Baseball Hall of Fame voting: a test of the customer discrimination hypothesis *.(Statistical Data Included)

The evidence of discrimination found in this study both supports and contradicts the results of Findlay and Reid (1997) on discrimination in Baseball Hall of Fame voting. In a similar analysis of Hall of Fame voting patterns, they find that black players are less likely to receive any votes than their white counterparts and that Latin American players also appear to receive fewer votes than whites. This is consistent with our results. We do not, however, find any significant decline in discrimination over time against either African American or Latin American players. Our study differs from theirs in a number of ways. First, we examine the nomination process. Then, we explicitly control for the selection process onto the Hall of Fame ballot in our estimates of voting discrimination, and we incorporate a more complete set of explanatory variables in estimating the percentage of votes received by a player. In the following sections of the paper, we discuss a) the eligibility criteria and selection process for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, b) the data and model used to test for the existence of racial discrimination in Hall of Fame nominating and balloting, and c) the empirical results. Eligibility and Selection to the Baseball Hall of Fame The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) annually selects players for the Baseball Hall of Fame based on rules established by the Board of Directors of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. (2) Election to the Hall of Fame is a two-stage process in which a six-member BBWAA Screening Committee initially prepares a ballot of eligible players. Nomination by at least two members of the Screening Committee is required to place a player on the ballot. Active and honorary members of the BBWAA with a minimum of ten years as active baseball writers are eligible to vote for up to ten players in each election. Approximately four hundred writers cast ballots annually. Nominees are elected to