Another New Idea For The Hall Of Fame

If you've been to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, you'd probably agree with me that it is a remarkable place. The museum houses many artifacts that I had only ever read about, and the plaque gallery is a place where history never dies. However, when I was there, I noticed something slightly irksome about the plaque gallery. Since it was organized by year, you couldn't really follow along with baseball's story as you made your way across. Almost every section has a player here, a manager there, an executive over here, and an umpire over there. When you start getting to the more modern players, you'll suddenly find yourself reading about some obscure old timer who was inducted by the Veterans Committee. 

    My idea is that, in order to properly represent baseball's greats in all facets of the game, the plaque gallery should be split into separate sections. There should be a separate wing for umpires, broadcasters, managers, executives, pioneers, Negro League greats, and minor league greats, along with the MLB stars. 

    The Hall's purpose is to honor the men who made the greatest contributions to the game. But not all contributions are equal; certainly Alexander Cartwright, Henry Chadwick, and Babe Ruth did more for the game than Bobby Cox did. Cartwright invented the game; Chadwick popularized it; and Ruth saved it. But managers are an essential part of the game, and Bobby Cox was one of the most successful managers of all time - shouldn't he be honored? If you agree with me that some non-players and -pioneers ought to be inducted, then you will probably understand my desire for separation. Each section shows you the cream of the crop among their own kind. That's what I think the Hall should be. It should honor as many managers as second basemen as catchers, looking to the top 1% from each tier rather than 1% of all players, disproportionate by position or role. 

    All these men made the game go. It's time we start looking for the best of the best.