Now if we are going to spend some time seeing of the Cy Young Award equates to the Hall of Fame; should we not do the same for the MVP Award?   Damn right we should!

First off, we would like to congratulate Miguel Cabrera and Buster Posey for their MVP Award wins. Both stars are under the age of 30, and could very well be on their way to Hall of Fame careers. However as we learned with the Cy Young, it is does not give you an automatic pass to Cooperstown. We will begin our look from 1931, which is the accepted year of the modern MVP Award. The following are those who qualify for the Hall of Fame, but did not get enshrined.

Bucky Walters:   1939, NL, Cincinnati   Highest HOF Vote was 23.8% in 1968; on the ballot for fifteen years; #74 on the Notinhalloffame Baseball List.

Frank McCormick:   1940, NL, Cincinnati   Highest HOF Vote was 3.0% in 1964; on the ballot for four years.

Dolph Camilli:   1941, NL, Brooklyn   Highest HOF Vote was 1.5% in 1958; on the ballot for four years

Mort Cooper:   1942, NL, St. Louis   Highest HOF Vote was 1.1% in 1958; on the ballot for four years

Spud Chandler:   1943, AL, New York   Highest HOF Vote was 3.0% in 1964; on the ballot for five years

Marty Marion:   1944, NL, St. Louis   Highest HOF Vote was 40% in 1970; on the ballot for 13 years; #86 on the Notinhalloffame Baseball List.

Phil Cavarretta:   1945, NL, Chicago   Highest HOF Vote was 35.6% in 1975; on the ballot for 12 years.

Bob Elliott:   1947, NL, Boston   Highest HOF Vote was 2.0% in 1964; on the ballot for three years; #92 on the Notinhalloffame Baseball List.

Jim Konstanty:   1950, NL, Philadelphia   ZERO HOF Votes.

Bobby Shantz:   1952, AL, Philadelphia   Highest HOF Vote was 2.3% in 1970 & 1972; on the ballot for five years.

Hank Sauer:   1952, NL, Chicago   Highest HOF Vote was 1.3% in 1966; lone year on the ballot.

Al Rosen:   1953, AL, Cleveland   ZERO HOF Votes

Don Newcombe: 1956, NL, Brooklyn   Highest HOF Vote was 15.3% in 1980; on the ballot for fourteen years.

Jackie Jensen:   1958, AL, Boston   Highest HOF Vote was 1.1% in 1968; on the ballot for six years.

Roger Maris: 1960 & 1961, AL, New York   Highest HOF Vote was 43.1% in 1988; on the ballot for fifteen years; #99 on the Notinhalloffame Baseball List.

Dick Groat:   1960, NL, Pittsburgh   Highest HOF Vote was 1.8% in 1973 & 1976; on the ballot for six years.

Maury Wills:   1962, NL, Los Angeles   Highest HOF Vote was 40.6% on 1981; on the ballot for fifteen years; #52 on the Notinhalloffame Baseball List

Elston Howard:   1963, AL, New York   Highest HOF Vote was 20.7% in 1981; on the ballot for fifteen years

Ken Boyer:   1964, NL, St. Louis   Highest HOF Vote was 25.5% in 1988; on the ballot for fifteen years; #60 on the Notinhalloffame Baseball List.

Zolio Versalles:   1965, AL, Minnesota   ZERO HOF Votes

Denny McLain:   1968, AL, Detroit   Highest HOF Vote was 0.7% in 1979; on the ballot for three years.

Boog Powell:   1970, AL, Baltimore  Highest HOF Vote was 1.3% in 1983; lone year on the ballot.

Vida Blue: 1971, AL, Oakland   Highest HOF Vote was 8.7% in 1993; four years on the ballot.

Joe Torre: 1971, NL, St. Louis   Highest HOF Vote was 22.2% in 1997; fifteen years on the ballot; #35 on the Notinhalloffame Baseball List.

Dick Allen:   1972, AL, Chicago   Highest HOF Vote was 18.9% in 1996; fourteen years on the ballot; #18 on the Notinhalloffame Baseball List

Pete Rose:   1973, NL, Cincinnati   Declared Ineligible; #1A on the Notinhalloffame Baseball List.

Jeff Burroughs:   1974, AL, Texas   Highest HOF Vote was 0.2% in 1991; lone year on the ballot.

Steve Garvey:   1974, NL, Los Angeles   Highest HOF Vote was 41.6% in 1993; fifteen years on the ballot; #42 on the Notinhalloffame Baseball List.

Fred Lynn:   1975, AL, Boston   Highest HOF Vote was 5.5% in 1996; two years on the ballot.

Thurman Munson:   1976, AL, New York   Highest HOF Vote was 15.5% in 1981; fifteen years on the ballot; #78 on the Notinhalloffame Baseball List

George Foster:   1977, NL, Cincinnati   Highest HOF Vote was 6.9% in 1993; four years on the ballot.

