Shift in Hall of Fame Standards Highlights Changing Attitudes Toward Baseball Statistics

Fred McGriff and Scott Rolen were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, reflecting a change in how players are evaluated.
McGriff represents traditional stats like batting average and RBIs, while Rolen is valued for overall performance.
Though successful, neither were initially picked by writers or had exceptional stats compared to peers.
Their elections raise questions about Steroid Era standards and Hall of Fame quality at their positions.
Future slam-dunk candidates include Beltre, Mauer, Ichiro, Posey, Molina, and Pujols.