We here at Notinhalloffame.com thought it would be fun to take a look at the major awards in North American team sports and see how it translates into Hall of Fame potential.

Needless to say, different awards in different sports yield hall of fame potential.  In basketball, the team sport with the least number of players on a roster, the dividend for greatness much higher.  In baseball, it is not as much as a great individual season does not have the same impact.

Last time, we looked at the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in the NFL.  This time we went back to hockey, with the Calder Trophy, given annually to the NHL Rookie of the Year.

So how many Calder Trophy winners have made the Pro Hockey Hall of Fame?

Let’s find out!

The following are the past players who have won the Calder Trophy who are eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame and have been enshrined.

Carl Voss, New York Rangers & Detroit Red Wings, Center: 8 G, 16 A, 24 P, 2.8 PS 1933       

You could argue that we are starting this one with an asterisk, as Voss was not inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player, but as a builder for his work as an Administrator in various minor leagues of hockey.  Having said that, don’t sleep on his career as the American born-Canadian raised player was a great athlete, who prior to his NHL career won the Grey Cup in 1924 with Queen’s College and in the minors was a leading scorer (IHL in 1932).  Voss had played for the Toronto Maple Leafs for 14 Games in the late 20s, but he finally became a regular on the roster of the New York Rangers for in 1932.  Ten Games into the season, he was sold to the Detroit Red Wings, where he proved his worth in the NHL, and was the first ever rookie of the year.  Voss later played for the Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Eagles, New York Americans, Montreal Maroons and Chicago Blackhawks, where in his final NHL game, he scored the Stanley Cup winning goal to seal the deal for the 1938 Title.  Forced to retire afterward due to a knee injury, Voss would begin his career as an administrator.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974.

Sweeney Schriner, New York Americans, Left Wing: 18 G, 22 A, 40 P, 4.5 PS 1935        

Sweeney Schriner goes down in history as the only Calder Trophy winner in the history of the New York Americans.  The Left Wing would lead the NHL in scoring the next two seasons, where he was a First Team All-Star and Second Team All-Star respectively. Later in his career, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs where he won two Stanley Cups and was again a First Team All-Star.  Schriner played until 1946, retiring with 407 Points in 484 Games.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962.

Syl Apps, Toronto Maple Leafs, Centre: 16 G, 29 A, 45 P, 6.1 PS 1937         

Apps played all of his career with the Leafs and in his rookie year, he led the NHL in Assists.  He did that again as a sophomore, where he was a Second Team All-Star, an accolade he repeated twice more.  Apps was also a First Team All-Star twice, a Lady Byng winner, and he was second in Hart Trophy voting three times.  The Centre helped to lead Toronto to the Stanley Cup three times and he scored 432 Points in 423 Games.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1961.

Frank Brimsek, Boston Bruins, Goalie: 33-9-1 Record, 1.56 GAA, 11.3 GPS 1939

Frank Brimsek became the second American Goalie to win the Calder, but he shattered the overall success of his predecessor. The Minnesotan was the first player to win the Calder and the Vezina in the same year, and also the first to win the Calder and Stanley Cup in the same season.  He led all Goalies in Wins (33), GAA (1.56), Shutouts (10), and Point Shares (11.3), and he was named a First Team All-Star.  Brimsek would later win a second Vezina, was a First Team All-Star one more time, a Second Team, All-Star six times and won another Cup in 1941.  Brimsek would also play for the Blackhawks, and he retired with 252 Wins and a career 2.70 GAA.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1961.

Edgar Laprade, New York Rangers, Center: 15 G, 19 A, 34 P, 2.9 PS 1946   

Laprade played the entirety of his NHL career with the New York Rangers, which would span ten seasons.  A clean player, Laprade would win the Lady Byng in 1949/50, and he was seventh in Hart Trophy voting that year.  He scored 280 Points, which may not seem like a lot but he was also a skilled defensive forward.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

Terry Sawchuk, Detroit Red Wings, Goalie: 44-12-13 Record, 1.97 GAA, 17.0 PS 1951  

The 1950/51 season began one of the most phenomenal half-decades that a Goalie ever had in the NHL.  Terry Sawchuk would not only win the Calder in his rookie year, he would also lead the NHL in Wins (44), Goalie Point Shares (17.0), and was a First Team All-Star.  Over the next four seasons, the Red Wings Goalie won three Stanley Cups, three Vezinas, two First Team All-Star Selections, two GAA Titles, and four more league-lead in Wins.  Following that incredible run, Sawchuk was still a very good Goalie, winning a Vezina in 1964/65, another Stanley Cup in 1967 with Toronto and two Second Team All-Star nods.  Over his career, Sawchuk also played for Boston, Los Angeles and New York, and he retired with 350 career Wins.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971.

