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.
The Dominican Republic has produced a plethora of excellent Shortstops, and Jose Reyes is one of the many that they provided.
Debuting for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1929, Larry French was a top knuckleball pitcher of the 1930s.
Ed Morris is described by some baseball historians as one of the first great lefthanders. That may or not be accurate, but he was the ace of a professional baseball team, and that can't be disputed.
Paul O’Neill cut his teeth in the majors with the Cincinnati Reds, breaking in the bigs in 1985. Playing mostly in Rightfield, O'Neill became a starter in 1988, and he was a member of the Reds shocking 1990 World Series championship and was an All-Star in 1991. Following the 1992 Season, O'Neill was traded to the New York Yankees, and it was in pinstripes that he achieved his greatest fame and success.
It was a very good start for George Scott in the Majors, where as a rookie, he was named to the All-Star Team and was third in 1966 Rookie of the Year voting. Playing at First Base for the Boston Red Sox, Scott had an above-average glove, and he was a decent power hitter, and “Boomer” became a fan-favorite at Fenway.
Jon Matlack debuted for the New York Mets two years after their “Miracle Season” of 1969, but the southpaw found a home as part of a powerful Mets rotation of the 1970s.
Born in Jamaica and raised in the United States, Devon White had a great career where the Outfielder used his speed and defensive skills to perform at a high-end level for over a decade.
Lenny Dykstra was a fan favorite, a hard-nosed baseball player whose nickname of “Nails” fit him perfectly.
Frank White played his entire career with the Kansas City Royals (1973-90), and he was generally regarded as one of the best Second Baseman in the American League for most of his playing days. White first cracked the Royals roster in 1973, and in 1976 he was anointed as Kansas City’s starting Second Baseman. White dazzled throughout his career with his glove, winning eight Gold Gloves, and he is currently second all-time in Total Zone Runs amongst Second Basemen. White was not always the most productive hitter, but the five-time All-Star did manage a pair of 20 Home Run Seasons, and had…
Ken Singleton began his career with the New York Mets in 1970, where he was a backup, but there was something special there. The Montreal Expos saw it, as they traded their most popular player, Rusty Staub, for him.
Amos Otis had his share of drug problems that likely held his career back, but this should not overshadow a very successful Major League career.
"Silent" Mike Tiernan played his entire baseball career at the highest level with the New York Giants (1887-99), where the Rightfielder (pardon the pun) quietly was once of the better hitters of the 1890s.
Red Lucas was not just a very good Pitcher during his career, as he was also used often as a Pinch Hitter. They don’t make many like that anymore!
The first half of George Gore's career was by far the best half, where he was a member of the Chicago White Stockings, the team that became the iconic Chicago Cubs.
Born in the United States, but raised in Mexico, Adrian Gonzalez would have a very good career playing First Base in the Major Leagues. Gonzalez first debuted for the Texas Rangers, but it was in San Diego where he first came into prominence. With the Padres, he was a three-time All-Star and would secure four consecutive 30 plus HR seasons, including a career-high 40 in 2009. That year, he led the National League in Walks (119).
Javier Vasquez could be considered to have been a journeyman, as he played for six different teams (and one team twice), but the Puerto Rican hurler was a lot better than he got credit for.
Should Darrell Porter be on this list? We think so, but a look at his overall statistics might make you feel otherwise.
YANKEE STADIUM PREGAME TOUR
Jan 01, 1970
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PREGAME GLIMPSE OF GREATNESS
Jan 01, 1970
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CLASSIC TOUR AT YANKEE STADIUM
Jan 01, 1970
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TOURS: TRUIST PARK
Jan 01, 1970
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A member of the Dodgers throughout his entire career, Jim Gilliam is one of the few players who won a World Series ring in both Brooklyn and Los Angeles.
The son of Felipe Alou, Moises Alou is an interesting case here as we have a player whose sabermetric numbers were good, but he managed to compile traditional numbers that were better, and he was a player who teams wanted in their lineup and fear when he wasn’t for more than a decade. He is also known more for a foul ball that he probably could not have caught.