Missing after action: Hall of Famers with no biographies

I recently created a bit of a stir of Facebook when, after doing some research for new titles coming down the pike, I questioned the “necessity” for a biography on Mike Torrez. All due respect for the 18-year veteran, he doesn’t seem to have the gravitas of a Hall of Famer.

That reminded me of a project I did a few years ago about that very topic: books on or by Hall of Famers. As per my long-held attitude, I did not include titles written specifically for the younger crowd. I’m sure there have been additional titles published in the interim, especially for the perennial favorites like Mantle, DiMaggio, Berra, etc. I have not revised my original lists but I will at some point since there have been additional inductees in the intervening years.

Here are the links to those 2011 Bookshelf HOF entries for your convenience:

“Borrowing” from a table of Hall of Famers created by the good folks at Baseball-Almanac.com, I’ve edited it to note if a member of the Hall has been paid literary tribute. A “♦” indicates there has been at least one book written about/by the individual as the main subject. There were surprises on both sides of the publishing line: some unlikely personalities had books thanks to niche outfits like McFarland, while some who were more prominent (at least to me) did not. One of the things you will notice is the dearth of books about many of those who came out of the Negro Leagues.

Name	Year	Method	Position	Books?
Hank Aaron^(bio)	1982	BBWAA	RF	♦
Grover Alexander^(bio)	1938	BBWAA	P	♦
Roberto Alomar	2011	BBWAA	2B	♦
Walt Alston^(bio)	1983	Veterans	M	♦
Sparky Anderson^(bio)	2000	Veterans	M	♦
Cap Anson^(bio)	1939	Veterans	1B	♦
Luis Aparicio^(bio)	1984	BBWAA	SS
Luke Appling^(bio)	1964	BBWAA	SS
Richie Ashburn^(bio)	1995	Veterans	CF	♦
Earl Averill^(bio)	1975	Veterans	CF
Frank Baker^(bio)	1955	Veterans	3B	♦
Dave Bancroft	1971	Veterans	SS
Ernie Banks	1977	BBWAA	SS	♦
Al Barlick	1989	Veterans	U
Ed Barrow	1953	Veterans	Executive	♦
Jake Beckley	1971	Veterans	1B
Cool Papa Bell	1974	Negro Leagues	CF	♦
Johnny Bench	1989	BBWAA	C	♦
Chief Bender	1953	Veterans	P	♦
Yogi Berra	1972	BBWAA	C	♦
Bert Blyleven	2011	BBWAA	P
Wade Boggs	2005	BBWAA	3B	♦
Jim Bottomley	1974	Veterans	1B
Lou Boudreau	1970	BBWAA	SS	♦
Roger Bresnahan	1945	Veterans	C
George Brett	1999	BBWAA	3B	♦
Lou Brock	1985	BBWAA	LF	♦
Dan Brouthers	1945	Veterans	1B
Mordecai Brown	1949	Veterans	P	♦
Ray Brown	2006	Negro Leagues	P
Williard Brown	2006	Negro Leagues	P
Morgan Bulkeley	1937	Veterans	Executive
Jim Bunning	1996	Veterans	P	♦
Jesse Burkett	1946	Veterans	LF
Roy Campanella	1969	BBWAA	C	♦
Rod Carew	1991	BBWAA	2B	♦
Max Carey	1961	Veterans	CF
Steve Carlton	1994	BBWAA	P	♦
Gary Carter	2003	BBWAA	C	♦
Alexander Cartwright	1938	Veterans	Executive	♦
Orlando Cepeda	1999	Veterans	1B	♦
Henry Chadwick	1938	Veterans	Executive	♦
Frank Chance	1946	Veterans	1B	♦
Happy Chandler	1982	Veterans	Executive	♦
