ESPN is ranking the top 100 players of all times and Old Hoss Radbourn is tearing them to shreds

December is list season. Usually end-of-year lists. But ESPN.com has decided to do an all-time list, asking their scores of baseball writers, editors and experts to rank the top 100 players of all time.

They’re calling it the Hall of 100, and it’s their stab at a Hall of Fame of sorts. The good news: the voters were explicitly instructed to ignore PEDs and character stuff. They were merely to go on on-the-field performance.

The bad news: (1) they’re releasing their rankings piecemeal, so as of today they’re still only through 26, with the top 25 coming tomorrow; and (2) based on rankings it appears that the old timers -- 19th century players, deadballers and, most notably, the Negro Leaguers -- are getting short shrift. Maybe understandable given that you tend to favor what you know, but still a bit of a disappointment.

The redeeming news: Twitter’s Old Hoss Radbourn has a running commentary of each pick, critiquing the player and/or ESPN’s rank. Such as this comment about Chipper Jones:

#49: L. Jones. Remember when he hit .364 as a broken 36-year-old and faced no scrutiny? It’s nice to be white.

— Old Hoss Radbourn (@OldHossRadbourn) December 12, 2012

Or this one about Jackie Robinson:

#52: J. Robinson. Bold to rank him so high. If you really wanted to take a stance, ESPN, you’d have included Negro Leaguers.

— Old Hoss Radbourn (@OldHossRadbourn) December 12, 2012

Can’t read the rankings without the commentary, can’t have the commentary without the rankings. If ESPN was cool they’d put Hoss’ comments alongside their list.