Bernie Geoffrion, Montreal Canadiens, Right Wing: 30 G, 24 A, 54 P, 7.4 PS  1952       

Geoffrion led the NHL in Power Play Goals as a rookie (10), and he went on to have a long and prosperous career with the Canadiens. The French-Canadian went on to win six Stanley Cups, two Goal Scoring Titles, two Art Ross Trophies and the Hart Trophy in 1961.  Geoffrion scored 822 Points over a 883-Game career.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

Gump Worsley, New York Rangers, Goalie: 44-12-13 Record, 1.97 GAA, 17.0 PS 1953   

Worsley did the best he could on a poor Rangers team, but the hockey world recognized that the “Gump” was a talented Goalie. Worsley played until the mid-70s, and he would win four Stanley Cups with Montreal where he was also a two-time Vezina Trophy winner.  Worlsey played into his mid-40s, where he the charismatic Goalie played for the Minnesota North Stars for his last four years.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980.

Glenn Hall, Detroit Red Wings, Goalie: 30-24-16 Record, 2.10 GAA, 14.5 PS 1956         

How do you replace a legend like Terry Sawchuk? With a legend like Glenn Hall.  As a rookie, Hall was a Second Team All-Star, and he led the NHL in Shutouts (12).  Hall was a First Team All-Star in his second season, but despite this he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks after the season.  Hall played for Chicago for a decade where he won two Vezinas, was a First Team All-Star five times, and backstopped the Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup win in 1961.  Hall joined the expansion St. Louis Blues in 1967 and immediately made them relevant, bringing them to three Stanley Cup appearances, and while they lost them all, Hall was the Conn Smythe winner in 1968.  He also won a third Vezina playing in St. Louis.  The Goalie played until 1971, and retired with a record of 279-229-107.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975.

Frank Mahovolich, Toronto Maple Leafs, Left Wing: 20 G, 16 A, 36 P, 4.9 PS 1958        

Nicknamed the “Big M”, Mahovolich had a decent rookie year, but would morph into one of the leaders of a powerful Toronto squad that won four Stanley Cups in the 1960s.  In this period, Mahovolich was a two-time First Team All-Star and four-time Second Team All-Star, and had two top-five finishes for the Hart. Following Toronto’s last Cup win in 1967, Mahovolich was traded to Detroit during the 1967/68 season, and he added a pair of Second Team All-Stars in Motown.  He later played for Montreal, where he won the Stanley Cup twice more with another First Team All-Star etched on his resume.  Mahovolich had 1,103 Points in the NHL, and he also had four pro seasons in the WHA where he scored 232 Points.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

Bill Hay, Chicago Blackhawks, Centre: 18 G, 37 A, 55 P, 4.9 PS: 1960         

Hay did well as a rookie, and played a significant role on the Chicago team that won the Stanley Cup the year after.  Hay eclipsed his 55 Point Rookie year three times and led the NHL in Assists per Game in 1961/62.  Hay played his entire NHL career with the Blackhawks, collecting 386 career Points.  We will count this as while Hay did not have a Hall of Fame career as a player, he was inducted as a builder for his work as the past President and CEO of the Calgary Flames and as the Hockey Hall of Fame Chairman.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015 as a Builder.

Dave Keon, Chicago Blackhawks, Centre: 20 G, 25 A, 45 P, 4.2 PS: 1961     

After Keon’s Calder winning season, he became a core part of the Maple Leafs squad that won four Stanley Cups, so much so that he won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1967 as the playoff MVP.  Keon would be a two-time Second Team All-Star, and he won the Lady Byng in consecutive seasons in 1962 and 1963.  Keon bolted for the WHA in 1975, playing for Minnesota, Indiana and New England, rejoining the NHL, when the Whalers were one of the four teams that merged with the senior hockey circuit.  Keon retired in 1982 with 986 NHL Points and 291 WHA Points..

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986.

Jacques Laperriere, Montreal Canadiens, Defenseman:  2 G, 28 A, 30 P, 6.7 PS: 1964

Laperriere had a great rookie campaign as he not only won the Calder but was named a Second Team All-Star.  Playing all 12 years of his NHL career with the Habs, the Defenseman was a First Team All-Star the two years after his rookie season, and was the Norris Trophy winner in 1965/66.  Laperriere helped Montreal win five Stanley Cups, and was a one-time leader in Plus/Minus.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987.

Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins, Defenseman:  13 G, 28 A, 30 P, 6.7 PS: 1964

Orr was a Second Team All-Star in his rookie season and was third in Norris Trophy voting.  It was a good year, but it did not accurately foreshadow what Orr would accomplish.  Over the next eight seasons, Orr was an annual First Team All-Star and Norris Trophy winner.  He won three straight Hart Trophies (1970-72), two Stanley Cups, and was the first Defenseman to lead the NHL in scoring; which he did twice!  Orr transformed what Defenseman could do, and some will argue that he is not just the greatest blueliner of all-time, but the best hockey player ever!  

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.

Tony Esposito, Chicago Blackhawks, Goalie:  38-17-8 Record, 2.17 GAA, 14.7 GPS: 1970

Esposito played 13 Games the previous year with the Montreal Canadiens and the Blackhawks claimed him in the Intraleague Draft (basically, waivers).  Esposito had a monster rookie year where he led the NHL in Wins (38), Save Percentage (.932) and Shutouts (15) and he was a First Team All-Star and a Vezina Trophy win. Esposito played his entire career with Chicago and he went on to win two more Vezina, two First Team All-Stars and two Second Team All-Stars.  The Goalie would have 302 career Wins.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988.

Gilbert Perreault, Buffalo Sabres, Centre:  38 G, 34 A, 72 P, 6.5 GPS: 1971

Perreault was the first Buffalo Sabre to win the Calder, and two years later he won the Lady Byng.  The French-Canadian played his entire career with Buffalo where he was a two-time Second Team All-Star and exceed the 100 Point mark twice. Perreault scored 1,326 Points over 1,191 Games.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.

Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadiens, Goalie:  39-8-15 Record, 2.24 GAA, 15.0 GPS: 1972

Dryden did this backwards, as he was already a legend BEFORE he completed his rookie year.  Late in the 1970/71 season, he replaced the injured Rogie Vachon, and he was astounding.  Dryden backstopped the Habs to a Stanley Cup win where he won the Conn Smythe, thus becoming the first player to win the Conn Smythe before the Calder.  In that Calder Trophy winning season, he was a Second Team All-Star, the runner-up for the Hart and the league-leader in Wins (39). Dryden played until 1979 where he led the NHL three more times in Wins, five First Team All-Stars, five Vezinas, and five more Stanley Cups.  Dryden was the top Goalie of the 1970s and he had a career record 258-57-74 with a 2.24 GAA.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Denis Potvin, New York Islanders, Defenseman:  17 G, 37 A, 54 P, 8.7 PS: 1974

Easily the best Defenseman in Islanders history, Potvin was the first player in Long Island to win the Calder and he was the first building block that would become the Islanders dynasty in the early 1980s. Potvin played all 15 years of his career with New York, was a First Team All-Star five times, two Second Team All-Stars and won three Norris Trophies.  He scored 1,052 career Points.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991.

Bryan Trottier, New York Islanders, Centre:  32 G, 63 A, 95 P, 8.6 PS: 1976

Above was the first piece of the Islanders dynasty, Denis Potvin.  Here is the second one, Bryan Trottier.  The Centre set a then record for rookies with 95 Points, and he would become one of the top scorers in the NHL.  Trottier would win the Hart and Art Ross in 1978/79, and the year after he won the Conn Smythe in New York’s first of four straight Stanley Cups.  A two-time First Team and two-time Second Team All-Star, Trottier played the late stages of his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he won two Stanley Cups as an elder statesman.  Trottier scored 524 Goals and 1,425 Points.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.

Mike Bossy, New York Islanders, Right Wing:  32 G, 63 A, 95 P, 8.6 PS: 1976

This of this for a second.  With the Calder win of Bossy, there were three Islander Calder winners in a five-year period, all of whom would enter the Hockey Hall of Fame.  Is it any wonder that this trio led the Islanders a four-Cup dynasty?  Bossy was the first Calder winner to net over 50 Goals, and was a Second Team All-Star.  Bossy went on to win two Goal-scoring titles, five First Team All-Stars, three Lady Byngs and a Conn Smyth.  Injuries forced him out at the age of 30, but he still retired with 573 Goals and 1,126 Points.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.

Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins, Defenseman:  32 G, 63 A, 95 P, 8.6 PS: 1980

Bourque was a First Team All-Star as a rookie, and he earned that honor 12 more times in his career.  Also, a three-time Second Team All-Star, Bourque won the Norris Trophy five times, and he NEVER had a year where he did not finish at least seventh in voting.  Bourque was Boston hockey for nearly two decades, but he never won the Stanley Cup as a Bruin.  In what would be his penultimate NHL season, Bourque was traded to Colorado to chase the Holy Grail of Hockey.  The season after that trade, Bourque and the Avalanche won the Cup, and as happy as Denver was, Boston fans were just as happy for their beloved former star.  In a 21-year career, the Montreal native scored 1,579 Points, the most ever by a Defenseman.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.

Peter Stastny, Quebec Nordiques, Centre:  39 G, 70 A, 109 P, 8.6 PS: 1981

This was a groundbreaking Calder Trophy win. Peter Stastny was the first Quebec Nordique/Colorado Avalanche to win, the first from a former WHA team to win, the first to score over 100 Points, but most importantly, he was the first European to win the Calder.  Stastny was a superstar for the Czechoslovakian National Team and he defected to Canada to play for the Nordiques.  Stastny had six more 100 Point years (all with Quebec) and had 1,239 over his 15 NHL seasons.  

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.

Dale Hawerchuk, Winnipeg Jets, Centre:  45 G, 58 A, 103 P, 8.6 PS: 1981

From one former WHA team to another we go from Quebec City to Winnipeg, with Dale Hawerchuk, the first superstar for the team in their NHL era.  Hawerchuk had 103 Points as a rookie, and hit the three-digit Point mark five more times, all as a Jet.  Hawerchuk was a Second Team All-Star in 1984/85 and he was second behind Wayne Gretzky for the Hart.  Also playing for Buffalo, St. Louis and Philadelphia, Hawerchuk scored 1,409 Points in 1,188 Games.  

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.

Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins, Centre:  43 G, 57 A, 100 P, 7.5 PS: 1985

Mario Lemieux is a player who saved an NHL franchise twice.  The first was in his Calder season where he instantly lived up to the hype, and became at one time the best player in the league.  Remember, this was no small task, as it was Wayne Gretzky who he had to dethrone.  Lemieux captured the Hart Trophy three times, the Art Ross six times, and was a First Team All-Star five times.  Lemieux took the Pens to two Stanley Cup wins, he overcame cancer, and then he saves the team again.  With the Penguins in financial despair, he worked out the remaining money owed to him and worked out a deal to buy the team.  He played again, becoming the first owner/player in the modern era, and as an owner he won three more Cups.  Lemieux scored 1,723 Points in 915 Games.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.

Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles Kings, Left Wing:  45 G, 39 A, 84 P, 6.8 PS: 1985

Robitaille was a Second Team All-Star as a rookie, and he would be a First Team All-Star five of the next six seasons.  The Left Wing exceeded the 100 Point plateau four times and while he played most of his career with Los Angeles, he won a Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2002.  Robitaille also played for the Penguins and the Rangers, and he scored 1,394 career Points, 1,154 of which as a King.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.

Joe Niewendyk, Calgary Flames, Centre:  51 G, 41 A, 92 P, 8.7 PS: 1988

It is possible to claim that Nieuwendyk’s Calder winning season was his best regular season in hockey.  He scored 51 Goals, his career-best and he tied that mark as a sophomore.  Nieuwendyk also was first in Power Play Goals as a rookie.  If it is in fact the case that Nieuwendyk never matched his skill level in his first two years like other Calder winners, the Centre did however remain at a high tier for years and he amassed a long career where he scored 1,126 Points.  Niewendyk helped take Calgary to a Stanley Cup win in 1989 and later in a renaissance performance in 1999, he won the cup again as a Dallas Star where he won the Conn Smythe.  He also played for New Jersey, Toronto and Florida.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

Brian Leetch, New York Rangers, Defense:  23 G, 48 A, 71 P, 9.0 PS: 1989

One of the best American Defenseman in hockey history, Leetch was also the best blueliner in the team history of the New York Rangers.  With New York, Leetch was a two-time Norris Trophy winner, was a two-time First Team All-Star and a three-time Second Team All-Star.  These were great things to put in a trophy case, but it was the Conn Smythe Trophy he won when he anchored that Rangers to the 1994 Stanley Cup. Leetch would play until 2006 and scored 1,028 Points, 981 of which were as a Ranger.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.

