Mike Bridenstine's Tumblr Thing

I’ve heard enough Cubs fans gripe about Ron Santo posthumously getting into the Hall of Fame this year, that I wanted to address it.  Yes, it sucks that he didn’t get to live long enough see his induction.  Yes, his speech would have been amazing.  But isn’t it obvious that Santo’s death was the reason he finally got inducted in the first place?  That’s not just me saying that.  A lot of players get elected shortly after they die.  That’s because there’re all kinds of stories about the guys in the news saying what great ballplayers they were (and Santo totally was), so it gives the players a push in voters’ minds.  And it just so happens that this was the year that Veteran Committee rules had voters looking at guys (like Santo) who played between 1947 and 1972 (the Golden Era). 

I could be a dick and say that if Santo wanted to get elected earlier, he should have died sooner or not been such a marginal choice.  But I won’t.  I could be a dick and remind Cubs fans that his beloved team didn’t even retire his number until 2003 - 16 years after Billy Williams and 21 years after Ernie Banks.  I could attribute his popularity to his work as the Cubs’ radio color commentator.  I could remind people that his first year on the writers’ ballot, he only got 4% of the vote.  I could argue that Jim Kaat would have been a better choice.  But I won’t.  Santo was the best available third baseman out there and I’m happy he finally got in.  Plus, the guy just died for Christ sakes.  It’s not like I’m an animal. 

If you really want to feel bad for overlooked ballplayers, check out next year’s Pre-Integration Era selection, which looks at players from 1871-1946.  Well, I guess the name itself makes them seem like racists (Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947), but you can kinda feel bad for them nonetheless.  I decided to look at the top 25 candidates for the Hall of Fame because I’m a fucking nerd (I used baseballreference.com and Bill James’ Career Standards Test).  And I was surprised that over half of the top 25 were guys from the 1800’s.  I was curious as to why they’d been excluded and this is what I found out…  

Voting on 1800’s players has been a clusterfuck ever since the Hall of Fame began in 1936.  That year, five players from 1800’s were supposed to go into Cooperstown with “modern players” Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson, but a group of old timers couldn’t agree on who to put in.  By 1939, the oldy timers were feeling excluded so three men - Kenesaw Mountain Landis (the Commissioner of baseball), Ford Frick (president of the National League) and Will Harridge (president of the American League) picked a few guys to go in.  They included Cap Anson, Buck Ewing and Old Hoss Radbourn. 

A new Old Timers Committee was made the same year, but they never found time to meet.  From 1939-1944 they never met and did absolutely nothing.  Seriously.  It was getting ridiculous so in 1945, a new Committee was made and they just shoved a fuckload of old players into the Hall.  Then they did the exact same thing the next year.  The main problem was that the new Committee didn’t do their homework.  And how were they supposed to?  Stats weren’t available to them.  Selections were just made by memory and nepotism.  They put in too many players from the 1894 Baltimore Orioles.  And they put in too many guys with ties to New York Giants manager, John McGraw.  In 1945, Roger Bresnaham and Hugh Jennings were the first guys to go into the Hall of Fame, who are obvious mistakes.  But Bresnahan had ties to McGraw AND he’d just died in 1944.  Toofer!  If the Committee had actually given a shit, a lot of the 1800’s guys who are still not in the Hall of Fame would be in today.  But they didn’t give a shit and nobody from the 1800’s would get in again until the 1960’s. 

In 1959, a guy named Lee Allen was hired as the Hall of Fame’s Historian.  He’s credited with starting modern baseball research.  And most of what we know about the players from the 1800’s is because of him.  In the 1960’s, Allen started advising the Veterans Committee on who to select.  And they listened.  But when the old timers began getting elected again, people became fucking outraged.  “If these guys were so great, then why weren’t they elected years ago?”  Well…how do you explain that you’d spent 20 years fucking up?  The Committee began resenting Allen (who’d never played baseball) for being a know-it-all and because of the flak they were taking.  Not that it mattered.  He died of a heart attack in 1969.  Had the Allen selections continued, a lot of the 1800’s guys who are still not in the Hall of Fame would be in today.  And that’s more or less where we are right now.                         

Next year is going to be a wacky enough time for the Hall of Fame with guys like Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa entering the writers’ ballot, but here are 7 guys I would have no problem voting for from the 1800’s if I were on the Veterans Committee next year. 

George Van Haltren

“Rip” Van Haltren was a center fielder, who also pitched.  He had a .316 career average with over 2,500 hits.

Jim McCormick

The first Scotish player in the majors was a good one.  He has 265 wins with a career 2.43 ERA.  He led the league in wins in 1880 and ‘82. He led in complete games from 1880-82.  And he led the league in ERA in 1883.     

Tony Mullane

“The Apollo of the Box” could pitch left handed or right handed, which was easier for him since he didn’t wear a glove.  He had five consecutive 30-win seasons and ended up with 284 wins (including a no-hitter) and a 3.05 ERA.  A suspension in 1885 probably cost Mullane a 300-win career.  He even worked as an umpire. 

Tommy Bond

Bond was the first Irish-born player in the bigs.  He’s a three time 40-game winner.  And in 1877, he won the pitchers’ triple crown.  Bond has 234 wins and a 2.14 ERA.  And his strikeouts per walks ratio is the best in baseball history.     

Bob Caruthers

“Parisian Bob’s” record of 218-99 is the 3rd best winning percentage ever.  He twice led the American Association in wins and led in ERA in 1885. And he played right field when he wasn’t pitching, compiling a .282 lifetime average, and occasionally leading the league in OBP and slugging.      

Bill Dahlen

“Bad Bill” was one of the best shortstops of his era.  He compiled 2,461 hits including a 42-game hitting streak.  

Jimmy Ryan

“Pony” Ryan is a .308 career hitter with over 2,500 hits.  He’s also the only guy to hit for the cycle in a game he pitched.  In 1888, he led the league in hits, home runs and slugging percentage.    He also punched out reporters and train conductors.  You know, because he could.