Let the rat race begin

I just read that Joe Gordon got elected by the veterans pre-war committee. What a joke. I think of a bunch pre-war players that are far more deserving than Gordon. Tiernan, Dahlen, Mathews, Phillipe, just off the top of my head.

The race now begins to get his rookie card. What ever that might be.

The post war committee selcted no one again for the 4th straight time. No was close to the 48 votes needed. Kaat had the most with 39, Santo 38 and Oliva 33.

Jay

The Hall really is starting to get watered down. Allie Reynolds was one vote shy of making it too! No disrespect to him but....

I just don't understand how Gordon gets in but someone like Gil Hodges doesn't. I also agree with you Jay, about Phillipe.

Gordon isn't a really bad choice given who is already in the HOF, but there are a lot of players much more deserving that are not in yet.

Jay

For me, it was 1997 when the HOF lost all credibility. I no longer have any interest at all in what they do.
The problem which set this off for me is probably my own mistake, but I had had enough of them way before 1997.

In any case they declared Mike Piazza the catcher who achieved the highest single season average:
1997 28 LAD NL 152 556 104 201 32 1 40 124 5 1 69 77 .362

Now, I track records, in part because a focus of my card collection includes them. And it had been my impression that Babe Phelps, a catcher, came in second in batting to Waner in 1936 with a .367 average. How this is surpassed by a lower average would only be of interest if I had an iota of respect for the group who made the decision; but I do not.



Edited to add: this post was intended to be a part of Jay's rat race thread, but I got so pisssed thinking of what the Hall could have been, that I lost track of what I was doing (again).

I think the reason that Piazza gets the nod is that Phelps did not reach the minimum plate appearances needed to qualify for the batting title. I'm not positive, but the think the requirement to be eligible for the batting title in Phelps day was different and not the 3.1 plate appearances per game that is required today.

Jay