Oscar Charleston	1976	Negro Leagues	1B-CF
Jack Chesbro	1946	Veterans	P
Nestor Chylak	1999	Veterans	U
Fred Clarke	1945	Veterans	LF	♦
John Clarkson	1963	Veterans	P
Roberto Clemente	1973	BBWAA	RF	♦
Ty Cobb	1936	BBWAA	CF	♦
Mickey Cochrane	1947	BBWAA	C	♦
Eddie Collins	1939	BBWAA	2B	♦
Jimmy Collins	1945	Veterans	3B
Earle Combs	1970	Veterans	CF
Charlie Comiskey	1939	Veterans	Executive	♦
Jocko Conlan	1974	Veterans	U	♦
Tom Connolly	1953	Veterans	U
Roger Connor	1976	Veterans	1B	♦
Andy Cooper	2006	Negro Leagues	P
Stan Coveleski	1969	Veterans	P
Bobby Cox	2014	Veterans	M	♦
Sam Crawford	1957	Veterans	RF	♦
Joe Cronin	1956	BBWAA	SS	♦
Candy Cummings	1939	Veterans	P
Kiki Cuyler	1968	Veterans	RF	♦
Ray Dandridge	1987	Veterans	3B	♦
George Davis	1998	Veterans	SS
Leon Day	1995	Veterans	P-2B-OF
Andre Dawson	2010	BBWAA	CF	♦
Dizzy Dean	1953	BBWAA	P	♦
Ed Delahanty	1945	Veterans	LF	♦
Bill Dickey	1954	BBWAA	C
Martin Dihigo	1977	Negro Leagues	P-OF
Joe DiMaggio	1955	BBWAA	CF	♦
Larry Doby	1998	Veterans	CF	♦
Bobby Doerr	1986	Veterans	2B	♦
Barney Dreyfuss	2008	Veterans	Executive
Don Drysdale	1984	BBWAA	P	♦
Hugh Duffy	1945	Veterans	CF	♦
Leo Durocher	1994	Veterans	M	♦
Dennis Eckersley	2004	BBWAA	P
Billy Evans	1973	Veterans	U
Johnny Evers	1946	Veterans	2B	♦
Buck Ewing	1939	Veterans	C	♦
Red Faber	1964	Veterans	P	♦
Bob Feller	1962	BBWAA	P	♦
Rick Ferrell	1984	Veterans	C	♦
Rollie Fingers	1992	BBWAA	P	♦
Carlton Fisk	2000	BBWAA	C	♦
Elmer Flick	1963	Veterans	RF
Whitey Ford	1974	BBWAA	P	♦
Bill Foster	1996	Veterans	P
Rube Foster	1981	Veterans	P-M	♦
Nellie Fox	1997	Veterans	2B	♦
Jimmie Foxx	1951	BBWAA	1B	♦
Ford Frick	1970	Veterans	Executive	♦
Frankie Frisch	1947	BBWAA	2B	♦
Pud Galvin	1965	Veterans	P
Lou Gehrig	1939	BBWAA	1B	♦
Charlie Gehringer	1949	BBWAA	2B	♦
Bob Gibson	1981	BBWAA	P	♦
Josh Gibson	1972	Negro Leagues	C	♦
Warren Giles	1979	Veterans	Executive
Pat Gillick	2011	Veterans	Executive
Tom Glavine	2014	BBWAA	P	♦
Lefty Gomez	1972	Veterans	P	♦
Joe Gordon	2009	Veterans	2B
Goose Goslin	1968	Veterans	LF
Goose Gossage	2008	BBWAA	P	♦
Frank Grant	2006	Negro Leagues	2B
Hank Greenberg	1956	BBWAA	1B	♦
Clark Griffith	1946	Veterans	Executive	♦
Burleigh Grimes	1964	Veterans	P	♦
Lefty Grove	1947	BBWAA	P	♦
Tony Gwynn	2007	BBWAA	RF	♦
Chick Hafey	1971	Veterans	LF
Jesse Haines	1970	Veterans	P
Billy Hamilton	1961	Veterans	CF	♦
Ned Hanlon	1996	Veterans	M
Will Harridge	1972	Veterans	Executive
Bucky Harris	1975	Veterans	M	♦
Gabby Hartnett	1955	BBWAA	C	♦
Doug Harvey	2010	Veterans	U	♦
Harry Heilmann	1952	BBWAA	RF	♦
Rickey Henderson	2009	BBWAA	LF	♦
Billy Herman	1975	Veterans	2B
Whitey Herzog	2010	Veterans	M	♦
Pete Hill	2006	Negro Leagues	CF
Harry Hooper	1971	Veterans	RF	♦
Rogers Hornsby	1942	BBWAA	2B	♦
Waite Hoyt	1969	Veterans	P	♦
Cal Hubbard	1976	Veterans	U	♦
Carl Hubbell	1947	BBWAA	P	♦
Miller Huggins	1964	Veterans	M	♦
William Hulbert	1995	Veterans	Executive
Catfish Hunter	1987	BBWAA	P	♦
Monte Irvin	1973	Negro Leagues	LF	♦
Reggie Jackson	1993	BBWAA	RF	♦
Travis Jackson	1982	Veterans	SS
