Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame [Paperback]

Arguing about the merits of players is the baseball fan's second favorite pastime and every year the Hall of Fame elections spark heated controversy. In a book that's sure to thrill—and infuriate—countless fans, Bill James takes a hard look at the Hall, probing its history, its politics and, most of all, its decisions.

Arguing about the merits of players is the baseball fan's second favorite pastime and every year the Hall of Fame elections spark heated controversy. In a book that's sure to thrill—and infuriate—countless fans, Bill James takes a hard look at the Hall, probing its history, its politics and, most of all, its decisions.
CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

1. Hundreds of Visitors a Year

2. 76 Trombones

3. Cacophony and Confusion

4. So, Whadda We Do Now?

5. Institutional History -- the Hall of Fame in the 1940s and 1950s

6. Scooter

7. Methods -- Introduction and Justification

8. Drysdale and Pappas

9. Similarity Scores

10. Myer and Herman

11. Arguments

12. Gordon and Doerr

13. Institutional History -- the Hall of Fame in the 1960s and 1970s

14. Hall of Fame Standards

15. The Negro Leaguers

16. Tinker and Davis

17. Priddy and Rizzuto

18. The Time Line

19. Overview

20. Catfish and Luis

21. Fibonacci Win Points

22. The Keltner List

23. What Is the Hall of Fame?

24. Institutional History -- the Hall of Fame since 1980

25. Stephens and Rizzuto

26. Round-Up

27. Charlie Hustle and Shoeless Joe

28. Active Players

29. In a Better World

30. Reese and Rizzuto

31. Don Drysdale

32. Election Day

IndexGeorge F. Will Bill James has a genius for igniting fascinating baseball arguments, and an enviable talent for winning a lot of them. This book demonstrates why, were there a Cooperstown for baseball conversal“.