jalbright
04-10-2010, 06:35 PM
Rules
1) All BBF users in good standing may participate. However, if there is more than one vote being cast from any one computer or IP, it must be cleared in advance. Should there be unannounced multiple votes from the same IP, I will investigate the circumstances, and all user names involved may be barred from this project as a result, and all but one of the multiple usernames permanently banned from the site. I only anticipate exceptions for family members living in the same home, but I will entertain requests on other bases. Please note that I and the other mods who participate in the project have the capability of determining the IP from which posts come, and I for one intend to monitor same. I have had to deal with a single user manipulating a project with multiple votes, and I don't intend to repeat the experience.
2) Elections will require a 10 voter quorum. If we do not get ten voters and there are candidate(s) who would be elected no matter what the voters needed to make a quorum did, those candidate(s) will be inducted. Otherwise, no one will be inducted. Further, if we fail to meet a quorum in two of any four consecutive elections, the project will end. If, for instance, we're doing fine on the player end but not the contributor end, I would drop the contributor end under this rule.
3) We will start in 1936, just as Cooperstown did. For the first election (1936), voters will rank their top 20, taking 10. After that we will go to having voters rank their top 12 players. Points awarded 12-11-10, etc. We will take the top five through 1940, then top three players per year elected until 2010, then two per year. If a voter does not number his selections, I will try to get him/her to do so. If they do not do so before the end of the election period, I may in my sole discretion invalidate the ballot. I have included this provision in order to ease the process of recording the votes. On another point, I know, the 1936 backlog is huge--but that was a historical issue they couldn't avoid, so neither will we.
4) We will also have a contributor ballot, which will elect one a year through 1985, then one every three (3) years. Contributors will be ranked 1 through 5, with points awarded 5-4-3-2-1. Voters may choose to participate in either one of the ballots or both.
5) It is permissible to vote for a candidate on both the contributor and player lists.
6) You are allowed to change your ballot at any time the voting is open. However, if you change your ballot, you've got to notify me (jalbright) by PM or by a new post in the voting thread, or the changes likely will not be registered.
7) Players are eligible at the later of age 45 or the first year thereafter in which the player does not play. If the birthdate is not known, add five years to the first time the player misses a season and has less than 10 games the next season. There is an exception for early death, in which case the year of death plus two will be used if that yields an earlier date.
8) Contributors become eligible at age 65 or in the year of death plus two. whichever comes first.
9) Each election will run for approximately two weeks unless expressly altered by the project manager, contributors and players done simultaneously.
10) No one is excluded from being a candidate, regardless of the league they played in, except those elected in either the contributor or player ballots. At that point, they are removed from further consideration. If there are players who returned to the Negro Leagues or Japan after going to the majors, the departure from the majors will be their career end date for purposes of this project.
11) The standard for including a player on one's ballot is that the player must in the voter's opinion be among the very best eligible players (preferably the number voted on, but if a voter wishes to support someone they feel is 15th in a 12 person ballot instead of one of the top 12, it's too close for anyone to reasonably object. On the other hand, supporting the 25th best eligible candidate on a 12 person ballot is probably beyond the pale). I reserve the power to invalidate ballots which I do not feel are a reasonably knowledgeable, good faith effort to rank the players. One issue I am quite concerned about is that I do not want to see what clearly appear to be attempts to manipulate the ballot so as to elect a candidate. In isolation, I probably could live with this, but if it became a widely used tactic, the project would devolve into something I have no desire to be associated with. Moreover, I think that this position asks everyone else to cast legitimate votes so that you can manipulate the system to favor your pet candidates. I cannot accept that, as it strikes me as unfair to other voters. For example, you can't expect to favor even a legitimate HOF candidate like Bill Dahlen over Babe Ruth to get Dahlen elected without being asked to provide a reasonable justification for ranking Dahlen over Ruth. If you can provide a reasonable justification in that scenario, the ballot will stand. If not, you will be asked to make a change. I realize voters will sometimes have idiosyncratic choices, and I try to allow for that. However, a clear flouting of a consensus is apt to be met with a request that the ballot be justified pursuant to this rule. Certainly, a reasonable justification does not indicate in essence simply that you want Dahlen elected. Furthermore, if I invalidate multiple ballots by the same individual as failing to meet this rule, that individual will forever lose the right to have his/her ballots counted. Voters are encouraged to consider character, sportsmanship, and compliance with the rules and spirit of baseball in their rankings of players.
