ABSTRACT

This paper examines the effects of race on player induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, concentrating on a player’s first ballot. We find limited evidence that retired Major League Baseball players who were born in Latin American countries receive fewer votes on their first ballot; however, the results are sensitive to the specification chosen. In addition, we find little evidence of bias among voters against black players. However, we find stronger evidence that discrimination in voting may exist for players who are both black and Latin. Furthermore, the results show that race does not seem to affect whether a player actually receives enough votes to get into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot. Instead, it appears that any discrimination in voting is concentrated among those players who would not have received enough votes for to enter the Hall of Fame based solely on their career statistics.  (JEL J7, D72)