Dave's Official View on the Hall of Fame

by Dave Barclay

There few more enraging things in baseball than the Hall of Fame. Going to the Hall of Fame is a lot of fun, but arguing about who should be in the Hall of Fame is not. Starting with Shoeless Joe Jackson, then Pete Rose, and now Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, and Jeff Bagwell (soon to be joined by Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens), you could start a brand new Hall of Fame filled with baseball legends that are barred from the real Hall of Fame for moral reasons. This creates feelings of confusion, embarrassment and tummy upset for everyone associated with baseball, and I think it should change.

In what way, you ask? Well, the solution's all there in the name of the place. Why don't we put people in the Hall of Fame who are famous?

Don't misunderstand me, I don't mean players like Nelson Liriano should be in the Hall of Fame just because I know who he is because he played baseball. The BBWAA should use the same process they do now, where there has to be at least 75% agreement before a player is admitted, but instead of using moral or statistical criteria, make it 100% subjective. Is a player, manager or 'builder' more famous than his peers? Into the hall they go. Easy.


Who Gets Into Dave's Hall of Fame?


1) Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Roger Clemens


This isn't the Hall of the Morally Upright. Everyone, from baseball fans to John Q. HatesSports knows who these guys are, because they are FAMOUS for playing BASEBALL. I would even put in Jose Canseco, because everyone knows who he is, and he changed the game forever by blowing open the door on steroids. He did it for self-serving reasons, but that doesn't matter, because this isn't the Hall of Altruism.

Time Magazine has named Stalin, Hitler and Ayatollah Khomeini its Man of the Year, not because they thought these guys were good guys, but because they made waves and they 'most affected the news and our lives, for good or ill, and embodied what was important about the year.' The Hall of Fame should have similar guidelines.


2) Joe Carter, Bill Mazeroski and Jack Morris


Bill Mazeroski is already in the Hall of Fame, but even if he had only hit that one home run he would still be in Dave's Hall of Fame. Joe Carter gets in for the same reason, hitting a historic World Series home run and being part of the Story of Baseball. Jack Morris is a debated candidate right now, but in Dave's Hall of Fame that's an easy call. You pitched 10 shutout innings in Game 7 of the World Series while wearing an awesome mustache? Welcome to the Hall!

3) Bill Buckner, Steve Bartman, Fred Merkle

Even if you did something bad you get in the Dave's Hall of Fame (maybe in an infamy wing).

Who doesn't get in?


1) Morgan Bulkeley, Roger Bresnahan, Ray Schalk, Edd Roush, Jim Bottomley, Leon Day

People who the veterans committee voted in and I have no clue who they are.

2) Umpires

Except maybe Joe West. That guy makes his presence known, which makes him a bad umpire, but a famous one.

There! Now you have a Hall of Fame that tells the true story of baseball, and when people walk through the hallowed chamber, they can think "Oh yeah! That guy!" rather than "Who the eff is that?" You are welcome.