BBF Progressive HoF Election: 1906

[DoubleX]

PLEASE READ BEFORE VOTING!

Format and Rules
Voting Rules: Until further notice, voters may vote for between 0-15 candidates (the number may eventually be cut to 10). A "None of the Above" option is available if you believe no one is worthy and you wish to submit a blank ballot. Votes will be made public, and voters are encouraged to post their ballots in the thread and not view results before voting. PLEASE LIMIT YOUR BALLOT TO 15 VOTES AT MOST. EXCESS VOTES MAY RESULT IN YOUR BALLOT BEING DISQUALIFIED.

Thoughtfulness and Editing Ballots: Please review and thoughtfully consider the candidates before voting, and make sure you have accurately filled out your ballot before submitting. Requests for editing ballots after the fact will generally not be honored. Exceptions might be made if a voter accidentally voted for the wrong player or accidentally went over the voting limit (but I strongly encourage you to do your best to prevent either from happening).

Required Support: Players receiving at least 75% support in an election will be elected. For the first five elections, a player must receive at least one vote to appear on the next ballot, though extra considerations may be made for players not receiving a vote in the first election. After the first five elections, players will need at least 5% support to stay on the ballot, with the exception of first time eligible players, who will need at least 1 vote to appear on the next ballot.

Player Eligibility: Players eligible for an election will have last played at least 5 years prior to the election year and have appeared in at least 10 major league seasons. Players will remain on the ballot for 15 years, provided they continue to receive at least 5% of the vote.
- Age Exception: For players 40 or older, they will become eligible the later of either 5 years after their last year of continuous play, or their first inactive year at age 45 or older.

Election Period: Elections will close exactly a week after starting. The next election might not commence for another day or two.


1906 Guide
There are 45 candidates on the 1906 ballot; 32 holdovers and 13 first timers. First time eligible players last played in 1901.

First Timers (13)
Ted Breitenstein
Kid Carsey
Cupid Childs
Bert Cunningham
Nig Cuppy
Tommy Dowd
Billy Hamilton
Pink Hawley
Joe Quinn
Amos Rusie
Pop Schriver
Elmer Smith
Gus Weyhing

Holdovers (32)

Player			Year of Eligibility	Previous Support	High Support
Ross Barnes		6th			58.33%			68.00% (1904)
Charlie Bennett		6th			62.50%			64.00% (1904)
Pete Browning		6th			50.00%			52.00% (1904)
Bob Caruthers		6th			58.33%			58.33% (1905)
Charlie Comiskey	6th			12.50%			12.50% (1905)
Larry Corcoran		6th			4.17%			8.00% (1904)
Bob Ferguson		6th			8.00%			8.00% (1904)
Jack Glasscock		6th			50.00%			57.69% (1903)
George Gore		6th			66.67%			66.67% (1905)
Ned Hanlon		6th			8.33%			8.33% (1905)
Charley Jones		6th			12.50%			12.50% (1905)
Denny Lyons		5th			4.17%			4.17% (1902, 1905)
Bobby Mathews		6th			4.17%			8.00% (1904)
Jim McCormick		6th			8.33%			8.33% (1905)
Ed McKean		3rd			4.17%			4.17% (1905)
Cal McVey		6th			29.17%			32.00% (1904) 
Levi Meyerle		6th			4.17%			4.17% (1902, 1905)
Tony Mullane		6th			66.67%			66.67% (1905)
Tip O’Neill		6th			4.17%			8.33% (1902)
Dave Orr		6th			4.17%			8.33% (1902)
Lip Pike		6th			33.33%			33.33% (1905)
Hardy Richardson	6th			58.33%			58.33% (1905)
Al Spalding		6th			41.67%			50.00% (1903)
Joe Start		6th			62.50%			62.50% (1905)
Harry Stovey		6th			70.83%			70.83% (1905)
Ezra Sutton		6th			62.50%			62.50% (1905)
Sam Thompson		4th			70.83%			70.83% (1905)
Mike Tiernan		3rd			4.17%			4.17% (1905)
John Ward		6th			62.50%			62.50% (1902, 1905)
Mickey Welch		6th			33.33%			40.00% (1904)
Will White		6th			4.17%			4.17% (1905)
George Wright		6th			62.50%			62.50% (1905)

