The Baseball Hall of Fame

The 2012 Hall of Fame ballot was loaded. In fact, there were so many worthy players that it sparked a conversation about expanding the ballot, which currently limits voters to only voting in 10 members.

So naturally, 10 guys made the Hall of Fame, right?

Wrong. As I'm sure you are all aware, nobody was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) decided that nobody was worthy of having a speech in Cooperstown this year. This is especially odd considering that according to bWAR the 2nd, 36th, 52nd, 61st, 67th, 68th, 71st, 74th, 88th, 106th, 117th and 127th best hitters in baseball history were on the ballot, along with the 3rd and 26th best pitchers of all time. None of them were elected by the BBWAA. 

As far as I'm concerned this is because of the following reasons:

• Steroids - Anyone guilty (Bonds, McGwire, Palmeiro, etc.) or just wrongly associated (Piazza, Bagwell) with steroids couldn't garner enough support.
• 10 ballot minimum - While this wouldn't be an issue for voters who refuse to vote in anyone associated with the "steroid-era", those who would vote for Bonds, Clemens, et al might not have enough room on their ballot for other potentially deserving players like Larry Walker or Kenny Lofton, hurting their chances. 
• Distinguishing between "First Ballot Hall of Famers" and just a regular Hall of Famer - There is no such thing as a first ballot Hall of Famer and a regular Hall of Famer. Anyone deserving of the Hall, deserves to be inducted the first go around. Why wait?
• Stubbornness - Every voter is entitled to their opinion, but anyone deciding that Jack Morris, Dale Murphy or Lee Smith is a Hall of Famer but Mike Piazza, Curt Schilling, Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell aren't is just holding onto the past. Don't blame the internet on Jack Morris not receiving enough votes, blame his spotty resume. 

On one hand I'm a little baffled that this happened but on the other, it's not a surprise given the history of the BBWAA. There are people eligible to vote that no longer follow the sport, why do they deserve a say in the matter?

In 1936, the first year of the Hall of Fame, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner were elected. None of those players received 100% of the vote and it has remained that way since. Just because a few voters in 1936 decided not to vote in Babe Ruth doesn't mean that nobody deserves 100% of the vote. If you are a worthy Hall of Famer, you are a worthy Hall of Famer. When you put weight into what occurred in 1936 and/or distinguish "First Ballot" Hall of Famers from the rest of the pack, you get results like this and it's pretty safe to say that it's both bad for the Hall and for baseball.

I suppose if you wrote about baseball in 1992 but have since worked for Golf Digest you might resort to that sort of lazy analysis but then I'd also question the integrity of you having a vote. 

While the electorate is likely trying to protect the integrity of the Hall of Fame their stubbornness is actually hurting the same sport and museum that they wish to protect. 

I'll admit that I'm more of a "big" Hall guy in that I'm more lenient in who I would allow in Cooperstown and it's because I believe the Hall of Fame should have a pulse and be a living and breathing thing. When the BBWAA decides that nobody is going to Cooperstown they essentially take away its pulse, and it's life.

I'm obviously a huge baseball fan but I haven't been to Cooperstown since I was about eight years old. I also live in New York, which makes the trip to Cooperstown not a particularly long journey. With all of that said, I don't have any huge need or want to go back and the voters aren't giving me any reason to change my mind.