MLB Hall of Fame: The Keith Olbermann Solution?

Keith Olbermann has a solution for the MLB Hall of Fame. Because of course he does.

Wikipedia identifies Keith Olbermann as a “sports and political commentator,” and it isn’t much of a stretch to suggest the pundit’s recent tweet about the MLB Hall of Fame has a foot in each field. Actually, almost anything about the Hall of Fame is automatically “political,” even if not in the ordinary political sense.

Olbermann’s recent suggestion about the Hall involves his solution for “all the HOF’s problems in one fell swoop.” Hmmm. In my mind, the Hall of Fame has always involved only two problems, both related the behavior – that off the field unrelated to the game and that, whether on or off the field, which affects the game.

The HOF’s rule no. 5 indicates that a player should be judged on his “record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.” That the vague terms “integrity” and “character” are sandwiched between (at the far ends) “record” and team “contributions” seems to suggest integrity and character should be related, somehow, to baseball.

However, is that clear? Does “record” mean only those numbers on the back of a baseball card and perhaps some vague on-field notions like “hustle,” or could it mean something wider, including actions off the field unrelated to the game? What would happen if a player of Babe Ruth’s caliber were to be convicted of murder before his election to the Hall of Fame?

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Olbermann’s Solution

In any event, Olbermann clearly sees more than two issues, although his exact count is unclear because…Twitter. He suggests a three-tier approach by the Hall of Fame, or to be more specific, three HOFs, presumably housed in the same building: one for “immortals,” one for the “general population,” and one for miscellaneous weird categories determined by, naturally, Keith Olbermann. Those are “controversial” players, those who played very well but had shortened careers, players who were arguably one-season wonders (not his phrase), designated hitters, and non-players.

Well, that’s really two important Halls, and five little ones, but who’s counting?

Here’s the problem with Olbermann’s Solution, and it really has little to do with the dashed-off nature of his weird categories. There’s a problem, seemingly, with the simple sorting of players into “immortals” and “general population,” um, great players.

Some may not immediately see this since there’s a clear difference between a Willie Mays and a Red Schoendienst, but a somewhat careful examination of the complete list of those currently enshrined in the Hall of Fame is disconcerting. Oh, sure, one could write firm rules for “immortal” players – 3200 hits for everyday players, 275 wins for pitchers, and the like, but who will write those rules?

The Letter B

Take only those listed under the letter B currently in the MLB Hall of Fame. This list includes six players who are immediate problems, under Olbermann’s scheme, without firm statistical thresholds for “immortals”: Ernie Banks, Cool Papa Bell, Johnny Bench, Chief Bender, Yogi Berra, and Wade Boggs. Every single one presents a problem.

Let’s consider a few of the sticking points with these players.

How can Ernie Banks not be an “immortal”? He hit 500 home runs and is the greatest Cub ever. Does that even matter? Does every team deserve one immortal, at the very least that team’s greatest player. Must an immortal have a post-season record of some sort? If so, Banks goes to gen pop.

What does one do with any of the players from the Negro Leagues, what with their statistical record problems? Bell was said to be so fast he could be in bed before the light went out after the light switch in that room was thrown, but there are just too many lines that aren’t filled in on his record. He is credited, for example, with a mere 183 doubles in 21 years, but was supposedly the fastest player ever.

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How about Bench and Berra? Are both immortals? How many immortal catchers should there be at this point? Bench had a lower batting average and far fewer home runs than Banks. Is catcher that much harder than shortstop?

Can Berra’s immortal, weirdly funny remarks be considered under “character” or “contributions to the team”?

The Chicken Addict, the Chief, and the Bottom Line

Of the two remaining Bs let’s take the more recent player, Boggs, first. Despite his 3000 hits, he is dismissed as an “immortal” because the Red Sawks are now officially annoying, he was a chicken addict, and votes are made for weak reasons sometimes.

Finally, there is the problem of Chief Bender, who had a really nice overall record and a career WHIP of 1.113. Additionally, he had only three losing seasons, two one game under .500, and while the won-loss record is now devalued, it wasn’t when the Chief pitched, and pitchers then (1903-17, ’25) “toughed it out” for the win sometimes, possibly shortening their careers. (Go ahead, check out his complete game figure.) Moreover, Bender pitched entirely after the institution of the foul strike rule, so we don’t have to worry about any 19th century nonsense.

However, Chief Bender probably wouldn’t make anyone’s list of immortal pitchers now – which is totally unfair because of the retrospective nature of this observation. In 1939, when the first group of MLB players were enshrined in the Hall of Fame, Bender was very likely a solid top-five modern pitcher and, thus, “immortal” then.

In other words, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Meditate on MLB Hall of Fame rule no. 5, decide if a particular steroid cheat deserves a vote, and move on. Don’t start knocking down walls in Cooperstown and moving plaques. Chief Bender could be lost in the rubble.