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51. Al Oliver

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51.  Al Oliver
  1. General
  2. Awards
  3. Career Stats
  • Born: October 14, 1946 in Portsmouth, OH USA
  • Weight: 195 lbs.
  • Height: 6'0"
  • Bats: L
  • Throws: L
  • Debut: September 23, 1968
  • Final Game: October 05, 1985
  • TSN All-Star - 1975
  • Silver Slugger - 1980
  • Silver Slugger - 1981
  • Silver Slugger - 1982
  • TSN All-Star - 1982
  • MVP - 1972
  • MVP - 1973
  • MVP - 1974
  • MVP - 1976
  • MVP - 1977
  • MVP - 1978
  • MVP - 1980
  • MVP - 1981
  • MVP - 1982
  • MVP - 1983
  • Rookie of the Year - 1969
 
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Al Oliver came to the league in 1969 as a line-drive hitter and for eighteen years consistently smacked the ball for hits.  He had over 2,700 hits in his career, and despite not being a genuine power hitter, he had a plethora of RBI’s.

Oliver’s main gift was hitting for average.  In addition to his 1982 Batting Title, he had ten other seasons where he hit the .300 plateau.  Oliver wasn’t known for hitting home runs (though he did over 200 in his career), but he found the gap often and was perennially among the league leaders in doubles.  As he was a decent clutch hitter and was always in the hunt for Batting Titles, it would have been thought that Al Oliver would have had more support for the Hall of Fame.

That support might have come had Oliver won an MVP (he came close in 1982) or was a better fielder.  He also had a relatively low On Base Percentage which has been the vogue baseball stat in the past fifteen years.  Regardless, a decade and a half of consistent contact hitting should have been worth more than 4.3 percent in his first year of eligibility.

Should Al Oliver be in the Hall of Fame?

Definitely put him in! - 79.2%
Maybe, but others deserve it first. - 10.2%
Probably not, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. - 8.1%
No opinion. - 0.4%
No way! - 2.1%

The Bullet Points

  • Country of Origin: Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S.A.
  • Eligible In: Tuesday, 01 January 1991
  • Position: First Base, Outfield
  • Played For: Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays
  • Major Accolades and Awards: World Series Rings (1) (Pittsburgh Pirates, 1971)
    All-Star (7) (1972, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982 & 1983)
    Silver Slugger (3) (AL) (1980 & 1981) (NL) (1982)
    Highest Batting Average (1) (NL) (1982)
    Most Hits (1) (NL) (1982)
    Most Total Bases (1) (NL) (1982)
    Most Doubles (2) (NL) (1982 & 1983)
    Most Runs Batted In (1) (NL) (1982)
    Most Extra Base Hits (1) (NL) (1982)
    Highest Range Factor per Game by a Centerfielder (2) (NL) (1971 & 1974)
    Highest Range Factor per Game by an Outfielder (2) (NL) (1971 & 1974)
  • Other Points of Note: Top Ten MVP Finishes:
    (NL: 1972, 7th), (NL: 1974, 7th) & (NL: 1982, 3rd)
    9 Top Ten Finishes (Batting Average)
    1 Top Ten Finish (On Base Percentage)
    2 Top Ten Finish (Slugging Percentage)
    1 Top Ten Finish (OPS)
    2 Top Ten Finishes (OPS+)
    4 Top Ten Finishes (Runs Scored)
    9 Top Ten Finishes (Hits)
    4 Top Ten Finishes (Total Bases)
    9 Top Ten Finishes (Doubles)
    3 Top Ten Finishes (Triples)
    4 Top Ten Finishes (Runs Batted In)
    5 Top Ten Finishes (Singles)
    5 Top Ten Finishes (Extra Base Hits)
    2 Top Ten Finishes (Championship Win Probability Added)
  • Notable All Time Rankings: 43. Doubles: 529
    52. Sacrifice Flies: 95
    58. Hits: 2,743
    62. Range Factor per Game by a Second Baseman: 2.58
    65. Singles: 1,918
    72. At Bats: 9,049
    76. Outs Made: 6,736
    83. Total Bases: 4,083
    90. Intentional Walks: 119
    98. Games Played: 2,743
    100. Runs Batted In: 1,326
  • Vote Percentage Received for the Hall of Fame: 1991: 4.3
  • Should be Inducted As A: Pittsburgh Pirate

Should Al Oliver be in the Hall of Fame?

Definitely put him in! - 79.2%
Maybe, but others deserve it first. - 10.2%
Probably not, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. - 8.1%
No opinion. - 0.4%
No way! - 2.1%

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