Posted By:
prewarsportsActually, the best third baseman in the first 100 years of organized baseball was Ned Williamson. In 1894 the Reach guide asked former players and umpires who the best PLAYER was of all time up to that point. Ned Williamson got more votes than anyone including Kelly, Anson, etc. That is some pretty strong support by your peers. Unfortunately for him, your worth as a catcher or third baseman back then do not translate to our modern "stat sheets". If the Hall of fame had started at the turn of the century, Ned Williamson would have been most likely the first ever Hall of Fame inductee. Guys voting today though will never vote him in because they do not understand, or care, about the early game.
The last thing I do not understand is, why did they vote so many Cuban players into the Baseball Hall of Fame this last year when there is already a Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame that I have heard mentioned in other posts? No offense as I know this is a touchy subject. I know they were great players but why induct them into the National American baseball Hall of Fame when they already reside in the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame?