The full Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2024 was announced this week, and three players were voted in by the Baseball Writers Association of America: Adrián Beltré, Todd Helton, and Joe Mauer. But as has been the case for over a decade now, the announcement was just as notable for who was not elected: Gary Sheffield got only 63.9% of the vote on his tenth and final year on the ballot, falling just 23 votes shy of election. Now he joins the ranks of Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Roger Clemens — that is, players who clearly deserve to be elected to the Hall of Fame, but have been kept out because of their connections to steroids.
Yeah, but what about much more clear examples of deeply morally problematic behavior? Convictions of child abuse or rape? Or Rose’s or Jackson’s behavior if they HAD been in the ballot? You seem to be implying but not stating or explaining why even if there were a clearer standard, these sorts of things can’t be weighed against home runs or RBIs (and, pshht, isn’t putting someone in the Hall based on RBI totals nearly as problematic?)
Yeah, but what about much more clear examples of deeply morally problematic behavior? Convictions of child abuse or rape? Or Rose’s or Jackson’s behavior if they HAD been in the ballot? You seem to be implying but not stating or explaining why even if there were a clearer standard, these sorts of things can’t be weighed against home runs or RBIs (and, pshht, isn’t putting someone in the Hall based on RBI totals nearly as problematic?)