As we waited with great anticipation for this year’s Early Baseball Era Committee vote, we were dumbfounded to hear that the “Special” Early Baseball Overview Committee inexplicably left Doc Adams off the 2022 ballot. Let’s revisit the undisputed facts about Adams’s contributions and accomplishments: Elected Vice-President of the Knickerbockers, and President in ’47-’49, ’56, ’57 and ’61, served as a director in other years. Created the position of shortstop and was the first to occupy it. 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. … Continue reading →

Here’s an update (excerpt) on the Special Early Baseball Overview Committee – the committee that establishes the ballot of 10 finalists to be considered for the Hall of Fame Class of 2022. Both the Early Baseball Era Committee, which will consider candidates whose greatest contributions to the game came prior to 1950, and the Golden Days Era Committee (1950-69) will meet for the first time at the 2021 Winter Meetings — with players from the Negro Leagues expected to be included on the ballots. The National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors has convened a group of five distinguished … Continue reading →

We were this close last year when, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Early Baseball Era Committee election was postponed for a year. The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced that it was delaying the Era Committee Elections scheduled for the 2020 Meetings until next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, Doc Adams had to wait another year for an opportunity to appear on a ballot. This was the second delay to Doc Adams’ second chance at being honored with election into the Hall. Doc waited 153 years before appearing for the first time on a ballot in 2015 … Continue reading →