12) I will post lists of eligible players and contributors before each election. If you have a question about the eligibility of a candidate, please ask. I will provide a list of future eligibility dates as well.
13) My eligibility lists come from all persons in the BBF HOF, BBTF Hall of Merit, and Cooperstown, plus all persons getting a vote in a BBF HOF election in the past year and a half or in a BBWAA election. This is a relatively comprehensive list, and thus I must request that if you want another candidate included, you provide some justification for why said candidate is worthy of getting a vote in this project. The main area I think this might come into play is if a voter supports a person who was eligible for the final selections from the recent pre WWII or Negro League committees but not on my master list. That fact alone would serve as ample justification for putting said candidate on the list. We may learn more about Cuban ball or what have you and thus include others after a case is made for them, however. The contributor list is undoubtedly not as comprehensive, and this fact will be taken into consideration. For players, any request for a multiple time all-star in the all-star era will be approved. Players of that quality will generally be approved without much ado. However, when a player lacks that kind of qualification, I will likely ask for you to get a second from among our voters via a post in the current election thread. When in doubt, I will also require a second for suggested contributors. If a second is forthcoming, the player will be added. If not, the request will be rejected. I want to limit requests and seconds to players or contributors you actually might vote for.
14) Other than the sportsmanship and character issues, players are to be evaluated solely upon their play. I would prefer that if a player is qualified by his play standing alone that he be elected on that basis. However, a candidate may only be elected either as a contributor or a player, but not both. Contributors are the area where the entire body of work during his career in the sport, including his play, managing, scouting, executive, writing, broadcasting or other work in the sport is relevant. Contributors are to be ranked based on who the voter thinks is most worthy of induction into the Contributor group in this project.
15) Any ballot with two (2) or more spots unfilled with eligible candidates is invalid. In the event of the listing of ineligible names, I will try to notify the voter so that he/she can correct the ballot before the end of the voting period. If the change is made timely, it will count. If not, and there are two or more invalid names, the ballot will not be considered valid. If there is only one, the ineligible name will be stricken and all names after it on the affected ballot will be moved up one spot.
16) Any players listed beyond the 12th place for any ballot but the first (in which case it is 20th place) will be ignored. If more than one person is listed as tied for the last available place and the ballot is oversize, all names will be dropped, which may lead to the invalidation of the ballot.
17) Ties are not permitted in ballot listings. I reserve the right to invalidate ballots for use of ties in the rankings, be it within a single ballot or over the course of several ballots. If the voter does not correct such a listing voluntarily, except in the case of an oversize ballot tie for the last eligible place, if do not invalidate the ballot, I will choose the placement of the two "tied" candidates, generally preferring the candidate preferred by the other voters.
18) For any ties between candidates straddling the in/out line of selections, the first thing considered is the ranking of the candidates by the ballots cast. If there are more than two candidates tied, use a 2-1-0 or whatever is appropriate for the number of players tied system. If a voter does not list a candidate, he receives zero points in the tiebreaker procedure. Once one person separates from the tied group, restart with the remaining candidates until there are only as many candidates as the rules call for being elected. If they remain tied after this process, the candidate with the most votes received wins. If it is still tied after that, those with the most #1 votes as the next step, then the most #2 votes and so on to see if that breaks the tie. If not, we will induct all candidates who remain tied at that point.
19) One thing we're going to have to be aware of is the timeline in the case of at least a few contributors. Two which jump out at me are Buck O'Neill, 1976, and Branch Rickey, 1946. I intend to eventually vote for both men, but in 1946, Jackie Robinson was still in Montreal. Really, Branch should wait until at least 1947 after Jackie's success in the majors to get credit for that move. If you think Rickey belongs in the top 5 in 1946 without his role in breaking the color line, that's fine--but he shouldn't get credit for that important success until it actually happened. Buck O'Neill did some important things up until 1976, but after that he was in Ken Burns' Baseball and he was instrumental in the establishment of the Negro Leagues Hall of Fame (both occurred in or around 1994). If you think he belongs based on accomplishments before those two things, that's perfectly acceptable, but please don't credit him with them before they actually happened.
