The 2011 Hall of Fame ballot is a long one. It includes not only the obvious candidates but also “once-and-done” guys – players unlikely to pick up any votes who will disappear after their first year of eligibility. Some one-and-doners on this year’s list are Kirk Rueter and Lenny Harris. Past ballots have included similar immortals such as Dan Plesac and Jim Deshaies. I’m sure all of them were stand-up guys and great teammates. But it seems the nominating committee could really put their time to better use.
Here’s a modest proposal: Instead of taking hours to determine whether these guys should be on the ballot, why doesn’t the screening committee conduct additional due diligence on the major candidates? Once you pare down the list of newly eligible hopefuls, ask each one to undergo an interview with a group of baseball writers, with the transcript publicly available. It’s like the process you’d find at any prestigious club (minus the transcript). Let the candidates make their case. If they won’t submit to an interview, they can stay on the ballot but the silence may be deafening. At the very least, it would give journalists a chance to do what they do best – ask more questions – before their critical vote.
