History

Inspired by the Hall of Fame for Great Americans at New York University, the Baseball Hall of Fame was established in 1936 with the selection of five players: Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, and Honus Wagner.

The Baseball Writers Association of America (BWAA) chose eight more players for induction when the hall formally opened in Cooperstown, NY, on June 12, 1939. They were Grover Cleveland Alexander, Eddie Collins, Lou Gehrig, Willie Keeler, Napoleon Lajoie, George Sisler, Tris Speaker, and Cy Young.

The location of the hall and the year of its opening were chosen because of the myth that Abner Doubleday had invented baseball at Cooperstown in 1839, although the myth had been pretty thoroughly discredited by the time the Hall of Fame opened. (See Doubleday Myth)

Elections were originally held at three-year intervals, in 1939, 1942, and 1945, but annual elections began in 1946. From 1958 through 1966, they were held every two years, then became annual once more in 1967.

The voting procedure and standars for eligibility have changed several times through the years. Currently, a player becomes eligible for election by the BWAA five years after retirement. He must have played in part of at least ten seasons.

A six-member screening committee reviews newly eligible players and decides which of them should actually appear on the ballot. If only two of the six nominate the candidate, his name is passed on to the BWAA for consideration. A candidate must receive more than five percent of the vote to remain eligible for balloting in future years.

Only those who have been members of the BBWAA for 10 years or more are allowed to vote, and each voter may name up to ten candidates. A candidate must be named on 75 percent of the ballots to get elected.

Several special rules have been developed to meet special circumstances. After Roberto Clemente's tragic death in a 1973 plane crash, a rule was passed allowing a player to be considered immediately if he dies while still active. Clemente was then elected overwhelmingly on a special ballot.

That rule was later revised to allow consideration of a player six months after his death or five years after his retirement, whichever comes first.

To allow the election of Casey Stengel in 1966, the Hall of Fame revised its rules to allow consideration of a candidate after six months of retirement, if he has reached the age of 65.

Finally, the "Pete Rose rule" was adopted in February of 1991. The rule disqualifies a candidate if he is on Organized Baseball's ineligible list. (Rose had been declared ineligible for involvement in major league baseball in 1989, when he accused of having bet on games.)

If not chosen by the BWAA, a player can be elected by the Veterans' Committee 23 years after retirement. The committee is made up of former players, retired writers, and baseball executives.

In 1971, a seven-man committee was formed to select players from the Negro leagues. That committee named nine players to the hall before being absorbed into the Veterans' Committee in 1977. Since then, the Veterans' Committee has elected six more players from the Negro Leagues.

A special committee of 12 historians was appointed in 2005 to consider additional candidates from the Negro League and black candidates from before the Negro League era. That committee chose 17 inductees who formally entered the hall of fame in 2006. Among them was Effa Manley, the former co-owner of the Newark Eagles, who became the first woman inductee. (Those selections are indicated by "Special" in the Negro Leagues category below.)

In addition to biographical plaques of its inductees, the hall includes a baseball museum that has a collection of balls, bats, and other equipment, baseball cards, trophies, and photographs. Its research library contains a complete set of baseball guides, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, record books, photos, tapes, and phonograph records.

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