Open Letter To The BBWAA-Appointed Historical Overview Committee
To the National Baseball Hall of Fame Historical Overview Committee,
- Adrian Burgos Jr (Negro League Historian, University of Illinois)
- Bob Elliot (Canadian Baseball Network)
- Jim Henneman (formerly Baltimore Sun)
- Steve Hirdt (Stats Perform)
- David O’Brien (The Athletic)
- Jim Reeves (formerly Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
- Tracy Ringolsby (Sportswriter and original columnist for Baseball America)
- Glenn Schwarz (formerly San Francisco Chronicle)
- Susan Slusser (San Francisco Chronicle)
- Mark Whicker (Los Angeles News Group)
- BBWAA
It was disappointing to see the Historical Overview Committee strike out once again.
“One of the first things that I recognized was that we couldn’t wait until 2031 to look at some of these candidates,” said Rawich, referring to those from the Negro Leagues and Early Baseball period. “Having gone through it this last time around, we saw some great conversation around various candidates.”
“The Hall of Fame Shakes Up its Era Committee System Yet Again”, Jay Jaffe, FanGraphs (4/26/2022)
The committee obviously didn’t do too well on this front as 6 of the 8 candidates were active post-1960. The other 2 candidates were from the Negro Leagues dating back to the early 1900s (at least you got those 2 right). The 19th century “early baseball period” was completely ignored.
“It does make it more challenging to get on a ballot, which I think is pretty obvious,” said Rawich. “The ballots not only will be a little bit smaller, but will also cover a large period of time.”
The goal would appear to be cutting down on some of the ballot’s ballast, the players whose candidacies have been endlessly reheated to little avail — a major reason why the Early Baseball period election was supposed to occur once a decade. “There was definitely a feeling that we wanted to make sure that we’re not looking at a lot of the same players every single time,” said Rawich. “Once somebody’s had a chance to be reviewed a number of times, it’s time to let somebody else get looked at.”
“The Hall of Fame Shakes Up its Era Committee System Yet Again”, Jay Jaffe, FanGraphs (4/26/2022)
One of the reasons cited by the Hall of Fame in their latest changes to the Era Committees was “to make sure that we’re not looking at a lot of the same players every single time” yet 6 of this year’s 8 candidates have appeared on at least 18 ballots each.
6 of the candidates have Hall of Fame ballot careers which were as long or longer than their playing careers.
On the other hand, what of Doc Adams? The long-overlooked pioneer led the charge to standardize and refine the rules of the game in the mid-19th century, including nine-man lineups and nine-inning games — innovations inaccurately credited to Alexander Cartwright on his Hall of Fame plaque — as well as the 90-foot distance between the bases, the “fly rule” (eliminating balls caught on one bounce from being automatic outs), and the shortstop position (which helped to differentiate the game from rounders). On the 2016 Pre-Integration ballot, from which no candidate was elected, Adams had the highest share at 62.5%, but he was conspicuously absent from the 2022 Early Baseball ballot, and he now faces additional competition for space and attention from candidates who came along more than a century later. A cynic might wonder if the Hall simply wanted to spare itself the scrutiny of contradicting one of its existing plaques in the face of more modern research — and focus more upon drawing fans to Cooperstown to celebrate living honorees of more debatable merits.
Jay Jaffe, FanGraphs (2022)
I’m far less bothered by their omissions than I am that of an additional SABR Overlooked 19th Century Base Ball Legend, Daniel “Doc” Adams, whom Major League Baseball official historian John Thorn has called “first among the Fathers of Baseball” and “the most significant figure in the early history of baseball.” Adams’ contribution actually predates that 1871 date. Via his 1857 rulebook, “The Laws of Base Ball”, he bears the true responsibility for setting the bases 90 feet apart; for creating the shortstop position; for proposing the standardization of nine-man lineups and nine-inning games; and for helping to standardize the construction of balls and bats, innovations that helped to make baseball a national game. Some of his contributions have been inaccurately credited to Alexander Cartwright on his Hall of Fame plaque, and while you’d think the institution would desire to set the record straight, it’s worth remembering that the Hall’s very presence in Cooperstown is based upon the myth of General Abner Doubleday drawing up the rules in a cow pasture there in 1839 — but I digress. What really chafes is that Adams led all candidates on the 2016 Pre-Integration ballot with 62.5% of the vote — nobody was elected from that slate — but hasn’t gotten another shot.
