I have tried to remove myself from Hall-of- Fame debates before. At the end of the day, they are just as useless as the Oscars or the Grammys. You are debating someone's opinion. Because of the esteem these things have gotten over the years, you are debating the opinions of people who have definitely gotten up their own ass about it. I think it's because people who have gotten as much as they can out of themselves are annoying and need to be taken down a peg.
I have not held to my word very well. The voters of the Hall of Fame decided to keep Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens out of the Hall of Fame even though they would have been Hall-of- Fame players even without their second acts. I have mocked the NHL and NFL Hall of Fames for letting anyone in as long as they played for more than seven years and drinking with enough writers after games.
These are obviously not in line with each other. I don't think jokes to treat a Hall of Fame as sacred and then make fun of those who just throw the doors open is worthy of being funny. I can.
Who cares? It was announced last night that six people would be going into the Hall of Fame in July. O'Neil and Mioso and Hodges have been waiting a long time. Who gets hurt? No one. Their families get to enjoy a day of fun, and they are still around to do it. There is a way to navigate with Kaat. Writers fear that if Bonds or Clemens were to make a speech or get a plaque, it would dim the shine off of everyone else. They will jump through hoops to justify voting for David Ortiz in a month, mostly because he was a lovable character and the other two were not. Who cares?
Everyone should be allowed in. The museum is meant to tell the history of the game. Every player was involved in that. There are more things to look at when you visit. O'Neil is more important than most because of his dedication to promoting awareness and celebration of the Negro Leagues. Also Mioso. It makes for annoying chatter if you keep it as a sort of Valhalla only to be defined by those who don't have to explain their parameters. No matter who gets in, the world will not end. When someone gets in, the only joy in someone not getting in is jealousy. We don't need more of that.
