Has anybody heard any talk about the league starting this up? Going on 8 years, and some guys with pretty big MLS stats are retiring now and in the near future... If the league does it like MLB, a 5 year waiting period after retirement, does that mean Carlos V goes in at the head of the initial MLS HOF class in 2007? Who else has proved their HOF worth? And what young uns look like they'll get there down the road?
I think that it would be tough to start a HOF. If you look at the baseball and football HOFs, there is little argument about the early players being there. No one can say that Babe Ruth ,Ty Cobb, Joe D, and Teddy Ballgame would not still be successful players today. Jim Brown, Dick Butkus, and Otto Graham would still lead the league. I don't think that there are many players right now that would stand the test of time for their play in MLS. If you look at a lot of the league leaders they are older internationals. They may have been world class players before their stay in MLS , but I would imagine(hope) that in thirty years we'll look at them and ask how they made it in this league. Also the American players that do so well for the Nats seem to have a hard time producing in MLS, like Ramos, McBride and others. I don't really see many players that would stand the test of time. To make the entire above paragraph moot, there is already a soccer HOF that is not tied to MLS. And I don't believe that other HOFs are strictly league related as Negro League players and players from the old AAFC are in the respective halls.
Indeed. It's been mentioned already that a good percentage of MLS "greats" are older internationals who are finishing their careers in the States and had their best years abroad, but it's also important to consider that an American player who is HOF material most likely won't play his entire career in the MLS. EDIT: FWIW, football and baseball have Pro Football Hall of Fame and Pro Baseball Hall of Fame while basketball has an HOF that honors both amateurs and professionals. None of these are league specific, which makes sense since each sports has had multiple top level leagues at one point or another.
There already is a US Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, NY. It takes into account the long but unheralded history of the game in this country. A MLS Hall of Fame would be incomplete and couldn't take into account this history and American players who succeed abroad. I'm sure the like of Ramos, Harkes, Wynalda will be in Oneonta soon and that will make the Hall grow in prestige.
I don't think an MLS hall of fame is neccesary. Maybe a smaller unofficial exhibit in Oneonta, but I think individual team's hall of fames should suffice.
First, it seems to me that I read an article on FIFA.COM regarding a big check sent somewhere to fund a FIFA HOF. Probably a political favor for a cronie, but still. Doubtless noone from MLS qualifies on that level yet. Back to the US Soccer HOF in Oneonta, NY: IF MLS isn't part of this then the suits in NY should get with the suits in Oneota and get it done. No excuses. That brings us to the point - assuming an MLS Hof similar to other American sports, who's in? First you have to decide criteria for getting on the ballot. Minimum seasons within MLS, special circumstances, minimum Best 11 awards...whatever. Under any criteria specific to MLS (not just US Nats/US soccer) established I think you have to include (right now) Valderramma based on 113 assists in 7 seasons alone. Case closed. Preki(he's a God, Current MLS leading scorer, has a ring, MVP, a 60/60 guy) and Kreis (MVP, 60/60 guy) are in now. Etch(MVP, many all-11's, overall skill), Pope(DEF of year), Agoos(4 rings, DoY), Frasier(DoY, lost finals often), and Jones(1 ring, 50/50 guy) all, today, deserve to be on a ballot, but maybe not get in. For GK's, there isn't even one example of extended excellence over a long period of time. Friedel has only 2 seasons, Hartman has had great defenses and has only been consistent rather than excellent, Meola has one phenominal MVP/title season. None else can even loosly be considered outstanding rising to the level of HoF consideration, yet.
Ironically, with MLS the standards for players will probably be much more stringent. Had Robin Fraser been an NASL player, he'd be in the Hall of Fame, because the bar for American players was so incredibly low. A lot of guys just made it for showing up to the World Cup, for example, and that's no longer an acceptable standard. (Sorry, Chris Sullivan.) Even so, there are a bunch of mortal locks still on MLS rosters. Landon could retire tomorrow and make a good case. Agoos is in. Kreis, yeah, probably. It's a shame that Fraser is a maybe, but what can you do? Lalas and Cobi, obviously. Ruiz, if he stays in MLS, like, one more season. Hartman might need a few caps before he makes it. Meola is a mortal lock. Vermes - eh, probably. Preki is in. DMB is on his way. Nowak - see, he's another guy who, if it were the NASL, he'd be a lock, but with MLS? Who knows? Thornton - again, without US caps, he'd have to dominate in MLS. Bocanegra might be on his way, but it's early. Chung...wow. Tough call. Like it or not, Mike Burns is probably in. They should start working on McBride's bust now. Balboa has an era named after him right now at the HoF, so it's pretty safe to say he'll be inducted. Etcheverry is a lock, Moreno's stock has diminished. Mathis is probably in, unless his career really fizzles out in an embarrassing way. And I'm sure I left people off. Are you willing to bet against, say, Taylor Twellman right now?
