Deadspin: Joe Morgan Doesn’t Think Willie Mays Belongs In The Hall Of Fame   ◆

OK, Deadspin’s headline is a lie (or more charitably, clickbait), but their position on Morgan’s concerns about who belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame are spot on:

Yes, this shit again. There are two full months until the next class of inductees is revealed; this will be two full months of arguing about steroids and Barry Bonds and what exactly “character” entails with regards to evaluating the career merits of the big men who play a game with a stick and ball, triviality at its most insufferable; and the reliably grating discourse being especially so was kicked off with a bang today upon the deliverance of Morgan’s letter in the inboxes of Hall voters today.

Baseball’s always had different “eras”. It’s crazy to compare players from a hundred years ago to today’s, yet we do so all the time, despite modified rules, improved fitness levels, and changed fan expectations. The Hall of Fame should be all about on-the-field production, relative to the players’ peers.