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Brian H (misunderestimated)Its hard to quibble with some of the choices in the 17 without knowing what the critera was...If its just solely on Negro/Pre-Negro League "black ball" contributions I guess I can stand Minnie and Buck not making it -- although it will greatly diminish from the induction ceremony itself since Bruce Sutter will be the only living inductee and both Minnie and Buck are among the finest and most admirable living ex-ballplayers as human beings (as opposed to Pete Rose, for example)
I think Minnie and Buck both clearly belong based on the totality of their contributions to North American baseball -- which I believe the Veterans Comm. can address.
I have some knowledge of the plus and minuses of the pure "player candidates" and the one I was most surprised NOT to see making it was Donaldson, one of the great Negro League Pitchers who also had the stats (such as they are) to back up his reputation and then some.
Manley's selection would have bothered me if Cum Posie had not made it...
As to the argument that 17 more 19th Century players belong, it doesn't fly for me and I'm a "19th Century fan". The only rationale for that many is if we use the worst 19th century player (McCarthy) as the baseline and go from there. Four or maybe five 19th Century sure, but otherwise it would further water down the HOF to add a bunch more. There is already one Freddy Lindstrom in the HOF -- we don't need his 19th Century equivalent.
About (th hopefully facetious) suggestion that the Negro Leaguers don't belong in the Hall of Fame... It would be worse for the HOF than the excluded players if that happened because it would de-legitmize the whole enterprise.
SO far I think I have 2 of the 7 -- I don't really expect to come by more than one or two more in the foreseeable future.