If the main criteria for the Hall are perseverance and effort, then Rusty Staub should have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer. His hard work resulted in over 2,700 hits in a Major League career that many people who saw him early on would never have pegged him for.
Nobody could ever accuse Staub of not giving everything he had, regardless of the endeavor. Those efforts included cooking, history, and, of course, baseball. They called him eccentric for these things, but his meticulous nature turned him into a pure hitter and gained him respect throughout the league. He made six All-Star Games but did so without showing much power (though he hit 25 homers twice) and without any real speed. What he did do was hit for average consistently and walk frequently, which enabled him, even late in his career, to be a solid pinch-hitter.
Staub may have been freakishly consistent, but he was never dominant and was never a serious contender for any postseason award. Six All-Star appearances were impressive, but rarely has the Baseball Hall of Fame rewarded longevity without at least a flash of immortality. If they did, Staub would be a good place to start.
Should Rusty Staub be in the Hall of Fame?
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