Are Scott Rolen And Adrian Beltre Setting A Hall Of Fame Path For Nolan Arenado And His 3B Peers?

The induction this weekend of Scott Rolen into the Baseball Hall of Fame and Adrian Beltre residing in the on-deck circle, waiting only to find out if he receives the largest share of the vote for a third baseman upon earning election on the first ballot next year, has again brought to the forefront one of the questions most frequently asked by Cooperstown scholars and observers:

Why is it so difficult for third basemen — only 18 of whom are enshrined in the Hall of Fame, the fewest of any position — to crack the Cooperstown code?