"It doesn't matter to me why he didn't post the numbers, correct. The fact is, he didn't post them, and it is unreasonable to give him credit for numbers he didn't post." That was your statement.
That is precisely the analysis that was used to support the exclusion of the Negro Leaguers from the hall. The numbers, to the extent they existed at all, were suspect because they weren't compiled against major leaguers.
Ironically, that analysis is true to some extent. None of the numbers we see from offically sanctioned negro league games are such that, in and of themselves, they provide a compelling case for induction of any given player. Due to the way the Negro Leagues were structured, not even the greatest of the Negro Leaguers has lifetime statistics that are even remotely comparable to those of contemporary major leaguers. Thus, following your line of reasoning to its logical conclusion, no one gets in. They "don't get credit for numbers they didn't post" and it doesn't matter why, right? If they weren't compiled, they weren't compiled. End of story.
However, of course, that analysis is also greatly flawed because it does not take into account any of the reasons why. It doesn't take into account the thousands of barnstorming games, the exhausting conditions under which they generally had to play, the travel, or the financial instability of the teams they played for. Obviously, it also doesn't take into account the fact that blacks couldn't post major league numbers due to the existence of factors beyond their control.
That is my point. Why matters. Ultimately, though the HOF didn't want to, it was forced to to accept that why mattered insofar as at least some of the deserving Negro Leaguers were concerned. When it comes to Negro Leaguers, it appears that the why matters to you too. I think it is important with respect to the case of Cecil Travis as well.
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