Why isn't Ray Chapman in the Hall of Fame?

Question

http://www.baseball-reference.com/c/chapmra01.shtml

Chapman is the only player ever to die from an event that occurred on a baseball field. The Indians star SS, he was beaned to death by New York Yankees pitcher Carl Mays (who actually would be in the Hall if he hadn't beaned Chapman). The Indians would purchase Hall of Fame SS Joe Sewell from a minor league team to replace Chapman, which is part of how his memory faded.

Chapman was a slightly average hitter at shortstop (he was slightly over 110% as productive as the average hitter). Chapman was by far the best offensive shortstop in the American League at the time. Contemporary Hall of Fame SSes Dave Bancroft (98%) and Rabbit Maranville (82%) were nowhere near the same offensively.

Chapman also had a career range factor that was .4 plays a game above league average.

He probably was the best shortstop in baseball at the time, so why isn't he in the Hall of Fame?

Of course, Addie Joss was inducted into the Hall of Fame despite only playing 9 years because he also died too young.

Answer 1

He didn't play the required ten years, as his career only lasted from 1912-1920. Now, you can say he's being penalized for dying, but then you'd have to make exceptions any time a great player dies young.

Answer 2

Chapman's career overlapped a good bit with Honus Wagner, so there is NO WAY he was the best SS of his time.

He only played nine major league seasons, so technically the Hall, by its own guidelines, should not consider him. (This didn't stop the Hall from ushering in Addie Joss, however.)

By Runs Created, 1910-22 (Chapman played 1912-20), Chapman ranked seventh among shortstops, behind Donie Bush, Art Fletcher, Roger Peckinpaugh, *Rabbit Maranville, *Wagner, and *Dave Bancroft. (* == Hall Of Famer)

Tighten that up to match Chapman's exact career, and he moves up to second, which is good, but be certain that his short career (even ignoring the ten-years-minimum) is hurting him. A Hall-class career tends to have a brilliant peak AND lasting excellence. Chapman, unfortunately, didn't get the chance to demonstrate his endurance.

Defensively, what data we have available says he was a bit above league-average. Shortstops not named Wagner in the olde dayes really needed to have a flawless glove to get attention, and while Chapman appears to have been good and worth playing at short, it doesn't indicate he was truly great.

Overall? Good career, but not Hall-class, and probably would not have been even if he'd lived (though the Indians' fortunes may have improved a bit). He is best remembered for a tragic reason, unfortunately, but it is a rarer distinction than most players, or people in general, ever get.

I also don't consider Mays to have been Hall-class, though the Chapman incident surely didn't improve his candidacy.

Answer 3

It's a shame to see Chapman go unrecognized in the Hall of Fame. He put up great numbers for the time period and was a key part of the Indians' team. Who knows what his career might have looked like if he hadn't been killed. I know he didn't play the required 10 years, but an exception should be made for a player of his caliber who died because he go hit in the head during a game. Fortunately, the Indians have enshrined Chapman in Heritage Park, so at least he will be remembered in Cleveland, but it is sad to think his great career will never be immortalized in Cooperstown.