With future Hall of Famers such as Curt Schilling, Mike Mussina, Edgar Martinez, and Jeff Kent not receiving entry after multiple years, one can only wonder when the MLB will look into changes for its yearly celebration of the greatest who ever lived.
Another year, another article about notable snubs from the Cooperstown Hall of Fame. With all of the notable errors the BBWAA has had over the last couple of years, there should be discussion over a new template. A board of non bias, but knowledgeable people in and around the sport: the elected players themselves.
Imagine all the living members of the Hall of Fame, the ones who know what it takes to make it. They gather around and introduce each year’s class on MLB Network. It makes total sense. Who knows more about the Hall besides the museum curators? The players who have had the honor of being inducted.
It would also provide a bigger audience to the announcement show. Who wouldn’t want to see Frank Thomas, Ken Griffey Jr, and many other players from their age? It tunes more people in because, let’s face it- a monotonous person just reading names off note cards isn’t entertaining, it’s lulling.
That’s not even the worst of it. Who remembers they years without a single member being enshrined? I remember watching the election show back in 2013. It was supposed to be “one of the biggest classes we’ve seen in decades” but no one was “good enough” for election. There is simply just too much bias to have that power. Ken Griffey Jr deserved 100% of the votes his first year. He won ten straight gold gloves, hit 630 home runs, and who players look up to even today. Even Phil Rogers of mlb.com can’t believe it.
While until free agency heats up, this debate will be put under the bed until this time next year. Unless there’s enough pressure to the commissioner, this hassle won’t be going away any time soon.