In reference to Jerome Holtzman`s Jan. 8 article, ”Seaver almost sweeps Hall clean”: It is unfair to compare the percentage of Hall of Fame votes obtained by Tom Seaver against those of Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner and Babe Ruth, the inference being that he was a better player. Cobb, Wagner and Ruth amassed their percentages against all of the great players in baseball from 1876 to 1936; Seaver`s main competition came from players eligible in the last five years.
Players like Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker, Cy Young, Grover Alexander, Eddie Collins, Willie Keeler, George Sisler and Rogers Hornsby (all much greater than Seaver) didn`t even obtain 75 percent of the vote in that first election in 1936.
Since Ruth did not retire until 1935, and under today`s rules would not have been eligible for election until 1940, by then he would have gotten 100 percent of the vote against much less opposition.
