The highest honor afforded by the
Baseball Reliquary is election to the Shrine of the Eternals. Similar to Cooperstown’s
National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Shrine of the Eternals differs philosophically in that
statistical accomplishment is not the principal criterion for election. It is believed
that the election of individuals on merits other than statistics and playing ability will
offer the opportunity for a deeper understanding and appreciation of baseball than has
heretofore been provided by "Halls of Fame" in the more traditional and
conservative institutions.
Criteria for election shall be: the
distinctiveness of play (good or bad); the uniqueness of character and personality; and
the imprint that the individual has made on the baseball landscape. Electees, both on and
off the diamond, shall have been responsible for developing baseball in one or more of the
following ways: through athletic and/or business achievements; in terms of its larger
cultural and sociological impact as a mass entertainment; and as an arena for the human
imagination.
Anyone associated with baseball,
past or present, is eligible for election, including players, managers and coaches,
umpires, executives and administrators, broadcasters and writers, fans, and those who have
interpreted the game through artistic and cultural mediums. Fictional characters from the
realms of literature, drama, motion pictures, etc., may also be considered.
By authorization of the Board of
Directors of the Baseball Reliquary, three individuals will be elected to the Shrine of
the Eternals on an annual basis by the organization’s membership. All members in good
standing, including honorary members, shall be eligible to vote. A screening committee
will be appointed by the Board of Directors to prepare a ballot, listing in alphabetical
order candidates for election to the Shrine of the Eternals. The ballot will be mailed to
the membership and the three candidates receiving the most votes in any year will be
elected.
Voting for the
twelfth class of electees will
be conducted in the spring of 2013, and the
Induction Day ceremony
will be held on July 21,
2013 in Pasadena, California. The electees for 1999, 2000,
2001, 2002,
2003, 2004, 2005, 2006,2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
and 2012and
have
previously been posted on this web site.
Complete election procedures and
rules are available from the Baseball Reliquary upon request.