Fergie Jenkins	1991	BBWAA	P	♦
Hughie Jennings	1945	Veterans	SS	♦
Ban Johnson	1937	Veterans	Executive	♦
Judy Johnson	1975	Negro Leagues	3B	♦
Walter Johnson	1936	BBWAA	P	♦
Addie Joss	1978	Veterans	P	♦
Al Kaline	1980	BBWAA	RF	♦
Tim Keefe	1964	Veterans	P
Willie Keeler	1939	BBWAA	RF	♦
George Kell	1983	Veterans	3B	♦
Joe Kelley	1971	Veterans	LF
George Kelly	1973	Veterans	1B
King Kelly	1945	Veterans	RF
Harmon Killebrew	1984	BBWAA	1B	♦
Ralph Kiner	1975	BBWAA	LF	♦
Chuck Klein	1980	Veterans	RF
Bill Klem	1953	Veterans	U
Sandy Koufax	1972	BBWAA	P	♦
Bowie Kuhn	2008	Veterans	Executive	♦
Nap Lajoie	1937	BBWAA	2B	♦
Kenesaw Landis	1944	Veterans	Executive	♦
Barry Larkin	2012	BBWAA	SS
Tony La Russa	2014	Veterans	M	♦
Tommy Lasorda	1997	Veterans	M	♦
Tony Lazzeri	1991	Veterans	2B	♦
Bob Lemon	1976	BBWAA	P
Buck Leonard	1972	Negro Leagues	1B	♦
Freddie Lindstrom	1976	Veterans	3B
Pop Lloyd	1977	Negro Leagues	SS	♦
Ernie Lombardi	1986	Veterans	C
Al Lopez	1977	Veterans	M	♦
Ted Lyons	1955	BBWAA	P
Connie Mack	1937	Veterans	M	♦
Biz Mackey	2006	Negro Leagues	C
Larry MacPhail	1978	Veterans	Executive	♦
Lee MacPhail	1998	Veterans	Executive	♦
Greg Maddux	2014	BBWAA	P
Effa Manley	2006	Negro Leagues	Executive	♦
Mickey Mantle	1974	BBWAA	CF	♦
Heinie Manush	1964	Veterans	LF	♦
Rabbit Maranville	1954	BBWAA	SS	♦
Juan Marichal	1983	BBWAA	P	♦
Rube Marquard	1971	Veterans	P	♦
Eddie Mathews	1978	BBWAA	3B	♦
Christy Mathewson	1936	BBWAA	P	♦
Willie Mays	1979	BBWAA	CF	♦
Bill Mazeroski	2001	Veterans	2B	♦
Joe McCarthy	1957	Veterans	M	♦
Tommy McCarthy	1946	Veterans	RF	♦
Willie McCovey	1986	BBWAA	1B
Joe McGinnity	1946	Veterans	P	♦
Bill McGowan	1992	Veterans	U	♦
John McGraw	1937	Veterans	M	♦
Bill McKechnie	1962	Veterans	M	♦
Bid McPhee	2000	Veterans	2B
Joe Medwick	1968	BBWAA	LF	♦
Jose Mendez	2006	Negro Leagues	P
Johnny Mize	1981	Veterans	1B	♦
Paul Molitor	2004	BBWAA	DH	♦
Joe Morgan	1990	BBWAA	2B	♦
Eddie Murray	2003	BBWAA	1B
Stan Musial	1969	BBWAA	1B	♦
Hal Newhouser	1992	Veterans	P	♦
Kid Nichols	1949	Veterans	P	♦
Phil Niekro	1997	BBWAA	P	♦
Hank O’Day	2013	Veterans	U
Walter O’Malley	2008	Veterans	Executive	♦
Jim O’Rourke	1945	Veterans	LF	♦
Mel Ott	1951	BBWAA	RF	♦
Satchel Paige	1971	Negro Leagues	P	♦
Jim Palmer	1990	BBWAA	P	♦
Herb Pennock	1948	BBWAA	P	♦*
Tony Perez	2000	BBWAA	1B
Gaylord Perry	1991	BBWAA	P	♦
Eddie Plank	1946	Veterans	P
Alex Pompez	2006	Negro Leagues	Executive
Cum Posey	2006	Negro Leagues	Executive
Kirby Puckett	2001	BBWAA	CF	♦
Old Hoss Radbourn	1939	Veterans	P	♦
Pee Wee Reese	1984	Veterans	SS	♦
Jim Rice	2009	BBWAA	LF	♦
Sam Rice	1963	Veterans	RF	♦
Branch Rickey	1967	Veterans	Executive	♦
Cal Ripken, Jr.	2007	BBWAA	SS	♦
Eppa Rixey	1963	Veterans
Phil Rizzuto	1994	Veterans	SS	♦
Robin Roberts	1976	BBWAA	P	♦
Brooks Robinson	1983	BBWAA	3B	♦
Frank Robinson	1982	BBWAA	RF	♦
Jackie Robinson	1962	BBWAA	2B	♦
Wilbert Robinson	1945	Veterans	M	♦
Bullet Rogan	1998	Veterans	P	♦
Edd Roush	1962	Veterans	CF	♦
Red Ruffing	1967	BBWAA	P
Jacob Ruppert	2013	Veterans	Executive
