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.
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.
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.
From the island of Cuba, Bert Campaneris would go down in history as one of the most versatile players in Major League history, and he would become the first man to ever play all nine positions in a Major League Game. He accomplished that early in his career in 1965 when he was with the Kansas City Athletics.
Cliff Lee was known for his methodical pitching style, but it was an effective one.
Alvin Dark had an excellent start in baseball, as he was the Rookie of the Year in 1948 with the Boston Braves. He was a huge part of Boston’s surprise run to the World Series (they lost to Cleveland), but he was traded to the New York Giants two years later, which proved beneficial for both sides.
When you are named Bobo Newsom, you have to assume that the possessor is a colorful character. He was, but there was a period where Newsom was also an excellent Pitcher.
Jack Clark had the nickname of "Jack the Ripper," which was precisely the moniker that befit a lethal power.
The professional career of Elston Howard began in the Negro Leagues with the Kansas City Monarchs in 1948, but the New York Yankees would sign him in 1950. After two years in the military and two years in the minors, Howard debuted in pinstripes in 1955.
One of the most popular players in Cleveland Indians' history, Rocco "Rocky" Colavito, came from the Bronx, where naturally, he was a Yankees fan.
Torii Hunter had an excellent career, and the man they dubbed "Spider-Man" was a SportsCenter highlight reel with his acrobat catches. Hunter would win 9 Gold Gloves and was also decent with his bat, earning a pair of Silver Sluggers.
The quick synopsis of Fred “Firpo” Marberry is a Pitcher who was used in a way that was ahead of its time.
The Los Angeles Dodgers were an excellent team in the 1970s and early 80s, and Ron Cey was a part of it.
Mickey Vernon arrived in the Majors in 1939 with the Washington Senators, and he was entrenched as their starting First Baseman in 1941. Vernon would do well in the early 40s, where he had three straight 145 plus Hit seasons before World War II came, and he would miss 1944 and 1945. When he returned, he would take his place in the upper tier of First Basemen.
In the last half of the 1990s, the New York Yankees built a dynasty that would win four World Series Championships in five years. Jorge Posada missed the first one (1996), as he was not a part of the post-season roster, but the Puerto Rican Catcher would see his playing time rise, and he earned Rings with New York in 1998 and 1999.
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.
Dolph Camilli came up with the Chicago Cubs, and they arguably gave up as he was prone to the Strikeouts, and he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. With Philly, he still struck out a lot but was developing a strong power game. In 1935, through 1937, the First Baseman would have at least 25 Home Runs, and in the latter two years, he would bat over .310. In that last season, Camilli would have a league-leading On Base Percentage (.446).
Wilbur Wood began his first five seasons in the Majors with Boston and Pittsburgh, but he did not accomplish much of note. He was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1966, and after a year in the minors and developing the knuckleball, he would become one of the better Pitchers in ChiSox history.
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.