Admission to Cooperstown

The Baseball Hall of Fame should revise its admission standards. Actually, "revise" is not the right word. Major League Baseball should establish unambiguous, objective statistical criteria for admission based on a player's entire career, with no exceptions. Special awards can always be bestowed for isolated achievements such as Roger Maris' 61 home runs. Otherwise, it is too easy to be influenced by favoritism or whim. The LPGA has designed an excellent model for this with their own Hall of Fame - minimum years played, minimum number of wins, major championships, etc. Character should not enter into it. The sole considerations should be on-the-field accomplishments. Inducting Peter Rose does not condone his extracurricular activities. Whether Ty Cobb or anyone else was a scoundrel may be unfortunate but this is not the National Honor Society.