MLB.com employee on Hall of Fame committee, 2007

(From National Baseball Hall of Fame press release, 11/8/07): "On the way to another Hall of Fame category, more BBWAA

• entwinement with enshrinement.

The BBWAA Board of Directors appointed 11 of its members to what is called the "Historical Overview Committee." These 11 decided the 10 managers and umpires who would appear on the 2007 HOF ballot for that catergory.

• (What are the names of the people on the BBWAA Board of Directors? From Baseball Analysts, 12/26/07, Rich Lederer writes they are as follows:
  
• "...the seven-person Board – which consists of you (Tracy Ringolsby)*, as well as Bob Dutton (President), David O'Brien (Vice President), Jack O'Connell (Secretary), Bob Elliott, Paul Hoynes, and Phil Rogers".

Of the the 11 guys named in 2007 Jack O'Connell from MLB.com is the one name on both the Historical Review committee and the final voting committee:

• Dave Van Dyck (Chicago Tribune); Bob Elliott (Toronto Sun); Rick Hummel (St. Louis Post-Dispatch); Steve Hirdt (Elias Sports Bureau); Moss Klein (Newark Star-Ledger); Bill Madden (New York Daily News); Ken Nigro, (formerly Baltimore Sun);

• Jack O'Connell (MLB.com);

• Nick Peters (Sacramento Bee); Tracy Ringolsby (Rocky Mountain News); and Mark Whicker (Orange County Register)."

With an MLB.com employee on the committee, proof that MLB is involved with Hall of Fame voting procedures. And that the Hall of Fame is more than just a museum.

• *Note on Tracy Ringolsby statement in 12/26/07 Baseball Analysts interview:

"The vote a year ago would have included mlb.com on the grounds that the writers are representing the official websites of the teams."...

• MLB.com writers are appointed by MLB. The websites are controlled by MLB, not the teams.This is only of interest to the non-braindead.