Baseball
Established in 1936, and currently based in Cooperstown, New York, the Baseball Hall of Fame may be the most prestigious of any Sports Hall of Fame. Although Baseball may have taken a backseat to Football in recent years, there is no doubt that Baseball’s version of the Hall of Fame is by far the most relevant and the most difficult to get enshrined in. At present, a player has to receive seventy five percent of the votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America, which has proven to be no easy task. Failing that, a player could be inducted by the Veterans committee, though few have been inducted this way. Our list will focus on the players only, and although we could easily do a tally focusing on mangers, broadcasters or other vital personnel, as always it is far more enjoyable to discuss the merits of those on the field as oppose to those off of it.Until Then, Let’s get some peanuts and cracker jacks and cast some votes of our own!
Sincerely,
The Not in Hall of Committee.
Bringing a strong power game to all four of the Major League teams he played for (Texas, Atlanta, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees), Mark Teixeira would go deep 409 times in his career, including winning the Home Run Title in 2009 (39) with eight other seasons of 30 or more. A three-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger, Teixeira also showed off good defensive skill at First Base as he was a five-time Gold Glove winner. It should also be noted just how strong his 2009 season was, in which he helped the Yankees win the World Series and finished…
A four-time All-Star, Tim Hudson spread those accolades over three teams (Oakland, Atlanta & San Francisco). Hudson would finish in the top ten in Cy Young voting four times, including a runner-up run in 2000. He would also finish in the top ten bWAR for Pitcher seven times. The sinkerball specialist would win 223 Games, an excellent number for his era, and most notably, made history by becoming the oldest Pitcher to start a Game 7 in the World Series, a game that his San Francisco Giants won, giving him his lone World Series ring.
Vida Blue debuted in 1969, and over his 12 Games in Oakland, he was ineffective, posting a 6.64 ERA. His 1970 callup was different, with a 2-0 record over six starts and a pair of Shutouts. 1971 was one of the best seasons ever for an Oakland A’s Pitcher. 1971 was the year he went 24-8 with 301 Strikeouts and led the American League in ERA (1.82), FIP (2.20), and WHIP (0.952). Blue won both the MVP and the Cy Young, and he was part of what became an elite franchise in the AL. While Blue would have ups and downs afterward, the ups…
In 1981, a "mania" took over Los Angeles. Some would say it took over the entire baseball world. That was "Fernandomania" in honor of Mexican hurler, Fernando Valenzuela. The Dodgers discovered Valenzuela by accident, as they were in Mexico scouting a Shortstop. They were dazzled by the rotund hurler and signed him, buying out his Mexican League contract in 1979. A year later, he was a September callup, and in 17.2 Innings, he never allowed a run. It didn’t take a clairvoyant to see what might happen in 1981. Valenzuela was the opening day starter, and everyone in Los Angeles took the Mexican star. That season,…
Sal Bando was an integral part of the Oakland Athletics dynasty, and he was there when they were toiling in obscurity in Kansas City. When the Athletics’ owner, Charles O. Finley, relocated the team to Oakland, Bando was at the core of what was poised to become a special team that would define the early 1970s. Playing at the hot corner, Bando would prove to be a good hitter with decent power. The four-time All-Star had six 20 Home Run seasons, with two seasons seeing him accrue an On Base Percentage over .400. From 1971 to 1974, Bando would finish in the top…
In this era of the overpriced, overpampered, selfish athlete, we can’t help but like a player who was nicknamed “Mr. Team”. This isn’t to say that Bob Elliott did not still rack up some impressive individual accolades, as he certainly did just that. Bob Elliott had some solid campaigns for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but because many of the great stars were away during World War II, he did not have many to compete against. Elliott would still prove valuable, as when the League returned to full strength, he put up his best numbers (as a member of the Boston Braves)…
The Hall of Fame victim most often cited in the Black Sox Scandal is "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, but Pitcher Eddie Cicotte might also have cost a Cooperstown plaque. After a brief stint with the Detroit Tigers in 1905, he went back to the minors, only to return three years later with the Boston Red Sox. Cicotte did better there, good enough to stay on the roster but far from a star. That changed when he was traded to the Chicago White Sox during the 1912 season. With Chicago, he had his breakout season in 1913, when he went 18-11 with a 1.58…
Adolfo Domingo De Guzman “Dolf” Luque was a Cuban baseball legend who played in the Cuban Winter League from 1912 to 1945. For our purposes, Luque played in the Majors from 1914 to 1935 and was a long-time star for the Cincinnati Reds. While prejudice ran rampant in baseball, Luque gained a pass as a fair-skinned, blue-eyed Cuban. After a few games with the Boston Braves (1914 & 1915), he found a home for a dozen years with the Cincinnati Reds. Luque had a phenomenal year in 1923, where he led the National League in Wins (27), ERA (1.93), and FIP (2.94). He would…
