Baseball’s Hall of Numbers: Entry by Calculation Only: 2026 Updates

My book is titled Baseball’s Hall of Numbers. Subtitle-Entry by calculation only. This is obviously for a niche audience. Casual baseball fans will not be interested in all the statistics, but the game has many hard-core aficionados who may enjoy it.

My thrust is that numerous fine players have been overlooked by the various committees that choose entry into Baseball’s Hall of Fame. I have formulated a device, Runs Produced or Prevented (RPF), that compares the chosen to the neglected. It is my understanding that MLB statistics are considered public domain. I have used these numbers to come up with formulas that compare players from three different centuries, hoping to have a starting point for what constitutes a worthy entry.

I mostly use the formulas, but also rely on a number of vignettes-and I hope a bit of wit-to elaborate my contentions. The formulas and arguments are explained in the forward and the first chapter, then each Player Position is covered in dedicated chapters. My RPF for each player is listed, along with the dates pertinent to the calculation, an estimated grade for both defense and post-season play, and finally, which noted teams the entry played for.