George Davis, Bid McPhee and HOF and Cards

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Posted By: Anonymous

The Vet committee that selected McPhee, Davis et al was a much smaller group (some of whom were never players) and they generally took their jobs on that committee quite seriously. They met and then decided who got in. McPhee, Davis and the managers were elected largely as a result of the influence of things that they read which included statistical analysis (Bill James, for example). I assume the same holds true for Willis although I don't recall reading anything by the "cognoscenti" that championed his candidacy. My guess is that since they met behind closed doors and simply announced their results there was some trading and persuading. Monte Irvin and Buck O'Neill educated the others about the Negro League players, for example. This is why many of the Negro League players chosen were from the leagues later years and players like Pete Hill, Christobal Torrenti were not chosen while Leon Day, for example, was.

I think the voters this year on the Vet candidates are not the same ones (or at least not all of them) that have come up empty the past few times.... Anyone voter who played since about 1972 should be ashamed if Marvin Miller is not elected.

Interestingly every Commissioner who served prior Bowie Kuhn is already in the HOF. Kuhn and the four men who succeeded him, however, are not.

I have no clue what will happen with the Umpires. A few of the one in the HOF seem obvious (Klem, Connelly & Hubbard) but some of the others I wonder about. O'Day's longevity and significance should help him if the voters are educated. Then again maybe the educated ones didn't agree with the Merkle call...