Unless you're going to do an entirely statistical evaluation[/b]...
And we can. There are enough guys in the HOF at each position to do so.
Take these stats from HOF 2b-men:
https://www.baseball-almanac.com/hof/hofst2b.shtmlCould we not just take that list and create a set of standards for admission to the Hall, today?
I think so.
Without too much analysis of that stat set, it seems that a player with 2200 hits, .280 BA, .425 SLUG, and 1300 R
ought to get him in, assuming he played defense better than Steve Sax. Add points for ASG appearances, Silver Slugger awards and at least one MVP top 5 (albeit these are subjective awards) and I think he should be pretty much a lock. You can add in whatever other meaningful stats should be considered, and maybe bonus points for every season played beyond 10, or beyond 1600 Career games, or seasons leading the league at his position in any stat category. If he played at more than one position, go with his dominant position, but then also consider other players who are in the Hall who played more than one position (who are also not named Babe Ruth?).
I'm just going with a small example to make a point. And to be clear the point is not about this player. It's about considering the fact that we have enough players at each position who already in the HOF to determine who should be put into it, now.
Take this guy who played 17 years in the bigs, primarily at second, but also at first and third.
He had
2461 H, .290 BA, .500 SLUG, 1320 R, one MVP season, and 5 times All-star, 4 Silver Sluggers.
He's not in, but he has been on the Hall of Fame ballot for the BBWAA since 2014 and has yet to get even as much as 28% of the vote.
But, if you look at the stats of who is in, he's pretty much right in the thick of that bunch. Add in that he holds the career record for homers by a second baseman (FTR, every player who has led his position in career home runs is in the Hall of Fame), and it seems more than a little odd that this guy is getting
only 28% voter support.
But why does he
need that support? Why does he have to appeal to a group of writers?
Why doesn't his record speak for itself, given the collective records of the current HOFer second basemen?
That's the problem, especially now. It's just an arcane and outdated way of putting players in the HOF.