[GaryPassamonte]

Jay- First superstar of "professional" baseball.

Spec- The fair-foul rule was available to every player and was the rule of the day. We can only fairly compare players using the rules that were available when they played. The fair-foul argument gets old. Baseball has undergone a ton of rule changes through the years. Apples to apples. Yes, I agree illness was a major factor in Barnes' decline.

The early players whose careers started prior to professional baseball in 1871 should not be held to the "ten year rule" standard. For example, Barnes played 5 years for the Rockford Forest Cities from 1866-1870. The Forest Cities were one of the better teams in the country during those years, yet his service with them counts for nothing. The "pioneer" category was originally intended for players and this should hold true today. There needs to be an avenue created to consider players such as Barnes for HOF induction. Maybe a special committee such as the one that elected a number of Negro League players a few years ago to consider the true baseball "pioneers."

Just a footnote. Look at the career of Sandy Koufax. Barnes career is like Koufax's in reverse. Both were dominant for a 5-6 yaer period.