One of the most popular players in Cleveland Indians' history, Rocco "Rocky" Colavito, came from the Bronx, where, naturally, he was a Yankees fan. The Outfielder debuted with the Indians in 1955, where he was an instant fan favorite and bona fide star. Colavito was the runner-up for the American League Rookie of the Year in 1956, and in 1957, he began a six-year streak in the top six in Home Runs and a nine-year run in the top ten in Runs Batted In. Colavito won the Home Run Title in 1959, and this season, and the year before, he was…
In the year 2000, the two most cursed franchises in baseball were the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. Given their history of bad luck, many believed it would be another hundred years before either of these big market teams won a championship. While Jon Lester did not break these curses (he wasn't in the Majors when Boston broke it in 2004), he played a significant role in two squads that had been struggling for decades. Lester was a second-round pick by the BoSox in 2002 and joined the main roster in 2006. While he played well, he had enlarged…
Many of the early baseball players suffered from an addiction to alcohol, but we have to wonder if any of them had anything on Pete Browning, an Outfielder who once quipped, "I can't hit the ball until I hit the bottle." He hit the bottle a lot, but he also hit the baseball at a high level. Browning took his hitting seriously, as he was believed to be one of the first players to have his bats custom-made. He went as far as to give names to each of his bats, which may have been eccentric at the time, but the man…
Another very interesting name eligible for the 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame vote is Luis Gonzalez. “Gonzo” has very good career numbers, with 2,591 Hits, 354 Home Runs, and 1,439 RBI’s. His 48.0 career bWAR is nothing to sneeze at either. The question that arises with Gonzalez is the major spike in his power numbers in his 30s and the fact that he had his best seasons in his second decade in the Majors. Although his name has never been associated with PEDs, he is often lumped in that category. As it stands, Gonzalez is probably a bubble candidate before…
The Los Angeles Dodgers were an excellent team in the 1970s and early 80s, and Ron Cey was a part of it. Nicknamed the "Penguin" for the way he moved, this was one non-flying bird that could play baseball. Cey played at Third, winning that job in 1973 for L.A., and in the next season, he began a six-year streak of All-Star Game appearances. From 1974 to 1980, he was a 20 plus Home Run hitter, and he probably would have extended that in 1981, had there not been a strike that year. Nevertheless, that was the season he was a large part…
The quick synopsis of Fred “Firpo” Marberry is a Pitcher who was used in a way that was ahead of its time. Marberry was one of the best hurlers of the 1920s, and the Washington Senators used him mostly as a reliever, making him one of the first players in baseball to be used in that capacity. Debuting in 1923, the following season, Marberry led the American League in Games Pitched (50), Games Finished (31), and Saves (15), and in the '24 World Series, he appeared in four games with a 0-1 record with a 1.13 ERA en route to the…
A slick hitting Second Baseman, who was pretty good on the field too, Cupid Childs was one of the top stars for the Cleveland Spiders and was one of the top leadoff hitters in the 1890’s Childs showcased a keen batting eye and was often in the top ten in On Base Percentage. His .416 OBP is actually number three all-time for Second Basemen. Childs was a gifted athlete, but he never delivered power numbers even by 1890’s standards. Had he been the type of batter who delivered more extra-base hits, it is very possible that he would have been…
In the mid-2000s, Roy Oswalt was considered one of the top pitchers in the National League. “Os” would have five seasons where he was voted in the top five in National League Cy Young balloting, and it was his arm that won the NLCS MVP in 2005, getting Houston to their lone World Series appearance. Oswalt was a very good starter for an extended period of time, but was it enough for Cooperstown? It probably isn’t, though it can not be forgotten that in a six-year period, he finished in the top five in Cy Young voting for five of…
The Major League career of Johnny Sain began in 1942, where he had a fairly uneventful season with a 4-7 record for the Boston Braves. Like so many other baseball players, Sain served in the U.S. Military during World War II, and he lost three years on the diamond. When he returned to Boston, he quickly became one of the most recognized Pitchers in the game.
Willie Davis played most of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he did an excellent job at the top of the order and defensively in Centerfield. Davis first made the Dodgers roster in 1960, and he would eventually replace the legendary Duke Snider in Centerfield. He was one of the fastest baseball players, who used to chase down balls in the outfield and befuddle opponents on the base paths. Early in his career, he helped the Dodgers win two World Series Championships (1963 & 1965), and in the early 70s, he won three Gold Gloves. Davis had 13 20-plus stolen…
We here at Notinhalloffame.com talk every day about those who should be in their respective Halls of Fame. The hottest sports debate in this context might be in baseball. Vern Stephens might have a Hall of Fame case, but before we go there, we can say without question that he is the greatest player who never made the ballot. Vern Stephens would debut in 1941 for the St. Louis Browns, where he would secure the starting role at Shortstop for the club in the following season. He would instantly establish himself as one of the best hitting Shortstops in baseball. He would have at…