Applying today's societal lens against the HOFers of yesterday

[Peter_Spaeth]

Are we also going to reexamine every great historical figure to see if they were sexist, or homophobic, or anti-Semitic, because given the context of their times many likely were. What's the point? We should move forward, not engage in token feel good exercises that really accomplish nothing.

[Mark]

It was my impression that Anson's behavior had already tarnished his image at least a little among collectors.

[aljurgela]

Originally Posted by Mark

It was my impression that Anson's behavior had already tarnished his image at least a little among collectors.

ever own an anson item. i have even sold all of my cobb items except the Punch card that i need for my set... that is just my preference

[aljurgela]

... so here is my Pete Hill Punch...

I also can recommend a recent documentary on his life... whereby they try to find with baseball's "Black Cobb" was buried... I think that I found it on Netflix, but cannot recall

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/thro...entary-chicago

[Throttlesteer]

Wow, that's a sweet card.

[drcy]

I have read neither book, but Cobb had a bad personality reputation from his contemporaries. Perhaps he mellowed with age, and I know nothing about the supposed racism angle, but his bad attitude reputation wasn't something made up after the fact, and certainly not by a single book.

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by drcy

I have read neither book, but Cobb had a bad personality reputation from his contemporaries. Perhaps he mellowed with age, and I know nothing about the supposed racism angle, but his bad attitude reputation wasn't something made up after the fact, and certainly not by a single book.

I’m not quite sure what your point is.

But yes, I think most men would have had a “bad personality” had they endured the tragedy and hazing Cobb dealt with. He also did mellow with age, even lobbying for Sam Crawford’s HOF admission, despite the latter’s tormenting of Cobb as a rookie.

[AGuinness]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Are we also going to reexamine every great historical figure to see if they were sexist, or homophobic, or anti-Semitic, because given the context of their times many likely were. What's the point? We should move forward, not engage in token feel good exercises that really accomplish nothing.

In the larger sense of reexamining great historical figures in general, I guess I see the examination of our history, both successes and failures, as a valuable exercise in learning and growing beyond where we are now. As the famous saying goes, those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. And just a hunch, but I think that people who fit into the categories who were impacted probably don't consider a closer examination as a token exercise.

More to the question of how it might impact HOF ball players - I wouldn't think it would at all. That part of baseball's history has already been a topic for years and I think that there's probably already an expectation that players from certain eras would reflect the societal norms of that time.

[egbeachley]

I just read yesterday that a 26-year old race car driver lost a sponsor because they found out his Dad said a bad word in an interview from the early 1980s. The father didn’t even know it was bad because he just came over from Ireland where it was used differently.