Cooperstown versus the Best of Baseball through 1989

Now that we've finished the 1980's, it's time for another review of how the Best of Baseball project is stacking up against Cooperstown.

I'm not going to do contributors comparisons any more, as we're taking on more candidates than they did.

Let's start with the players both projects agree on:

Code:

Hank Aaron Pete Alexander Cap Anson Luke Appling Earl Averill Frank Baker Ernie Banks Bell, Cool Papa Yogi Berra Lou Boudreau Dan Brouthers Mordecai Brown Roy Campanella Max Carey Oscar Charleston Fred Clarke John Clarkson Roberto Clemente Ty Cobb Mickey Cochrane Eddie Collins Jimmy Collins Roger Connor Stan Coveleski Sam Crawford Joe Cronin Dizzy Dean Ed Delahanty Bill Dickey Martin Dihigo Joe DiMaggio Don Drysdale Buck Ewing Red Faber Bob Feller Elmer Flick Whitey Ford Jimmie Foxx Frankie Frisch Pud Galvin Lou Gehrig Charlie Gehringer Bob Gibson Josh Gibson Goose Goslin Hank Greenberg Lefty Grove Billy Hamilton Gabby Hartnett Harry Heilmann Billy Herman Rogers Hornsby Carl Hubbell Monte Irvin Walter Johnson Al Kaline Tim Keefe Willie Keeler King Kelly Harmon Killebrew Ralph Kiner Sandy Koufax Nap LaJoie Buck Leonard Pop Lloyd Ted Lyons Mickey Mantle Juan Marichal Eddie Mathews Christy Mathewson Willie Mays Willie McCovey Joe McGinnity Joe Medwick Johnny Mize Joe Morgan Stan Musial Kid Nichols Phil Niekro Jim O'Rourke Mel Ott Satchel Paige Eddie Plank Charlie Radbourn Pee Wee Reese Robin Roberts Brooks Robinson Frank Robinson Jackie Robinson Red Ruffing Amos Rusie Babe Ruth Al Simmons George Sisler Enos Slaughter Duke Snider Warren Spahn Tris Speaker Willie Stargell Bill Terry Sam Thompson Pie Traynor Dazzy Vance Arky Vaughan Rube Waddell Honus Wagner Bobby Wallace Ed Walsh Paul Waner John M. Ward Zack Wheat Hoyt Wilhelm Billy Williams Ted Williams George Wright* Early Wynn Carl Yastrzemski Cy Young

Wright gets an asterisk, as he's in Cooperstown as a Pioneer, while he's in BOB as a player. Frank Chance is in BOB as a Contributor, but in Cooperstown as a player.

Here are the Negro Leaguers we've inducted into Best of Baseball, but are not yet in Cooperstown (with years of induction in Cooperstown)

Code:

Brown, Ray (2006) Willie Foster (96) Frank Grant (2006) Pete Hill (2006) Biz Mackey (2006) Bullet Joe Rogan (98) Louis Santop (2006) Turkey Stearnes (2000) Mule Suttles (2006) Cristobal Torriente (2006) Willie Wells (97) Joe Williams (99) Jud Wilson (2006)

Here are the guys we inducted into Best of Baseball, but were inducted into Cooperstown after 1989 (with year of induction):

Code:

Richie Ashburn (95) Jim Bunning (96) George Davis (98) Larry Doby (98) Bobby Doerr (86) Nellie Fox (96) Joe Gordon (2009) Ferguson Jenkins (91) Bid McPhee (2000) Hal Newhouser (92)

Here are the players we've inducted into Best of Baseball, but are still waiting for that honor from Cooperstown:

Code:

Dick Allen Ross Barnes John Beckwith Charlie Bennett Ken Boyer Bob Caruthers Bill Dahlen Wes Ferrell Jack Glasscock George Gore Heinie Groh Stan Hack Paul Hines Joe Jackson Grant "Home Run" Johnson Sherry Magee Minnie Minoso Pete Rose Ron Santo Joe Start Harry Stovey Ezra Sutton Deacon White

We've inducted a few players from Japan in BOB:

Code:

