Picked this up on a whim at a used book sale and am damn glad I only paid a dollar. It's obviously out of date (James bites down HARD on "Pete Rose got a raw deal!" just a few years before Pete admitted to everything), but also, James, for all his rep as a SABREmetrician...offers a lot of oddly subjective criteria. There's also a big focus on players before, say, the Cobb/Ruth era, and that's just something I struggle to care about (maybe that's my failing). On the other hand, I did enjoy the chapters on the history of Cooperstown and the Hall.

Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame? Baseball, Cooperstown, and the Politics of Glory

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.  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.

Books like Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame? Baseball, Cooperstown, and the Politics of Glory

Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame? Baseball, Cooperstown, and the Politics of Glory

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