Sergei Makarov, Calgary Flames, Right Wing:  24 G, 62 A, 86 P, 6.8 PS: 1990

It was not that Sergei Makarov did not deserve the Calder.  Statistically speaking, he did.  The backlash was that he as 31 Years Old, and a top flight player from the Soviet Red Army, so his experience level was through the roof.  Makarov is the only player to win the Calder Trophy, who did so AFTER his peak.  He played in the NHL until 1997 with 384 career Points.  Makarov entered the Hockey Hall but it was mostly for his work in the former Soviet Union.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

Ed Belfour, Chicago Blackhawks, Goalie:  43-19-7 Record, 2.47 GAA, 14.0 GPS: 1991

Belfour’s rookie season would not just see him win the Calder, as he was also the Vezina Trophy winner, William M. Jennings winner, and a First Team All-Star.  Belfour led all the Goalies in Wins (43), Saves (1,713), Save Percentage (.910) and Goals Against Average (2.47).  Belfour went on to win another Vezina, three more Jennings, a First Team All-Star, a Second Team All-Star and a Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars.  The Goalie also played for San Jose, Toronto and Florida.  Belfour had a career record of 484-320-126.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

Pavel Bure, Vancouver Canucks, Right Wing:  34 G, 26 A, 60 P, 5.7 PS: 1992

After a good rookie year, Bure but up back-to-back 60 Goal years, the second one being good enough to lead the NHL, and land him a First Team All-Star nod.  Bure later played for Florida, where he had two more league-leading seasons in Goals, both of which were Second Team All-Star worthy.  Bure finished his NHL career in 2003, and he had 779 Points in only 702 Games.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

Teemu Selanne, Winnipeg Jets, Right Wing:  76 G, 56 A, 132 P, 13.4 PS: 1993

A case can be made that Teemu Selanne’s debut season was the best ever by a non-Gaolie.  Selanne set a rookie record with 76 Goals, and he was a First Team All-Star.  Selanne never matched that total, but he had a long and fruitful career, where he led the NHL twice more in Goals, was a First Team All-Star a second time, was a two-time Second Team All-Star, and a Stanley Cup Champion with the Ducks. Selanne also played for San Jose and Colorado, and would score 1,457 Points over his 21-year career.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.

Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils, Goalie:  27-11-8 Record, 8.9 GPS: 1994

The career of Martin Brodeur is nothing short of outstanding.  Following his Calder win, he captured three Stanley Cups, four Vezina Trophies, five William M. Jennings Trophies, and was a three-time First Team and Second Team All-Star.  Brodeur led the NHL in Wins nine times, and was the league-leader in GAA once.  When Brodeur retired, he had the “W” 691 times, more than anyone Goalie. And he is also the all-time leader in Saves (28,928), Shutouts (125) and Minutes Played (74,439).

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

Peter Forsberg, Quebec Nordiques, Centre:  15 G, 35 A, 50 P, 5.0 GPS: 1995

Eric Lindros refused to play for the Quebec Nordiques when they drafted him and after sitting out a year, Quebec traded him to Philadelphia for a glut of picks, players and the rights to a Swedish Center named Peter Forsberg.  We can argue that Forsberg was the best player in the transaction.  Forsberg went on to help Colorado (Quebec relocated) win two Stanley Cups and individually he won the Hart and Art Ross Trophy in 2002/03. He was also a three-time First Team All-Star and he retired with 885 Points in only 708 Games.  Forsberg also played for Philadelphia and Nashville.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

The following are the players who have won the Calder Trophy who are eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame and have not been selected:

Russ Blinco, Montreal Maroons, Center: 14 G, 9 A, 23 P, 4.1 PS 1934

Unless the Montreal Maroons are suddenly resurrected, Russ Blinco will be the only member of this long defunct franchise to win the Calder.  Blinco would help the Maroons win the Stanley Cup the following year, where he was also the runner-up for the Lady Byng.  He played for Montreal three more years, and had one more season with the Chicago Blackhawks before he retired.  Blinco had 125 Points over his six-year career.

Eligible since 1942.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Mike Karakas, Chicago Blackhawks, Goalie: 21-19-8 Record, 1.85 GAA, 9.5 GPS 1936  

Karakas made history as the first American born and raised to win the Calder, and he was also the first Goalie to win the award. For that matter, he was also the first American born and raised Goalie in the NHL.  Karakas would play until 1946, with all but five of his games played in a Chicago uniform.  He won a Stanley Cup in 1938.

Eligible since 1949.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Cully Dahlstrom, Chicago Blackhawks, Centre: 10 G, 9 A, 19 P, 1.3 PS 1938        

Dahlstrom made it back-to-back for American born Calder winners, and the Centre would play his entire eight-year career with the Blackhawks.  The Calder would be the only individual honor that Dahlstrom would win on the professional level, but his name was etched on the Stanley Cup when Chicago won it all in 1938.  Dahlstrom scored 206 Points in 345 career Games.

