What The Hall is the Problem?

The Hall of Fame will soon induct its 300th member, but without Pete Rose or Joe Jackson. The fact that neither Tony Gwynn nor Cal Ripken or anyone else garnered a 100% vote indicates that something is amiss in the voting process.

We suggest these changes:

• Allow fans to be part of the voting process, or at least the nominating process.
• Reduce the New York voting effect by aggregating BBWAA votes by city or baseball market. Better still, remove the BBWAA from the process as a journalistic conflict of interest.
• Get rid of the veterans committee; even as it was recently recast, it smacks of cronyism and clubishness. Why have two separate groups inducting members? Instead, substitute a mixed panel of SABR scholars, selected authors, fans, historians, retired longtime BBWAA baseball journalists and Hall of Fame players, and use a preferential ballot. And rotate at least one-third of the membership annually to prevent cronyism.
• Limit the ballot to 15 names and use a preferential ballot — in other words, the voter’s favorite candidate receives 5 points and the least-preferred candidate receives one point.
• Use broad statistical analysis to eliminate unworthy candidates from the ballot. Length of service is already statistically applied, so why not other criteria such as All-Star Game appearances or Most Valuable Player voting for recent retirees?
• Limit entry to two inductees per year. Not only would this benefit the economy of Cooperstown, N.Y., by virtually ensuring a regular stream two inductees per year, but it would also throttle back the devaluation of membership caused by the induction of minimally qualified players. No longer does the Hall of Fame need to induct five or ten people at a time to correct past wrongs.
• Lift lifetime bans after death. Banning a dead player does nothing but hamstring the Hall of Fame. Until the Hall of Fame vote is completely independent of the Commissioner’s Office, the BBWAA should refuse to participate (it should refuse anyway). The Hall of Fame board and voters should insist on 100% academic independence if the museum wants to be taken seriously as a place of learning and not a fief or public relations arm of Major League Baseball owners.
• Consider two levels of Hall of Fame membership: A regular membership as is done today, plus a pantheon for the 50 or so truly great players — the Gehrigs and Aarons — to be elected from among the regular Hall of Famers by the fans. Fan involvement can only help, even if it implies politics.
• Executives and umpires should have a separate type of award, much as the broadcasters and sportswriters have. Managers, who have closer ties to on-field players, should remain. The idea that commissioners and league presidents belong in the Hall of Fame of their own industry’s museum — which they and their predecessors established — is self-serving, narcissistic and pointless. They reached their professional Hall of Fame when they acheived office at the pinnacle of their profession; what does the plaque and ceremony add?

Other reforms may be desirable. We solicit your suggestions.