Top Ten Hall of Famers Inducted by the Veterans Committee

The Veterans Committee was founded in 1953 to honor Hall of Fame candidates overlooked by the Old Timers Committee and the BBWAA. The idea was that players of the past would be more likely to remember, and better able to assess, their contemporaries who played decades before. However, players sometimes have their biases, being more likely to remember players with whom they had closer encounters, and made a series of bad selections in the 1970's, which led to revisions to the Committee and eventually its termination in 2013 in favor of Eras Committees. 

    Despite their mistakes, the Veterans Committee did a positive service to baseball by recognizing dozens of all-time greats who would otherwise be forgotten. Here is a list of the ten best Hall of Famers inducted by the VC. 

Honorable mentions: Billy Hamilton, Chief Bender, Frank "Home Run" Baker, Sam Rice, Joe Sewell, Joe Gordon 

10. Goose Goslin (1968) 

Leon Allen "Goose" Goslin played leftfield from 1921 through 1938 for the Senators, Browns, and Tigers. He batted .316 in his career, winning the AL Batting Title in 1924, and had eleven seasons with 100 RBI's. Goslin's candidacy gained a boost after he was interviewed for Lawrence Ritter's 1966 bestseller The Glory of Their Times, and he was inducted by the Veterans Committee two years later. 

9. John Clarkson (1963) 

John Clarkson was a dominant pitcher in the 1880's, leading the league three times in wins, three times in strikeouts, and four times in innings, topping out at 623 in 1884. He finished playing in 1894 with 328 career wins, third on the all-time list at the time. 

8. Richie Ashurn (1995) 

Although he was overshadowed by Willie, Mickey, and the Duke in centerfield, Richie Ashburn was a top player in the 1950's, capturing two Batting Titles during the decade. In addition to his hitting, Ashburn was a marvelous defensive outfielder, leading in putouts a stunning eight times. 

7. Arky Vaughan (1985) 

Floyd Ellis "Arky" Vaughan was an all-star for nine consecutive seasons between 1934 and 1942, establishing himself as a premier shortstop in the NL. A .318 career hitter, he led the league three times each in runs scored, walks, OBP, and triples, and captured a Batting Title in 1935 with a .385 mark. 

6. Ron Santo (2012) 

The last player ever elected by the traditional Veterans Committee, Santo was a nine-time all-star, five-time Gold Glove winner at third, and four-time leader in walks. Santo hit 342 home runs from 1960 through 1974, including four straight seasons with 30 or more. 

5. Tim Keefe (1964) 

Tim Keefe was probably the best pitcher of the 19th century, winning 342 games and three ERA Titles between 1880 and 1893. He also achieved fame as an umpire. 

4. Johnny Mize (1981) 

Johnny Mize led the NL once in batting, four times in homers, and three times in RBI's, yet never won a Triple Crown. The owner of a .312 / .397 / .562 career slash line, Mize hit 51 homers in 1947 at age 34, making him one of the oldest men ever to hit 50 home runs. He had 359 longballs in his career and could have had 100 more if not for three seasons lost to military service. 

3. Jake Beckley (1971) 

First baseman Jake Beckley was one of the top sluggers of the 19th century, banging out 244 triples and 87 home runs between 1888 and 1907. A .308 career hitter, Beckley compiled nearly 3,000 hits in his twenty seasons (2,938), but was largely forgotten until the Veterans Committee rediscovered him in the early 1970's. 

2. Roger Connor (1976) 

Roger Connor was best known as baseball's all-time home run king prior to Babe Ruth, slugging 138 longballs between 1880 and 1897. As of this writing, he currently ranks in a tie for 681st in career homers. Connor batted .316 and collected 2,467 hits in his career. 

1. Sam Crawford (1957) 

"Wahoo Sam" Crawford was one of the greatest hitters of the deadball era. The first man ever to lead both the AL and NL in home runs, Crawford also led his league in triples six times, contributing to his record total of 309 career three-baggers. Crawford batted .309 over 19 seasons and finished his career just 39 hits shy of 3,000.