from Amazon
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
The Veteran’s Committee
What is the purpose of the Veteran’s Committee? Is it to “right the wrongs of the past”? Or, is it to give a “backdoor” entrance after being rejected 15 times?
Suppose it exists as a backdoor entrance. The bouncers (BBWAA) are tough, and demand alot to let you in. So, you try and you try, and you try… and you can’t get in. “Hey, there’s a backdoor!” someone screams. You run around, and you see no one in line, and yet, they have even more bouncers, and those guys are even tougher. And those bouncers also happen to be the patrons themselves! How seriously are you going to let someone into your club, if they’ve already been rejected by your first line of defense. I mean, he’s got to be Elvis, Bruce, or BB King, and your bouncers must not have been into any of their music. Otherwise, you are happy with your club.
Suppose it exists as a way to right the wrongs of the past. Well, if there are wrongs, you right them. Do you need to review it as often as the original judge and jury? What’s the rush to right a wrong, if you can always consider it next year? “I won’t pardon you this year, but maybe next year.”
What if instead the player retorts with:
"But, sir, the next pardon hearing is in 5 years!” .... “Oh? In that case, let me consider it more seriously.” And that’s what we need. We don’t need a backdoor entrance. We need a way to right the wrongs. And to do that, you need a special committee, not an annual one. You can make it every 4 or 5 or 10 years. But, you must select at least one member. What if one is not worthy? Well, then, don’t meet every 4 years, and meet every 8 years.
When the news of the Hall of Fame is half about who did not get selected, then you know you’ve failed. This is about a celebration. I don’t follow the football or basketball halls, but for the hockey one, they don’t have this kind of b.s. They don’t make it a big case that Doug Gilmour or other borderline candidates aren’t selected. Instead, they celebrate those that are. You don’t hear about Gilmour every single year. And you certainly don’t hear about the old-timer NHL players anywhere close to whatever Ron Santo gets. It simply doesn’t happen.
The party is about who gets into the establishment, not about who the bouncers keep turning away, fifteen times at the front door, and ongoing at the backdoor.
But, what do I know. Baseball’s Field Of Dreamers have bestowed a purity and sanctity over everything they do when it comes to enshrinement, of which even the Cardinals can’t approach when electing the Pope.
