Number selected: 1
Percentage by Top Win Shares: 0.00%
Percentage based on bypassed: 10.00%
Percentage by Grade: 0.00%
Percentage by Grade bypassed: 6.25%
Percentage elected over 300 Win Shares? 0.00%
Percentage better than the established standards for the Hall (354.73 WS avg)? 0.00% (None qualified)

Number selected: 2
Percentage by Top Win Shares: 0.00%
Percentage based on bypassed: 1.32%
Percentage by Grade: 0.00%
Percentage by Grade bypassed: 0.78%
Percentage elected over 300 Win Shares? 0.00%
Percentage better than the established standards for the Hall (354.73 WS avg)? 0.00% (Six qualified though two had 354)

Haines and Combs? To say that these were horrible choices would be a gross understatement. When Frankie Frisch had taken over control of the Veterans Committee, it was well on its way to correcting the injustices of the previous committees. If they had gone another 10 years unhindered, there would no longer have been a need for the Veterans Committee. Frisch picked old cronies that had no business even being considered for the Hall of Fame.

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 (351.01 WS avg)? 0.00% (Three qualified though Spahn was technically not eligible because he pitched in the minors for a couple of years after his major-league career ended. The other two were Berra and Snider.)

More quagmire.

Number selected: 6
Percentage by Top Win Shares: 0.00%
Percentage based on bypassed: 3.26%
Percentage by Grade: 50.00%
Percentage by Grade bypassed: 5.43%
Percentage elected over 300 Win Shares? 50.00%
Percentage better than the established standards for the Hall (351.01 WS avg)? 0.00% (Seven qualified.)

Wow, that is potentially the worst class ever, given its size and quality. Hafey and Marquard are easily among the worst Hall of Famers ever. The others are overvalued by Win Shares because they played in the deadball era.

Number selected: 3
Percentage by Top Win Shares: 33.33%
Percentage based on bypassed: 6.38%
Percentage by Grade: 66.67%
Percentage by Grade bypassed: 9.09%
Percentage elected over 300 Win Shares? 66.67%
Percentage better than the established standards for the Hall (346.07 WS avg)? 33.33% (Three qualified though again, Spahn is considered technically ineligible.)

Clearly career Win Shares don't tell you everything about a player's career. Sandy Koufax had arguably the greatest peak in major-league history. You don't capture him with 194 Win Shares.

Number selected: 2
Percentage by Top Win Shares: 0.00%
Percentage based on bypassed: 1.10%
Percentage by Grade: 0.00%
Percentage by Grade bypassed: 0.00%
Percentage elected over 300 Win Shares? 0.00%
Percentage better than the established standards for the Hall (346.07 WS avg)? 0.00% (Seven qualified)

Well, after the 1971 class, the veterans were limited to two players a year for 1972 (plus a third non-player until 1977, when they were limited to two total). The numbers, and therefore, the damage, were limited, but the quality was still lacking.

Number selected: 2
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 (341.72 WS avg)? 100.00% (Snider also qualified.)

Spahn finally became eligible and deservedly went right in. I can't consider him a first-ballot guy though since he earned a write-in vote midway through his career. After Clemente's death, he went straight in by "Special Election". The first-year eligibles are now solidly the stars of the election.

Number selected: 2
Percentage by Top Win Shares: 0.00%
Percentage based on bypassed: 1.13%
Percentage by Grade: 100.00%
Percentage by Grade bypassed: 50.00%
Percentage elected over 300 Win Shares? 50.00%
Percentage better than the established standards for the Hall (341.72 WS avg)? 50.00% (Seven others also qualified.)

Who needs the likes of Arky Vaughn in the Hall when you can snare George Kelly? Kelly's most similar batter is Bob Watson, which tells you a lot. Bill Terry, the former New York Giant, was becoming more active on the committee, meaning that he got his old Giant cronies elected. Too bad for Terry that Welch played before him since he had no way of knowing that he was actually a qualified candidate.

To be continued…