Who Should Go to the Baseball Hall of Fame?

7/9/2007 | Our Man in Washington

[Our man in washington]

Conservatives are logical people who use data. I thought the sports fans among us could use data and general impressions to answer the following question: which active-duty players should go to the Baseball Hall of Fame? It's a good subject for argument so that we can sharpen our wits when we debate more substantial matters.

I'm ignoring the steroid issue in my opinions. I'm going on data here, but others can give their views on how steroids should affect the voting.

I'll start with my opinion so you can tell me where I'm wrong. Based on statistics alone, the following hitters should go to the hall of fame if they retired today: Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Frank Thomas, Ken Griffey, Craig Biggio, Mike Piazza, Sammy Sosa, Jim Thome, Ivan Rodriguez, and Omar Visquel.

The following hitters are "on the bubble." and need a few more good seasons to be locks for the Hall of fame: Chipper Jones, Derek Jeter, Vladimir Guerrero, Jason Giambi, Carlos Delgado and Jim Edmonds.

One could make a case for two others. In Todd Helton's case, how much is he helped by playing in Colorado? In Ichiro Suzuki's case, should we count the awesome numbers he put up in Japan count toward his Hall of Fame qualifications?

In the honorable mention category, Bobby Abreu is making a stealth run at the Hall of Fame.

For pitchers, all of the following should go in if they retire today: Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine, Trevor Hoffman, and Mariano Rivera.

The pitchers who are "on the bubble" are Mike Mussina, Curt Schilling, John Smoltz, and Kevin Brown.

[upsdriver]

Sosa has 600 HRs, that should get him in the hall.

Now let’s talk about getting Roger Maris in there. He should go in just because of being screwed on the stupid asterisk fiasco alone.

[Billthedrill]

I never knew whether that rumor was true or not, but something sure had to keep Sweet Lou’s hands from around Ayala’s throat...

[irishtenor]

True,something had to hold him back.

[GOP_Raider]

Now let’s talk about getting Roger Maris in there.

I was waiting for someone to mention Maris. Here are Maris's career stats. True, he "only" played 12 seasons, does his 61 HR seasons make up for his .260 BA/275 HRs/851 RBI numbers?

[GOP_Raider]

*ahem*

[Our man in washington]

Jeter is a .318 lifetime hitter; Evans was a .272 hitter. Jeter wlll get to 3500 hits easily if he stays healthy, and may even make a run at Rose.

But Evans' on base was comparable to Jeter. (.370 for Evans to .389 for Jeter.) Evans had a slightly higher slugging average.

I didn't believe you at first that Jeter could take a run at Rose, but looking at the numbers, it does look possible. My prediction is that Jeter will make it easily in his first year of eligibility.

However, the name that comes to mind is Don Mattingly. Everyone figured Mattingly was a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame, but he's never gotten there. (He was a six-time all star.) Injuries derailed his career.

The question is whether Jeter would go in if he retired today. If he retired today, he would not have the numbers of other players of his generation.

Fortunately, Jeter isn't retiring today, so it's almost certainly a moot point.

On another subject, anyone know the record for most number of future Hall of Famers on one team? The '95 Atlanta Braves will probably send five people to the Hall of Fame: McGriff, Chipper Jones, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz. The current Yankees will almost certainly send Jeter, Rodriguez, Clemens, and Mariano Rivera. If Mussina and Giambi join them, that's six.

Thanks all, for indulging me on this discussion. I figured the all-star break could also be a break from serious politics for at least one thread.

[Mr. Mojo]

Bernie Williams is an interesting case. Check out the lifetime #s.

BA: .297 (dropped 13 points in last two years)
OBP: .381
Gold Gloves: 4
2336 hits, 1257 RBIs, 287 HRs

But here's where it gets real interesting......

Postseason #s:

22 HRs (1st all-time)
80 RBIs (1st all-time)
29 doubles (1st all-time)
128 hits (2nd all-time after Jeter)

Yep, Mattingly was indeed a shoe-in for the HOF if he stayed healthy. Big IF, as it turned out.

On another subject, anyone know the record for most number of future Hall of Famers on one team?

Not sure, but I suspect it'll be hard to beat the 1932 Yankees (107 - 47, and WS Champs): Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Bill Dickey, Tony Lazzeri, Joe Sewell, Earle Combs, Red Ruffing, Lefty Gomez, and Herb Pennock.

Nine HOFers.

[Mr. Mojo]

Ah, you were asking about future HOFers. In that case then yep, the '95 Braves and current Yanks would be tough to beat.

The '32 Yanks have the most current HOFers. .....to my knowledge, at least.

[Our man in washington]

Actually, I meant to say total Hall of Famers. None of the current teams are going to match nine players, unless a few of the Yankees put spectacular flourishes on the end of their careers. If Posada and Matsui have a spectacular finish to their caeers and we take the year Randy Johnson and Bernie Williams were on the team, and Williams makes it to the Hall of Fame, maybe. But that’s a lot of maybes.

Anyway thanks for the information about nine hall of famers on one team. Great trivia question.

[fkabuckeyesrule]

****the following hitters should go to the hall of fame if they retired today: Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Frank Thomas, Ken Griffey, Craig Biggio, Mike Piazza, Sammy Sosa, Jim Thome, Ivan Rodriguez, and Omar Visquel.....The following hitters are "on the bubble." and need a few more good seasons to be locks for the Hall of fame: Chipper Jones, Derek Jeter, Vladimir Guerrero, Jason Giambi, Carlos Delgado and Jim Edmonds.****

Well with stats you can say anything they say. My opinion on the Hall Of Fame is were the given players a dominating presence in the game for atleast a decade (give or take a few years). Perhaps the stats achieved the last 10 years or so one with just have to calculate that this was a steroid era. Kinda like the late 60's was a time dominated by pitching so the stats were lower for batters (something that has perhaps hurt Ron Santo's chances). I don't know about Gary Sheffield the steroid stories might be an issue for him. I'm not sure about I-Rod. Maybe they'll get in eventually but it will probably won't for atleast 10 years after retirement.

I can't imagine Derke Jeter not making the HOF unless he just completely goes "steve blass" on everyone. Chipper Jomes might end up with some decent stats and he made a living killing the Mets that for sure and that will help him get in. And as far as we know Chipper did it all on the up and up. I think Smoltz in definetely in the HOF and EDmonds I'm not sure. It depends on his offensive stats. I remember Gary Maddox (phillies) and Cesar Geronimo (reds) back in the 70's. Those guys were super awesome CF's and very strong arms who rarely get much support for the hall of fame.

[Our man in washington]

I agree that some “dead ball” hitters may be getting overlooked. Ron Santo has a good case.

Respectively, I have to disagree on Ivan Rodriguez. Tonight is the fourteenth time he’s playing in an all-star game. Very few players have played in fourteen all-star games, and the ones who did are either in the Hall of Fame or will be. Rodriguez also can make a case for being the best fielding catcher—ever. He will go into the Hall in his first year of eligibility.