Holdovers Receiving At Least 50% in the Previous Election (14)

Player			1905 Support
Harry Stovey		70.83%
Sam Thompson		70.83%
George Gore		66.67%
Tony Mullane		66.67%
Charlie Bennett		62.50%
Joe Start		62.50%
Ezra Sutton		62.50%
John Ward		62.50%
George Wright		62.50%
Ross Barnes		58.33%
Bob Caruthers		58.33%
Hardy Richardson	58.33%
Pete Browning		50.00%
Jack Glasscock		50.00%

Holdovers Dropped from Last Election (2)

Player		Reason			Years on Ballot		High Support
Frank Dwyer	Lack of Support		2			4.00% (1904)
Mike Griffin	Lack of Support		3			4.00% (1904)

Last Year of Eligibility (0)

Penultimate Year of Eligibility (0)


Hall of Famers

Players Elected (13)

Player			Year Elected	Election Percentage	Years on Ballot		Position		Primary Team			Active Years
Cap Anson		1902		100%			1			First Base		Chicago Cubs (NL)		1871-1897		
Dan Brouthers		1901		90.00%			1			First Base		Buffalo Bisons (NL)		1879-1896, 1904
John Clarkson		1901		90.00%			1			Pitcher			Boston Beaneaters (NL)		1882, 1884-1894
Roger Conner		1902		79.17%			1			First Base		New York Giants (NL)		1880-1897
Buck Ewing		1902		83.33%			1			Catcher			New York Giants (NL)		1880-1897
Pud Galvin		1903		80.77%			3			Pitcher			Buffalo Bisons (NL)		1875, 1879-1892
Paul Hines		1904		76.00%			4			Center Field		Providence Grays (NL)		1872-1891
Tim Keefe		1901		75.00%			1			Pitcher			New York Giants (NL)		1880-1893
King Kelly		1902		75.00%			2			Right Field/Catcher	Chicago Cubs (NL)		1878-1893
Bid McPhee		1905		75.00%			2			Second Base		Cincinnati Reds (NL/AA)		1882-1899
Jim O’Rourke		1901		90.00%			1			Left Field		New York Giants (NL)		1872-1893, 1904
Charley Radbourn	1901		95.00%			1			Pitcher			Providence Grays (NL)		1881-1891
Deacon White		1904		76.00%			1			Third Base/Catcher	Buffalo Bisons (NL)		1871-1890

Players Elected by Primary Position
Catcher (1): Buck Ewing
First Base (3): Cap Anson, Dan Brouthers, Roger Conner
Second Base (1): Bid McPhee
Third Base (0):
Shortstop (0):
Left Field (1): Jim O'Rourke
Center Field (1): Paul Hines
Right Field (1): King Kelly
Utility (1): Deacon White
Pitcher (4): John Clarkson, Pud Galvin, Tim Keefe, Charley Radbourn

Players Elected by Year
1901 (5): Dan Brouthers, John Clarkson, Tim Keefe, Jim O’Rourke, Charley Radbourn
1902 (4): Cap Anson, Roger Conner, Buck Ewing, King Kelly
1903 (1): Pud Galvin
1904 (2): Paul Hines, Deacon White
1905 (1): Bid McPhee

Number of Ballots Submitted in Past Elections
1901: 20
1902: 24
1903: 26
1904: 25
1905: 24

Links to Past Elections
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905

[DoubleX]

A few notes:

- 5% rule is now in effect, though first year eligible players only need to receive one vote to make it to next year.

- I'm guessing we'll see at least a few holdovers drop due to the 5% rule, and that might help facilitate elections down the line as voters will be less inclined to support personal favorites and consider stronger candidates.

