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.
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.
Kevin Appier was arguably one of the most underrated Pitchers of the 1990s, and perhaps we can shed some light on a career that feels unknown outside of Kansas City.
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.)
Tommy Henrich is a part of the folklore of the New York Yankees, but with the legends that the Bronx Bombers have had, sometimes “Old Reliable” gets lost in the shuffle. Henrich played his entire career in New York, first debuting in 1937, and helping them in the 1938 World Series win. His breakout year was in 1941 when he had 31 Home Runs and won another World Series Championship. Henrich was one of the many who lost time in baseball due to his participation in World War II, and he lost three years, but he came back to have the best…
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.
Rudy York was known mostly for his time with the Detroit Tigers, and it was there where he had his greatest success.
Historically speaking, we don’t think that we are going out on a limb by stating that Willie Wilson was one of the best leadoff hitters in the game.
Mark Grace is the answer to the question of the trivia question; Who had the most Hits in the 1990s?
Darryl Strawberry was at one time the most feared hitter in the National League, and a case could be made that he was also the most recognized.
From 1895 to 1899, Harry Davis was either a budding journeyman or a future star. He played for four different teams in the National League and had a 28 Triple year in 1897 while batting .305. Davis was in the minors for all of 1900, and Connie Mack, the owner/manager of the Philadelphia Athletics, saw him as a building block for his brand new American League franchise, and he was one of their first signees.
Prior to winning the World Series MVP in 1972, you could argue that Gene Tenace was one of its most unlikely recipients. The Catcher made his first appearance in the Majors in 1969 for Oakland, but he was mostly a backup. Late in the ’72 season, Tenace was promoted to a starter, and he belted four Home Runs in World Series.
Eddie Rommel played his entire 13-year playing career with the Philadelphia Athletics (1920-32), where he became one of the first masters of the knuckleball.
Brett Butler was only an All-Star once, but don’t let that fact misguide you to what was one hell of a baseball player.
Jimmy Sheckard spent most of his career with either Brooklyn or the Chicago Cubs, and while they were both high-profile teams, Sheckard is one of the most undervalued players in history.
Bill Nicholson had a coffee cup with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1936, but it was with the Chicago Cubs, a team he returned to Majors with in 1939, where he became a star in baseball.
Cy Williams entered Notre Dame, having only played in a handful of baseball games. He left them as an accomplished player who the Chicago Cubs signed after he finished school.