inaugural Hall of Fame election

The abstract concept had been around for a couple years by the winter of 1936, so the public was not surprised when the official announcement came. But when the world learned on February 2, 1936, that Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, and Honus Wagner had been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, a new classification arose for future players, managers, umpires, and executives. And a new national dialogue—one that burns brightly today—was born.…