HALL OF THE PRETTY GOOD

This post is a long time coming, but this is something we noticed while at the Baseball Hall of Fame a few weeks ago: the more words engraved on your HOF plaque, the less of a player you were. For instance, take a look at Babe Ruth's HOF plaque vs. Ozzie Smith's:


GEORGE HERMAN (BABE) RUTH
BOSTON - NEW YORK A.L.; BOSTON, N.L.
1915-1935
GREATEST DRAWING CARD IN HISTORY OF
BASEBALL. HOLDER OF MANY HOME RUN
AND OTHER BATTING RECORDS. GATHERED
714 HOME RUNS IN ADDITION TO FIFTEEN
IN WORLD SERIES.

OSBORNE EARL SMITH
"Ozzie" "The Wizard"
SAN DIEGO, N.L., 1978-1981
ST. LOUIS, N.L., 1982-1996
REVOLUTIONIZED DEFENSIVE PLAY AT SHORTSTOP WITH HIS ACROBATIC
FIELDING AND ARTISTIC TURNING OF DOUBLE PLAYS. THE 13-TIME GOLD
GLOVE WINNER SET SIX MAJOR LEAGUE FIELDING RECORDS AMONG
SHORTSTOPS, INCLUDING MOST ASSISTS, DOUBLE PLAYS AND CHANCES
ACCEPTED. AN EFFECTIVE OFFENSIVE PLAYER, HE ACCUMULATED 2,460
HITS AND STOLE 580 BASES. NAMED TO 15 ALL-STAR TEAMS. HIS
RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF PERFECTION HELPED LEAD THE CARDINALS TO
THREE WORLD SERIES, INCLUDING A 1982 CHAMPIONSHIP. HIS
CONGENIAL PERSONALITY, CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONALISM AND
TRADEMARK BACK FLIP MADE "THE WIZARD" A FAN FAVORITE.

One of them was arguably the greatest baseball player ever, for which few words are needed. The other had a "trademark backflip", the most "chances accepted" (?) for a shortstop, and was "an effective offensive player", among a litany of other marginal accomplishments. Which means "he didn't suck", I guess. Look, they're both worthy of being in the Hall, but it's as if more words were needed to convince you that Ozzie belongs there. As Bookless said, "How about that thing he did for UNICEF? That's gotta count for something, right?"