“The 2025 Classic Baseball Ballot Is Long on Familiarity”, Short on Imagination, Jay Jaffe, FanGraphs (2024)
Doc Adams is not the only overlooked pioneer (19th century or otherwise); however, John Thorn said, “For his role in making baseball the success it is, Doc Adams may be counted as first among the Fathers of Baseball”.
Doc Adams’ credentials:
Doc Adams’ has only appeared on the 2016 Pre-Integration Era ballot. He was the top vote-getter, receiving 10 of 12 votes needed for election.
Shortly after the vote, his handwritten “Laws of Base Ball” were re-discovered. They later sold at auction for $3.26M.
He [Doc Adams] is baseball’s most important figure not in the Hall of Fame…
“5 Inventors”, Our Game, John Thorn, Official Historian of MLB
With the recent discovery of his ‘Laws of Base Ball’ we have tangible primary evidence of his genius. More than anyone else, he created our game of nine innings, nine men, and ninety-foot base paths.
Now with the rediscovery of his Laws of Base Ball, drafted for presentation to the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club and thence to the floor of the 1857 Convention, we have tangible primary evidence of his genius. Somebody asked me, today, how many votes I thought Adams might get when he comes up for election at the Hall of Fame, because out of the 16, he got 10 last time, 12 is necessary, for election. I said I thought it would be 16 because what you have here in Portland today is incontrovertible proof of Adams genius.
“Baseball in the Garden of Eden”, The Oregon Historical Society, John Thorn, Official Historian of MLB
2016 National Baseball Hall of Fame Historical Overview Committee:
- Dave Van Dyck (Chicago Tribune)
- Bob Elliott (Toronto Sun)
- Jim Henneman (formerly Baltimore Sun)
- Rick Hummel (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Steve Hirdt (Elias Sports Bureau)
- Bill Madden (formerly New York Daily News)
- Jack O’Connell (BBWAA secretary/treasurer)
- Jim Reeves (formerly Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
- Tracy Ringolsby (MLB.com)
- Glenn Schwarz (formerly San Francisco Chronicle)
- Mark Whicker (Los Angeles News Group)
2021 Special Early Baseball Overview Committee:
- Gary Ashwill (Negro League historian)
- Adrian Burgos Jr. (Negro League historian)
- Phil Dixon (Negro League historian)
- Leslie Heaphy (Negro League historian)
- Claire Smith (Negro League historian)
- Historical Overview Committee:
- Jim Henneman (formerly Baltimore Sun)
- Steve Hirdt (Stats Perform)
- Rick Hummel (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Jim Reeves (formerly Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
- Glenn Schwarz (formerly San Francisco Chronicle).
Since 7 of the members on this year’s committee were on the committee that put Doc Adams on the ballot (with only 4 having been on the intervening committee), a couple of thoughts come to mind:
- Does the committee believe that it met the intent expressed by Josh Rawich?
- With the larger time span of the era, the bias towards recent players vs. overlooked early pioneers is more obvious.
- What does the committee think the Hall’s position is on the Early Baseball Pioneers? What is the committee’s position?
- What is the level of early baseball knowledge and expertise on the committee?
Adams’ cause offered the Hall of Fame to strike a blow for historical accuracy. As it does so often, it swung and missed.
Robert Sampson, Historian
In any event, it’s another 3-year wait. Don’t worry, we will continue to raise awareness and will still be here to ensure that this overlooked pioneer is not forgotten.
Discover more from Doc Adams Base Ball (Official)
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