Although many still believe that our beloved national pastime was invented in Cooperstown, NY in 1839 by a man named Abner Doubleday, the truth of the matter is that it was not. And even though Doubleday would go on to become a Civil War hero, records show that a man named Alexander Joy Cartwright, a volunteer firefighter and bank clerk in New York City, codified a set of rules in 1845 for what would become the basis for modern baseball.

Cartwright’s rules called for a diamond-shaped infield, foul lines, and the three-strike rule. He also abolished the previously unwritten rule of ‘tagging’ runners out by hitting them with thrown balls, much to the appreciation of said runners.

As the game progressed, Doubleday did, however, play the game in the small township of Cooperstown in central New York where, as we all know, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was later build (in 1936) and remains today.

But within those sacred Halls of Cooperstown reside not only the greatest to have ever played the game, but also a couple of not-so-popular records; more specifically, a couple of records with asterisks next to them.

It’s hard to argue that the 1919 Black Sox Scandal isn’t the most notorious asterisk in the Hall of Fame, with the so-called steroid-era asterisks running a close second. That being said and should current (at least for now) MLB commissioner Rob Manfred ever decide to ‘do the right thing’ and vacate the 2017 World Series championship from the cheating Houston Astros, that undoubtedly would – and should – take over as baseball’s darkest moment … and largest asterisk.

Although the Black Sox Scandal and Bonds’ asterisk ball are and always will be a part of baseball history, perhaps it is time to create an ‘Asterisk Wing’ within the current Hall of Fame, as was suggested in a January 25, 2018 article written by Owen Brooks of White Wolf. Doing so would separate the accomplishments of those who played the game within the rules and achieved baseball immortality the right way from cheaters, such as the Black Sox, Bonds, the Astros, and (probably) the Boston Red Sox.

Doing so would also allow the (approximately) 260,000 who visit the Hall of Fame and Museum each year the option of completely bypassing what could appropriately be called The Hall of Shame. (Come on, you knew that was coming).

Please … No more asterisks.

Play Ball!

  *  *  *  *  *  *