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Posted By: Paul

In my opinion, the biggest reason why the current Veterans Committee is so much tougher is that they vote by secret ballot. In the old days, with 15 guys meeting in a room together, lots of things could happen that made it easier for folks to be elected. On the positive side, one member could persuade another. On the seedier side, a member could change his vote due to peer pressure or just wanting to please one of his friends on the committee. On the even seedier side, two members could swap votes -- you vote for my friend, I'll vote for yours.

I think there was also a lot more deference given to some committee members when they met together. If Ted Williams, the greatest living hitter, says that a particular pitcher or umpire is deserving of a spot in the Hall, I'd bet a bunch of committee members would defer to his judgment and vote with Ted. No matter how experienced a sports writer or league executive you may be, who are you to question Ted Williams' judgment that Bill McGowan was the greatest umpire he ever saw? And if Frank Frisch tells the committee that he played with George Kelly and he knows that George Kelly was 10 times better than his stats show, again, a lot of voters would defer to that, particularly if they weren't old enough to see Kelly play.