1886

With Spalding winning the first GOR election, we move on to the next year’s. The number preceding the name is number of years on the ballot, and the number after the name is where they placed in the 1885 election. Only two new names added this election: Dick Higham and Andy Leonard. Alphabetically:

2 Bob Addy
2 Asa Brainard 8th
2 Tom Carey
2 Jack Chapman
2 Bill Craver
2 Jim Creighton 2nd
2 Candy Cummings 7th
2 Jim Devlin
2 Wes Fisler 9th
2 Charley Gould
2 George Hall
1 Dick Higham
2 Joe Leggett 10th
1 Andy Leonard
2 Dick McBride 6th
2 Cal McVey 3rd
2 Dickie Pearce 4th
2 Al Reach
2 Charley Smith
2 Fred Waterman
2 Jimmy Wood
2 Harry Wright 5th
2 George Zettlein

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Bob’s ballot:

My vote doesn’t change much this week, just deleting Spalding and trying to figure out where to put Leonard.

1. Jim Creighton
2. Joe Leggett
3. Dick McBride
4. Dickie Pearce
5. Cal McVey
6. Charley Smith
7. Jimmy Wood
8. Wes Fisler
9. Andy Leonard
10. Jack Chapman

No write-ins this week.

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Terry’s ballot:

1. Jim Creighton
2. Dickie Pearce
3. Dick McBride
4. Joe Leggett
5. Cal McVey
6. Charley Smith
7. Candy Cummings
8. Wes Fisler
9. Andy Leonard
10. Jack Chapman

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Results:

86 Jim Creighton
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80 Cal McVey
79 Dickie Pearce
60 Dick McBride
36 Harry Wright
31 Candy Cummings
25 Asa Brainard
25 Joe Leggett
24 Wes Fisler
15 Andy Leonard
13 Jimmy Wood
12 Charley Smith
10 George Hall
9 Jim Devlin
6 Tom Pratt. Charley Gould
5 Peter O’Brien
3 Bob Addy
2 Tom Carey, Jack Chapman. George Zettlein

I don’t think interest has waned, but neither has there been an increase in the number of participants. What I think I’d like to do is speed up the process a little bit, by having a shorter voting period for the next few elections. The last vote on this election was done Wednesday, so there doesn’t appear to be a need to have the poll open for five days. The Amateur Era, the National Association Era and the earliest days of the National League aren’t overly popular. Maybe if we get thru these first elections a little quicker, we’ll have more join in a little sooner. I figure there are quite a few voters who won’t feel comfortable until the 1900 election (when the earliest players drop off the ballot), maybe even the 1920s election (when the strictly 19th century players will be off). So what I propose to do is, after posting this, is go ahead and set up the 1887 election, and closing the polls at midnight Monday. That gives us three days to vote. I’ll post the 1887 results on Tuesday, set up the 1888 election on Tuesday, close that poll on Thursday, post the 1888 results on Friday, set up the 1889 election Friday and close that poll on Sunday,…..And so on until probably the 1896 election. For the most part, there are very few serious candidates over the next 9 elections, only one or two a year to consider. The sooner we get to the 20th century elections, the sooner we get more participation. If three days to complete your ballots isn’t enough, let me know. Eventually (likely around 1896) it’ll get back to the election lasting a week.