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.
Lew Burdette was the star righthander for the Milwaukee Braves in the 1950s, but his career was a tad on the complicated side to dissect.
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.
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.
YANKEE STADIUM PREGAME TOUR
Jan 01, 1970
Buy your Tickets to see Yankee Stadium Pregame Tour HERE!
PREGAME GLIMPSE OF GREATNESS
Jan 01, 1970
Buy your Tickets to see Pregame Glimpse of Greatness HERE!
CLASSIC TOUR AT YANKEE STADIUM
Jan 01, 1970
Buy your Tickets to see Classic Tour at Yankee Stadium HERE!
TOURS: TRUIST PARK
Jan 01, 1970
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Silver King is quite the name, isn't it? This was the name of the man whose birth certificate stated, Charles Frederick Koenig, but doesn't this name sound more fun?
James Leslie “Hippo” Vaughn appeared in two games for the New York Highlanders (later to be the Yankees) in 1908, and after a full year in the minors, he had a promising 1910 campaign with a 13-11 record and an ERA of 1.83. It wasn’t quite the springboard to greatness, as he struggled over the next three seasons, going back and forth from the minors, and bouncing to the Washington Senators and then the Chicago Cubs. In the Windy City, he would live up to that potential that New York fans saw in 1910.
When you have a name like Dizzy Trout, you expect that you have a unique and colorful character on your hands. Trout fit the bill, and while the validity of many of the stories surrounding him might not be valid, he was unquestionably an excellent Pitcher.
Bobby Veach played most of his career with the Detroit Tigers, where he showed off a good bat and good speed.
In the late 1970s, and early 1980s, the Houston Astros had put together a good team, but they did not see a lot of National attention, as they had never won anything of note before. Those who were paying attention to Houston couldn’t take their eyes off their Puerto Rican Outfielder, Jose Cruz.
Before there was Ernie Banks, there was Phil Cavarretta, who many in Chicago referred to as "Mr. Cub," before that was universally bestowed upon Banks.
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).
Matt Williams was a cornerstone of the San Francisco Giants for a decade (1987-96), where he played in the infield, switching between Third Base and Shortstop.
Lynwood Thomas "Schoolboy" Rowe was a Texas boy through and through, and when he joined the Detroit Tigers in 1933, the Michigan fans loved the superstitious Pitcher.
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.
One of the more interesting characters of the game, David "Boomer" Wells, played 21 seasons in the Majors for nine different teams, three of which he had two stints. Wells longevity allowed him to amass a record of 239-157 with 2,201 Strikeouts, but don't view him as a "compiler."
The story of Howard Ellsworth "Smoky Joe" Wood is typical in that and we have a power pitcher who was dominant for a short time, only for arm fatigue to cause an early end of his pitching career (though he would continue to play, but we'll get to that later.)
Ted Kluszewski was a monster in his day. This was not just in regards to his tape measure Home Runs, but that he was such an imposing physical specimen that he cut off the sleeves of his uniform so that his arms could better move.
Mark Langston was one of the most underrated flamethrowers in baseball history, and let’s give him a bit of due here.
Jimmy Key played his entire career in the American League East, dividing between three teams, Toronto, New York, and Baltimore, finding success with all three clubs.
Mark Grace is the answer to the question of the trivia question; Who had the most Hits in the 1990s?