In a Perfect World

    Sometimes I think that the Hall of Fame was never meant to be so large. Remember my post Hall of Fame Ratings? It chronicled and classified every Hall of Famer between three categories - the Elite, the Rank and File, and the Basement. Well, I get the impression that only the Elite were meant to be in. When the Old Timers' Committee started to go nuts circa 1946, it lowered the Hall's standard quite a bit, and hence we get the Rank and File (typical Hall of Famers) and the Basement (mistaken selections). If the Hall had stayed pure, then guys like Babe Ruth and Willie Mays would be immortalized, and being in the Hall of Fame would be more meaningful. People could still remember how good George Kell and Andre Dawson were without making them Ruthian. As it is now, the Hall of Fame makes no distinction between guys like Honus Wagner and guys like Joe Tinker. Now this blog mostly advocates for players who could be in (i.e. those who would fall among the Rank and File). The reason why it is here in the first place is to point out mistakes made by the "real" Hall of Fame. If they had done their jobs in the first place, then I wouldn't have to write for this blog at all. Don't get me wrong. I truly enjoy writing for this blog and my book. What I don't appreciate is constantly criticizing an institution that's supposed to know what it's talking about. I shouldn't have to.