To diehard baseball fans, the selection of players who will join the ranks of Cooperstown inductees often seems a bit arbitrary. Over the years there have been many outstanding players passed over, time and again, by the Veterans Committee, despite the players' qualifications and the support of fans and teammates. In Out by a Step, Mike and Neil Shalin compile their list of the 100 finest major leaguers who, in their views, deserve a place on the hallowed walls of Baseball's Hall of Fame. Out by a Step celebrates the fine careers of this "close but no cigar" fraternity—Richie Allen, Joe Torre, Tommy John, Elroy Face, and Urban Shocker, to name just a few—and will surely open up lively debate among baseball fans everywhere.
