Addie Joss - Recognition

Recognition

Boston Globe sports editor Jason Nason campaigned for Joss' induction into the Hall of Fame, beginning in the 1950's. Sportswriter Red Smith wrote in 1970 in support of Joss. "Could you write a history of baseball without mentioning Joss? Nobody ever has. That ought to be the measure of a man's fitness for the Hall of Fame, the only measure." However, Warren Giles, then-chairman of the Hall of Fame's Veterans Committee, had pointed out to baseball historian Bob Broeg in 1972 that induction to the Hall required "participation in ten championship seasons." Joss had been on the Cleveland roster in 1911 and participated in spring training, falling ill just before regular season play commenced. Hence it was argued he had "participated" in the 1911 season, his tenth. The Hall's Board of Director's waived the eligibility requirements for Joss. Joe Reichler, a member of the Commissioner's office, worked to allow Joss to become eligible for the Hall and by 1977, Reichler had succeeded. Joss was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1978. He is the only member of the Hall of Fame whose regular season playing career lasted fewer than ten years.

In 1981, Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig included him in their book The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time. They explained what they called "the Smoky Joe Wood Syndrome," where a player of truly exceptional talent but a career curtailed by injury or illness should still, in spite of not having had career statistics that would quantitatively rank him with the all-time greats, be included on their list of the 100 greatest players. They believed that Joss' career ERA was proof enough of his greatness to be included. Baseball author John Tierney wrote: "Joss is remembered for a remarkably low career ERA, but it should be noted that he pitched in a time before earned runs were compiled as an official statistic, and his career ended in 1910, before the American League introduced its new baseball in 1911, leading to a nearly 25 percent increase in runs scored."

Joss was inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame on July 29, 2006. He was inducted in the same class as Ray Chapman, Rocky Colavito, Al Lopez, Sam McDowell, Al Rosen and Herb Score.