When do you actually BECOME a Hall of Famer?

[Gary Dunaier]

At what moment during the induction ceremony does a player actually become a bona fide member of the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Is there such a "moment" in Cooperstown? Like, for example, at a wedding, when the priest says "I now pronounce you man and wife?" And when the President is inaugurated, he doesn't actually become President until after he takes the oath of office.

Or is it just that, having already been elected, the enshrinees' status as official Hall of Famers takes effect as of 12.01am on Induction Day?

[Captain Cold Nose]

At what moment during the induction ceremony does a player actually become a bona fide member of the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Is there such a "moment" in Cooperstown? Like, for example, at a wedding, when the priest says "I now pronounce you man and wife?" And when the President is inaugurated, he doesn't actually become President until after he takes the oath of office.

Or is it just that, having already been elected, the enshrinees' status as official Hall of Famers takes effect as of 12.01am on Induction Day?

Personally, I start calling them HOF'ers once the votes are in and tallied. The induction ceremony is their installation, if you will, as that is the official recognition of the HOF. I think once they are announced at the ceremony and their plaque is presented they change status from inductee to inducted. Just a take, nothing official. Interesting thread topic.

[2Chance]

originally posted by Gary Dunaier
Is there such a "moment" in Cooperstown? Like, for example, at a wedding, when the priest says "I now pronounce you man and wife?" ...
I agree about the moment the votes are tallied. Afterward, they call the new Hall of Famer, but I believe it's a notification, rather than them asking if they accept this.

When we were married the pastor had us sign a document before the ceremony and told us then that we were legally married, and did not have to go through with the ceremony to make it official. You know how it is; the job is finished when the paperwork is done.

[KCGHOST]

I consider it the election myself, but I suppose it they are just HoFers-elect at that point. It is probably the induction ceremony that seals the deal.

[Brian McKenna]

The election is all that matters as far as history is concerned.

[MyDogSparty]

I agree that you become a HOFer once the votes are tallied. I consider the ceremony a party to celebrate what has already taken place.

[Macker]

It is probably the induction ceremony that seals the deal.

Lou Gehrig was elected but never inducted.

[TonyK]

Someday the HOF might have to consider the legal aspects of the question if they haven't already.

Suppose Joe Blow earns enough votes for election but then snaps and goes out and commits a major felony and is put in prison? Or later it is proven that he had been cheating for half of his career by using a banned substance? Who decides whether or not to override his election results? That would kindle quite an argument.

[plask_stirlac]

Someone is probably an inductee-elect, and then officially inducted in.

[jalbright]

Someday the HOF might have to consider the legal aspects of the question if they haven't already.

Suppose Joe Blow earns enough votes for election but then snaps and goes out and commits a major felony and is put in prison? Or later it is proven that he had been cheating for half of his career by using a banned substance? Who decides whether or not to override his election results? That would kindle quite an argument.

The NFL hasn't thrown OJ Simpson out, and I doubt even if convicted on his current armed robbery charges that the situation will change. I suppose the Halls could change the rules to throw out guys convicted of certain felonies if they so chose. However, pulling the "HOFer" tag after it's given is kind of like trying to unring a bell. For other issues, even steroids, you may not want to vote somebody in because of such suspicions, but the game won't benefit by an unlimited opportunity to besmirch the names of folks designated as greats. For that reason, they should probably just leave the "HOFer" tag in place once awarded. Barring that, they should only be able to pull it for convictions of felonies specified in advance, and even then they might well be allowed the opportunity to choose not to impose such a penalty.

Jim Albright

[Captain Cold Nose]

The NFL hasn't thrown OJ Simpson out, and I doubt even if convicted on his current armed robbery charges that the situation will change. I suppose the Halls could change the rules to throw out guys convicted of certain felonies if they so chose. However, pulling the "HOFer" tag after it's given is kind of like trying to unring a bell. For other issues, even steroids, you may not want to vote somebody in because of such suspicions, but the game won't benefit by an unlimited opportunity to besmirch the names of folks designated as greats. For that reason, they should probably just leave the "HOFer" tag in place once awarded. Barring that, they should only be able to pull it for convictions of felonies specified in advance, and even then they might well be allowed the opportunity to choose not to impose such a penalty.

Jim Albright

If the player committed a crime against baseball, or, to give an example, it was found out Charles Comiskey actually spear headed the players throwing the 1919 World Series, I could see his status getting removed. Hockey has done it twice, with executives Alan Eagleson and Gil Stein. Orlando Cepeda and Fergie Jenkins were elected after their drug-related convictions, so their has been precedent, albeit not involving violent crime.

[Brad Harris]

At what moment during the induction ceremony does a player actually become a bona fide member of the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Is there such a "moment" in Cooperstown? Like, for example, at a wedding, when the priest says "I now pronounce you man and wife?" And when the President is inaugurated, he doesn't actually become President until after he takes the oath of office.

Or is it just that, having already been elected, the enshrinees' status as official Hall of Famers takes effect as of 12.01am on Induction Day?

At the point Jack O'Connell and his buddies from the accounting firm certify the election results. But, practically speaking, from the moment that player receives his phone call from Jane Forbes Clark (or whomever) congratulating him on his election.

By the time the results are released to the general public, the players are already "Hall-of-Famers". The induction ceremony is just that, a ceremony. It's like a rite-of-passage. A jewish boy will turn 13 and receive a bar mitzvah. The latter commemorates the former and thus, is not necessary for the former to have taken place. Likewise, Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn were Hall of Famers before last July. July was just a public recognition of the status that had already been conferred on them.