Hall of Fame 1953 Ballot Thread (Veterans Committee)

[petrel]

In 1953, the Committee on Baseball Veterans met for the very first time. The committee, known as the "Veterans Committee" today, would be in charge of voting for personnel to the Hall of Fame in the following categories:

a) Players who have been retired for 23 or more years who have not yet been selected for Hall of Fame membership,
b) Non-playing personnel including (but not limited to) managers, owners, and executives.

The agenda for the newly formed committee would be to meet in odd-numbered years. It was decided that there would be no limit to the number of players elected in the inaugural Veterans Committee class. In future years, the Veterans Committee would limit itself to a maximum of two players per year.

A sample Veterans Committee ballot has been presented for the purposes of the Baseball Mogul Hall of Fame. Due to secrecy, we do not know what the Veterans Committee ballot in 1953 looked like, but we do know that the persons elected received at least 75 percent of the committee's votes.

Therefore, rules for voting are as follows:

a) a player may vote for as many players as he or she likes on the ballot below,
b) a person will require 75 percent of the vote to be admitted to the Hall of Fame on a Veterans Committee ballot.


Frank Baker (http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/bakerfr01.shtml)
Ed Barrow (executive) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Barrow)
Jake Beckley (http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/becklja01.shtml)
Roger Bresnahan (http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/bresnro01.shtml)
Pete Browning (http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/brownpe01.shtml)
Bob Caruthers (http://www.baseball-reference.com/c/carutbo01.shtml)
John Clarkson (http://www.baseball-reference.com/c/clarkjo01.shtml)
Jimmy Collins (http://www.baseball-reference.com/c/colliji01.shtml)
Tom Connolly (umpire) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Connolly)
Stan Coveleski (http://www.baseball-reference.com/c/covelst01.shtml)
Bill Dahlen (http://www.baseball-reference.com/d/dahlebi01.shtml)
George Davis (http://www.baseball-reference.com/d/davisge01.shtml)
Elmer Flick (http://www.baseball-reference.com/f/flickel01.shtml)
Pud Galvin (http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/galvipu01.shtml)
Heinie Groh (http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/grohhe01.shtml)
Billy Hamilton (http://www.baseball-reference.com/h/hamilbi01.shtml)
Paul Hines (http://www.baseball-reference.com/h/hinespa01.shtml)
Joe Jackson (http://www.baseball-reference.com/j/jacksjo01.shtml)
Hughie Jennings (http://www.baseball-reference.com/j/jennihu01.shtml)
Charley Jones (http://www.baseball-reference.com/j/jonesch01.shtml)
Tim Keefe (http://www.baseball-reference.com/k/keefeti01.shtml)
Joe Kelley (http://www.baseball-reference.com/k/kellejo01.shtml)
Bill Klem (umpire) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Klem)
Sherry Magee (http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/mageesh01.shtml)
"Orator" Jim O'Rourke (http://www.baseball-reference.com/o/o'rouji01.shtml)
Charley "Old Hoss" Radbourn (http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/radboch01.shtml)
Hardy Richardson (http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/richaha01.shtml)
Amos Rusie (http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/rusieam01.shtml)
George Sisler (http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/sislege01.shtml)
Sam Thompson (http://www.baseball-reference.com/t/thompsa01.shtml)
Zack Wheat (http://www.baseball-reference.com/w/wheatza01.shtml)
Deacon White (http://www.baseball-reference.com/w/whitede01.shtml)
Harry Wright (manager) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Wright)

[petrel]

My votes:

Baker-NO
Barrow-YES
Beckley-NO
Bresnahan-NO
Browning-NO
Caruthers-NO
Clarkson-YES
Collins-NO
Connolly-YES
Coveleski-YES
Dahlen-NO
Davis-NO
Flick-NO
Galvin-YES
Groh-NO
Hamilton-YES
Hines-NO
Jackson-NO
Jennings-NO
Jones-NO
Keefe-YES
Kelley-YES
Klem-YES
Magee-NO
O'Rourke-YES
Radbourn-YES
Richardson-NO
Rusie-YES
Sisler-YES
Thompson-YES
Wheat-YES
White-YES
Wright-YES

[HoustonGM]

Frank Baker - YES
Ed Barrow - YES
Jake Beckley - NO
Roger Bresnahan - YES
Pete Browning - NO
Bob Caruthers - YES
John Clarkson - YES
Jimmy Collins - YES
Tom Connolly - YES
Stan Coveleski - YES
Bill Dahlen - YES
George Davis - YES
Elmer Flick - YES
Pud Galvin - YES
Heinie Groh - YES
Billy Hamilton - YES
Paul Hines - YES
Joe Jackson - YES
Hughie Jennings - YES
Charley Jones - NO
Tim Keefe - YES
Joe Kelley - YES
Bill Klem - YES
Sherry Magee - YES
Jim O'Rourke - YES
Charley Radbourn - YES
Hardy Richardson - YES
Amos Rusie - YES
George Sisler - YES
Sam Thompson - YES
Zack Wheat - YES
Deacon White - YES
Harry Wright - YES

