I made two trips to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum with two goals in mind: One was to prepare for and chronicle Ivan Rodriguez's enshrinement into the holiest of baseball holies.
The other: To define what it is to be a Hall of Famer.
I toured the premises for about 10 hours. I talked to Hall officials and curators. I watched and noted fans reactions during the annual parade of Hall of Famers on the afternoon before the induction ceremony. By the time I left, I was sure I knew what it meant.
At the entrance to the Hall of Fame gallery -- and let's be upfront here, a gallery is all the Hall of Fame consists of; the rest is the "and Museum" part -- stand three figures.