Who Should Be in the Hall that isn't

[calvindog]

When the HOF had its first vote in 1936, only 5 players got in -- but many more received votes. Hal Chase had the 25th most votes, ahead of 18 eventual HOFers including Three Finger Brown, Sam Crawford, John McGraw, Connie Mack, Bill Terry and Al Simmons. In the 1937 vote, Chase received more votes and moved up to 22nd on the list of most votes, ahead of 32 eventual HOFers. But for his criminal actions, Chase would have been a HOF lock. He was roundly recognized as the best first baseman of his time by not just the press but his peers as well.

[JasonL]

Originally Posted by calvindog

But for his criminal actions, Chase would have been a HOF lock. He was roundly recognized as the best first baseman of his time by not just the press but his peers as well.

I find it interesting, how the writers have always had this morals component to their voting. Not letting Chase in, not letting Mays in, making Alomar wait, etc.
There are a group of players that are all shoe-ins, if it weren't for either this "moral threshhold" or being banned, or both...their names have all been thrown around in this thread already...what an interesting HOF it would be if we could just admit them all based solely on their baseball accomplishments.
Add:
Rose
Jackson
Cicotte
Mays
Chase
Alomar
McGwire
Character aside, I would say, boy that group just got a whole lot better!

[Boomer]

Ken Boyer

[ibuysportsephemera]

It is a travesty that Gil is not in the Hall of Fame. His stats are not that unworthy and he won 2 World Series rings. The World Series accomplishments alone should have put him over the top.

[steve B]

Thurman Munson
Dwight Evans

Yes, maybe a little Sox fan bias here. Munson really should be in I always thought he was better than Fisk even if he did play for the Yankees.

Evans wasn't flashy at bat, but was a fantastic fielder but that rarely counts for HOF voting. At bat he wasn't all that bad either, he played in an era when 400HR was usually a sure thing, but fell a bit short He led the AL in HR and extra base hits from 1980-1989

[Robextend]

Originally Posted by steve B

Evans wasn't flashy at bat, but was a fantastic fielder but that rarely counts for HOF voting. At bat he wasn't all that bad either, he played in an era when 400HR was usually a sure thing, but fell a bit short He led the AL in HR and extra base hits from 1980-1989

Besides Ron Santo and Jimmy Ryan I was really thinking about Evans. He career is terribly underrated and overlooked.

Also check out the stats for Ted Simmons, I'm not saying he belongs in the HOF by any means, but this guy was some hitter and very overlooked.

[paul]

I hate to show my ignorance, but what did Carl Mays do that puts him in the same category as Hal Chase and the Black Sox? I know he threw the pitch that killed Ray Chapman, which is a horrible thing. But was it an intentional beanball?

[Robextend]

I believe Mays beaning was a spitball that had gotten away from him.

I could be wrong, but I thought Mays was also accused of throwing games?

[Bosox Blair]

Originally Posted by calvindog

He was roundly recognized as the best first baseman of his time by not just the press but his peers as well.

Oh, I don't doubt Chase's skills for a second...and imagine how much better his fielding numbers would have been if he didn't take so many payoffs to make errors .

Cheers,
Blair

[NYHighlanderFan]

Though more deserve it, at least the baseball HoF doesn't feel like they have to put six or eight guys in every year like the football HoF does!

[Frank A]

Just a question to you guys who picked Pete Rose. Do you honestly believe that if he was in debt enough to his bookie that he would not have thrown a game as manager? The man is a complete liar and addicted to gambling. He should never get in.

[FrankWakefield]

I almost agree with Frank A above...

I'm ok with Pete getting in, any day he buys an admission ticket, just like the rest of us. That's the only way he gets into the Hall.

Anyone who can't see that should read The Fix Is In: A History of Baseball Gambling ... - by Daniel E Ginsburg , one fine book. It really opens one's eyes to what has been done in the game. It addresses Pete's escapades, and many more before that... in the majors and minors. A well written, thorough book.

[Mark]

Larry Doyle, Art Nehf, Babe Adams, Harry Stovey, Ron Santo, Heine Groh.