Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB.  Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players, coaches and executives.  As such, it is important to us that the Kansas City Royals have announced that Ned Yost has been elected to their Hall of Fame.

Yost becomes the 27^th inductee to the Royals Hall and it will become official on September 2, during their home game against Boston.

Previously managing the Milwaukee Brewers, Yost took over as the Royals skipper in 2010, and four years later, would helm Kansas City to the Pennant.  The next year the Royals won it all, and he is the only Royal Manager to have won consecutive pennants.  Yost is also the team’s all-time leader in wins (746).

Yost retired in 2019, and was eligible for the franchise Hall of Fame for the first time this year.  He received 88.2% of the vote, more than the 75% required.

To be eligible for the Royals Hall of Fame alumni must have been active with the ballclub for at least three seasons and accumulated a minimum of 1,500 plate appearances or 300 innings pitched, or managed the equivalent of three full seasons.  They also have to be retired for three years.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Ned Yost for this impending honor.

Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB.  Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players, coaches and executives.  As such, it is important to us that the Seattle Mariners have announced that Phil Esposito has been chosen for the inaugural Tampa Bay Lightning Hall of Fame class.

Esposito will be honored on alumni weekend (March 16-18), and will be part of the first class with already named inductees, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier.  

"As good as the Lightning are now, expanding the NHL into Florida was a daunting task as big-time hockey had never been tried in this warm weather state.  Esposito was tasked as the team’s first General Manager, and he used his creativity to generate as much interest in the product as he could.  The Lightning only reached the playoffs once under Esposito, but he laid the groundwork for the team to make it.  He would later serve as their radio color analyst.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Phil Esposito for this impending honor.

Over his seven seasons in Toronto, Venezuelan hurler Kelvim Escobar tried every role on the mound.

Debuting in 1997, five years after he was signed as an Amateur Free Agent, Escobar saved 14 Games as a rookie, but two years later was a starter, going 14-11, though his ERA was a bloated 5.69.  He again had an ERA over five in 2000 (10-14), going back and forth from starter to reliever, and was finding a groove in late relief in 2001.  

Toronto promoted Escobar to their closer in 2002, and though he had 38 Saves, the 4.27 ERA was not good, and they tried again in 2003 to figure out what to do with Escobar, who bounced between roles.  Escobar signed with the Angels in 2004, and though Escobar’s career as a Blue Jay was inconsistent and somewhat chaotic, he belongs on this list.

The trade that brought Marco Estrada to Toronto before the 2015 season is often seen as a major steal for the Blue Jays. He was sent directly from Milwaukee for veteran first baseman Adam Lind and was initially considered a versatile depth option to help bridge the rotation and bullpen. However, Estrada unexpectedly sparked a remarkable late-career resurgence, revolutionizing his approach with a high-leverage changeup that effectively neutralized some of the American League’s most potent offenses.

His 2015 debut tour was truly a personal showcase of excellence. Starting as a reliever, Estrada quickly transitioned to the starting rotation in May and maintained his momentum. He kept hitters off balance with a deceptive, late-fading changeup and a low-90s fastball that seemed faster due to its exceptional spin. He finished the season with a career-best 13–8 record and an impressive 3.13 ERA, leading Major League Baseball by allowing just 6.7 hits per nine innings.

When the bright lights of October arrived, Estrada elevated his game to legendary heights. With the Blue Jays facing elimination, down 2-0 in the ALDS against Texas, he took the mound and spun a brilliant, high-leverage gem to save Toronto's season. He repeated the feat in Game 5 of the ALCS, completely stymying the eventual world champion Kansas City Royals and keeping the city's World Series dreams alive.

The front office immediately focused on keeping their postseason hero, re-signing him to a multi-year contract during free agency. Estrada confirmed that his breakout summer was no fluke by delivering an outstanding 2016 season. He earned his only All-Star appearance, posted a solid 3.48 ERA, and led the American League by limiting opponents to only 6.8 hits per nine innings. That fall, he also added another memorable moment to his playoff legacy, nearly pitching a complete-game shutout in Game 1 of the ALDS against Texas, falling just two outs short.

Eventually, the intense workload and ongoing back problems affected him. During his last two seasons with Toronto, his control became inconsistent, and his performance noticeably declined, culminating in 2018 when his ERA exceeded five. He then signed with the Oakland Athletics as a free agent for the 2019 season, but injuries restricted him to only five more major-league games before he retired.

With the Blue Jays, Estrada appeared in 124 games (118 starts) and posted a 39–40 record, a 4.25 ERA, and a 1.22 WHIP. He threw 703.1 regular-season innings with 575 strikeouts.