Replies

Murphy doesn't have better all around numbers than any of those HoF's you mentioned, nor are his numbers good enough even in one category to merit HoF consideration. To make the Hall as an outfield you better either have over 500 Hrs, over 3000 hits, over 1500 RBis, or a lifetime BA of well over .300. Murphy has none of the above.

Joe DiMaggio

Joe D had 1537 RBIs, a .325 lifetime BA, and more jewelry than Liberace.

Hank Greenburg

Greenberg was a .313 lifetime hitter and averaged 148 RBIs/162 games for his career. ....the highest average in MLB history.

Kirby Puckett

Puckett had a .318 lifetime BA and led his team to 2 WS titles.

Ralph Kiner

Kiner's HoF credentials are questionable, there's no doubt. Too short a career. ....but his numbers are still better than Murphy's.

Hack Wilson

Wilson was a .307 hitter with almost 1500 RBIs. ....and still has the single season RBI record, of course.

Tony Gwynn

3141 Hits, .338 BA. ......an automatic.

I agree that overall comparisons are a stretch, but the raw numbers (more HRs than Joe D., etc.) are factual.

But consider another way of looking at it...let's say for the decade. Murph was one of the most dominant players of the 80s, IMHO. He hit 308 HRs (most in the majors) for those ten years. (and even with his number tailing off at the end of the decade, an average of 30 a year is pretty darn good.)

Compare that to, say, the dominant players of the 1950s (a golden baseball era)...here's a partial list of players who hit FEWER HRs than Murph over -that- ten-year period: Eddie Matthews, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Yogi Berra, Willie Mays, Ted Williams, and Roy Campanella.

Furthermmore, I think the "boy scout" stuff -should- count. If MLB is so concerned about their image nowadays, then why not honor someone who was widely viewed as one of the most upstanding and honorable people to play the game?