HOF - I'll think about it later (January 6, 2004)
I'd like to propose ... a "think about it" box for HOF selections. I think it's silly that the only players who are recalled on the ballots are those where at least 5% of the voters believe they should be in the HOF. What if I'm not sure that Dewey should be in the HOF, and I'd like more time to think about it? You do have 15 years to think about a player's qualifications... but only if at least 5% of the other voters have already decided to vote him in. But why make that the qualification?
Why not simply have a "think about it later" category? Now, I suppose that you'd need at least 75% of the voters to mark him as "think about it" or vote him in. After all, if more than 25% of the voters have decided to not even think about it, why carry him on for 15 years? For the interests of having a fun-filled ballot, maybe make the cutoff 50%.
I'd also like to make their eligibility based on their age, in order to fairly compare contemporaries. Again, I find it silly to have Kirby Puckett eligible before Tim Raines. I'd make the qualifying age 45. If that means Fisk and Ryan can get voted in while active, so be it. But, at least they'll be compared to others of the same age/time period.
And finally, Bill James once proposed an "inner circle", and someone else proposed a "pyramid". I'd go for that. Every 5 years, vote 1 guy into the inner circle, or to the top of the pyramid.
--posted by TangoTiger at 12:00 AM EDT
Posted 6:17 a.m.,
January 6, 2004
(#1) -
Robert S
I like the "inner circle" idea.
I'd definitely support a HOF decision to make formal distinctions between a Ted Williams and a Kirby Puckett.