Marty Marion won the NL 1944 MVP based primarily on his leadership and fielding skills as opposed to anything he did with his lumber.  His victory is certainly a reminder that there is a lot more to baseball than sexy offensive stats.

Marty Marion was taller than the average Shortstop of his era, but he used that to his advantage.  He was deceptively quick, but he used his large wingspan to gobble up any ground ball that got remotely near him.  He was called the “octopus”, and he would have used those tentacles to grab every Gold Glove Award….if they existed at the time.  Marion usually batted at the bottom of the order, but he was consistent and an excellent bunter.

Marty Marion was not just a defensive wizard; he was a leader whose patience was evident when he became a manager and teacher to young ballplayers.  It is often these traits that are pointed to when pundits and ex-colleagues point to Marty Marion and the Baseball Hall of Fame.

From 1953 to 1960, there were few in the majors who were as good a line drive hitter as Harvey Kuenn.  From that time period, he won the American League Rookie of the Year Award and won a Batting Title.  Considering that during the 50’s he only batted under .300 once, it was easy to see how, even on average Detroit Tigers teams, he could still make eight All-Star teams.

Kuenn led the league in hits four times, and it seemed like he got those hits in every part of the field possible.  In the ’50s, he was the game’s most consistent hitter, with a swing so effortless it looked natural.  These skills would serve him well as a hitting coach and manager later in his career.

As good as Kuenn was, he was largely ineffective after 1963, and with his great batting eye failing, he had little else to contribute, as he was not known for his fielding prowess or his power.  Still, the numbers he put up for Detroit over an eight-year period were good enough to get him a really solid look from the Hall.

Outside of Boston, it may be forgotten how good Dwight Evans was.  It could be because he played on teams with the more popular players, but Evans was a huge component in both the 1975 and 1986 World Series runs.

Starting off in an outfield with Fred Lynn and Jim Rice, Evans was essentially the number three man in the outfield, but became a huge contributor with his defensive play in the field.  Year by year, his offensive numbers slowly began to improve, and by the 1980s, Evans was contributing with power and a huge amount of walks, leading to very high On-base percentages.  That patience at the plate may have cost him sexy Batting Average numbers, but he showed such a complete mastery of the game that this should not be overlooked.

Evans was a very good player and posted excellent career numbers, but like so many on this list, he is the victim of being in the shadows of others and not having a monster year.  Evans quietly left the ballot in 1999, and despite high Sabremetric numbers, there seems to be little reason to think Evans will be strongly considered by the Veterans Committee.  This is too bad, as he at least deserves more than just a glance.

Just what would Keith Hernandez be most famous for?  Could it be for his eleven consecutive Gold Gloves?  How about his 1979 MVP?  The two World Series rings, perhaps?  Maybe his tenacious play as a Met?  It could also be for his association with cocaine.  Likely, many think of Keith Hernandez and remember that Seinfeld episode instead.  Just as long as it isn’t for those terrible Just for Men commercials.

Although Keith Hernandez had a longer tenure with the Cardinals and won a World Series and MVP there, it can be easily argued that his best days were as a New York Met.  He embodied the party hard, play harder attitude, and quickly became the leader of his second franchise.  Hernandez did not just win Gold Gloves; he reinvented the position.  It was virtually impossible to bunt on him, and his judgments on the field were rarely wrong.  Hernandez was not a power hitter, but a very good contact hitter, and showed a high On Base Percentage when it wasn’t the vogue statistic to have.

What has hampered Hernandez’s Hall of Fame case was the allegations in St. Louis that he was not a hustler (mostly made by his manager, Whitey Herzog) and was a drug abuser.  The latter proved to be true, though the former was accurate as well; it can only be imagined what numbers he would have put up.  Keith Hernandez likely left the ballot after nine years because of those issues, but with the recent surge of sabermetrics, a look at Keith Hernandez should make him an interesting case for future consideration.