Dub’s Snubs

I started thinking about this when I got that ’86 Donruss box a couple of weeks ago.  You know, the one that I still haven’t opened.  It’s really bothering me but I just haven’t had the time I think should be allotted to meticulously go through those packs.  It’s sort of a big deal for me because I’ve always wanted to rip a box but for whatever reason, just never have been able to get it done.  I guess I still can’t get it done even though the box is sitting right in front of me.  Anywho, two of the big rookies in the set are Jose Canseco and Fred McGriff.  For totally different reasons, they have one major thing in common; neither are in the Hall of Fame.  I have to thank Matt Sammon at @waxandgumstains for making me think so hard about Fred McGriff and the Hall.  But I really don’t understand why he isn’t.  I get why Jose isn’t, even though he was one of the most dominant hitters of the late 80’s-early 90’s and one of my all time faves.  The Crime Dog doesn’t have those kind of numbers but he also doesn’t have that kind of baggage.  

So that’s what brought me here.  What players should be in the Hall that I collected growing up?  Moreover, what about the players that didn’t have any glaring steroid allegations?  I decided to avoid the whole steroid issue (almost) in this review because I didn’t want to beat a dead horse.  Some of these players may have even had some weird link to some of the issues but they aren’t Clemens or McGwire or Sosa.  These are players that,  by and large, did it the right way on the field.  They are also players that might eventually get in through some veterans committee waiver but they aren’t in yet and I think they should be.  I’ve also tried to put them in order from least to most deserving.  This is not a comprehensive list by any means but it is based on the thoughts of yours truly.  And again, this list is restricted to a time period in which I collected these guys heavily.#5 Alan Trammell – I first remember Alan Trammell from RBI Baseball from 1987.  The Tigers were stacked and Trammell hit .343 with 28 bombs and 105 RBI that year.  He was also a middle infielder, which was my spot on the field too.  Those numbers are really staggering for a short stop from the mid 80’s.  He also had 21 stolen bases and he won silver slugger during that season.  I know, you don’t get into the Hall for one season so here is more support: 20 seasons, 6x All-Star, ’84 World Series Champ and MVP, 4x Gold Glover and 3x Silver Slugger.  He had 7 seasons batting over .300 and 13 double digit steals seasons.  Perhaps one of the most impressive stats is that he only had 3 seasons with more than 60 K’s and none more than 71.  He averaged 8 less K’s per season than Cal, hit 10 points higher in his career and won 2 more Gold Gloves.  Now, I’m not arguing that he is actually Ripken but he had a worthy career.  Unfortunately, none of his numbers jump out as threshold numbers.  .285 avg, 2365 hits and 185 HR.  But if you ask me, he belongs in the Hall!#4 Don Mattingly – “Donnie Baseball” did not have a career as lengthy as Trammell but he did but up numbers.  He finished his career as a .307 hitter with 2153 hits.  He also outclubbed Trammell in HR’s with 222.  He had 1,000+ RBI and only averaged 40 K’s per season.  He was also a 6x All-Star, 9x Gold Glover, 3x Silver Slugger, AL MVP (’85), AL Batting Champ (’84) and AL RBI Champ (’85).  He was the captain of the Yankees from ’91-’95 and had his #23 retired.  The only thing he didn’t do was win a World Series.  He was an absolute stud during his heyday but ran into injuries along the way and just didn’t finish with any of those magic numbers either.  But the Hall is not just about numbers.  The dude was nicknamed Donnie Baseball for crying out loud!#3 Larry Walker – Mattingly and Trammell’s numbers sort of pale in comparison to #3 on our list.  Larry Walker hit .313 for his career and almost hit more home runs than the other two combined, 383.  He struck out a little more but he hit .350+ in 4 out of 5 seasons from 1997-2001.  Add in 230 steals and 150 RF assists, good for 17th all-time, and you have yourself a 5 tool player!  Over 17 seasons, he was a 6x All-Star, won 7x Gold Gloves, 3x Silver Sluggers, led the NL in HR in 97, was the MLB batting champion 3x and won NL MVP in ’97.  Seriously, you’re telling me that this guy doesn’t belong in the Hall?#2 Gary Sheffield – Now, a controversial pick.  Yes, he has been linked to PED’s but not in the same capacity as the big guys from the day.  Yes, he was a bit of a hothead and character issue guy but he helped ball clubs win.  He played for 22 seasons and was a 9x All-Star, 5x Silver Slugger, a World Series Champ and an NL Batting Champ in 92.  There are no Gold Gloves on the resume but he did top 500 HR (509) and hit .292 over his career.  He came up shy of 3,000 hits by only 311 and had 1676 RBI.  As a power hitter in a strikeout era, he also only K’d an average of 74 times per season.  He never struck out more than 83 times in a season.  Recently inducted Jeff Bagwell struck out 100+ times in 10 of 15 seasons.  Again, not comparing the two players as a whole, just giving a reference.  Sheffield has his issues but he was always a very intimidating force at the plate.  His stats are worthy but he just has too much baggage at this point.  #1 Fred McGriff – First and foremost, I’m a Braves fan and Crime Dog was a tremendous player on those teams from 93-97, eventually winning that WS ring in ’95.  He hit 130 of his career 493 HR’s during that 5 year stretch and hit for a .297 average as a Bravo.  He finished his career 10 hits shy of 2500 and 7 HR shy of 500.  Over 19 seasons, he was a 5x All-Star, All-Star MVP (94), a 3x Silver Slugger and 2x HR Champ.  He also never found himself in the news for any dubious reasons, was not linked to PED scandals and was by all accounts a consummate teammate and professional.  He is one of my all time favorite 1B, along with Frank Thomas.  This guy is the prime example of what the Hall of Fame stands for in my opinion.  And as if all of that weren’t enough already, he also gave Tom Emansky his full endorsement on his hitting instruction videos.  Case closed in my book!No-Brainer – Pete Rose – I really didn’t want to have to do this but can we get Pete in the Hall already?  He obviously had a character flaw with his betting on baseball.  I’m not going to completely ignore that fact.  But what he did in the diamond is unparalleled.  4,256 hits??  17x All-Star, 3x World Series Champ, Rookie of the Year, NL MVP, Clemente Award Winner, 2x Gold Glover, Silver Slugger, All Century Team.  3,000 hits is a benchmark stat for HOF and Rose had 3,215 singles!!  It’s time people!  Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame!

I’m sure everyone has their list that differs.  There are tons of metrics that people use.  But sometimes we make things more difficult than they have to be.  The eye test is important to me and these guys all pass it.  Of course, everyone can’t get in and there will always be fringe players but these guys excelled at the game and had long, decorated careers that should be honored and admired.  What about you?  Who’s in your top 5?

J-Dub