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Brian HodesWard is a definite HOFer (even if the standards were heightened considerablY)His short careers first as a pitcher (2.10 lifetime ERA) and then as a hitter (2000 hits, 1400 Runs etc) are each close to HOF level... Throw in his managerial career and his off-the0-field role as a labor leader etc and he is really one of the most significant figures in 19th Century Baseball...
Pete Browning, the original "Lousiville Slugger", had a .341 average but didn't even make 1700 hits (his fielding was apparently really bad, too). Big Dave Orr also hit over .340 lifetime but played only 7 years accumulating just over 1125 hits (seasons were much shorter in the 19th Century otherwise Anson would have had 4000 hits or something). Anyway I think that the lack of lifetime credentials holds both these AA stars back.
I'm with Jay on the prejudice against the American Association, though. I think that except for its first and last years it was certainly up to snuff. Sadly only one player is the HOF who was mostly an Association star, the elusive Bid McPhee....
My favorite AA candidates are Carruthers,who was the ace of the best team in the AA for a number of years with a record of 218-99 (and he could hit too!) and Count Mullane, whose lifetime stats are, as Kevin noted above, clearly HOF callibre and are much better than several HOF candidates who were selected for longevity (i.e. not Chesbro, Koufax or Joss) including Vic Willis, Hoyt, Faber, Pennock, Drysdale, Marquard and McGinitty....
Anyway I think I give this stuff way too much thought.