- You may notice that I've added a Primary Team column to the elected players. Let me know if you disagree with any of the designations, as there are a few close calls in there. It does appear though that we thus far have a NY bias.

[Freakshow]

1906 Ballot: Rusie and Hamilton replace McPhee (elected) and Thompson (he'll be back).

Barnes
Bennett
Caruthers
Glasscock
Gore
Hamilton
McVey
Richardson
Rusie
Spalding
Start
Stovey
Sutton
Ward
Wright

[leecemark]

--Newcomers Hamilton and Rusie make my ballot. Cupid Childs is also certainly worthy of consideration. Not sure he would make my top 15 anyway, but he surely won't while Ross Barnes is on the outside looking in. Childs was a very good player, but Barnes was a great one.

Ross Barnes, 2B (1871-1879) - 6th Year 3 100.00%
Charlie Bennett, C (1878, 1880-1893) - 6th Year 3 100.00%
Bob Caruthers, SP/RF (1884-1893) - 5th Year 3 100.00%
George Gore, CF (1879-1892) - 6th Year 3 100.00%
Billy Hamilton, CF (1888-1901) - 1st Year 3 100.00%
Cal McVey, C/1B (1871-1879) - 6th Year 2 66.67%
Tony Mullane, SP (1881-1884, 1886-1894) - 6th Year 2 66.67%
Amos Rusie, SP (1889-1898, 1901) - 1st Year 3 100.00%
Pop Schriver, C (1886, 188-1901) - 1st Year 0 0%
Elmer Smith, LF/SP (1886-1889, 1892-1901) - 1st Year 0 0%
Al Spalding, SP (1871-1877) - 6th Year 2 66.67%
Joe Start, 1B (1871-1886) - 6th Year 3 100.00%
Harry Stovey, LF/1B (1880-1893) - 6th Year 3 100.00%
Ezra Sutton, 3B (1871-1888) - 6th Year 3 100.00%
Sam Thompson, RF (1885-1898) - 4th Year 2 66.67%
John Ward, SS/SP (1878-1894) - 6th Year 3 100.00%
George Wright, SS (1871-1882) - 6th Year 2 66.67%

[Paul Wendt]

Amos Rusie was a high impact player, who could be the biggest star on a champion team and whose team could never be taken lightly. In that I put him third to Spalding and Caruthers but only because Spalding could pitch every game in his prime and because Caruthers was a first-rate batsman who could help when not pitching. Purely as a pitcher Rusie was the best we have seen save Clarkson, and he was just young enough or strong enough to make the transition when they moved the pitcher back to the center of the diamond.

Spalding, Caruthers, and Rusie will be the three pitchers on my ballot.

Billy Hamilton was another impact player. He was fast enough to track down as many fly balls as all but the very best outfielders like Fogarty and Griffin and McAleer, and fast enough to steal more bases than anyone. By the time he came to the major leagues, they settled on granting first base on a hit by pitched ball, or on four called balls, and he was one of the first to build a career around getting to first base either way, by a safe hit or a free pass. Roy Thomas and Fielder Jones are a lot like Hamilton but was more dangerous; even in this time he would be a great run-producer. Imagine him on the Tigers with Sam Crawford and young Cobb.

Gore and Hamilton will be the two outfielders on my ballot.

There are ten or eleven of the "ins" who I put ahead of Pike, Jones, Stovey, Browning, Thompson, and Tiernan. And the departed Mike Griffin. So I'll think about them in the next slow year.

Wright, Spalding, Barnes, and Ward are still here from my preliminary ballot (vote for ten). Fifteen years ago we would have elected them quickly, when everyone remembered Harry Wright's Red Stockings and Johnny Ward's Players' League dominated the news.

[DoubleX]

I went with:

Charlie Bennett
Bob Caruthers
Jack Glasscock
George Gore
Billy Hamilton
Jim McCormick
Tony Mullane
Hardy Richardson
Amos Rusie
Joe Start
Harry Stovey
Ezra Sutton
Sam Thompson
John Ward
Mickey Welch

I had to make a tough cut at the end to get both Hamilton and Rusie on my ballot and Pete Browning was the one to go. I would have dropped Jim McCormick but if last year's election indicates anything, it's that McCormick will need my vote to stay on the ballot. Childs will probably eventually make my ballot. I considered Ed McKean again, and I think he's more worthy that people think, but he could be slated to the drop pile this year.

