2007 Veterans Committee Update

[Chadwick]

In the hoopla of Opening Day festivities, this story went largely unreported.

Any eligible candidates who didn't make those ballots, but should?

Essentially, the final ballots (announced in November) will be culled from these lists.

Thoughts?

[Captain Cold Nose]

When are Lou Whitaker and Bobby Grich eligible?
Herman Long was dropped from last time. So was Charlie Grimm. And Davey Johnson moved from the Players list to the Managers/Contributors list.

[runningshoes]

It's a wonder they can see through the forest for all the trees.

[dgarza]

I would have liked to see:

Tip O'Neill
Deacon White
Charley Jones
Lip Pike
Hardy Richardson
Bobby Mathews
Jim McCormick
Hippo Vaughn

And maybe:
Jack Fournier
George Gore
Mike Donlin
Jimmy Sheckard

[dgarza]

When are Lou Whitaker and Bobby Grich eligible?

Whitaker played until 1995, so it'll be a decade or so for him.

[KCGHOST]

You have to have Pete Browning if you're still looking at19th century guys, but it is really an exercise in futility. The current VC structure prevents the election of anyone.

[dgarza]

Do we really need Mickey Rivers and Lee May in there?

[Captain Cold Nose]

You have to have Pete Browning if you're still looking at19th century guys, but it is really an exercise in futility. The current VC structure prevents the election of anyone.

They do have Pete Browning, as well as a few other 19th Century players plus Chris Von der Ahe.
Cy Young didn't get in the first year they voted. Two years is not enough time to condemn a process, especially since there were gains made in 2005.

[dgarza]

Charlie Grimm is listed with the non-players

[Captain Cold Nose]

Charlie Grimm is listed with the non-players

Ah, like Johnson. Thanks. I wonder why Jimmy Dykes stayed with the players, then.

[abacab]

George W. Bush?!

[Captain Cold Nose]

George W. Bush?!

For whatever reason, he made the list before, too. Politics aside, he is easily the worst choice on the list. Ted Turner or a member of the Galbreath family would have been a much better choice if they needed a non-active owner. At least the questionable players were all standouts from the norm.

[RedSoxVT92]

They need to have Ross Barnes on that list even though he only played for 9 years but at least as a contributer. The best player in the begining of the Major Leagues.

Also it seems as if it keeps getting harder and harder to get elected by the Verterans Comitee.

[RedSoxVT92]

George W. Bush?!

How did Bush he get on to that list? He was a horrible owner for the Rangers and never really contrubuted to the game of baseball. very strange selection on that list.

[Chadwick]

How did Bush he get on to that list? He was a horrible owner for the Rangers and never really contrubuted to the game of baseball. very strange selection on that list.

I dunno...from what I've read, Bush was instrumental in getting the Ballpark in Arlington built and in attracting capital to the team. Bush also seems to have been a leading candidate for Commissioner and is fairly well-liked among his fellow owners.

Ultimately, I'm sure the committee of "historians" saw an owner who became a future President of the United States and considered that of some historical importance in the game. Frankly there are worse owners one could have nominated. Tom Yawkey is in the Hall. What did he ever accomplish while he was in the game? What did John Fetzer, or John Quinn (both on this year's list) ever do?

Sure he's a weak candidate. Just more proof that the people making these selections don't know their history. (Where are Daniel Adams, Charles Ebbetts or Bing Devine?)

The point is that while Bush may stand out like a sore thumb, I can at least see the reasoning in it...something I can't say about some of the other sore thumbs - and there are plenty of them - on these lists.