Eligible since 1948.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Kilby MacDonald, New York Rangers, Centre: 15 G, 13 A, 28 P, 3.8 PS 1938        

The sky might have seemed to be the limit for Kilby MacDonald, as he not only won the Calder Trophy, he also hoisted the Stanley Cup over his head in his rookie season.  That would not be the case for MacDonald, who never matched his rookie year, and was sent down to the minors shortly after before joining the Canadian Army. He made it back to the Rangers in 1943, playing two more years before going back to the minors.  MacDonald only had 79 career Points.

Eligible since 1948.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

John Quilty, Montreal Canadiens, Centre: 18 G, 16 A, 34 P, 3.9 PS 1941    

Quilty’s rookie year was by far his best, as he never came close to these numbers again.  World War II would see Quilty leave the NHL for the Canadian Army, and he missed several years, returning for three Games in 1946-47.  He played only one more year in the NHL, splitting time between Montreal and Boston, but he was not playing at an NHL worthy level. A compound fracture of his leg resulted in his retirement, and Quilty would only have 70 career Points.

Eligible since 1951.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Grant Warwick, New York Rangers, Right Wing: 16 G, 17 A, 33 P, 3.0 PS 1942     

Like the previous two Calder winners, Grant Warwick likely won’t get into the Hockey Hall of Fame, however unlike those two individuals, Warwick did not peak as a rookie.  The Saskatchewan native would not miss time due to World War II, and he exceeded his rookie Point total six times.  Warwick would also play for Boston and Montreal in his career, and in 1955, he was the player/coach on the Canadian Team that won the World Hockey Championship.  The Right Wing scored 289 career Points.

Eligible since 1953.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Gaye Stewart, Toronto Maple Leafs, Left Wing: 24 G, 23 A, 47 P, 4.0 PS 1943      

After Gaye Stewart won the Calder (and the Stanley Cup), he went into the Canadian Military to serve in World War II.  The Left Winger came back for the 1945/46 Season and promptly built on his rookie year as if he never left, leading the NHL in Goals (37) was a First Team All-Star, and was the runner-up for the Hart. Stewart’s production dipped the following year, but he helped Toronto win another Stanley Cup.  After a poor start in 1947/48 he was traded to Chicago and rebounded with a Second Team-All-Star nod, which was the last one he had.  He would later play for Detroit, New York and Montreal, and had 344 Points in his nine-year career.

Eligible since 1956.  Ranked #145 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Gus Bodnar, Toronto Maple Leafs, Centre: 22 G, 40 A, 62 P, 4.5 PS 1944    

Bodnar likely got an early opportunity to earn an NHL spot due to the World War II depletion of talent.  That might be why he never eclipsed his rookie totals, but he had a long 12-year career and won two Stanley Cup Rings (1945 & 1947) with the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Bodnar also played for Chicago and Boston, and he would accumulate 397 Points.

Eligible since 1958.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Frank McCool, Toronto Maple Leafs, Goalie: 24-22-4, 3.22 GAA, 10.1 GPS 1945   

There may never be another player who won the Calder Trophy who had a career as brief as Frank McCool.  Playing at Goalie, McCool was the third straight Maple Leaf to win the Calder, and this year he backstopped Toronto to a Stanley Cup win. He played only 22 Games the following year, only to retire abruptly due to severe ulcers.  We can’t imagine another Calder winner with only 72 Games Played in his career.

Eligible since 1949.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Howie Meeker, Toronto Maple Leafs, Right Wing: 27 G, 18 A, 45 P, 5.3 GPS: 1947        

Meeker was the fourth Maple Leaf in five years to win the Calder, and his 45 Point year turned out to be the best of his career. Meeker would win the Stanley Cup as a rookie, and twice again in 1948 and 1951.  Meeker would go onto greater fame as a broadcaster in Hockey night in Canada as an analyst for over twenty-five years.  He would score 185 Points over 346 Games.

Eligible since 1958.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jim McFadden, Detroit Red Wings, Centre: 24 G, 24 A, 48 P, 5.7 GPS: 1948        

McFadden became the first Detroit Red Wing to win the Calder, and like so many before him, the Centre set personal bests in scoring (48) as a rookie.  McFadden won the Stanley Cup with Detroit in 1950, and he would also play for the Blackhawks.  His NHL career ended in 1954, and he would score 226 Points over seven seasons.

