2019 Hall of Fame voting question

[Klrdds]

Originally Posted by packs

I know the baseball HOF is different from some sports in that there's no minimum number of players who have to be elected at any time, BUT I think a lot of people would agree that even with the Negro League inductions in the past, these are still players who are not represented equally in the Hall. It would be nice if they mandated at least one player would be inducted with the special once a decade vote. Otherwise it seems like a hollow gesture. There's no way the Negro League players who have been inducted represent the only players worthy of induction.

As a follower of the various HOF Veterans Committees for 40 years an argument could be validly made that there are still many deserving Negro Leaguers not enshrined ( my last count was approximately 25 who could go in ) as well as that many 19th and early 20th century ball players who could also be enshrined. However, I don't think a mandate would help because that was done in the 1970s and then again in 2006 and the HOF doesn't like being told what to do concerning its elections and another mandate I don't think will happen. I also don't hold much hope for many others from those categories / eras because of past voting histories and comments from some HOF members. This has been discussed here previously and the consensus is that something earth-shaking will have to happen to get more players from those 2 categories / eras elected.

[wazoo]

When/Will Bill Dahlen be eligible?

[shagrotn77]

Originally Posted by wazoo

When/Will Bill Dahlen be eligible?

According the HOF website, not until 2021 (December 2020 vote):

Four separate electorates considered by era will create a single composite ballot of managers, umpires, executives and long-retired players on rotating basis, with the Today's Game Committee candidates to be considered at the 2016 Winter Meetings for induction in 2017 and again at the 2018 Winter Meetings for induction in 2019; the Modern Baseball Committee candidates to be considered at the 2017 Winter Meetings for induction in 2018 and again at the 2019 Winter Meetings for induction in 2020; and the Golden Days and Early Baseball committees candidates to be considered at the 2020 Winter Meetings for induction in 2021. The cycle then repeats with the Today's Game and Modern Baseball committees each meeting twice every five years, the Golden Days Committee meeting once every five years and the Early Baseball Committee meeting once every 10 years.

[packs]

Originally Posted by Klrdds

As a follower of the various HOF Veterans Committees for 40 years an argument could be validly made that there are still many deserving Negro Leaguers not enshrined ( my last count was approximately 25 who could go in ) as well as that many 19th and early 20th century ball players who could also be enshrined. However, I don't think a mandate would help because that was done in the 1970s and then again in 2006 and the HOF doesn't like being told what to do concerning its elections and another mandate I don't think will happen. I also don't hold much hope for many others from those categories / eras because of past voting histories and comments from some HOF members. This has been discussed here previously and the consensus is that something earth-shaking will have to happen to get more players from those 2 categories / eras elected.

The mandate of a single elect would be once every 10 years.