Number selected: 2
Percentage by Top Win Shares: 50.00%
Percentage based on bypassed: 9.52%
Percentage by Grade: 50.00%
Percentage by Grade bypassed: 9.38%
Percentage elected over 300 Win Shares? 50.00%
Percentage better than the established standards for the Hall (337.42 WS avg)? 50.00% (Two others qualified.)

[Ron Santo reappeared on the ballot after a five-year absence. He also was allowed to remain on the ballot for an additional four years so that he had 20 ballots in total over 24 years. It seems that the five-percent rule (that a player who falls below 5% of the BBWAA vote falls off the ballot for subsequent seasons) had been in effect since about 1980. However, apparently the player would just fall off the ballot until either he was nominated anew or a certain number of years had passed (I can’t find the rule change so I’m not sure).

Also, today’s rule that the player must have been active in the last 20 years to be on the writers’ ballot had been a 20-ballot cutoff. However, besides Santo only a handful exceeded the current twenty-year cutoff.

In this study I include all candidates that meet the basic eligibility rules. If the writers decide to keep a player off the ballot because of some arbitrary cutoff (i.e., 5%), that’s there prerogative. I still consider him eligible. He’s no different than someone who receives no votes in my book even though he goes into some Cooperstownian limbo until the veterans come knocking, twenty years after retirement. Actually, previously those players ould not even be considered by the veterans.]

Number selected: 2
Percentage by Top Win Shares: 0.00%
Percentage based on bypassed: 12.50%
Percentage by Grade: 100.00%
Percentage by Grade bypassed: 12.50%
Percentage elected over 300 Win Shares? 100.00%
Percentage better than the established standards for the Hall (337.42 WS avg)? 50.00% (Seven others qualified.)

Two good choices? To quote Fred Willard in “A Mighty Mind” (or the English Beat album title), “Wha’ happened?”

Number selected: 1
Percentage by Top Win Shares: 100.00%
Percentage based on bypassed: 100.00%
Percentage by Grade: 100.00%
Percentage by Grade bypassed: 100.00%
Percentage elected over 300 Win Shares? 100.00%
Percentage better than the established standards for the Hall (336.97 WS avg)? 100.00% (Two others qualified.)

Number selected: 2
Percentage by Top Win Shares: 0.00%
Percentage based on bypassed: 1.42%
Percentage by Grade: 0.00%
Percentage by Grade bypassed: 0.75%
Percentage elected over 300 Win Shares? 0.00%
Percentage better than the established standards for the Hall (336.97 WS avg)? 0.00% (Seven qualified.)

Number selected: 2
Percentage by Top Win Shares: 50.00%
Percentage based on bypassed: 4.76%
Percentage by Grade: 50.00%
Percentage by Grade bypassed: 5.13%
Percentage elected over 300 Win Shares? 50.00%
Percentage better than the established standards for the Hall (336.28 WS avg)? 50.00% (One other qualified.)

Hunter is not really one of the stronger baseball writer choices.

Number selected: 0
Percentage by Top Win Shares: N/A
Percentage based on bypassed: N/A
Percentage by Grade: N/A
Percentage by Grade bypassed: N/A
Percentage elected over 300 Win Shares? N/A
Percentage better than the established standards for the Hall (336.28 WS avg)? N/A (Seven qualified.)

Number selected: 1
Percentage by Top Win Shares: 100.00%
Percentage based on bypassed: 100.00%
Percentage by Grade: 100.00%
Percentage by Grade bypassed: 100.00%
Percentage elected over 300 Win Shares? 100.00%
Percentage better than the established standards for the Hall (335.67 WS avg)? 100.00% (One other qualified.)

Number selected: 0
Percentage by Top Win Shares: N/A
Percentage based on bypassed: N/A
Percentage by Grade: N/A
Percentage by Grade bypassed: N/A
Percentage elected over 300 Win Shares? N/A
Percentage better than the established standards for the Hall (335.67 WS avg)? N/A (Seven qualified.)

Number selected: 2
Percentage by Top Win Shares: 50.00%
Percentage based on bypassed: 66.67%
Percentage by Grade: 100.00%
Percentage by Grade bypassed: 71.43%
Percentage elected over 300 Win Shares? 100.00%
Percentage better than the established standards for the Hall (335.90 WS avg)? 100.00% (Two others qualified.)

Number selected: 1
Percentage by Top Win Shares: 0.00%
Percentage based on bypassed: 1.85%
Percentage by Grade: 0.00%
Percentage by Grade bypassed: 1.47%
Percentage elected over 300 Win Shares? 0.00%
Percentage better than the established standards for the Hall (335.90 WS avg)? 0.00% (Seven qualified.)

To be continued…