BOOK REVIEW | ATTORNEYS IN THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
Attorneys in the Baseball Hall of Fame Hon. Louis H. Schiff and Robert M. Jarvis, eds. REVIEWED BY THE HON. DOUG NAZARIAN
The National Baseball Hall of Fame is a hallowed and exclusive place. Of the tens of thousands who have played, managed, coached, owned, umpired, broadcast, or otherwise contributed to America’s Pastime,1 only 351 have been elected to membership.2 And it’s not just about on-field performance. Both the Baseball Writers’ Association of America,3 which elects former players, or the Eras Committee,4 which elects some former players and all of the non-players, consider “integrity, sportsmanship, character and contributions” alongside the candidate’s record—a character and fitness component that mirrors, in a way, the requirements for admission to the Bar.5 So it’s extremely rare for a person to have a baseball career worthy of the Hall and qualify as a lawyer. Indeed, there are only 11 such people, and the aptly titled Attorneys in the Baseball Hall of Fame anthology, edited by retired Florida Judge Louis Schiff and Nova Southeastern Law Professor Robert Jarvis, offers insightful biographical essays about each.6 Their baseball contributions took many forms, and on balance, those involved in leadership and ownership roles garnered more controversy. Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis was the first Commissioner 1 2 3 4 5
6
36
of Baseball, elected by the owners in 1920. He was meant to clean up baseball after the Chicago Black Sox scandal of 1919, but faced his own ethical challenges and refused to resign his seat on the federal bench for nearly two years after assuming the Commissioner’s role. Happy Chandler succeeded Judge Landis as Commissioner after serving as lieutenant governor and governor of Kentucky and United States Senator, then was elected again as governor before running for President in 1960. Bowie Kuhn, a “terrible athlete,” was a partner at a Wall Street firm that represented baseball clubs, then elected as the fifth Commissioner at age 42. Larry McPhail was also a lawyer first,
Baseball Reference lists 23,600 major leaguer players as of September 11, 2025. See Baseball Reference, https://www.baseballreference.com/ (last visited September 11, 2025. “The Hall of Fame is comprised of 351 elected members. Included are 278 former major league players, as well as 40 executives/ pioneers, 23 managers and 10 umpires.” See National Baseball Hall of Fame website, https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-fame (last visited August 31, 2025) Voting “shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.” Rule 5, Baseball Hall of Fame Election Rules, https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-fame/election-rules/ bbwaa-rules (last visited August 31, 2025). Voting “shall be based upon the individual’s record, ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contribution to the game.” Baseball Hall of Fame Election Rules, https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-fame/election-rules/era-committees (last visited August 31, 2025). This explains why players responsible for some of the greatest on-field accomplishments haven’t been elected. In addition, “[a]ny player on Baseball’s ineligible list shall not be an eligible candidate,” a list that until recently included Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson. See also Rule 3.E, Baseball Hall of Fame Election Rules, https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-fame/election-rules/bbwaa-rules (last visited August 31, 2025). The individual essays are authored by an impressive array of law professors and law librarians in addition to Judge Schiff and Professor Jarvis.
MSBA.ORG | VOLUME 7 ISSUE 2
It’s extremely rare for a person to have a baseball career worthy of the Hall and qualify as a lawyer.