How was Babe Ruth not unanimous for the Baseball Hall of Fame?

[Jeffy25]

Babe Ruth's baseball-reference page has more bolded than not bolded

[Jeffy25]

Every time I look at Ruth's stat's I'm just floored. Things you'll NEVER see another player ever do. His Walk/SO ratio is almost cartoonish.

What's funny, is that when he was first used as a hitter, everyone felt he struck out too much to ever be a good hitter.

[Halladay]

What's funny, is that when he was first used as a hitter, everyone felt he struck out too much to ever be a good hitter.

Even funnier, he was born in a part of Baltimore called "pigtown" which is also where Dustin Pedroia is from.

[Pinstripe power]

people that vote are *******s

[bagwell368]

because there were many stalwarts that didnt like the way he changed the game and conduct himself

This is the closest to correct.

Consider the voters. Some of them saw baseball back into the 1880's and like many people always believe things were better in the "old days".

The old days to them was Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Cy Young, etc.

The live ball era Ruth ushered in was seen by quite a few as brash, classless, and that HR's were cheap and a gimmick.

The first class in 1936 earned these totals:

Cobb: 98.2%
Honus Wagner 95.1%
Babe Ruth 95.1%
Mathewson 90.7%
W. Johnson 83.6%

That's 2 guys totally dead ball, 2 guys partially live ball, but more dead ball, 1 guy split.

At that time based on what was written and said, Ty Cobb was considered the greatest player of all time.

In terms of rWAR their value was:

Ruth
WJ
Cobb
Wagner

Mathewson

IMO Babe is the greatest revolutionary in the game, but he's not the GOAT. Too many too quickly were able to match his batting feats. His pitching feats were in an era when almost every pitch throw was under 90 MPH. Other candidates like Mays, Mantle, Bonds, Williams, Aaron played in tougher time with more better pitchers and hitters (thus blunting their feats by way of comparison to others in their time). No player that was able to get hits with a 48 ounce bat could hope to hit well in the Majors over the past 25 years - diet, training, film study, and better competition wouldn't make the difference. He's a one time/one person wrinkle in time that won't be repeated - that doesn't make him the goat. Just a statistical anomaly due to his place and role in time.

[Dmac]

I don't remember who it was, but I remember one writer saying one time he never votes for the obvious ones the first time on the ballot. His reasoning was nobody was 100% and knew if he didn't vote for them they wouldn't be. It didn't make any sense but some of the reasoning the voters use will never allow someone to even hit 99% probably.

If anyone has a chance to hit 99% I think it will be Greg Maddux. He is an obvious HOF, is never accused of cheating and is going to be eligible when alot of steroid guys are on the ballot that some voters don't want to vote for. I would be surprised if he doesn't hit at least 98.5%.

[Vincent33]

No one will ever be voted in unanimously because players like Ruth, Cobb, Walter Johnson, Williams, Mays, Aaron, Mantle, etc weren't voted in unanimously. Its stupid

[Jeffy25]

I don't remember who it was, but I remember one writer saying one time he never votes for the obvious ones the first time on the ballot. His reasoning was nobody was 100% and knew if he didn't vote for them they wouldn't be. It didn't make any sense but some of the reasoning the voters use will never allow someone to even hit 99% probably.

If anyone has a chance to hit 99% I think it will be Greg Maddux. He is an obvious HOF, is never accused of cheating and is going to be eligible when alot of steroid guys are on the ballot that some voters don't want to vote for. I would be surprised if he doesn't hit at least 98.5%.

Randy Johnson is in the same boat as well.

Obvious hall of famers.


And I think I know who you are talking about, he didn't vote for Rickey Henderson on that principle.

[MetsFanatic19]

Some people believe nobody deserves to go in first ballot.

[Jeffy25]

This is the closest to correct.

Consider the voters. Some of them saw baseball back into the 1880's and like many people always believe things were better in the "old days".

The old days to them was Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Cy Young, etc.

The live ball era Ruth ushered in was seen by quite a few as brash, classless, and that HR's were cheap and a gimmick.

The first class in 1936 earned these totals:

Cobb: 98.2%
Honus Wagner 95.1%
Babe Ruth 95.1%
Mathewson 90.7%
W. Johnson 83.6%

That's 2 guys totally dead ball, 2 guys partially live ball, but more dead ball, 1 guy split.

At that time based on what was written and said, Ty Cobb was considered the greatest player of all time.

In terms of rWAR their value was:

Ruth
WJ
Cobb
Wagner

Mathewson

IMO Babe is the greatest revolutionary in the game, but he's not the GOAT. Too many too quickly were able to match his batting feats. His pitching feats were in an era when almost every pitch throw was under 90 MPH. Other candidates like Mays, Mantle, Bonds, Williams, Aaron played in tougher time with more better pitchers and hitters (thus blunting their feats by way of comparison to others in their time). No player that was able to get hits with a 48 ounce bat could hope to hit well in the Majors over the past 25 years - diet, training, film study, and better competition wouldn't make the difference. He's a one time/one person wrinkle in time that won't be repeated - that doesn't make him the goat. Just a statistical anomaly due to his place and role in time.

Some interesting notes on Babe


He couldn't hit a curveball, but not many pitchers threw them. He greatly struggled with curveballs.

There have been some studies that 're-create' the home runs of Ruth's career. He would likely have been awarded a lot more home runs because of a few factors. If a ball hit the foul pole, it was ruled a ground-rule double. And if a ball hooked around the foul pole, it was a foul ball. One study said he would have had as many as 104 home runs in one year (believable or not). But that same study ignores that he was playing in the polo grounds, which had a joke of a right field.

He was so hot tempered that it was partially the reason he was traded from the Red Sox, and why he was almost traded from the Yankees in 23 after a suspension.

The Red Sox were offered 60,000 and Joe Jackson for Babe Ruth in 1919. The Red Sox preferred the financial offer from the Yankees which came with a loan. Babe wanted out of Boston because he wanted a raise to double his current pay, and Fraze wanted him out because of his attitude. Fraze was convinced Ruth would fail and got as much for him as he could find.

[Fly]

He was too fat.

[Yankees 1903]

Someone won't vote for Jeter because of they're jealous off all the hot *** he has bagged over the years.

[The Bard]

I Always thought Ty Cobb had the heightest %

[MelanconMadness]

The only modern day unanimous candidate is Mariano, and I don't even see him over 92%

[MetsFanatic19]

Yep, you have the people who don't think relivers belong in the HOF and vote no for even the best.