ROGER MARIS vs AARON JUDGE

[G1911]

Originally Posted by drmondobueno

I always thought Baseball had a Hall of Fame. FAME. Maris meets that definition. Just my humble biased opinion.

I believe that back then, the term 'hall of fame' had a different contextual meaning. It was to bestow fame on the inductees. There weren't many actual Halls of Fame in the sense of a formalized list in a building and museum before Cooperstown, but the term was fairly common in the late 19th century to refer to the most accomplished in a particular field, more than purely famous; the sense that the accomplishments and the recognition of them would create the fame element, in a positive rather than infamous light. I've encountered it a few times in the late 19th century and early 20th century classicists and historians and they all seem to use this context, more than how we think of fame now, where fame itself is essentially divorced from merit.

I don't read much from the 1920's and 1930's, perhaps it had evolved between then and Cooperstown itself.

Apologies if this is overly pedantic, but I find it interesting how words and turns of phrase shift with time.