Umpires Committee? 19th Century Committee? Don't know what clique would need to consider him,
but James Gaffney, essentially the grandfather of modern umpiring (multi-umpire crews, field positioning,
signals, &c') and in his day widely considered the most accurate and most ethical ump in the sport,
should've been a shoo-in with the first umps elected to the Hall. Evidently the "shameful personal failing"
of alcoholism tainted his reputation long enough that he was eventually completely forgotten.
|