Obviously the 2025 Classical Baseball Era ballot did not achieve this objective 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 (this was a success).

The 19th century “early baseball period” was completely ignored. If Mr. Rawich’s statement is accurate, this was a total failure.

Best case, the early baseball period will be considered for 2028. If not then, we’re back to 2031 or later. The jury is still out on this one but it’s not looking good.

“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)

The latest changes to the Era Committees were supposed to stop the Historical Overview Committee from doing exactly what they did with 6 of the 8 candidates having appeared on at least 18 ballots each.

6 of the candidates’ Hall of Fame ballot careers are as long or longer than their playing careers.

It is more “challenging to get on a ballot” but not for those “whose candidacies have been endlessly reheated to little avail” but for the early baseball pioneers who are easier to continue to overlook.

The current ballot is a perfect example. The reality is that “recent” players who perennially appear on a ballot, 18-21 times, remain while early baseball candidates, continue to be overlooked.

Absent are even ones who:

• have exceptional qualifications – contributions to the development of the game
• have appeared on only a single ballot
• were the top-vote getter on that ballot
• missed election by 2 votes
• and whose case actually improved with the re-discovery of the 1857 “Laws of Base Ball”.

For an organization that was founded on a myth and still celebrates said myth even while acknowledging it as such, there should be an even greater emphasis acknowledging and honoring the true early baseball pioneers rather than ignoring them.

What is the Hall’s position on pioneers from the Early Baseball period? It requires clarification, although, if the recent Classic Baseball Era ballot provides any insight, the Historical Overview Committee definitely has its own interpretation.

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’ 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…

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.

“5 Inventors”, Our Game, John Thorn, Official Historian of MLB

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

“The Hall of Fame knows about this story. They know that Adams is going to be a member of the Hall of Fame at some point.”

“Baseball in the Garden of Eden”, The Oregon Historical Society, John Thorn

However, the BBWAA-appointed Historical Overview Committee apparently doesn’t know.