Most undervalued HOFers

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Am I remembering correctly that Grove was really not terribly loved by the fans? I definitely remember that was the case among his colleagues. You have to wonder if that widespread unlikability factor plays a part in today's value/demand, silently carrying part of the blame for lack of value/interest in spite of nobody being alive to recall his unlikeable traits.

The same can definitely be said/asked in regards to Hornsby, although there are certainly a few very old-timers kicking around who played under him. I used to know some of his teammates and others who played under him. Absolutely none of them had a single kind word.

An interesting fact about Grove, though:

I sent out thousands of questionnaires as a kid, always seeking out the oldest surviving players first. The vast majority of these guys played from the 1900's-40's. The first question was, "Who was your favorite player while growing up?". There were the piles of obvious "Babe Ruth" and "Ty Cobb" (more so from the oldest crowd), but it was actually surprising to me how many men who grew up to be pitchers listed Grove as their favorite! Some were really informed, listing him as "Robert Moses Grove", so you know their fandom was true and remained into their golden years. Geographically, these players weren't only isloated to areas close to where Grove pitched, either. Just something I found interesting.