PRE WAR HALL OF FAME QUIZ

[Archive]

Posted By: dennis

no fair looking up the answers now, just pick: which of these players were elected the first time they appeared on a hall of fame ballot.
nap lajoie----lefty grove----paul waner----joe dimaggio----charley gehringer----pete alexander
cy young----bob feller----carl hubbell----mel ott----hank greenberg----bill dickey----dizzy dean
george sisler----tris speaker----frankie frisch----al simmons----jimmy foxx----harry heilmann

[Archive]

Posted By: CN

I will guess only Joe D. I remember that It was a big deal to get in the Hall on your first try and many voters made players wait. CN

[Archive]

Posted By: Richard Cline - RC

I'll go with Sisler and Young just from looking at the list.

[Archive]

Posted By: Fred Y

I'll say none of them did.

[Archive]

Posted By: Rhett Yeakley

The list is a little misleading with the early players because the initial vote in 1936 was a TOUGH one for anybody to get elected--actually the first several votes were tough just due to the sheer # of greats that were basically fighting against one another. In 1936 only Ruth, Cobb, Wagner, Matty & Walter Johnson actually got enough to get in. Excluded were greats like Young, Lajoie, Sisler, Speaker, and all the 19th Century guys.
-Rhett

[Archive]

Posted By: Phil

I know that Joe D. did not make it his first time. I will also guess that none of them did.

[Archive]

Posted By: Fred C

Wow that list has some really great players. I couldn't imagine Joe D not getting in on the first ballot. We all know the first year eligibles that made it and anyone that ended their playing career before 1931 (that didn't make it the first year) didn't make it on the first ballot. That means Lajoie, Young and probably Alexander didn't make it in the first ballot.

Just guessing, I'd have to figure that Feller and Foxx were probably first ballot. I'm not sure about the rest.

I don't want to detract from this thread or hijack it but what players were not retired more than 5 years and made it to the HOF?

[Archive]

Posted By: Mark L

I would think that Waner and Ott went in very soon after they were eligible.

[Archive]

Posted By: Peter_Spaeth

I think he and Jackie made it together, which would make sense as both had last cards in the same year (56).

[Archive]

Posted By: Glenn

I think Feller did, and I think he's the only one from that list.

[Archive]

Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

OK, without looking anything up, I can do the math and rest assured that DiMag (HOF-55, retired 1951) and Jackie (HOF 62, retired 1957) were first-ballot HOFers. Feller too, likely.

On the post-war side of things, Seaver certainly was a first-balloter by the biggest landslide ever (still the record holder in that department, isn't he?).

[Archive]

Posted By: Jon Canfield

Jodi - not so fast. The 5 year rule wasn't instituted until 1954 I believe. So, DiMaggio's first year of eligibility would have been '52 or '53 so he is definitely not a first ballot HOF'er.

======================================
For the premier online souce of information on baseball-related cigarette packs, visit http://www.baseballandtobacco.com

[Archive]

Posted By: Ken Wirt

Fred,

I'm thinking Gehrig and Clemente were inducted the first year following their untimely deaths - well before the 5 year waiting period was up. I think those are the only exceptions.

Now, which HOFer does not have the minimum 10 year playing career?

[Archive]

Posted By: Anthony S.

Addie Joss.

[Archive]

Posted By: dennis

glen got it ---only bob feller---i added a few more players & # of times on ballot.

2x lajoie/speaker/young

3x hubbell/ott/alexander/dimaggio

4x sisler/eddie collins

5x waner/frisch

6x foxx/gehringer/mickey cochran

7x traynor

8x greenberg/al simmons/appling

9x bill dickey

10x ol' diz

11x harry heilmann

13x bill terry

dimaggio fails!!

http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090121&content_id=11036&vkey=hof _news>

[Archive]

Posted By: MVSNYC

great thread...this really illustrates just how tuff the HOF used to be (and should still be today)...only the best of the best!

[Archive]

Posted By: JimCrandell

"Best of the best"

Couldn't agree more--players like Kent, Alomar, Morris, Dawson should not make the Hall. I feel even more strongly about steroid users--hopefully the writers will be strong about this and never let Clemens, Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, Rodriguez, Gonzales in the HOF

[Archive]

Posted By: jay wolt

Sarno - It had to be tough in the '40's & '50's
since they had the entire Baseball roster to that point to ponder.
The 1st class was 1936 and when the Hall opened in '39 they would
have some members that were enshrined so all could see their plaques.
So there were so many great players to induct and they could only do
a few at a time, it took years to get the solid members enshrined.
Now 70 years later, almost all of the vintage guys that are worthy are
enshrined, so the Hall mainly concentrates on newer member that are
eligible.

[Archive]

Posted By: MVSNYC

i hear what you're saying Jay, how that unfolded...i'm just saying the HOF has to have a "tight door" policy. that will keep the reputation and high standards of the hall upheld. just a handful from each era (players who really "dominated" that era).

[Archive]

Posted By: Fred C

Well, what do we think about the veterans committee? They did get it right a few times...

[Archive]

Posted By: dennis

fred,my view is that the hall has been compromised by the veterans committee. when looking at their selections the only player that is elite elected by the VC (imo) is wahoo sam crawford. remember that it was a veterans committee that selected players from the 19th century originally so the original pre 1901 players selected were pretty dominant. but with the selections after 1940 on it's pretty marginal. (again imo)



the list.



http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/hof.shtml

[Archive]

Posted By: Mark L

Give the VC credit for Eddie Plank and for all the managers whom they inducted: McGraw, Mack, Stengel, Clarke, etc.

[Archive]

Posted By: jay wolt

"i hear what you're saying Jay, how that unfolded...i'm just saying the HOF has to have a "tight door" policy"

Sarnie its also a business, Imagine a summer without a HOF induction?
The masses that flock to Cooperstown would just stay home, so its imperative
that each year someone gets elected.

[Archive]

Posted By: MVSNYC

i agree, all's i'm sayin' is to keep it tight...1 or 2 guys a summer, cool...but not much more then that.

let's get chili dogs today jay!

[Archive]

Posted By: howard

Jay, I can see your point in a year when there are no clear cut HOFers on the ballot. That way the HOF can have an induction even if the baseball writers do not select anyone. What I'd like to know is how did Travis Jackson sneak in when both Frank Robinson and Hank Aaron were on the ballot that year?

I think the VC has been a disaster for the HOF even though it did allow for some worthy players to get in such some guys mentioned in previous posts along with others like Arky Vaughan and Johnny Mize.