Eligible since 1957.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Pentti Lund, New York Rangers, Right Wing: 14 G, 16 A, 30 P, 2.6 PS: 1949         

Here is something you wouldn’t think was true. The first Scandinavian born player to win a major individual award took place before 1950.  Granted, that player was Finnish-born Pentti Lund, who immigrated to Canada as a six-year-old, so it doesn’t count for the most part, but he was the first nevertheless.  Lund never won another accolade in the NHL, and he lasted a total of five seasons, three with New York and two with Boston.  He would score 77 Points in his career.

Eligible since 1956.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jack Gelineau, Boston Bruins, Goalie: 22-30-15, 3.28 GAA, 7.3 GPS: 1950  

Gelineau played four games for the Bruins in 1948/49 and took over as the top netminder for the Boston Bruins the following year, where despite the losing record, he had a good rookie year keeping the Bruins competitive.  Gelineau had an even better sophomore year, but when he sought a raise from Bruins ownership he was rebuffed.  Rather than stay in Boston, he returned to his native province of Quebec, where he played a few years in the provincial league for a few seasons, save for two games in 1954 with Chicago.

Eligible since 1956.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Camille Henry, New York Rangers, Centre: 24 G, 15 A, 39 P, 5.4 PS: 1954  

20 of Henry’s 24 Goals were on the power play, and it was enough to lead the NHL.  Henry struggled the next two seasons, and was demoted to the minors.  He returned to again lead the NHL in Power Play Goals twice, and in 1957/58 he was a Second Team All-Star and Lady Bing winner. Henry played most of his career with New York, finishing his professional run with Chicago and St. Louis. He would have 478 Points.

Eligible since 1973.  Ranked #201 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ed Litzenberger, Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks, Centre: 23 G, 28 A, 51 P, 5.8 PS: 1955   

It was a unique rookie year for Litzenberger, who began the year as a Montreal Canadian, but was donated early in the season to the Chicago Blackhawks in an effort to help save the team from folding. Litzenberger played 29 Games that year in Montreal, scoring 11 Points, but he went on to have 40 Points in 44 Games to conclude the season in Chicago.  Litzenberger went on to have three 60-plus years with the Blackhawks, and would win four Stanley Cups; one with Chicago and three with the Toronto Maple Leafs.  He retired with 416 career Points.

Eligible since 1967.  Ranked #190 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ralph Backstrom, Montreal Canadiens, Centre: 18 G, 22 A, 40 P, 3.8 PS: 1959    

In Backstrom’s Calder Trophy winning year with the Montreal Canadiens, he was a member of the Stanley Cup Championship Team. Providing good two-way hockey for years, Backstrom won five more Cup with the Habs.  He would later play for Los Angeles and Chicago, before moving to the WHA with stints with Chicago, Denver, Ottawa and New England. Backstrom had 639 NHL Points and 253 WHA Points. 

Eligible since 1980.  Ranked #33 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bobby Rousseau, Montreal Canadiens, Right Wing: 21 G, 24 A, 45 P, 4.5 PS: 1962        

In his rookie year, Bobby Rousseau had four Short-Handed Goals, which was enough to lead the NHL.  Rousseau did not do that again, but he found a niche in the powerful Montreal Canadiens team that won four Stanley Cups in the 1960s. During his stint in Montreal, Rousseau was a Second Team All-Star and league-leader in Assists in 1965/66. When the decade ended, Rousseau was a Minnesota North Star for one season and a New York Ranger for four before retiring in 1975.  Bobby Rousseau Rousseau scored 703 Points over a 942-Game career.

Eligible since 1978.  Ranked #158 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Kent Douglas, Toronto Maple Leafs, Defenseman: 7 G, 15 A, 22 P, 6.6 PS: 1963   

It took 30 years for the Calder Trophy to be awarded to a Defenseman, and again it went to a Toronto Maple Leaf.  A relatively late arrival to the NHL (he was 26), Douglas led the NHL in Defensive Point Shares as a rookie (5.1), but it would be the only time he would do so.  Douglas won the Stanley Cup as a rookie, and technically did two more times, but he was not on those post-season rosters, which reflects that his best season was as a rookie.  He would also play for Oakland, Detroit and the New York Raiders of the WHA.  

Eligible since 1976.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com

Roger Crozier, Detroit Red Wings, Goalie: 40-22-7 Record, 2.42 GAA, 14.4 PS: 1965     

Roger Crozier did not just win the Calder, as he was a First Team All-Star, and the NHL leader in Wins (40), Shutouts (6) and Goalie Point Shares (14.4).  The Red Wings Goalie would take the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup Finals the next season against the heavily favored Montreal Canadiens.  Montreal won, but Crozier was spectacular and he became the first Conn Smythe winner on a losing team.  Crozier’s career went downhill after, but he played until 1977 with stints in Buffalo and Washington.  He had a career record of 206-194-72.

