“It’s the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Very Good”

“It’s the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Very Good” means that someone who is just “very good” isn’t special enough to be voted into a sports hall of fame. “Nine of them, submitted as a silent protest against turning the Hall of Fame into the Hall of Very Good, have deprived Jim Bunning admission this year and possibly forever” was written by Associated Press sportswriter Hal Block in 1988. “This, though, is not the Hall of Very Good. It’s the Hall of Fame” was written by Block in 1998.
 
 
Google News Archive
9 February 1988, Ludington (MI) Daily News, “Bock’s Score: Blank ballots hurt Bunning’s bid” by Hal Block (AP), pg. 9, col. 4:
Beware the blank ballot.
 
Nine of them, submitted as a silent protest against turning the Hall of Fame into the Hall of Very Good, have deprived Jim Bunning admission this year and possibly forever.
 
Google News Archive
3 January 1998, Ludington (MI) Daily News, “Baseball HOF: It’s tough deciding who belongs” by Hal Block (AP), pg. 7, col. 1:
This, though, is not the Hall of Very Good. It’s the Hall of Fame. So, we look for some separating qualities.
 
Google News Archive
21 August 2002, The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, VA), “Davis had heart, but not Hall credentials” by Skip Bayless, pg. B6, col. 6:
This is not the Hall of Very Good.
 
Google Groups: alt.sports.baseball.chicago-cubs
Upgrades from April 2003 roster
David Craven
12/22/03
(...)
One’s a member of the Hall of very Good and the other is a member of the Hall of Fame.
     
Yanks Go Yard
January 5, 2015
The Bronx is Boiling: David Cone in the HOF?
by Wayne Cavadi
(...)
There is that old saying that, “It’s the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Very Good.” I agree with that, but there is no denying that some very pedestrian players have been admitted in the Hall of Fame.
 
Twitter
Reid
‏@ReidMFSmith
I hate when people say “it’s not the Hall of Very Good.” Being very good for 20 years is unbelievable and rare. Biggio belongs in the Hall
8:22 PM - 6 Jan 2015
 
Twitter
Jarret Matta
‏@jbmatta13
@howaboutafresca as skip bayless would say “Hall of Very Good”?
10:23 PM - 6 Jan 2015