Also - Gore, Mullane, Stovey, and Thompson, all came pretty close to election last time. I urge anyone who hasn't been voting for any of these players, to give them some extra consideration going forward, particularly if you're not voting a full ballot. A non-vote is essentially a vote against.

[jjpm74]

Ross Barnes
Charlie Bennett
Bob Caruthers
Cupid Childs
Jack Glasscock
George Gore
Billy Hamilton
Charley Jones
Tony Mullane
Lip Pike
Hardy Richardson
Joe Start
Ezra Sutton
John Ward
George Wright

Amos Rusie will either have to get in without my support or wait in line behind Mullane. I'm not adding any pure pitchers to my ballot until we have a full compliment of fielders. The HOF is already over full with pitchers. If no SS or 3B gain ground this round, I may drop support for Mullane as well.

[Brad Harris]

Ross Barnes
Charlie Bennett
Jack Glasscock
George Gore
Billy Hamilton
Charley Jones
Lip Pike
Hardy Richardson
Amos Rusie
Joe Start
Harry Stovey
Ezra Sutton
Sam Thompson
John Ward
George Wright

Jones and Pike are not among the 15 best as I have them listed, but in the interest of seeing them avoid being dropped from the ballot I made room.

[Sockeye]

Mickey Welch

[Paul Wendt]

Again there is one vote for Bob Ferguson here. I hope Charley Jones and Cupid Childs stay on the ballot without my help. (Three people voted for Jones last year and Childs is in the BBF Hall of Fame.)

Ross Barnes
Charlie Bennett
Bob Caruthers
Bob Ferguson
Jack Glasscock
George Gore
Billy Hamilton
Cal McVey
Hardy Richardson
Amos Rusie
Al Spalding
Joe Start
Ezra Sutton
John Ward
George Wright

I hope supporters of endangered candidates will say a few paragraphs in their favor, as others have done for Ferguson, Griffin(dropped), and McKean.

Last year I contributed a lot of information on Charley Jones to "Charley Jones and Lip Pike" at the Hall of Merit. --and some on Lip Pike this year, I see.
Also some on Charley Jones in Discussion of AG2004's Keltner Lists (#66, #68). And of course see AG2004's Keltner Lists (#120, Charley Jones).

[jalbright]

Bennett
Childs
Glasscock
Gore
Hamilton
Mullane
Richardson
Rusie
Start
Stovey
Sutton
Thompson
Ward
Wright

[KCGHOST]

Browning
Glasscock
Gore
Hamilton
Mullane
Richardson
Rusie
Spalding
Stovey
Thompson
Tiernan
Ward
Wright

[NineWorldSeries]

Browning
Caruthers
Comiskey
Hamilton
Hanlon
Mullane
Rusie
Spalding
Thompson
Welch
Wright

[PVNICK]

Bennett
Browning
Caruthers
Glasscock
Gore
Mullane
Spalding
Stovey
Thompson
Ward
Welch
Wright

[PVNICK]

forgot to add:
Childs
Hamilton
Rusie

[DoubleX]

Mickey Welch

Are you even open to arguments in favor of other candidates, or have you closed your mind to everyone save those that reached arbitrary milestones that meant very little from the perspective of the very early 20th century?

[Freakshow]

Are you even open to arguments in favor of other candidates, or have you closed your mind to everyone save those that reached arbitrary milestones that meant very little from the perspective of the very early 20th century?

Do you seriously expect him to have a rational defense for his ballot?

[Brad Harris]

Do you seriously expect him to have a rational defense for his ballot?

To the same extent that he expects it to be counted, yes.

