1983 Hall of Fame
There was a time early on in Hall of Fame voting where things became neatly organized by era. For the guys that existed right before and during the introduction of the Hall, their way in was BBWAA voting. For the guys who existed much too soon for the writers vote, there was the Veterans Committee. That was back in the 30s and 40s. Now that the passage of time was in the 70s and 80s, the Veterans Committee was taking on a bit more than just the Dead Ball Era in their considerations. They were also proving to be a viable 2nd look entry for men who had missed out on getting in via the BBWAA vote.
George Kell, for example, had failed to gain entry with the writers, getting at best 36.8% in 1977. Despite having no chance at all with the writers, the VC saw his resume as enough for enshrinement. And this was far from an isolated situation. Red Schoendienst was in his final year of eligibility on the writers ballot, and he fell well short at just 39%, yet stay turned to see his Hall of Fame card because the VC would do him good when his 2nd look opportunity comes.
