Keltner Test

From Wiki Gonzalez

The Keltner Test was first espoused by Bill James in the 1985 Bill James Baseball Abstract. It is a series of questions designed to evaluate whether or not a player is worthy of being enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame and is named after its first subject, Indians third baseman Ken Keltner (http://www.baseball-reference.com/k/keltnke01.shtml).

The questions are:

1. Was he ever regarded as the best player in baseball? Did anybody, while he was active, ever suggest that he was the best player in baseball?
2. Was he the best player on his team?
3. Was he the best player in baseball at his position? Was he the best player in the league at his position?
4. Did he have an impact on a number of pennant races?
5. Was he good enough that he could play regularly after passing his prime?
6. Is he the very best baseball player in history who is not in the Hall of Fame?
7. Are most players who have comparable statistics in the Hall of Fame?
8. Do the player's numbers meet Hall of Fame standards?
9. Is there any evidence to suggest that the player was significantly better or worse than is suggested by his statistics?
10. Is he the best player at his position who is eligible for the Hall of Fame?
11. How many MVP-type seasons did he have? Did he ever win an MVP award? If not, how many times was he close?
12. How many All-Star-type seasons did he have? How many All-Star games did he play in? Did most of the players who played in this many All-Star games go into the Hall of Fame?
13. If this man were the best player on his team, would it be likely that the team could win the pennant?
14. What impact did the player have on baseball history? Was he responsible for any rule changes? Did he introduce any new equipment? Did he change the game in any way?
15. Did the player uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider?

Like all tests, the usefulness of the Keltner Test is debated. For instance, the test provides no magic number as to indicate whether or not a player is enshrinable; some questions, in particular, are almost impossible to "pass," such as questions one, six, and fourteen, while others are difficult to evaluate, such as thirteen.

Around Hall of Fame voting time, numerous Keltner Tests are posted for various players. Occasionally, parodies of Keltner Tests pop up when done for marginal players; e.g. the "Sibby Sisti Keltner Test."