Amos Rusie	1977	Veterans	P
Babe Ruth	1936	BBWAA	RF	♦
Nolan Ryan	1999	BBWAA	P	♦
Ryne Sandberg	2005	BBWAA	2B	♦
Ron Santo	2012	Veterans	3B	♦
Louis Santop	2006	Negro Leagues
Ray Schalk	1955	Veterans	C	♦
Mike Schmidt	1995	BBWAA	3B	♦
Red Schoendienst	1989	Veterans	2B	♦
Tom Seaver	1992	BBWAA	P	♦
Frank Selee	1999	Veterans	M
Joe Sewell	1977	Veterans	SS
Al Simmons	1953	BBWAA	LF	♦
George Sisler	1939	BBWAA	1B	♦
Enos Slaughter	1985	Veterans	RF	♦
Hilton Smith	2001	Veterans	P
Ozzie Smith	2002	BBWAA	SS	♦
Duke Snider	1980	BBWAA	CF	♦
Billy Southworth	2008	Veterans	M	♦
Warren Spahn	1973	BBWAA	P	♦
Al Spalding	1939	Veterans	Executive	♦
Tris Speaker	1937	BBWAA	CF	♦
Willie Stargell	1988	BBWAA	LF	♦
Turkey Stearnes	2000	Veterans	CF	♦
Casey Stengel	1966	Veterans	M	♦
Bruce Sutter	2006	BBWAA	P
Mule Suttles	2006	Negro Leagues	1B
Don Sutton	1998	BBWAA	P
Ben Taylor	2006	Negro Leagues	1B
Bill Terry	1954	BBWAA	1B
Frank Thomas	2014	BBWAA	DH	♦ *
Sam Thompson	1974	Veterans	RF
Joe Tinker	1946	Veterans	SS	♦
Joe Torre	2014	Veterans	M	♦
Cristobal Torriente	2006	Negro Leagues	CF
Pie Traynor	1948	BBWAA	3B	♦
Dazzy Vance	1955	BBWAA	P	♦
Arky Vaughan	1985	Veterans	SS
Bill Veeck	1991	Veterans	Executive	♦
Rube Waddell	1946	Veterans	P	♦
Honus Wagner	1936	BBWAA	SS	♦
Bobby Wallace	1953	Veterans	SS
Ed Walsh	1946	Veterans	P	♦
Lloyd Waner	1967	Veterans	CF	♦
Paul Waner	1952	BBWAA	RF	♦
John Ward	1964	Veterans	SS	♦
Earl Weaver	1996	Veterans	M	♦
George Weiss	1971	Veterans	Executive
Mickey Welch	1973	Veterans	P
Willie Wells	1997	Veterans	SS	♦
Zack Wheat	1959	Veterans	LF
Deacon White	2013	Veterans	3B
Sol White	2006	Negro Leagues	Executive	♦
Hoyt Wilhelm	1985	BBWAA	P
J.L. Wilkinson	2006	Negro Leagues	executive
Billy Williams	1987	BBWAA	LF	♦
Dick Williams	2008	Veterans	M	♦
Joe Williams	1999	Veterans	P
Ted Williams	1966	BBWAA	LF	♦
Vic Willis	1995	Veterans	P
Hack Wilson	1979	Veterans	CF	♦
Jud Wilson	2006	Negro Leagues	3B
Dave Winfield	2001	BBWAA	RF	♦
George Wright	1937	Veterans	Executive	♦
Harry Wright	1953	Veterans	Executive	♦
Early Wynn	1972	BBWAA	P	♦
Carl Yastrzemski	1989	BBWAA	LF	♦
Tom Yawkey	1980	Veterans	Executive
Cy Young	1937	BBWAA	P	♦
Ross Youngs	1972	Veterans	RF	♦
Robin Yount	1999	BBWAA	SS	♦

* Release date 2016

Of the 32 players on the current BBWAA ballot, 10 have already been the subjects of or written books, including Mike Piazza, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mike Mussina, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Nomar Garciaparra, Ken Griffey, and Billy Wagner.

Tagged as: Baseball Hall of Fame

{ 1 comment }

1 Mark Harris November 16, 2015 at 11:25 pm: There are biographies of Jimmy Collins ("Jimmy Collins," Charlie Bevis, McFarland, 2012) and King Kelly ("Slide, Kelly, Slide," Marty Appel, Scarecrow Press, 1999).

I'm especially surprised to find these players among the missing: Bill Dickey, Joe Gordon, Goose Goslin, Chuck Klein, Ernie Lombardi, Greg Maddux (really?), Willie McCovey, Bill Terry, Arky Vaughan, and Hoyt Wilhelm.