I'm sure I'm missing some obvious people, and likely missed some recent deaths as well, but here's first stab:

Well, I believe Al Lopez is the oldest living HoFer, and at 96 will be the first if we induct him and he is still alive by then. Other old living HoFers (by earliest to retire) are Bobby Doerr (86), Bob Feller (86), Phil Rizzuto (87), George Kell (82) and Red Schoendiest (81).

Non-HoFers are difficult, because there are no real glaring omissions from the 1945-1965 era when the oldest living players generally retired. We are likely to put several of the following people on the "wait list" at some point, but it is unclear whether any will get inducted before later/younger retirees. None look like slam dunks, and some seem unlikely to get in at all: Phil Cavaretta (88), Mickey Vernon (86), Alvin Dark (82), Eddie Yost (78), Billy Pierce (77).

All things considered, including ability as a player, date of retirement, and likelihood of survival, my money for first living non-HoFer inducted is Rocky Colavito.

I agree that Colavito will probably get in, but I kind of look at him as a guy we discuss for 10 years and then, finally elect. I don't think he's a slam dunk 1st balloter. What about Ron Santo in 1980?

IN addition to Bobby Doerr (86), Bob Feller (86), Phil Rizzuto (87) I'd toss in Sandy Koufax. BUt really it will probably be Feller since he is likely 1st ballot and who knows about Scooter and Doerr (I haven't really looked at their numbers). Lopez is a HOFer largely for his Managerial achievments -- so his HOM case is a bit weaker.

Great idea to track this. Joe mentioned non-HoFers because a HoFer is not gonna give a s**t about the HoM. A guy who never got into Cooperstown, though, might be flattered that we elected him.

Colavito has certainly been vastly underrated by history, but a HoFer? We'll see. Santo certainly is a possibility. I don't think it's necessarily gonna be some old duffer. It might not happen until the 1980s or so. Other possibilities (and I'm not looking up their age or eligibility, just in random order some guys who have been underrated by history who could rate highly with us):

Bill Freehan--the second coming of Charlie Bennett, other than the fact that he still has two good legs

PS. Only among MLBs.

If it's Pete Rose, I vote we not contact him. I would support his election, but what a jerk. He'd probably charge you a fee to use his name on the HoM boards.

Maybe Ted Williams will become the living person elected in the earliest HOM-year -- but not till 2100.

Great lists, T. Can I change my pick from Minnie Minoso to Ralph Kiner. Hard to believe they're the same age. Minoso pretty much broke into the majors as Kiner entered his decline.

Was it Rusie and McGinnity who were the same age? That's an amazing story! Minoso and Kiner at least overlapped a couple-three years.

Great lists, T. Can I change my pick from Minnie Minoso to Ralph Kiner. Hard to believe they're the same age.

They're not. Minnie's newest autobiography states that he was born in 1926.

But I'd say the smart money has to be on Santo.

At the risk of being morbid, that's assuming that Santo lives long enough to be our first living non-HoF HoMer. He lost part of one leg after 2001, part of the other after 2002, & missed the play-offs with surgery last year. I'd love Santo live a long time, but the health of that life-long diabetic just ain't very good right now.

Catchers will always be tough. I mean, it's one thing to elect Ewing, Cochrane, Dickey, Campy, Berra, Bench et al. But for a large hall, it's another thing to ferret out the right guys in the Bennett, Bresnahan, Lombardi, Walker Cooper, Freehan, Munson range. I was/am a FOCB but the difficulty of getting Charlie elected makes me cautious about Freehan. I firmly believe that Freehan at his peak was closer to Johnny Bench than to, say, Lance Parrish, he just didn't have a long peak period. I also agree that Munson is underrated. At his best he was better than Fisk, though even a peak voter like me recognizes that Fisk's career more than offset that small peak difference. But other than that I will save my Freehan arguments for another day.

Does Shoeless Joe Jackson have a good shot at being elected?

He has an excellent shot his second year of eligibility, but I'm not sure about his first year. Both Jackson and Cicotte will not be on my ballot in 1926.

I would say either Feller or Musial, who are first ballot-type players for the HoF.

I agree. They seem to be in very good health (knock on wood) and will be inducted very quickly when eligible.

Doerr, Minoso and Rizzuto will have more of a fight on their hands. Lopez will never be elected to this wing of the Hall.

I would urge everyone to start doing their homework on Double-Duty Radcliffe as soon as possible so we're all prepared when he's eligible. It would be nice to honor him while he is still around to enjoy it.

Joe wins.

Joe wins.

Tell him what he's won, Don!

Actually, Carl Goetz picked Santo first.

Santo is the first living HOMer-not-HOFer, but I think Feller was the first living HOMer.

Santo is the first living HOMer-not-HOFer, but I think Feller was the first living HOMer.

Correct.

We were gonna send Feller a telegram, too, as I recall. I'm sure he would have been immensely appeciative.

We were gonna send Feller a telegram, too, as I recall. I'm sure he would have been immensely appeciative.

Some here decided against it because they felt that Feller would feel the honor was beneath him. Something like: "You elected me? Duh!" :-)

Feller just needs more bran in his diet.
Make sure to tell him that at the end of the telegram notifying him of his election.
Old curmuddgeon!

lol