There are cretins (PED-using and otherwise) who aren't in the HoF. Some sportswriters overlook that, some don't.
On the other hand, you have some wonderful ambassadors of the game, players who were head and shoulders above the typical player. Take Lefty O"Doul. Played in the majors, technically, for 11 seasons. One of the few who played for the Giants, Dodgers and Yankees (he was mainly a Giant and Phillie) when they were all in New York. He has the third-highest batting average in MLB history at .349, but not enough ABs to justify it (3,264 with 1,140 hits). Served in the U. S. Navy from 1917-19. Won two NL batting titles in his five full MLB seasons in 1929 and 1932. Let MLB in hits with 254 in 1929, also OBP that year. Finished 2nd and 3rd in MVP voting those two years.
He crushed it in the PCL when it was virtually a third major league. Had 309 hits in 1925 for Salt Lake City, then 223 and 278 the next two years and finally returned to MLB baseball at age 31, hitting .319 for the Giants, got traded to Philly, then the Dodgers, then back to the Giants where he won a WS in 1933 and made the All Star team as a half-time player (who was third on the Giants in HRs).
O'Doul basically built baseball in Japan. He made multiple trips there before and after WWII, and the Tokyo Giants were named by O'Doul...he's in the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame. On 11/5/21, he was selected to the final ballot for the HoF Early Days COmmittee for consideration the class of 2022. He received five of the necessary 12 votes. Buck O'Neil and Bud Fowler were elected.
On the other hand, you have some wonderful ambassadors of the game, players who were head and shoulders above the typical player. Take Lefty O"Doul. Played in the majors, technically, for 11 seasons. One of the few who played for the Giants, Dodgers and Yankees (he was mainly a Giant and Phillie) when they were all in New York. He has the third-highest batting average in MLB history at .349, but not enough ABs to justify it (3,264 with 1,140 hits). Served in the U. S. Navy from 1917-19. Won two NL batting titles in his five full MLB seasons in 1929 and 1932. Let MLB in hits with 254 in 1929, also OBP that year. Finished 2nd and 3rd in MVP voting those two years.
He crushed it in the PCL when it was virtually a third major league. Had 309 hits in 1925 for Salt Lake City, then 223 and 278 the next two years and finally returned to MLB baseball at age 31, hitting .319 for the Giants, got traded to Philly, then the Dodgers, then back to the Giants where he won a WS in 1933 and made the All Star team as a half-time player (who was third on the Giants in HRs).
O'Doul basically built baseball in Japan. He made multiple trips there before and after WWII, and the Tokyo Giants were named by O'Doul...he's in the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame. On 11/5/21, he was selected to the final ballot for the HoF Early Days COmmittee for consideration the class of 2022. He received five of the necessary 12 votes. Buck O'Neil and Bud Fowler were elected.
Audaces fortuna iuvat