Selig, Schuerholz elected to Hall of Fame

[BostonRoss]

Bud Selig, John Schuerholz elected to Hall

Selig is no surprise, of course. Every commissioner with more than a single term tenure has been elected. The MLB article makes it sound like this is a rare accomplishment ("...just the fifth (commissioner elected)...," "...only the second Commissioner inducted in the last 25 years..."). Selig was the only commissioner for most of those 25 years. It was inevitable that he'd get in.

Schuerholz may not have been a surprise, but it may be surprising that he was a unanimous choice. There aren't many executives in the Hall, but it seems that with Gillick being elected a few years ago, maybe more will get in.

The players on the ballot really weren't deserving, and none of them got close to being elected. Some of them were just off the ballot recently (last year for McGwire). It's puzzling to me why they should be voted on again so soon. What do we know now about them that we didn't know last year, or the year before?

Two managers also failed to get the votes, Davey Johnson and Lou Piniella. Both managed one world champion, and if memory servers neither one even had one other league pennant winner. Most of the managers in the Hall of Fame with only won championship were perennial contenders with several more World Series appearances (Bobby Cox and Earl Weaver come to mind). If Piniella got in, they might as well put Joe Maddon in right now, since both of Maddon's teams were bad under Piniella shortly before Maddon took over.

[BostonRoss]

I meant to mention that George Steinbrenner was also on the ballot and apparently did not come close to being elected. I don't think the Boss deserves it, but I'm surprised it wasn't closer.

[bkeich]

Sorry to see Selig going in, he was not a good commissioner, and in fact was really just a lead owner as most (all?) His decisions were in the owners and not the fans or players best interest.

Schuerholtz was the best GM for a decade or more, certainly deserves it. Only 1 WS win but reigned over the team that had he longest dominate period in the last 50 years.

Surprised Piniella didn't make it. Normally winning with the Yankees is automatic.

Really surprised "The Boss" didn't get in, has his flaws of course but won multiple WS and pushed the envelope as an owner. He created the largest cash cow in the industry.

[donaldorc]

Sorry to see Selig going in, he was not a good commissioner, and in fact was really just a lead owner as most (all?) His decisions were in the owners and not the fans or players best interest.

Agreed to this.

[donaldorc]

I meant to mention that George Steinbrenner was also on the ballot and apparently did not come close to being elected. I don't think the Boss deserves it, but I'm surprised it wasn't closer.

The Trump version of a baseball owner?

[Philsmania]

The truth is Selig was something of a transformational commissioner with interleague play, the wild cards and phenomenal growth of the industry though yes, there was also to strike and the steroid era. An argument can be made that he profoundly changed the role of Commissioner from "pope of baseball" to CEO. That too is both good and bad in that the commissioner's office is no longer an unbiased neutral advocate for the game but now a tool of the owners. An analogy I often like to make is that Selig was the John Paul II of baseball (the transformational leader) and Manfred is its Benedict the XVI (the custodian of his mentor's legacy). The game will benefit from a Francis hopefully at some point.

I actually think Steinbrenner should be in. Yes, he was a jerk but his impact is undeniable, not just in terms of returning the Yankees to their historical position of power but also the first to make free agency a major tool in team building.

As for the managers, I read somewhere that the unofficial guideline for HOF managers is 1200+ wins, multiple WS appearances, at least 1 WS win. Piniella and Johnson each have only one WS appearance though they were victories. Jim Leyland, however, meets the threshold and should get in when he is on the ballot.

[donaldorc]

but also the first to make free agency a major tool in team building.

And this is admirable?

[BostonRoss]

Regarding Selig being "something of a transformational commissioner with interleague play, the wild cards and phenomenal growth of the industry," everything you mention was done in an attempt to make more money, regardless of the impacts on the game itself. If I made money off of MLB, I'd probably think Selig was deserving. As a fan, since i don't see most of his changes as positive things, I don't like that he was elected. But I knew it was coming.

I think Steinbrenner was overrated. If you take out the 1996-2000 period, the Yankees under his tenure were decent, but nothing special, three championships on 30+ years. And I do think those years shouldn't really count toward his legacy since the core of those teams was assembled while he was under suspension. Once he returned, he started trying to assemble a team full of All-Stars that mostly failed. (The suspension itself is another factor in his not being deserving.)

[BostonRoss]

Regarding your comment on the managers, first I would have to say that I hope there are not unofficial guidelines. If there are, why bother having an election?

That said, the rule has mostly been followed. Billy Southworth a few years ago became the first manager with fewer than 1200 wins to be elected, but he had been the only manager with four pennant winners not to be inducted. There are a couple of other managers who were elected who don't meet the criteria (Al Lopez, Wilbert Robinson) and, Ralph Houk does meet them but is not in.

Two active managers, Bochy and Francona, meet these guidelines.