The Living Hall of Fame - Just Floating a Concept

[CollectingAmericasPastime]

You're either a Hall of Famer or you're not. Plain and simple. Once you're in, you're in for good. There's a reason why there are committees for different eras - the game has changed and evolved over the years. Walter Johnson only through about 80-90 mph, and would most likely get crushed in today's game.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by KMayUSA6060

You're either a Hall of Famer or you're not. Plain and simple. Once you're in, you're in for good. There's a reason why there are committees for different eras - the game has changed and evolved over the years. Walter Johnson only through about 80-90 mph, and would most likely get crushed in today's game.

Walter Johnson threw a lot harder than 90 mph. His fastball was clocked at 97 mph. The game has changed, but players really haven't evolved, training and equipment have evolved.

[Dewey]

Originally Posted by KMayUSA6060

You're either a Hall of Famer or you're not. Plain and simple. Once you're in, you're in for good. There's a reason why there are committees for different eras - the game has changed and evolved over the years. Walter Johnson only through about 80-90 mph, and would most likely get crushed in today's game.

WJ threw faster than that (though maybe not by much). But why would it mean he'd get crushed if your range is right? Greg Maddux didn't get crushed. Neither would "get crushed" in today's game. You make two unsubstantiated assumptions and they are both wrong.

[CollectingAmericasPastime]

Originally Posted by Dewey

WJ threw faster than that (though maybe not by much). But why would it mean he'd get crushed if your range is right? Greg Maddux didn't get crushed. Neither would "get crushed" in today's game. You make two unsubstantiated assumptions and they are both wrong.

It's debatable if he threw faster.

I said he'd probably get crushed, but that's not 100% definitive. I'm just assuming, in the early days of baseball, that the overall skill and technical ability of each individual player wasn't as good as today's players. Maddux probably had much better stuff than Johnson; Johnson was great for his era because the hitters probably weren't as good. Who knows.

Nobody can be wrong without definitive proof that they are.

[frankbmd]

Arguments like the speed and effectiveness of Johnson’s fast ball in the modern era are futile. Would the dead ball era have been so dead if Kingman, Deer, Dunn & Judge (trying to avoid the PED crew and that discussion) had been playing then? It’s all speculation.

Dunn, or any of them, might have changed the hitting game before Ruth did and put up big power numbers with far fewer strikeouts, and their T206 cards would be just as valuable as the Cobbs.

If all the current major leaguers had played 111 years earlier, the Hall of Fame we see today would be entirely different. Who knows what names would be on the plaques? Most assuredly any Net54 board member would not know.

My original concept included an inner circle of immortality for this reason, but also required an interval of time to pass before achieving the most elite status.

All of the dead ball superstars would be included in the inner circle. A few of those closer to the “cut” line might drop off the board due to the unpopular concept of deselection.

WaJo was clearly one of the elite pitchers of his era and I would leave it at that, regardless of the speed of his fastball. Period.

By the way, did Babe Ruth have the optimal launch angle?

[CollectingAmericasPastime]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

Arguments like the speed and effectiveness of Johnson’s fast ball in the modern era are futile. Would the dead ball era have been so dead if Kingman, Deer, Dunn & Judge (trying to avoid the PED crew and that discussion) had been playing then? It’s all speculation.

Dunn, or any of them, might have changed the hitting game before Ruth did and put up big power numbers with far fewer strikeouts, and their T206 cards would be just as valuable as the Cobbs.

If all the current major leaguers had played 111 years earlier, the Hall of Fame we see today would be entirely different. Who knows what names would be on the plaques? Most assuredly any Net54 board member would not know.

My original concept included an inner circle of immortality for this reason, but also required an interval of time to pass before achieving the most elite status.

All of the dead ball superstars would be included in the inner circle. A few of those closer to the “cut” line might drop off the board due to the unpopular concept of deselection.

WaJo was clearly one of the elite pitchers of his era and I would leave it at that, regardless of the speed of his fastball. Period.

By the way, did Babe Ruth have the optimal launch angle?

I think you just answered your own question, though. With the argument being futile, then it's impossible to remove players of different eras from the Hall of Fame based on modern day player performance.

[edjs]

Man, putting together a HOF RC set would be nuts, every year or so losing a guy that is already in your collection.

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by edjs

Man, putting together a HOF RC set would be nuts, every year or so losing a guy that is already in your collection.

.... , but the immortal HOF RC collection would be a lot easier.