No. It takes more than two years. Yep. Kreis is a mortal lock already - and he's got 3 or 4 good years left. Ralston as well (as these are the two guys who will forever be grouped together - Americans good enough to excel in MLS, but not quite good enough to break into the national team setup). Fraser better hope the veteran's committe is kind, because he won't be on my ballot. Lalas does not get in for having one good year. Cobi is a mortal lock. Not even if his next season is as good as this one. Longevity counts. At no point in time has Hartman been considered one of the top three keepers in the league by anyone but you and his mom. If he EVER makes it we'll know the voting committee was top-heavy with Gals fans. He needs one more great season, and two more good ones after that to be a mortal lock. As it is, he's not quite first-ballot. Closer than Hartman, anyway. With 100% of the vote. Longevity is an issue. Even though he didn't have the number of games that other guys do, I'd vote for him. He was one of the two best players in the league for five years, and if he leads the Revs to the title next year he's a lock despite being here only for the end of his career and not having the gaudy numbers of, say, Etch and Carlos. Closer than Hartman - but he needs to stay in the league another 7 or 8 years and win a few more titles. No. Maybe a couple of votes - think Keith Hernandez. Dan, have you ever actually seen him play? The guy didn't hold down a starting spot past year two! No way in chocolate frosted heck. Tough call - he simply doesn't have the numbers, and the Crew have won exactly jack squat. Certainly he goes in the USSF hall, but in terms of a purely MLS hall I'd have to say no. Probably. I'd have to think long and hard, though. Both locks. No debate needed. He's only had one great year. Needs much, much more than that to earn a spot. How long does he stay in the league? If he stays here for 10 years - no. If he leaves for Europe by the time I'm done with this post - well, he doesn't get my vote. First ballot: Valderrama, Etch, Moreno, Nowak, Kreis, Ralston, Cobi, Pope, Preki, Cien, Agoos. If these guys retired tomorrow, they're in. RDA, Harkes, Lassiter and Meola could have arguments as well. As for the rest - time will tell.
Oh, I was thinking of Oneonta, since I don't see a separate MLS Hall being in the cards. And that's why I included Mike Burns. Two World Cups and 75 caps is impossible to keep out, especially compared to the pre-Shot Heard Round the World era.
No doubt. LA has had remarkable defenses through the years. No starter faced less shots than Hartman last season. What is that, like diabetic purgatory?!? Pretty loose criteria for Hof. Most HoFs have as a standing criteria thatr an inductee be "dominant is his era". Dominant stands out, but so should the word "era". Unlike, say...Preki, Ralston hasn't had an era yet, (same with Kreis). He was the '96 Rookie otY, twice All 11, and 8th in MLS scoring. High consistency, but not quite dominant. 7 similar seasons in the future will give him the key to any such Hall. Most of the 7 year starters are at the top of league scoring because there is little history, yet. I also think that based on the relative quality of MLS compared to today, arguments for players like Moreno, RDA, Vanney, Frasier, Bake, and Pope are hurt slightly, especially Moreno. As for Lassie and RDA, HoFs do not let in players that have short careers, and annual declining numbers from thier mid 20's. Nowak's an interesting Q. If you have seen him run past everyone, you know the quality. Still, do you take him just on speed and talent relative to age? He's never been above 18th in scoring - hardly dominant. His runs were unstoppable, plus he could score at the end; unlike a McKeon who did the same thing with size from deeper positions up until the box. If you add back in the two years Nowak missed and account for a younger age and worse league then he's top 10 in scoring, no question. End of the day...borderline no. You can't let in everyone that doesn't have the years, otherwise Friedel, John, and Diallo become viable.