20) I will maintain a thread of the project's history and rules which will provide a listing of all elected candidates.
21) Feel free to ask questions by either sending jalbright a PM, or by posting a question in voting thread
jalbright
04-10-2010, 06:50 PM
The complete list of eligible players:
Adams , Babe
Adams , Bobby
Adams , Sparky
Allen , Johnny
Altrock , Nick
Archer , Jimmy
Arlett , Buzz
Austin , Jimmy
Averill , Earl
Avila, Bobby
Bancroft , Dave
Barry , Jack
Bartell , Dick
Battin , Joe
Bauer , Hank
Beaumont , Ginger
Beckley , Jake
Bender , Chief
Bennett , Charlie
Benton , Larry
Berg , Moe
Bergen , Marty
Berger , Wally
Berra, Yogi
Berry , Charlie
Bessho , Akira
Bigbee , Carson
Bishop , Max
Blackwell , Ewell
Blades , Ray
Blue , Lu
Bluege , Ossie
Bodie , Ping
Boley , Joe
Bond , Tommy
Bottomley , Jim
Bradley , Bill
Brecheen , Harry
Breitenstein , Ted
Bresnahan , Roger
Bridges , Tommy
Brown , Willard
Browning , Pete
Bruton, Bill
Burns , George J.
Bush , Joe
Bush , Donie
Bush , Guy
Cadore , Leon
Camilli , Dolph
Camnitz , Howie
Carrigan , Bill
Caruthers , Bob
Case , George
Cavaretta , Phil
Cepeda , Perucho
Chandler , Spud
Chapman , Ben
Chapman , Ray
Chapman , Sam
Chase , Hal
Chesbro , Jack
Childs , Cupid
Cicotte , Eddie
Cissell , Bill
Clark , Watty
Clarkson , Bus
Clift, Harlond
Coakley , Andy
Collins , Shano
Combs , Earle
Conroy , Wid
Coombs , Jack
Cooper , Andy
Cooper , Mort
Cooper , Walker
Cooper , Wilbur
Cox , Billy
Crandall , Doc
Cravath , Gavvy
Creighton , Jim
Criger , Lou
Critz , Hughie
Cross , Lave
Crowder , Al
Cruise , Walt
Cuccinello , Tony
Cummings , Candy
Cuyler , Kiki
Dandridge , Ray
Danning , Harry
Dark , Alvin
Daubert , Jake
Davis , Curt
Davis , Harry
Davis , Spud
Day , Leon
Dean, Dizzy
Derringer , Paul
DiMaggio , Dom
Dinneen , Bill
Doak , Bill
Donlin , Mike
Donovan , Bill
Dooin , Red
Doyle , Jack
Doyle , Larry
Dropo , Walt
Duffy , Hugh
Dugan , Joe
Dunlap , Fred
Dykes , Jimmy
Earnshaw , George
Easter, Luke
Edwards , Hank
Ehmke , Howard
Elberfeld , Kid
Elliott , Bob
Elliott , Jumbo
Ennis, Del
Ens , Jewel
Evers , Johnny
Faber , Red
Falkenberg , Cy
Ferrell , Rick
Ferrell , Wes
Fitzsimmons , Freddie
Fletcher , Art
Fonseca , Lew
Foster , Eddie
Fraser , Chick
Furillo , Carl
Galan , Augie
Galvin , Pud
Garver, Ned
Gelbert , Charlie
Glasscock , Jack
Gleason , Kid
Gomez , Lefty
Gonzalez , Mike
Gowdy , Hank
Grant , Eddie
Grant , Frank
Grantham , George
Grimes , Burleigh
Grimm , Charlie
Grissom , Marv
Gromek , Steve
Grove , Orval
Gustine , Frank
Haas , Mule
Haddix, Harvey
Hafey , Chick
Hahn , Noodles
Haines , Jesse
Hallahan , Bill
Harder , Mel
Hargrave , Bubbles
Harris , Bucky
Harris , Vic
Hatton , Grady
Hearn , Jim
Hegan , Jim
Hemus , Solly
Henrich , Tommy
Herman , Babe
Herzog , Buck
Higgins , Mike
Hinchman , Bill
Hodges, Gil
Holmes , Tommy
Hooper , Harry
Hoy , Dummy
Hoy, Dummy
Hoyt , Waite
Huggins , Miller
Hutchinson , Fred
Irwin , Charlie
Jackman , Will
Jennings , Hughie
Johnson , Bob
Johnson , Judy
Jones , Charley
Jones , Fielder
Jones , Sam P.
