The 2018 Fictitious Veteran Inductees

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Jon Jay

Jon Jay had a 12-year career as an outfielder, but he was not known for his power-hitting. He hit only 37 home runs throughout his career. However, he did have seven seasons in which he had over 100 hits and batted over .290 five times. Jay's willingness to help his team is also reflected in his ranking in the top 100 all-time in Hit by Pitch. He spent most of his career with St. Louis, where he played for six seasons and won a World Series in 2011. He also played for San Diego, Chicago (NL), Kansas City, Arizona, Chicago (AL), and Los Angeles (AL). Jay had a lifetime batting average of .283 with 1,087 hits.

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John Axford

John Axford, a Canadian baseball player, started his career in the Majors by replacing Hall of Fame reliever Trevor Hoffman in Milwaukee. Although he was a starting pitcher in the Minors, Axford performed well as a relief pitcher, saving 24 games in 2010 and leading the National League with 46 saves the following season (2011). His impressive performance earned him the NL Rolaids Relief Award and a ninth-place finish in the Cy Young voting.

In the subsequent season, Axford recorded 35 saves but his ERA was over four. Unfortunately, he was unable to regain his previous dominance, but he still managed to accumulate 144 saves during his 11-year career. In addition to Milwaukee, he played for St. Louis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Colorado, Oakland, Toronto, and the L.A. Dodgers.

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Joakim Soria

Joakim Soria began his career in the Mexican League before being selected in the Rule 5 Draft by the Kansas City Royals from the San Diego Padres organization. This turned out to be a wise investment for KC as Soria finished seventh in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2007, with 17 Saves. Over the next three seasons, Soria established himself as one of the best closers in baseball, earning All-Star Game selections in 2008 and 2010 and recording 105 Saves. Although he finished tenth for the Cy Young in 2010, he was arguably better in his first All-Star year, with 42 Saves, a 1.60 ERA and a WHIP of 0.861. However, Soria's performance slumped in 2011 (28 Saves, 4.03 ERA, 1.276 WHIP), and he missed the entire 2012 season due to Tommy John Surgery to repair a torn UCL. Although he made a comeback, he was never the same as before.

Over the next nine seasons, Soria played for nine different teams (Texas, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Kansas City again, Chicago (AL), Milwaukee, Oakland, Arizona, and Toronto), all out of the bullpen where he was sometimes again the closer. During this period, he had 69 Saves and a total of 229. While Soria never regained his past glory in Kansas City, he was good enough to find work for nearly a decade after.

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Jay Bruce

Jay Bruce is a former baseball player who is best known for his time with the Cincinnati Reds. He was a three-time All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger.

Bruce was a premier power hitter for the Reds for many years. In 2008, Bruce finished fifth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. That season, he had 21 home runs and 52 RBIs, which was arguably his worst season as a member of the Reds. However, he gradually increased his power numbers and had three consecutive 30-home run seasons, during which he had over or close to 100 RBIs. Bruce was an All-Star in both 2011 and 2012. He won Silver Sluggers in 2012 and 2013 and finished tenth in MVP voting that year.

Cincinnati traded Bruce to the New York Mets in 2016, shortly after he went to his third All-Star game. That season, he finished with his career-best 36 home runs. However, the struggling Mets waived Bruce, and he signed with Cleveland. He later returned to the Mets as a free agent, but his second stint only lasted a year. His power was fading, and he was eventually traded to the Seattle Mariners. Bruce finished his career with the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees. He retired with 319 home runs and 951 RBIs.

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Jake Arrieta

Jake Arrieta played for four different teams during his career in Major League Baseball, but he is most famously known for his time with the Chicago Cubs. Arrieta started his career with the Baltimore Orioles but struggled to perform consistently, moving back and forth between the minor and major leagues. Over the course of 69 games with the Orioles, Arrieta had an unimpressive 5.46 ERA and 1.472 WHIP.

In 2013, Baltimore traded Arrieta to the Cubs, where he initially played in the minor leagues but finished the year with a 4-2 record and a 3.66 ERA. This was just the start of Arrieta's success with the Cubs.

Arrieta's best year came in 2015, where he led the National League in Wins (22), Games Started (33), Complete Games (4), Shutouts (3), and H/9 (5.9). He also boasted a 1.77 ERA, a 0.865 WHIP, and 236 Strikeouts. Arrieta won the Cy Young award that year and even finished sixth in MVP voting.

