Ballpark Frank

Recently relief pitcher Bruce Sutter was elected as this years Hall of Fame inductee this summer in Cooperstown. I am happy for Bruce, he deserved it. However, there are several other players that also deserve getting voted in. I would have to say Goose Gossage, Lee Smith, Andre Dawson and Jim Rice all are more then qualified. Some may disagree however I would point the skeptics to a book by Bill James titled Whatever Happened To The Hall of Fame and read about the rollercoaster ride the Hall of Fame’s standards have gone through. For example check out the All-Why-Did-They-Elect-Them-Team below:

• Cather – Ray Schalk
• Firstbase – Frank Chance
• Second Base – Johnny Evers
• Third Base – Jimmy Collins
• Shortstop – Joe Tinker
• Left field – Chick Hafey
• Center field – Lloyd Warner
• Right field – Tommy McCarthey
• Pitcher – Jesse Haines

Once you read this book you will realize that the Hall of Fame is not even owned by Major League Baseball but by the state of New York, therefore it is not a true Major League Baseball establishment. This fact alone discredits the merit of the Hall and leaves no excuse to why two of baseball’s most deserving legends Shoeless Joe and Pete Rose are not in the Hall of Fame yet. This is not a sanctioned MLB shrine, it belongs to New York State so there is no reason why their ban from Major League Baseball should also include a ban from the Hall of Fame.

*Outside The Hall of Fame photo by Andy Wirtanen