Cooperstown by the Numbers

For any baseball fanatic, a trip to Cooperstown can take on the aura of a holy pilgrimage. Yet many fans are unaware of what goes into the selection of players to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Part I of this volume offers a chronology of Hall of Fame voting from 1936 to the present. Part II provides information about the awards won (Cy Young, MVP, Rookie), honors (Sporting News All-Star selections), and other career details (longevity, benchmark statistical achievements) that tend to sway voters. And Part III summarizes the voting trends by position.

John McConnell is a retired associate dean of academic affairs of the School of Applied Arts and Sciences at California State University, Long Beach. Also serving as a professor and administrator, he was the first coach of the baseball team from 1954 through 1959 and was inducted into the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997.

John McConnell
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 252
Bibliographic Info: tables, index
Copyright Date: 2010
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4737-4
eISBN: 978-0-7864-5562-1
Imprint: McFarland

Preface      1

PART I: A HISTORY OF HALL OF FAME VOTING

Introduction      3

The 1930s      4

The 1940s      8

The 1950s      20

The 1960s      29

The 1970s      41

The 1980s      57

The 1990s      70

The 2000s      82

Summary      93

The Veterans Committee: A Continuing Dilemma      94

PART II: HALL OF FAMERS—OTHER FACTORS AND OTHER AWARDS

Introduction      101

Where Did the Hall of Famers Play?      101

Managers and the Hall of Fame      104

Gold Glove Award and the Hall of Fame      107

Summary of Gold Glove Award Winners by Position      114

Cy Young Award and the Hall of Fame      115

Rookie of the Year Award and the Hall of Fame      117

Most Valuable Player Award and the Hall of Fame      120

Status of the Top Ten Vote-Getters in Each

Baseball Writers’ Association Election      124

Status of Non–Hall of Famers Who Ranked in the Top Ten      125

The Sporting News All-Star Team Selections and the Hall of Fame      126

The Longevity Factor      145

The Longevity Factory Among Pitchers      156

Ethnic Minorities in the Hall of Fame      160

PART III: ANALYSIS OF HALL OF FAME PLAYERS BY POSITION

Introduction      163

Pitchers      163

Catchers      179

First Basemen      187

Second Basemen      195

Third Basemen      202

Shortstops      209

Outfielders      217

Index      231

“recommended…comprehensive”—Booklist.