understand about it.  Sure, not even the players or umpires know the entire rule book from cover to cover and can understand half of what it says, but I am talking about something off the field.

For years the Hall of Fame debate and voting process has bothered me.  Every year when the vote is about to come out, and the new eligible players are talked about, you always hear people say a certain player “is or isn’t a first ballot Hall of Fame player.”  My question is this, what is the difference between a player going into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility or his 14^th?  Once retired from the game of baseball your stats don’t change!!

How can a player possibly get better or worse when no longer playing the game? I feel the problem is that they are compared to much to other players in terms of numbers, and not looked out individually.  Each body of work is different and each player had different set of circumstances. I know the size of a baseball hasn’t changed and the bases are still 90 feet apart, but you can’t tell me the game hasn’t changed and evolved.  Players are bigger, faster, stronger and less durable then in the past.  Complete games are not as common and 15 homers will never again lead the league.

Barry Larkin is a player that was talked about this year as possibly gaining enough votes to become a Hall of Famer. He feel short, but the “experts” all said he will be in next year or the following.  Again, how is Larkin’s resume going to change by not stepping onto the field?  I just wish I understood.

It is almost as if the select group of baseball writers who are asked to cast a ballot for the Hall have to much power and can make statements whenever they please.  Walking around Cooperstown, most fans cannot remember how long it took a player to get in, so I guess the bottom line is once a Hall of Famer, who really cares.

Maybe someday I will understand this process better, but for now, it boggles my mind.