Jordan , Tim
Joss , Addie
Judge , Joe
Jurges , Billy
Kamm , Willie
Kawakami , Tetsuharu
Kell , George
Keller , Charlie
Kelley , Joe
Keltner , Ken
Kerr , Dickie
Killefer , Bill
Kilroy , Matt
Kinder , Ellis
Kiner , Ralph
Klein , Chuck
Kling , Johnny
Kluszewski, Ted
Knabe , Otto
Kremer , Ray
Kress , Red
Kuhel , Joe
Kuzava , Bob
Lange , Bill
Larkin , Henry
Latham , Arlie
Lavagetto , Cookie
Lazzeri , Tony
Leach , Freddy
Leach , Tommy
Lee , Bill
Leever , Sam
Lemon , Bob
Leonard , Emil (Dutch)
Lewis , Duffy
Lewis, Buddy
Lindstrom , Freddie
Lobert , Hans
Lollar, Sherm
Lombardi , Ernie
Long , Herman
Lopat , Ed
Lopez , Al
Lowe , Bobby
Lucas , Red
Lundy , Dick
Luque , Dolf
Lyons , Denny
Maglie , Sal
Mancuso , Gus
Manush , Heinie
Maranville , Rabbit
Marberry , Firpo
Marion , Marty
Marquard , Rube
Martin , Morrie
Martin , Pepper
Mathews , Bobby
Mays , Carl
McAleer , Jimmy
McCarthy , Tommy
McCormick , Frank
McCormick , Jim
McGinnity , Joe
McGowan , Bill
McInnis , Stuffy
McLean , Larry
McManus , Marty
McVey , Cal
Meadows , Lee
Mendez , Jose
Meusel , Bob
Milan , Clyde
Miller , Bing
Miller , Dots
Miller , Hack
Minoso, Minnie
Monroe , Bill
Moore , Dobie
Moore , Jo-Jo
Moore , Terry
Moran , Pat
Mostil , Johnny
Mulcahy , Hugh
Mullane , Tony
Mungo , Van
Murphy , Danny
Murray , Red
Myer , Buddy
Nehf , Art
Newsom , Bobo
Nicholson , Bill
Northey , Ron
O'Doul , Lefty
Oeschger , Joe
O'Farrell , Bob
O'Leary , Charlie
Oms , Alejandro
O'Neill , Buck
O'Neill , Steve
O'Neill , Tip
Orr , Dave
Pabor , Charlie
Pafko , Andy
Paskert , Dode
Pearce , Dickey
Pearson , Monte
Peckinpaugh , Roger
Peitz , Heinie
Pennock , Herb
Perdue , Hub
Perkins , Cy
Pesky , Johnny
Phillippe , Deacon
Pike , Lip
Pipp , Wally
Poles , Spotswood
Porterfield , Bob
Pruett , Hub
Quinn , Jack
Raschi , Vic
Raymond , Bugs
Redding , Dick
Reiser , Pete
Remsen , Jack
Reynolds , Allie
Rice , Del
Rice , Sam
Richardson , Hardy
Ring , Jimmy
Ritchey , Claude
Rixey , Eppa
Rizzuto , Phil
Robertson , Dave
Roe , Preacher
Rolfe , Red
Rommel , Eddie
Root , Charlie
Rosen, Al
Roush , Edd
Rucker , Nap
Rudolph , Dick
Ruel , Muddy
Ryan , Jimmy
Sain , Johnny
Sauer , Hank
Schacht , Al
Schaefer , Germany
Schalk , Ray
Schang , Wally
Schoendienst , Red
Schreckengost , Ossie
Schulte , Frank
Scott , Everett
Scott , Jack
Selkirk , George
Severeid , Hank
Sewell , Joe
Sewell , Luke
Sewell , Rip
Seymour , Cy
Shantz, Bobby
Sheckard , Jimmy
Sherdel , Bill