Akira Bessho Isao Harimoto Kazuhisa Inao Masaichi Kaneda Shgieo Nagashima Katsuya Nomura Sadaharu Oh Victor Starffin

Here are the players Cooperstown honored by 1989, but haven't yet been inducted into Best of Baseball:

Code:

Luis Aparicio Dave Bancroft Jake Beckley Johnny Bench Chief Bender Jim Bottomley Roger Bresnahan Lou Brock Jack Chesbro Earle Combs Kiki Cuyler Ray Dandridge Hugh Duffy Johnny Evers Rick Ferrell Lefty Gomez Burleigh Grimes Chick Hafey Jesse Haines Harry Hooper Waite Hoyt Catfish Hunter Travis Jackson Hughie Jennings Judy Johnson Addie Joss George Kell Joe Kelley George Kelly Chuck Klein Bob Lemon Fred Lindstrom Ernie Lombardi Heinie Manush Rabbit Maranville Rube Marquard Tommy McCarthy Herb Pennock Sam Rice Eppa Rixey Edd Roush Ray Schalk Red Schoendienst Joe Sewell Joe Tinker Lloyd Waner Mickey Welch Hack Wilson Ross Youngs

A refinement on my comparison to Cooperstown which allows for the differences in eligiblity rules:

Inducted in Cooperstown at least 10 years before Best of Baseball:

Code:

Year NBBHOF Players yr in BOB 1939 Keeler, Willie 58 1939 Radbourn, Charlie 56 1939 Sisler, George 51 1946 McGinnity, Joe 70 1946 Waddell, Rube 57 1948 Traynor, Pie 60 1955 Terry, Bill... 69 1964 Faber, Red 79

Inducted into Best of Baseball at least 10 years before Cooperstown (note: Negro Leaguers don't count against Cooperstown in this accounting until 1990 to somewhat allow for the difference in rules on those players, and those that do count under this rule appear in red)

Code:

Year BOB Players yr in Coop 1937 Crawford, Sam 57 1937 Nichols, Kid 49 1938 Baker, Frank 55 1938 Connor, Roger 76 1939 Davis, George 98 1939 Hamilton, Billy 61 1939 Torriente, C 2006 1940 Clarkson, John 63 1940 Heilmann, Harry 52 1942 Keefe, Tim 64 1944 Amos Rusie 77 1944 Louis Santop 2006 1945 John M. Ward 64 1946 Turkey Stearnes 2000 1946 Mule Suttles 2006 1947 Goose Goslin 68 1950 Jud Wilson 2006 1950 Luke Appling 64 1954 Arky Vaughan 85 1955 Ray Brown.. 2006 1958 Billy Herman 75 1958 Johnny Mize 81 1960 Bid McPhee 2000 1961 Biz Mackey 2006 1962 Enos Slaughter 85 1963 Pee Wee Reese 84 1967 Hal Newhouser 92 1967 Joe Gordon 2009 1968 Bobby Doerr 1986 1968 Pete Hill..... 2006 1969 Larry Doby 1998 1972 Richie Ashburn 1995 1973 Hoyt Wilhelm 1984 1977 Jim Bunning 1995 1978 Nellie Fox 1996

Even without the Negro Leaguers, I like our choices over Cooperstown's in this measure.

I figured that since the first Negro League committee ended its work in 1977, it was reasonable to hold Cooperstown's feet to the fire on Negro Leaguers selected after 1990.

To be honest, I don't see any mistakes or egregious oversights on our part. With a quick glance at the list in #6, I see six or seven players that I would like to see selected by this project, but I don't see any as 'no doubt' types - and most have garnered a fair share of support, behind mostly superior candidates.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Domenic

To be honest, I don't see any mistakes or egregious oversights on our part. With a quick glance at the list in #6, I see six or seven players that I would like to see selected by this project, but I don't see any as 'no doubt' types - and most have garnered a fair share of support, behind mostly superior candidates.

Yeah, given that Bench isn't eligible in our project until 1992.

I expect Bench to sail in with relative ease. It would take a veritable juggernaut to knock him from the first spot on my ballot.