In this, our 13th year, the STATLG-L Internet Hall of Fame balloting demonstrates anew the uncertainties involved in trying to decide whether Player X or Player Y has the credentials to merit your vote for induction into the Hall. There were a number of intriguing questions to be answered this time around, dealing with both first-year eligibles and holdovers from last year.
We recorded a total of 2363 ballots in this year’s edition of the STATLG-L IHOF, appreciably less than last year’s record total and even a bit lower than the number of ballots cast two years ago. I don’t think we can blame this drop on the absence of a Veterans Committee ballot this year, and I won’t speculate about other possible reasons for the decline. I must report, however, that I personally did less shilling for the event than I’ve done in previous seasons, so maybe some of the decrease can be laid at my own feet. The average number of names on a ballot was 5.83, very similar to last year’s 5.96 and well above the 5.18 names per ballot a year earlier. Given the total number of ballots recorded this time, the 75% threshold was set at 1773 votes while the 5% gateway for retention on the ballot (if we, rather than the BBWAA, made that decision) came to 119 votes.