[Erik Bedard]

I'm adjusting my voting procedures. Instead of using who's in the 2008 HoF as a measuring stick, I'm instead going to use who's in the 1906 HoF. I think that the Hall will keep its legitimacy best if we limit induction only to those who were truly the best players of their day.

My ballot:

Ross Barnes
Billy Hamilton
Amos Rusie
Al Spalding
Harry Stovey
John Montgomery Ward
George Wright

Ezra Sutton was close to making my ballot.

[leecemark]

--Sutton originally made my ballot because he was the best thirdbaseman in baseball history - even though his resume would not look as good at another position (excepting SS/C). That title has passed to Jimmy Collins now, although Collins is not yet eligble for election. If Ezra doesn't make it this time I may drop him next ballot.
--We still haven't elected a SS. George Wright is the best eligible player from that position. John Ward is also on my ballot and I'd call him mostly a SS, but its truely his combioned achievements that make him worthy of the honor. Several not yet eligible SS have probably surpassed these gentlemen for best SS honors, with George Davis and Bill Dahlen at least arguably more deserving and Honus Wagner well on his way to best ever status i- f not having already achieved it.

[DoubleX]

I'm adjusting my voting procedures. Instead of using who's in the 2008 HoF as a measuring stick, I'm instead going to use who's in the 1906 HoF. I think that the Hall will keep its legitimacy best if we limit induction only to those who were truly the best players of their day.

I think that's a good way to look at it. Regardless of what your personal standards might be, the Hall's actual standards are only as good as those that have been enshrined, and those are the standards that should followed, for better or worse, IMO. We're still at a very early juncture though, so I think it's too early to think we've set clear standards for what constitutes a Hall of Famer. Though, I do think that so far our standards are pretty high. We've done a good job at electing the top tier guys for the most part, but we've had more difficulty when strong candidates with whom there might be some debate.

Also, and since Mark mentioned him, I am a little surprised that we haven't elected Ward yet.

[Paul Wendt]

Without looking at the particular voters last year and this, the only one that really seems odd is Ross Barnes, down 3. Maybe some of us looked closely at Bid McPhee only after his strong showing last year, and decided that he should be the first secondbaseman honored. Maybe they will now support Barnes again.

Recently a leading runner-up, Barnes is outside the Top Fifteen at the moment.

[leecemark]

--I don't think we should have elected McPhee ahead of Barnes. I surely can't imagine voting for another secondbaseman for a long time without Barnes making it first. Nap Lajoie is as big a star as anybody in the game right now and he isn't as dominating a player as Ross Barnes was. He is pretty close and virtually certain to have a longer career so I expect we'll elect him someday, but at this point he is no match for Barnes. Barnes may have had the best peak of ANY player in baseball history and he is losing traction with our voters?

[AG2004]

Mickey Welch

What a giant surprise.

Billy Hamilton's OBP of .455 is the second-highest in base ball history, and the highest of anybody with over 5000 PAs. Hamilton's batting average of .344 is the second-highest of any player whose career is over, and the highest of anyone yet eligible for the Hall of Fame. Hamilton is also the all-time leader in career stolen bases. How can you say that Hamilton is not worthy of the Hall? Is he not at least as good as the average position player currently in the hall? With the exception of Anson, have any position players met your standards? And what are your standards for position players? You've never answered that last question.

I also see that you left Amos Rusie off your ballot. Mickey Welch's career ERA+ of 114 is fifteen points lower than Rusie's 129. Welch led his league in winning percentage once, and once tied for the league lead in saves, with two. That's all Welch ever led in. Rusie led the league in wins once, ERA twice, strikeouts five times, and shutouts four times. With the exception of 1895, when he went 23-23 for a 66-65 team, and a token appearance in 1901, Rusie's winning percentage was always much better than his team's. The speed of Rusie's pitching also led baseball officials to move the pitching distance to the present 60'6". What does Welch have that Rusie doesn't?

Could you explain why Rusie and Hamilton aren't on your ballot?

[jjpm74]

Not that it matters much, but unless I'm missing something, Elmer Smith never pitched in a single game in the majors.