Shocker , Urban
Sisti , Sibby
Smith , Earl
Smith , Hilton
Smith , Sherry
Sparks , Tully
Stahl , Jake
Stanky , Eddie
Starffin , Victor
Start , Joe
Steinfeldt , Harry
Stephens , Vern
Stephenson , Riggs
Street , Gabby
Suhr , Gus
Sukeforth , Clyde
Sutton , Ezra
Sweeney , Bill
Tannehill , Jesse
Taylor , Ben
Tebbetts , Birdie
Tenney , Fred
Thevenow , Tommy
Thomas , Ira
Thomson , Bobby
Tiernan , Mike
Tinker , Joe
Tobin , Jim
Toney , Fred
Torgeson, Earl
Travis, Cecil
Trouppe , Quincy
Trout , Dizzy
Trucks , Virgil
Turner , Terry
Uhle , George
Valo , Elmer
Van Haltren , George
Vander Meer , Johnny
Veach , Bobby
Vernon , Mickey
Walberg , Rube
Walker , Harry
Wallace , Bobby
Walters , Bucky
Wambsganss , Bill
Waner , Lloyd
Warfield , Frank
Warneke , Lon
Welch , Mickey
Werber , Billy
Wertz, Vic
West , Sam
Westrum , Wes
White , Sol
White , Will
Whitehill , Earl
Williams , Cy
Williams , Ken
Williamson , Ned
Willis , Vic
Wilson , Hack
Wilson , Jim
Wilson , Jimmie
Witt , Whitey
Wood , Joe
Wright , Glenn
Wyatt , Whit
Yerkes , Steve
York , Rudy
Young , Pep
Youngs , Ross
Zachary , Tom
Zimmer , Chief
The complete list of eligible contributors:
Abe , Iso
Bancroft , Frank
Bolden, Ed
Bulkely , Morgan
Busch , Augie
Cambria , Joe
Carrigan, Bill
Caylor , O. P.
Chandler, Happy
Conlan , Jocko
Conlon , Charles
Cooper , Andy
Cummings , Candy
Dinneen , Bill
Doubleday , Abner
Dreyfuss , Barney
Dunn , Jack
Durocher, Leo
Dyer , Eddie
Dykes , Jimmy
Elias , Al Munro
Evans, Billy
Fergsuon, Bob
Fetzer, John
Foster , John B.
Fowler, Bud
Frick, Ford
Fullerton , Hugh
Giles , Warren
Gleason , Kid
Gonzalez , Mike
Greenlee, Gus
Grimm, Charlie
Haney , Fred
Harridge, Willie
Harris , Bucky
Harris, Vic
Heydler, John
Hillerich , John
Hubbard , Cal
Hutchinson , Fred
Jennings , Hughie
Krichell, Paul
Lanigan, Ernest
Lardner , Ring
Leavitt, Jr. , Charles W.
Luque , Dolf
Manley , Effa
McCarthy , Tommy
McGowan, Bill
McKechnie, Bill
Mendez , Jose
Mills , A. G.
Moran , Pat
Murnane, Tim
Mutrie , Jim
Navin , Frank
Norworth, Jack
O'Day, Hank
O'Doul, Lefty
O'Malley, Walter
O'Neill, Steve
Osborn , Frank
Pasquel, Jorge
Pompez , Alex
Pulliam, Harry
Reese , Jimmie
Rice, Grantland
Robinson , Wilbert
Ruppert , Jacob
Sewell , Luke
Shibe , Ben
Smith, Red
Southworth, Billy
Stallings , George
Street, Gabby
Thayer , Ernest
Tyson, Ty
van der Ahe, Chris
Warfield , Frank
White , Sol
Wilson , Horace
Wrigley, Phil
Yawkey, Tom