[RickD]

Frank Baker - No
Ed Barrow (executive) - Yes
Jake Beckley - No
Roger Bresnahan - Yes
Pete Browning - No
Bob Caruthers - No
John Clarkson - No
Jimmy Collins - No
Tom Connolly (umpire) - No
Stan Coveleski - Yes
Bill Dahlen - Yes
George Davis - No
Elmer Flick - No
Pud Galvin - No
Heinie Groh - No
Billy Hamilton - Yes
Paul Hines - No
Joe Jackson - Yes
Hughie Jennings - No
Charley Jones - No
Tim Keefe - Yes
Joe Kelley - Yes
Bill Klem (umpire) - No
Sherry Magee - Yes
"Orator" Jim O'Rourke - No
Charley "Old Hoss" Radbourn - No
Hardy Richardson - No
Amos Rusie - No
George Sisler - Yes
Sam Thompson - No
Zack Wheat - Yes
Deacon White - No
Harry Wright (manager) - No

[Red Sox Fan 734]

Baker Yes
Barrow Yes
Beckley No
Bresnahan No
Browning Yes
Caruthers Yes
Clarkson Yes
Collins Yes
Connolly No
Coveleski Yes
Dahlen No
Davis No
Flick No
Galvin Yes
Groh No
Hamilton Yes
Hines No
Jackson Yes
Jennings No
Jones No
Keefe Yes
Kelley No
Klem Yes
Magee Yes
O'Rourke No
Radbourn Yes
Richardson No
Rusie Yes
Sisler Yes
Thompson Yes
Wheat Yes
White No
Wright Yes

[petrel]

I'm surprised that I'm the only one who *didn't* vote for Shoeless Joe Jackson.

Of course, if you vote for Shoeless Joe, I don't see how you can turn down either Pete Rose or Barry Bonds. :D

--Pet

[petrel]

I was always struck at how Bill James summed it up in the book "The Politics of Glory".

"My own opinion is that the people who want to put Joe Jackson in the Hall of Fame are baseball's answer to those women who show up at murder trials wanting to marry the cute murderer."

Then again, this is the Baseball Mogul Hall of Fame, not the one in Cooperstown.
:p

--Pet

[RickD]

Wait so did you just call all us Joe voters women?:p

[Red Sox Fan 734]

I'm surprised that I'm the only one who *didn't* vote for Shoeless Joe Jackson.

Of course, if you vote for Shoeless Joe, I don't see how you can turn down either Pete Rose or Barry Bonds. :D

--Pet
Yup, and i will vote for them:D

[PotatoOfCouch13]

Frank Baker - NO
Ed Barrow (executive) - YES
Jake Beckley - NO
Roger Bresnahan - NO
Pete Browning - NO
Bob Caruthers - NO
John Clarkson - YES
Jimmy Collins - NO
Tom Connolly (umpire) - YES
Stan Coveleski - NO
Bill Dahlen - NO
George Davis - NO
Elmer Flick - NO
Pud Galvin - YES
Heinie Groh - NO
Billy Hamilton - YES
Paul Hines - NO
Joe Jackson - YES YES YES
Hughie Jennings - NO
Charley Jones - NO
Tim Keefe - YES
Joe Kelley - NO
Bill Klem (umpire) - YES
Sherry Magee - NO
"Orator" Jim O'Rourke - NO
Charley "Old Hoss" Radbourn - YES
Hardy Richardson - NO
Amos Rusie - NO
George Sisler - YES
Sam Thompson - NO
Zack Wheat - YES
Deacon White - NO
Harry Wright (manager) - YES

[PotatoOfCouch13]

Shucks, I was hoping that he might slip up just to ensure Shoeless Joe's entry! :D

[petrel]

The 1953 Veterans Committee Ballot Thread is closed. Here are the newest nominees to the Baseball Mogul Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee:

Ed Barrow (MANAGER: Detroit AL 1903-04, Boston AL 1918-20): As a manager, Barrow won the last Red Sox championship of the 20th century, but his more noteworthy achievement was building the Yankee dynasty. He was appointed business manager of the Yankees in 1920, a title giving him power to control signings and baseball operations. For the next 27 years, Barrow would develop the Yankee minor league system and scouting to a fine point. Under his executive leadership, the Yankee dynasty would win 14 American League pennants and 10 World Series.

John Clarkson (Worcester NL 1882, Chicago NL 1884-87, Boston NL 1888-92, Cleveland NL 1892-94): Clarkson was one of the great durable pitchers of the 19th century -- not only his his 328 wins twelfth all time among baseball players, but he won 53 games in 1885, second most in a season. He was part of one of the biggest trades in 19th century baseball, where both he and Mike "King" Kelly were traded from Chicago to Boston in 1888 for cash. His most effective pitch was the curveball, and he had several different curveball deliveries. Unfortunately, he was a very sensitive man and in 1906, he suffered a nervous breakdown, spending much of the final three years of his life in mental hospitals after being declared insane.

