July 25, 2022, the Class of 2022 was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. The inductees were: Bud Fowler, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Minnie Miñoso, and Buck O’Neil, Tony Oliva, and David Ortiz, as well as Tim Kurkjian (BBWAA’s Career Excellence Award} and Jack Graney (Ford C. Frick Award). For many, it was a long wait; for some, a very long wait.

On the occasion that we had hoped we would see Doc Adams’ contributions and accomplishments finally honored in Cooperstown, I reflected on how we got to that point and what might be next.

First, let’s review some of Doc Adams’ contributions and accomplishments:

1. Elected Vice-President of the Knickerbockers, and President in ’47-’49, ’56, ’57 and ’61, served as a director in other years.
2. Created the position of shortstop and was the first to occupy it.
3. Personally made the balls and oversaw the making of bats, for the Knickerbockers and later for other NYC clubs, to standardize the game’s equipment.
4. Elected presiding officer of the first conventions and Rules Committees to standardize the rules of the game.
5. Elected presiding officer of the first convention of New York/Brooklyn base ball clubs and Chair of the Rules Committee to standardize the rules of play.
6. Authored the ‘Laws of Base Ball’ which was presented to the convention.
   1. 9 men per side – adopted
   2. 9 innings of play – adopted
   3. 90 feet between bases and 45 feet from pitcher’s base to home – adopted
   4. The ‘fly’ game: ball caught on 1st bounce no longer an ‘out’ – adopted in 1865
   5. No wagering by anyone involved in the match – adopted
7. National Association of Base Ball Players founded. Doc presided as Chair of the Rules Committee until his retirement from the Knickerbockers and the game.

Doc Adams’ formal recognition:

• On July 31, 2014, Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams (1814 – 1899) was selected as the 19th Century Overlooked Baseball Legend by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). This recognition came in the bicentennial of his birth.
• Doc Adams was finally named on a Hall of Fame ballot for the 2016 election. He was the top vote-getter, missing election by 2 votes. Subsequent to that election, his handwritten “Laws of Base Ball” were re-discovered and sold at auction for $3.26M.

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 Major League Baseball)

The new documents may be what he needs for election.

“Baseball’s History Rewritten”, AP, Andrew Dalton

So, what happened?

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.

“The Hall of Fame Shakes Up its Era Committee System Yet Again“, Jay Jaffe, FanGraphs

What now?

Always tinkering with the Era Committees and rules of election for various reasons, the Hall of Fame once again changed them in 2022. Due to the changes, Doc Adams is now eligible for the Class of 2025 rather than having to wait until 2032. But it’s not all good news, as getting elected via the new Classic Baseball Era Committee is even more difficult than its predecessors, the Early Baseball Era and the Pre-Integration Era Committees. Jay Jaffe examines this in detail in “The Gate Could Be Closing on Future Hall of Fame Era Committee Inductees“.

In other words, there’s a new bottleneck in place for the older candidates, … For those who make it to the ballot, the math that was already very tough is undeniably tougher.

“The Gate Could Be Closing on Future Hall of Fame Era Committee Inductees“, Jay Jaffe, FanGraphs

One can only wonder how a “Special” Classic Baseball Overview Committee can/will be assembled that can fairly assess all the players, managers, executives, pioneers, et al of several major leagues, over a span of 120+ years.

From the Hall of Fame’s Mission:

“The Hall of Fame’s mission is to preserve the sport’s history, honor excellence within the game and make a connection between the generations of people who enjoy baseball.” …

“Honoring, by enshrinement, those individuals who had exceptional careers, and recognizing others for their significant achievements.” 

“Mission“, National Baseball Hall of Fame

Respect and Honor the True Pioneers:

Baseball and its fans relish its history and statistics, yet one of the most important pioneers of the game continues to be ignored. Hasn’t the wait been long enough? This year marks the 162nd anniversary of Doc Adams resignation from the Knickerbockers.

He [Doc Adams] is baseball’s most important figure not in the Hall of Fame.

“5 Inventors“, Our Game, John Thorn

However, if it does not happen this year, I will not let this rest. I will continue to work toward what I want to see: Doc’s plaque at the Hall. This quest is as much for my father and grandfather as it is for Doc, and none of those gentlemen would approve if I gave up. Imagine how baseball might be now if Doc had given up in the early years of the Knickerbockers. “Should Doc Adams Be in the Hall of Fame?” “Of course.”

“Should Doc Adams Be in the Hall of Fame? Of course.”, Dazzy Vance Chronicles, Marjorie Adams

We are committed to our mission of raising awareness of Doc Adams and we hope the Hall of Fame is just as committed to theirs. We will continue our awareness efforts, spreading the word about Doc Adams, his contributions, and accomplishments. As more people become aware of Adams, instead of asking “should Doc Adams be in the Hall of Fame” they are asking “how is it possible that Doc Adams is not already in the Hall of Fame?” and a more difficult question: “how long can the Hall of Fame continue to overlook Doc Adams and what he meant to the National Pastime’s nascent development and early growth?“

Doc Adams doesn’t need the Hall of Fame; the Hall of Fame NEEDS Doc Adams. A National Baseball Hall of Fame without Dr. Daniel Lucius Adams, just isn’t. #DocAdamsHOF

Several quotes from the induction speeches given by the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022 caught my eye and struck a chord with me.

“Our greatest gift, although my father’s life was cut so short, was his influence on those around him. His teammate Jackie Robinson once said, ‘A life is not important except for the impact that it leaves on others. ‘My father sincerely believed that and led a life that has impacted others in a positive way.”…

“Nobody loved the game of baseball more than my dad,” …

Irene Hodges representing her father Gil Hodges on his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame

“I’ll begin by expressing the family’s thanks to the Early Baseball Era Committee for their selection of Uncle John as a member of the Class of 2022. We also applaud the committee for not subjectively limiting their interpretation of an exceptional career in baseball to a singular focus upon statistics. In other words, expanding their view to include the totality of one’s worth in baseball.”

Dr. Angela Terry representing her uncle Buck O’Neil on his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame

A common theme heard throughout the ceremony was “waiting for a long time”, “long time coming”, etc. That reminded me of another quote from the Official Historian of Major League Baseball, John Thorn.

Doc Adams has been dead since 1899; he is too well versed in the art of patience.

Twitter, John Thorn (@thorn_john)