Posted By:
Peter_SpaethAs I see it there are maybe three categories of players who deserve admission.
1. The true greats of the game, first ballot types, everyone knows who they are.
2. Players who reach certain milestones (300 wins, 3000 hits) due to consistent excellence over a long career. I might quarrel with some of them, like Phil Niekro, but I object to them far less than I object to other undeserving members.
3. Players who do not reach those milestones because their careers do not extend long enough, but who were dominant over a 5, 6, 7, 8 year stretch (the Sandy Koufax resume) and played long enough to achieve very respectable career numbers. I actually think this category may be underrepresented, Steve Garvey for example who I always thought should be in.