Pud Galvin (St. Louis NA, 1875, Buffalo NL 1879-1885, Pittsburgh AA 1885-86, Pittsburgh NL 1887-89, Pittsburgh PL 1890, Pittsburgh NL 1891-92, St. Louis NL 1892): Pud Galvin was not only baseball's very first 300 game winner, but one of the first to experiment with performance enhancing drugs (in the form of monkey testosterone). His 361 wins is the most of any pitcher who played entirely in the 19th century, and would finish 94 percent of his starts. He threw no-hit games in 1880 and 1884, throwing a near-the-plate fastball as his best pitch. He would die impoverished in a Pittsburgh boarding house in 1902.

Billy Hamilton (Kansas City AA 1888-89, Philadelphia NL 1890-95, Boston NL 1896-1901): A two-time NL batting champion, Hamilton would finish with a career batting average of .344, and score 1690 runs in his carerr, setting a record for runs scored in 1894 with 198. Parts of his revolutionary play were the head-first slide, the drag bunt, and running first to third on base hits. Hamilton reached base 52.3 percent of the time, a percentage only beaten by three other baseball players as of this writing (John McGraw, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams). He was probably baseball's best center fielder in the 1890s.

Joe Jackson (Philadelphia AL 1908-09, Cleveland AL 1910-15, Chicago AL 1916-20): Joe Jackson was a great player of the early 20th century with an incredible combination of power and speed, a true "five-tool" player. In his first year, he set "practically every rookie batting record you can think of", including a .408 batting average. Jackson had the third highest career batting average of any player, with .355, but he was an illiterate son of the soil and found it hard to get along with his more urban teammates. He testified to taking money to throw games in the 1919 World Series (he later recanted the confession), but baseball historians dispute whether he really went in the tank. A great player, he disgraced himself and baseball, but after his career he would run a successful business. In an 1948 interview, he said that "my conscience is clear".

Tim Keefe (Troy NL 1880-82, New York AA 1883-84, New York NL 1885-89, New York PL 1890, New York NL 1891, Philadelphia NL 1892-93): Tim Keefe won 342 games in the big leagues, and his his first year for Troy in 1880, pitched a record 0.86 season ERA. A smart pithcer, he had the first great change-up in baseball and was a submarine pitcher. He was also instrumental in the founding of the players league with his brother-in-law, Montgomery Ward. Throwing from 50 feet away, he had an excellent fastball and fretted about hitting players -- who were just as afraid of being hit by one of Keefe's pitches.

Bill Klem: From 1905 to 1941, Bill Klem umpired in the National League, working a record 18 World Series. He came up during a time when umpires faced incredible abuse and often had to work games alone; he controlled the field with his personality and temper. He believed that an umpire should be on top of a play, and would move to the best position on the field (either behind the catcher or pitcher) to make decisions when there were runners on base. He believed in the absolute authority of the umpire, and said, "it ain't nothing 'till I call it".

Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn (Providence NL 1881-85, Boston NL 1886-89, Boston PL 1890, Cincinnati NL 1891): Whether it's 59 or 60 or 62, there's no doubt that Radbourn set the pitching record for most wins in a season for Providence in 1884, and he probably had more impact on the success of his team than any one player in baseball history. In 1883 and 1884, the submarine-style pitcher who threw a looping curve won more games with Providence alone than four other entire National League teams. Despite the deadening of his arm after his strenuous 1884 feat, he remained a .500 pitcher. A ****-raiser and drinker, he would die an untimely death from syphilis at the age of 42.

George Sisler (St. Louis AL 1915-22, 1924-27, Washington AL 1928, Boston NL 1928-30): Sisler started as a pitcher, but like Babe Ruth, he was too good to not play every day. He would hit .420 in 1922, as well as hit safely in 41 straight games that year. He stole 375 bases during his career, a rarity for a first baseman, leading the league several times. A shy man who lacked drama (and therefore attention), he might have 3,000 hits if he had not missed all of 1923 with sinus problems.

Harry Wright (MANAGER: Boston NA 1871-75, Boston NL 1876-81, Providence NL 1882-83, Philadelphia NL 1884-93): Unfortunate enough to be great at baseball before the earliest of professional leagues existed, Wright had to make his impact as a manager. A baseball legend, he was a great scout, an innovator (introducing the idea of shifting positions in the outfield to adjust for certain batters), and even kept his own detailed statistics of games. He influenced everything from pre-game batting practice to hand signals to clothing! His brother, George Wright, is also a member of the Baseball Mogul Hall of Fame.

Zach Wheat (Brooklyn NL 1909-26, Philadelphia AL 1927): For the early part of the 20th century, the name "Zach Wheat" was synonymous with the Dodgers, and he holds many of their franchise records. He is the all-time leader in baseball in games played as a left fielder, and would bat over .300 in 13 of 18 years with the Dodgers. He was an excellent defensive outfielder and supposedly so good at hitting the curve that Manager John McGraw of the rival Giants forbade any Giants pitcher to throw him one. Well-liked by his teammates, he was all business in the Brooklyn outfield.