Carl Stotz

[zahavasdad]

I discovered this name. He is one of the most important people in US and WORLD BASEBALL, Yet he is not in the HOF.


Should someone like him be in the HOF

[Captain Cold Nose]

I discovered this name. He is one of the most important people in US and WORLD BASEBALL, Yet he is not in the HOF.


Should someone like him be in the HOF

Which HOF are you referring to? Cooperstown?

I guess Stotz, the founder of organized little league baseball, is as good a candidate as anybody in regards to a non-playing outsider. The HOF has always been, whether it's chartered as such or not, about professional baseball at the level of MLB. It is a private institution, not run by MLB, and will set things up as they see fit. There's a nice little league exhibit for the little leagues, and I'm sure Stotz's name is mentioned in that exhibit. But I don't see him getting in and I don't think he should as long as the present HOF is run as it is.

I don't think I want the baseball HOF to resemble the basketball HOF. Which by letting in contributors like Stotz, certainly worthy of some recognition, would lead to a much-watered down product that is just as well-served as a website only than as a museum.

[Paul Wendt]

Both the original reference to WORLD BASEBALL and Captain's reference to the Basketball Hall of Fame suggest that the case of Lefty O'Doul is a good one to discuss. Lefty O'Doul was elected to the BBFever HOF as a contributor before my time and I have never participated in any discussion.

If we could identify one person primarily responsible for introducing baseball to Japan, or for introducing baseball to Cuba (not professional baseball, but the game of American baseball) would we, should we consider recognition of that person by Hall of Fame induction?

Perhaps it is important to establish an institution that survives for a time, certainly longer than a season, ideally an institution with ongoing descendants if not itself immortal.
Evidently Stotz did that.
Is O'Doul credited with doing that or helping do that?

[jjpm74]

How much of a role did Stotz actually play in the establishment of the little league world series and code of conduct? How much of it was him actually promoting the sport wouldn't the little league would have grown up without him? I've honestly not heard very much about him so I can't say I'd support him in any kind of baseball hall of fame.

[Captain Cold Nose]

Both the original reference to WORLD BASEBALL and Captain's reference to the Basketball Hall of Fame suggest that the case of Lefty O'Doul is a good one to discuss. Lefty O'Doul was elected to the BBFever HOF as a contributor before my time and I have never participated in any discussion.

If we could identify one person primarily responsible for introducing baseball to Japan, or for introducing baseball to Cuba (not professional baseball, but the game of American baseball) would we, should we consider recognition of that person by Hall of Fame induction?

Perhaps it is important to establish an institution that survives for a time, certainly longer than a season, ideally an institution with ongoing descendants if not itself immortal.
Evidently Stotz did that.
Is O'Doul credited with doing that or helping do that?

To throw that back to the BBF HOF (I had not voted for O'Doul by the time he was elected, although I believe he was in my queue.) we have seen support fo the likes of the San Diego Chicken and the writer of Take Me Out to the Ballgame, a man who had never seen a baseball game when he wrote it. Nothing against either gentleman, I think the Chicken is fine family entertainment and deserving of his perch in Cooperstown (well, he's kind of leaning over a railing and looking down at whomever looks up) and Take Me Out to the Ballgame is timeless (100 years old this year, actually) but Stotz certainly deserves as much of a look as those two as well as others when we pick that portion of the ballot up again in November.

O'Doul's Japanese contributions were the primary reason he was voted in as a contributor, although his combined baseball output, excelling as a pitcher and as a hitter for such a short time in both spots as well as other things made his candidacy palatable for enough voters.

[Chadwick]

Perhaps part of his relevance rests on the extent to which Little League Baseball has created generations of millions of MLB fans and, to a lesser extent, future MLB players. Looked at in that light, Stotz's contributions to the game could be considered significant.