Once upon a time, back in 2001 when The Baseball Library was still a going concern on the internet, I wrote a piece about the horrible job the Veterans Committee had done in electing players to the Hall of Fame. The focus of that piece was the comparison of
While noting that WAR seriously undervalues catcher defense, I have read speculation that Schalk's election to the Hall was largely based on sympathy for being an "honest" member of the Black Sox. That may be so, but it doesn't excuse ignoring Wally Schang, an excellent player and deserving of the Hall. I will note, though, that talking about a Hall "ballot" in the 1930s or even 1940s is inaccurate. In those early days, no list of eligible players was provided; voters simply mailed in a list of those for whom they wanted to vote. Even active players sometimes received votes in those early elections.
While noting that WAR seriously undervalues catcher defense, I have read speculation that Schalk's election to the Hall was largely based on sympathy for being an "honest" member of the Black Sox. That may be so, but it doesn't excuse ignoring Wally Schang, an excellent player and deserving of the Hall. I will note, though, that talking about a Hall "ballot" in the 1930s or even 1940s is inaccurate. In those early days, no list of eligible players was provided; voters simply mailed in a list of those for whom they wanted to vote. Even active players sometimes received votes in those early elections.