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Originally Posted by Throttlesteer
First off, I don't want this to turn political; please don't take it down that path. I wanted to explore how the recent shift in perception of historical figures might eventually impact baseball and, in turn, baseball cards. There's a growing trend to measure or judge these figures against today's societal standards, especially when it comes to issues like racism. Without digging into whether this is right or wrong, do you think there's a potential for this movement to start affecting the baseball world? Could Cobb, Speaker, Cap Anson, etc...become the next focus of this movement? How would it impact the Hall of Fame, baseball cards, or even the historical roots of the game?
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I'm sure there are people who haven't collected Cobb because they thought he was an awful person, and now that the perception of Cobb is maybe changing a little for the better, has that impacted prices on his cards? Who knows, but, as a Tiger fan, I admit that it's nice to know he wasn't as disgustingly racist as was previously believed.
I think the Cleveland Indians logo is a pretty interesting debate. Didn't Jim Thome refuse to wear the logo on his hall of fame cap? You could certainly argue that the "movement" you're referring to has affected the Indians.
But overall – yes. I think if it were discovered that Babe Ruth gave an interview in which he, by today's standards, made racist remarks, it would impact his collectibility. Everyone today is scared to death of offending someone. And there are people who use this fear, not to try to improve the world, but simply to gain attention for themselves.