Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame

Arguing about the merits of players is the baseball fan's second favorite pastime and every year the Hall of Fame elections spark heated controversy. In a book that's sure to thrill--and infuriate--countless fans, Bill James takes a hard look at the Hall, probing its history, its politics and, most of all, its decisions.

Bill James made his mark in the 1970s and 1980s with his Baseball Abstracts. He has been tearing down preconceived notions about America's national pastime ever since. He is currently the Senior Advisor on Baseball Operations for the Boston Red Sox, as well as the author of The Man from the Train. James lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with his wife, Susan McCarthy, and three children.

CONTENTS Acknowledgments 1. Hundreds of Visitors a Year 2. 76 Trombones 3. Cacophony and Confusion 4. So, Whadda We Do Now? 5. Institutional History -- the Hall of Fame in the 1940s and 1950s 6. Scooter 7. Methods -- Introduction and Justification 8. Drysdale and Pappas 9. Similarity Scores 10. Myer and Herman 11. Arguments 12. Gordon and Doerr 13. Institutional History -- the Hall of Fame in the 1960s and 1970s 14. Hall of Fame Standards 15. The Negro Leaguers 16. Tinker and Davis 17. Priddy and Rizzuto 18. The Time Line 19. Overview 20. Catfish and Luis 21. Fibonacci Win Points 22. The Keltner List 23. What Is the Hall of Fame? 24. Institutional History -- the Hall of Fame since 1980 25. Stephens and Rizzuto 26. Round-Up 27. Charlie Hustle and Shoeless Joe 28. Active Players 29. In a Better World 30. Reese and Rizzuto 31. Don Drysdale 32. Election Day Index