|
Negro Leaguers Named to Hall of Fame
The results of the National Baseball Hall of
Fame’s Special Election for the Negro Leagues were
announced at a press conference on Februrary 27th.
A total of 17 individuals were voted into the
Hall of Fame, almost doubling the number of Negro
Leaguers previously enshrined since Satchel Paige became
the first inductee in 1971.
At the outset, let me say that I had hoped that
the appointed committee would get it right.
Unfortunately, the best way to describe the
results of the election in baseball terms is that it was
a “blown save”.
While this effort represented commendable
intentions by the Hall of Fame Board of Directors, the
process was flawed and mistakes were made in each phase
of implementation:
(1)
The concept of a one-time, now-or-never
election proved unwise.
This was magnified when the size and composition
of the selection committee was determined.
Although the process of electing Negro Leaguers
in the past was unnecessarily plodding at times, there
were no mistakes made prior to the current election.
(2)
The committee impaneled did not represent
the most knowledgeable, the most qualified, nor the most
deserving persons. Those
who have been active in serious Negro Leagues research
know this to be true.
(3)
The ballot did not include the names of
all people who merited consideration for induction, but
did contain names of some who did not merit inclusion.
Some choices appear to be arbitrary with an
element of political correctness, revisionist history
and self-serving interests being the most probable
explanation for the distinction between comparable
candidates. These
same factors may have been responsible for the
subsequent errors in the final results.
(4)
The lack of appropriate categories on the
ballot resulted in the failure of some candidates being
properly placed for valid consideration.
(5)
The results of the voting are
embarrassing. Players
were left out who should have been obvious choices for
the Hall of Fame. Others
were voted in when dispassionate objectivity would
dictate that they did not deserve the honor.
Consequently, the Hall of Fame’s credibility
has been compromised - and possibly the integrity of the
process as well.
In summary, the announcement is a case of good
news, bad news and worse news.
The good news is that some deserving players were
elected. The
bad news is that some undeserving individuals were also
elected. The
worse news is that some deserving players were not elected.
The fallout from the most egregious errors has
already started, with most of the focus centering on the
exclusion of Buck O’Neil.
Other injustices are equally important even
though the players involved are no longer living.
Needless to say, neither the Hall of Fame
officials nor the committee members will admit to the
magnitude of the mistakes.
They have already begun “stone-walling”
questions about their decisions.
Perhaps stringent investigative reporting is
warranted under the circumstances.
James A. Riley
Editor
blackbaseball.com
(C) 2006
blackbaseball.com. All Rights Reserved
This is the
first of several installments on this subject.
More will be added soon.
“Injustice
anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King
|