Dave Parker:   1978, NL, Pittsburgh   Highest HOF Vote was 24.5% in 1998; fifteen years on the ballot; #22 on the Notinhalloffame Baseball List.

Don Baylor:   1979, AL, California   Highest HOF Vote was 2.6% in 1994 & 1995; two years on the ballot.

Keith Hernandez:   1979, NL, St. Louis   Highest HOF Vote was 10.8% in 1998; nine years on the ballot; #67 on the Notinhalloffame Baseball List.

Dale Murphy:   1982 & 1983, NL, Atlanta   Highest HOF Vote was 23.2% in 2000; fourteen years on the ballot; #48 on the Notinhalloffame Baseball List.

Willie Hernandez:   1984, AL, Detroit   Highest HOF Vote was 0.4% in 1995; lone year on the ballot.

Don Mattingly:   1985, AL, New York   Highest HOF Vote was 28.2% in 2001; twelve years on the ballot; #64 on the Notinhalloffame Baseball List.

Willie McGee:   1985, NL, St. Louis   Highest HOF Vote was 5.0% in 2005; two years on the ballot.

George Bell:   1987, AL, Toronto   Highest HOF Vote was 1.2% in 1999; lone year on the ballot.

Jose Canseco:   1988, AL, Oakland   Highest HOF Vote was 1.1% in 2007; lone year on the ballot.

Kirk Gibson: 1988, NL, Los Angeles   Highest HOF Vote was 2.5% in 2001; lone year on the ballot

Kevin Mitchell: 1989, NL, San Francisco Highest HOF Vote was 0.4% in 2004; lone year on the ballot.

Terry Pendleton: 1991, NL, Atlanta   Highest HOF Vote was 0.2% in 2004; lone year on the ballot.

Jeff Bagwell: 1994, NL, Houston Highest HOF Vote was 56.0% in 2012; two years on the ballot; #3 on the Notinhalloffame Baseball List.

Mo Vaughn:   1995, AL, Boston   Highest HOF Vote was 1.1% in 2009; lone year on the ballot.

Juan Gonzalez:   1996 & 1998, AL, Texas   Highest HOF Vote was 5.2% in 2011; two years on the ballot.

Ken Caminiti:   1997, NL, San Diego   Highest HOF Vote was 0.4%; lone year on the ballot.

Larry Walker:   1998, NL, Colorado   Highest HOF Vote was 22.9%; two years on the ballot. #11 on the Notinhalloffame.com Baseball list.

Note that this group does not include former MVPs, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa, who are now eligible. All are not expected to get indicted due to past PED use, thus their vote totals are likely to be tarnished based on their actual on field performance. Although Jose Canseco, Ken Caminiti and Juan Gonzalez may not have had the career numbers to get in, their low tallies were certainly not aided by steroids.

Jeff Bagwell is likely to get in, and although Larry Walker has not broken 25%, his chances are still decent.

Of course there is still a handful whose Hall of Fame support was anemic, and like the Cy Young Award, the “no vote club” still exists here. This dubious group includes Jim Konstanty had one very good season, one average season, and mediocrity everywhere else.   The ‘53 AL MVP, Al Rosen was actually a four time All Star, but did not meet the career length requirement.   Does anybody outside sixty year old Twins fans even know who Zolio Versalles is?   And who is the writer who voted for Jeff Burroughs in 1991? He had to be from Texas. Maybe he and a friend were still on the ballot when they wanted to hear an induction speech by Kevin Mitchell. Actually, that might have been compelling television.

What does this mean for Posey and Cabrera? Time will tell whether they are the next Ted Williams or Zolio Versalles. Actually, I think I want to figure out how to make “Versalles” a verb.

First off, we would like to congratulate both R.A. Dickey of the New York Mets and David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays. Both captured their first ever Cy Young Awards for being the best Pitcher in their respective Leagues. This got us thinking……does the Cy Young Award equal a future Hall of Fame induction? Actually we were quite amazed how many winners of the prestigious award were not even fringe candidates for Cooperstown.

From 1956 to 1966 there was only one trophy awarded to the best pitcher overall. In that time span, seven of ten winners were enshrined. This includes Warren Spahn, Early Wynn, Whitey Ford, Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax; who won three times. The other three include Don Newcombe, who we have in our 100 for consideration, but two others who are never thought of at all. In 1958, Bob Turley won of the New York Yankees after posting the best season of his career. He never ever came close to that again and never received a single vote for the Hall. Vern Law won in 1960, and realistically only had two other seasons (other than his Cy Young winner) that was worthwhile. Unlike Turley, Law at least received some support from the Baseball writers, but never got more than three percent.

