Was Willie Mays better than Ty Cobb? Is Babe Ruth the best player all-time? For devoted baseball fans, the Baseball Hall of Fame is a sacred institution, as well as the subject of much debate. Who will and who won't get in? Who should be there, and who shouldn't? Every player who has been inducted into the Hall of Fame has been a lightning rod for fan debate.

"The Hall of Fame Index" offers a revolutionary compendium of statistics that rates a player's fitness for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Of course, baseball beat-writers will continue to vote for their guys and the...