2024 Hall of Fame Season, Part 2

The Classic Baseball Era Committee Ballot

I think they’re almost there.

After literal decades of tinkering with the format of the Veterans Committee, which is now known as the various Eras Committees, I think the Hall of Fame nearly has the right solution. I won’t go through the entire history of how it’s evolved because that’s been done before and you can find it in any number of books and articles. Jay Jaffe’s The Cooperstown Casebook, for instance, is a great place to start. All you need to know for now is the current model, which is this:

• There are three Eras Committees, each meeting once every three years.

• The Classic Baseball Era Committee, which will shortly decide if they should induct anyone in the class of 2025, is responsible for all candidates whose primary contributions to baseball took place prior to 1980. This can be anyone, players, managers, executives, pioneers, umpires, etc.

• The Contemporary Baseball Era Committee for players will meet next year to decide on post-1980 players to possibly include in the class of 2026.

• The Contemporary Baseball Era Committee for managers, executives, and umpires will meet in 2026 to decide on post-1980 candidates for the class of 2027.

I think this structure is essentially correct. Separating the candidates from 40 or more years ago makes sense, because that group has already been reviewed repeatedly, far more than modern candidates. They don’t need to continue being examined. And splitting the Contemporary Era ballot makes sense, too, just to manage the number of candidates.

That said, I’d make two changes.