In the late 80’s and early 90s, there was no question that Luc Robitaille was the top Left Wing in the National Hockey League, and it took him very little time to establish that title.  What made it all the more impressive was that Robitaille turned out to be a steal as a Ninth Round Pick.

Two years after the Kings selected him, Robitaille made the team out of training camp and had an unexpected season, scoring 84 Points, earning Second Team All-Star accolades, and winning the Calder.  This was no fluke, and he only got better, scoring over 100 Points in four of the next seven seasons, with his bottom only being 86 Points.  Wayne Gretzky had arrived in 1988, and Robitaille would be a five-time First Team All-Star, four of which with Gretzky as his linemate. The Kings became contenders, much of which was thanks to Robitaille.

As Los Angeles began to slump, he was traded to Pittsburgh, but he returned three years later as a Free Agent.  Robitaille was older but still a potent scorer, winning his third Second Team All-Star Selection.  He left L.A. again, this time on his accord, joining Detroit as a Free Agent.  Robitaille finally got that elusive Stanley Cup (2002) but returned to the Kings to finish his career for two final seasons. 

Robitaille is the franchise leader in Goals (557) and was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, two years after his #20 was retired by the team.

Marcel Dionne played his first four seasons for Detroit, where he emerged as their brightest star, but the team itself was abysmal.  His agent orchestrated a trade to Los Angeles, where in the bright lights, he became their first bona fide superstar.

Dionne had 94 Points in his debut season as a King, but he shot that up to 122 in his second campaign wearing the crown.  The French-Canadian Center was a First Team All-Star, won the Lady Byng, and the best was yet to come.

He would eventually be joined by wingers Charlie Simmer and Dave Taylor, dubbed "The Triple Crown Line," arguably the first star threesome in Kings' history.  Dionne scored 130 Points 1978-79, finishing third in Hart Trophy voting but winning the Ted Lindsay Award (then named the Lester B. Pearson Award) as the MVP as voted on by his peers.  He missed out on the Hart again in 1979-80, losing to Edmonton's Wayne Gretzky, but Dionne beat him for the Art Ross (he tied Gretzky in Points with 137, but had more Goals) and won his second Ted Lindsay Award.  

Gretzky would then eclipse Dionne as the premier Center in hockey, but Dionne was still a potent player.  He would have four more 100-plus Point campaigns for Los Angeles, and in six of his 11 years as a King, he eclipsed 50 Goals.  

History repeated itself, as Dionne grew frustrated with the Kings' inability to go deep in the playoffs or even make it at all, and he requested a trade to a contender, which he got late in the 1986-87 Season to the Rangers, where he would finish his career. 

With the Kings, Dionne scored 1,307 Points and is the all-time leader in franchise history.  He entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992 in his first year of eligibility, and in 1990, his number 16 became the second jersey retired by the team.

The process continues.

We here are Notinhalloffame.com have plans to create our own set of post-season awards, which we will look back and retroactively present from 1901 on.  That will take a while, but it has never stopped us before!

Our awards are not be league specific.

Now it is time for our 2021 positional awards.

We will be awarding a positional player of the year, but not only that, offer up the runner-up and second runner-up, meaning that we will have First, Second and Third All-MLB players.

Let’s work our way around the diamond and award the best of the best in Baseball!

Please note that with Closers, we are reverting back to the what we did with positional players, in that there are only one First Team, Second Team and Third Team player. 

Closer of the Year (First Team All-MLB): Josh Hader, Milwaukee Brewers.  3.3 bWAR, 2.6 fWAR, 4-2 Record, 34 Saves, 1.23 ERA, 58.2 IP, 102 SO, 4.25 SO/BB, 0.835 WHIP, 1.69 FIP.

Hader was an All-Star for the third time in his career, and he continued his tradition of never having a WHIP over one.  He also posted career-lows in ERA, ERA+ and FIP.

Second Team All-MLB Closer:  Liam Hendriks, Chicago White Sox.  2.8 bWAR, 2.7 fWAR, 8-3 Record, 38 Saves, 2.54 ERA, 71 IP, 113 SO, 16.14 SO/BB, 0.732 WHIP, 2348 FIP.

The 11-year veteran had his best year in 2021, and in his first year as a member of the White Sox, Henriks was a large reason that Chicago made the playoffs.  This was his second All-Star appearance.

Third Team All-MLB Closer:  Emmanuel Clase, Cleveland Indians.  2.8 bWAR, 2.2 fWAR, 4-5 Record, 24 Saves, 1.29 ERA, 69.2 IP, 74 SO, 4.63 SO/BB, 0.962 WHIP, 2.11 FIP.

After missing the entire 2020 Season due to a PED suspension, Clase was back, finishing third in Games Finished and fifth in Saves in the AL.  His advanced metrics were better than his traditional ones, and he earns his spot as our Third Team All-MLB Closer.

For die-hard baseball fans, getting your fill of baseball content can sometimes seem like a challenge. Outside of the confines of MLB, it can sometimes be impossible to find any baseball games taking place out of season, especially outside of North America. That is why the market for baseball-themed video games and online games is so robust.

It allows us to step into the shoes of our favorite players and experience all of the action ourselves, from the comfort of our living room. If you're a die-hard baseball fan looking for some worthwhile games, read our definitive guide to find out. 

1. MLB '20: The Show 

When it comes to baseball video games, any ranking out there will mention the MLB series in spades. For long-time fans of the genre, the question of which installment is the best in the series is a hotly contested one that will invariably spiral into a vicious online debate. While there are many excellent titles worth playing, it is the 2020 version that captures the essence of the series best. The Show '20 is a masterpiece of baseball simulation, one that so comprehensively captures every minute aspect of the sport to give you probably the most realistic experience that you will possibly find on a console. 

2. Wii Sports Baseball

It might not be the most "serious" game on the roster, but the baseball experience on Wii Sports, probably the biggest game of all time, is not to be sniffed at. One of the only games in history that allow you to physically simulate the sport, thanks to the unique and iconic motion-sensor controller that has caused countless accidents in living rooms around the world. Create your "Mii" avatar, select your old-school baseball strip of choice, head to the plate, and swing with all your might. 

3. Baseball Frenzy 

Sometimes, a good game is one that is self-referential and pays homage to the sport, rather than simulating outright. This is certainly true of the online casino slot Baseball Frenzy, which anyone can play at a popular online casino such as Casumo or 888. This 5-reel slot features all of the iconic sounds and imagery from the sport, with a little bit of tongue-in-cheek humor to boot. What's more, baseball fans can even access free spins to play Baseball Frenzy online for free, without having to wager their own cash on the reels. 

4. MVP Baseball 2005

Is there any game out there in history that did more to popularize the baseball genre than EA's MVP series? We're willing to bet that the answer is "no". This is the game that gamified the pitch like nothing else, with the various strength and aim meters on the screen causing countless hours of frustration and entertainment for fans around the world. Meanwhile, running baseball commentary throughout the game, provided by real-world legends such as Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow, mean that this is a baseball game that has well and truly earned its spot in the Hall of Fame.