In 1967, two Cy Young Awards were given out in each league. There is a staggering amount of hurlers who won the award and did not get inducted (and is of course Hall of Fame eligible:

Mike McCormick (1967, NL, San Francisco) Zero HOF votes

Jim Lonborg (1967, AL, Boston)   0.8% vote in 1985

Denny McLain (1968 & 1969, AL, Detroit)   0.7% vote in 1979

Mike Cuellar (1969, AL, Detroit)   Zero HOF votes

Jim Perry (1970, AL, Minnesota)   1.9% in 1983

Vida Blue (1971, AL, Oakland)   8.7% in 1993; on the ballot for four years

Mike Marshall (1974, NL, Los Angeles) 1.5% HOF vote in 1987

Randy Jones (1976, NL, San Diego) Zero HOF votes

Sparky Lyle (1977, AL, New York) 13.1% in 1988; on the ballot for four years

Ron Guidry (1978, AL, New York) 8.8% in 2000; on the ballot for nine years

Mike Flanagan (1979, AL, Baltimore)   0.4% HOF vote in in 1998

Steve Stone (1980, AL, Baltimore)   Zero HOF votes

Fernando Valenzuela (1981, NL, Los Angeles) 6.3% HOF vote in 2003, off the ballot the following year.

Pete Vuckovich (1982, AL, Milwaukee)   Zero HOF votes

John Denny (1983, NL, Philadelphia) Zero HOF votes

Lamarr Hoyt (1983, AL, Chicago)   Zero HOF votes

Rick Sutcliffe (1984, NL, Chicago)   1.8% HOF vote in 2000

Willie Hernandez (1984, AL, Detroit)   0.4% HOF vote in 1995

Dwight Gooden (1985, NL, New York)   3.3% HOF vote in 2006

Bret Saberhagen (1985 & 1989, AL, Kansas City)   1.3% HOF vote in 2007

Mike Scott (1986, NL, Houston)   0.4% HOF vote in 1997

Steve Bedrosian (1987, NL, Philadelphia)   0.2% HOF vote in 2001

Orel Hershiser (1988, NL, Los Angeles)   11.2% HOF vote in 2006, off the ballot the following year

Frank Viola (1988, AL, Minnesota)   0.4% HOF vote in 2002

Mark Davis (1989, NL, San Diego)   0.2% HOF vote in 2003

Doug Drabek (1990, NL, Pittsburgh) 0.4% HOF vote in 2004

Bob Welch (1990, AL, Oakland)   0.2% HOF vote in 2000

Jack McDowell (1993, AL, Chicago)   0.8% HOF vote in 2005

David Cone (1994, AL, Kansas City)   3.9% HOF vote in 2009

Pat Hentgen (1996, AL, Toronto)   0.2% HOF vote in 2010

Wow….a lot of ZERO votes in there, not to mention sub 1%ers in there. We hate to say it, but in his late thirties, you can add R.A. Dickey to this list. At this stage the knuckleballer has a long way to go just to get to 100 wins and the odds are string that this amazing season will not be duplicated.

At the age of 26, David Price already has as many wins as Dickey (61). He is already a three time All Star, and could very well be on a Cooperstown career. OF course, at the age of 26, who knows!

Regardless, winning the Cy Young is an amazing accomplishment and though that does not translate to immortality, it should be respected and praised.  

With it being the Hall of Fame weekend in Hockey (though there is no actual hockey being played in regards to the biggest league of the game), it seemed like a perfect time for us to look forward. As you have noticed, we have diligently worked on futures for the Baseball section. We are doing same for Hockey.

We have isolated ten players who we think may be worthy of some consideration for the greatest post career prize.

They are:

Brian Rafalski
Chris Osgood
Dominik Hasek
Doug Weight
Mark Recchi
Mike Modano
Owen Nolan
Pavol Demitra
Peter Forsberg
Sandis Ozolinsh
 

You know what to do! Check them out and cast a vote and give your opinion!

There may not be an NHL season, but this weekend the Hockey Hall of Fame officially inducts its latest class into Toronto.

The class is a solid one, headlined by Joe Sakic who enters on his first year of eligibility. The native of British Colombia won every accolade worth winning in hockey. He is a former Hart Trophy winner and Stanley Cup Champion. His trophy case also includes an Olympic Gold Medal, a World Junior Gold Medal, A Lady Byng and a First Team All Star Selection. Had Sakic not entered in his first year, it would have been considered a travesty.

Pavel Bure will also be recognized this weekend. The Russian Rocket was a goal scoring machine whose career productivity was cut short by injuries. Many have been clamoring for Bure to get in (he was eligible for six years) and for many this is an oversight that has been finally cleared by the powers that be.

Much the same was said about Adam Oates, who is also inducted this weekend. Oates got in his fifth year and is one of the few players who have over 1,000 assists. The gifted playmaker played with seven NHL teams in his career and is not commonly associated with any particular one. That may have been a big reason why it took as long as he did.

This cannot be said about Mats Sundin. The talented Swedish star spent his best years in Toronto where he was their best player for at least a decade. As the ceremony takes place in Toronto, and there is often recognition of the new entries at Leafs games during the Hall of Fame weekend, we were deprived of what would have been a stellar reaction from the Leaf nation.

We here at notinhalloffame.com congratulate this year’s class, and hope that some NHL games transpire before the next ceremony in 2013.