[the 'stache]

Good morning, everybody.

With the start of the World Series last night, I've been thinking a lot about the Cardinal and Red Sox greats that have gone before: The Splendid Splinter, The Grey Eagle, The Babe, and Stan the Man. Gibby, Double X, Rajah, Country, Sunny Jim and the Fordham Flash. Yaz, The Wizard of Oz, Pudge, and Lefty. Two storied franchises from which a wealth of talent emerged, sprinkling their greatness across the history of our National Pastime.

As I watched the Red Sox close out game one of the Fall Classic, I mulled over some ideas for a discussion we could have here on Net 54. I was searching for something to honor the game itself, as well as the two great teams (and their fans) that have survived this grueling seven month journey. After careful consideration, here's my idea. In much the same way that Eric Perry created a virtual set for T206 cards, I propose we do a similar virtual museum for members of the Hall of Fame. I searched, and could not find that this had been done here previously. I believe the museum is something that would really bring the forum together, because it's something to which everybody could contribute. You don't have to have an expensive collection, and it doesn't matter if you're a set collector, a type collector, or your collection concentrates on a single player. I want this to encourage everybody that posts on our forum, and everybody that reads it, to join in. Let's get some of the people that used to post to come back. Let's create a fun thread that won't intimidate our lurkers, so maybe they, too, will finally take the plunge, and sign up. Let's all work together to achieve something truly great, and worthy of Net 54.

Realizing that this forum is broken up by era, so, too would be our virtual museum. It would start here on the pre-war board, covering all Major League Hall of Famers who began their careers prior to start of World War II (specifically, the United States' entrance into the war). Once this portion of the museum is completed, the discussion would move over to the post war forum. Finally, when the entire museum has been completed, I will create a comprehensive list of all the players included, with links to where their collection can be found. Where that list is posted on the site (if at all), I will leave for Leon and his moderators to decide (with input, hopefully, from all of us).

I would like to do one Hall of Famer (alphabetically) each day of the week, Monday through Friday. It would serve as something fun to look at in a slow minute or two while at work, or during the lunch hour. On Saturday morning, I would post the names of the five players to be covered the next week. That would allow any members to prepare for when their player comes "up". Any Net 54 member who has baseball cards, postcards, yearbooks, autographs, books, photos, McFarlane figures or other memorabilia to share would be encouraged to do so. Since I want this to be an all-inclusive museum, movie reviews are also encouraged. How accurate is Eight Men Out in portraying Shoeless Joe Jackson? Did Billy Crystal's direction capture the dynamic between Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris in 61*? As a fan of Lou Gehrig, would I enjoy Pride of the Yankees?Of course, discussion about the players would be welcomed, as well as the occasional limerick from one of our resident poets. There is more to any man than statistics and cardboard. A picture of Hughie Jennings standing on one foot with his arms in the air is a mere curiosity without knowledge of his enthusiastic "eeyah" cheer from the coach's box. One cannot get a complete picture of the Christian Gentleman Christy Mathewson, or "Matty", without knowing that his career, and his life, were cut short by the mustard gas he was exposed to in World War I (service that he volunteered for). And knowing that Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash without knowledge of the events that led to his untimely passing is woefully inadequate. This would create a great reference for future Net 54 members, especially if they are interested in collecting a particular player. What better way to help kindle a new pre-war collector's enthusiasm then to show them all the great Babe Ruths or Ty Cobbs they can add to their own collection?

Now, I know some of you are thinking "Shoeless Joe Jackson isn't in the Hall of Fame". You would be correct. There is one more element I would like to include within this discussion on the merits (or lack thereof) of my proposed museum. This museum would exist to recognize greatness, absent of politics. There have been a select few players that, for one reason or another, are excluded from Cooperstown, but their on field performance clearly merits consideration. Hal Chase. Shoeless Joe Jackson. Pete Rose. These players could be included in our museum if agreed upon by the Net 54 community, as they are widely collected, and inextricably linked to the game's history.

Finally, there is one thing I would ask. If we do this, please make sure the image hosting sites you use to share your pictures are reliable. I'd want to insure the integrity of the virtual museum, and if pictures of cards and photos start disappearing, the usefulness of our collection would be diminished.

With all of this being said, I will open the discussion. Please vote as to whether or not you would like to see this happen. Also, suggestions as to what might be included in our museum (things I may have overlooked) are welcomed. I'd like to give everybody ample opportunity to comment, so we wouldn't begin until after the World Series has completed.

Thank you for your time.

Bill