In 2016, Arrieta had another solid season, going 18-8 with a 3.10 ERA and 190 strikeouts. He was also an All-Star for the first and only time. Arrieta won the Silver Slugger award that year and helped lead the Cubs to their first World Series victory in 108 years.

Arrieta played one more season with the Cubs before signing with the Philadelphia Phillies. However, injuries began to take their toll, and his performances declined quickly. He played again for the Cubs and then the Padres before retiring after the 2021 season. Overall, he had a record of 115-93 with 1,433 strikeouts.

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J. A. Happ

J.A. Happ had a career that could be described as that of a journeyman, as he played for eight different teams, including one twice. But despite this, he had some accomplishments that other pitchers would have been proud of.

Happ was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2004 and first appeared for them in 2007. However, he was still considered a rookie in 2009, when he was the narrow runner-up for the National League Rookie of the Year award. He had a record of 12-4 and an ERA of 2.93, losing out to Chris Coghlan of the Marlins. Happ played a small role in the Phillies' World Series win, earning himself a championship title.

Despite this, Happ was traded to the Houston Astros in a deal that brought Roy Oswalt to the Phillies. This was the start of Happ's journeyman period. Over the next few seasons, he played for the Toronto Blue Jays, the Seattle Mariners, the Philadelphia Phillies again, and then back to Toronto where he had his best season. He had a record of 20-4, 163 strikeouts, and finished sixth in the Cy Young voting, his only such finish. While still with Toronto, he also played in his first and only All-Star Game, but was later traded to the New York Yankees.

Happ continued playing for the Minnesota Twins and the St. Louis Cardinals before retiring with a record of 133 wins and 100 losses.

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Gerald McCoy

Gerald McCoy was a highly sought-after player in the 2010 NFL Draft after his impressive college career at the University of Oklahoma, where he was a two-time All-American. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him as the third overall pick, joining a long list of defensive stars in their team.

From day one, McCoy won the starting position as the Left Defensive Tackle. Although his statistics don't fully showcase his value, McCoy was a consistent disruptor, overpowering most of his opponents, and blocking lanes to make way for his teammates to rush the quarterback. In his third season, he began a six-year streak of Pro Bowls, including a First Team All-Pro in 2013. He remained with Tampa until 2018, when he was released due to salary constraints.

McCoy then played for Carolina for one year before signing a three-year contract with Dallas. Unfortunately, he never played a single game for them as he suffered a ruptured quad and was subsequently released. He sat out the entire 2020 season and signed with Las Vegas, but his time with them was cut short after he sustained a knee injury in his first game. That was his last time playing.

Throughout his career, McCoy achieved 59.5 sacks and 334 combined tackles.

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Everson Griffen

Everson Griffen joined the Minnesota Vikings in 2010 as the 100th overall draft pick. It took him some time to establish himself in the NFL. Initially, he was mostly utilized on special teams. However, he eventually became a pass-rushing specialist and then the starting defensive end in 2014. Griffen's career with the Vikings lasted for ten years, during which he was selected for four Pro Bowls over a five-year period. He also recorded three seasons with 10+ sacks.

After leaving the Vikings as a free agent, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys before returning to Minnesota in 2021 for one more season, after which he retired. Griffen finished his career with 85.5 sacks.

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Eric Ebron

Eric Ebron was selected as the highest drafted Tight End in 2014 with the 10th pick. He was previously an All-ACC player from North Carolina and spent his first four years in the NFL with the Detroit Lions. Although the Lions' performance was not great during his tenure, he helped them make two playoffs and achieved a 711-Yard year in 2016.

Ebron joined the Indianapolis Colts in 2018 and had the best season of his career, achieving personal bests in Yards (750) and Touchdowns (13). He played three more years with mixed results, spending his last two years as a Pittsburgh Steeler.

He retired from the NFL with a total of 33 Touchdowns and 3,837 Receiving Yards.

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Dustin Colquitt

One of the few Punters to have been drafted as high as the Third Round, All-American and two-time First Team SEC Selection, Dustin Colquitt, played his first 15 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. Colquitt was a two-time Pro Bowl Selection and Super Bowl winner (LIV) with the Chiefs. Following his release from Kansas City, Colquitt had brief stints with Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Atlanta and Cleveland.

At the time of his retirement, Colquitt was in the top ten Punts and Punting Yards.

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