Eligible since 1980.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com

Brit Selby, Toronto Maple Leafs, Left Wing: 14 G, 13 A, 27 P, 2.0 PS: 1966

While there were many Calder winners who had much shorter careers than Brit Selby, it is hard to argue that he was the worst player to win the award.  With only 2.0 Point Shares in his Calder year (nearly half of his career 4.3), Selby was sent back to the minors and was not a member of the Leafs 1967 Stanley Cup win. The next year, he was a member of the expansion Philadelphia Flyers, and he would later play again for Toronto, St. Louis and the WHA’s Quebec Nordiques, New England Whalers and Toronto Toros.  He would have 117 career NHL Points and 74 Points in the WHA.

Eligible since 1978.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com

Derek Sanderson, Boston Bruins, Centre: 24 G, 25 A, 49 P, 4.8 PS: 1968     

After his good Calder year, Sanderson would have a long career (mostly with the Boston Bruins), and while he was a good player, the tough guy’s good looks and fame were much higher than his on-ice skill. He would help Boston win two Stanley Cups.  His hard-partying lifestyle held his career back, but he did score 452 Points in a career that also saw Sanderson play for the New York Rangers, St. Louis, Vancouver and Pittsburgh.  

Eligible since 1981.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Danny Grant, Minnesota North Stars, Left Wing: 34 G, 31 A, 65 P, 5.6 PS: 1969   

Grant played 22 Games the year before with Montreal, where he was a member of the Canadiens’ Stanley Cup Championship Team. He did not exceed rookie limits, thus was able for the Calder in 1969, though he was now a Minnesota North Star, as the Hans had traded him.  With this Calder win, Grant was the first Calder winner from an Expansion Team. Grant would go on to play in three All-Star Games, scoring 536 Points in a career that also extended to Detroit and Los Angeles.  

Eligible since 1982.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Steve Vickers, New York Rangers, Left Wing: 30 G, 23 A, 53 P, 5.9 PS: 1973        

Vickers played his entire NHL career with the New York Rangers, and had at least 30 Goals in his first four seasons.  Two seasons after his Calder Trophy win, Vickers was a Second Team All-Star, and would score 586 career Points over a ten-year career.  

Eligible since 1985.  Ranked #247 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Eric Vail, Atlanta Flames, Left Wing: 39 G, 21 A, 60 P, 6.1 PS: 1975   

In between the Calder wins of Hall of Famers, Denis Potvin and Bryan Trottier was Eric Vail, the first of two Calder winners when the Flames were located in Atlanta.  Vail had a decent career with three 60-plus Point years in his career that generated 476 Points.    

Eligible since 1985.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Willi Plett, Atlanta Flames, Right Wing: 33 G, 23 A, 66 P, 4.8 PS: 1977       

Plett became the second Atlanta Flame, and also the second Flame to earn the Calder in between future Islanders Hall of Famers (Trottier and Mike Bossy).  While Plett went on to score a respectable 437 Points in the NHL, he would be known more for his pugilistic skills, amassing 2,570 Penalty Minutes.    

Eligible since 1991.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bobby Smith, Minnesota North Stars, Centre: 30 G, 44 A, 74 P, 5.0 PS: 1979       

A four-time All-Star, Smith had a good career, peaking with a 114-Point year in 1981-82.  The Centre had nine 70-plus years and would have a Stanley Cup win with the Montreal Canadiens in 1996.  Smith had 1,036 career Points in 1,077 Games.    

Eligible since 1985.  Ranked #31 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Steve Larmer, Chicago Blackhawks, Right Wing: 43 G, 47 A, 90 P, 8.4 PS: 1983   

Larmer was with Chicago for all but his last two seasons, and the Right Wing would tie or exceed his 90 Point rookie year total tice more and from 1982/83 to 1992/93 he would also have at least 70 Points. Larmer accumulated 1,012 Points.

Eligible since 1998.  Ranked #32 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Tom Barrasso, Buffalo Sabres, Goalie: 26-12-3 Record, 7.5 PS: 1984   

Barrasso had a phenomenal rookie campaign where he not only won the Calder, he was a Vezina winner and First Team All-Star. The American Goalie was a Second Team All-Star and a William M. Jennings winner in his second season, and he was only 20!   Barrasso had a long career afterward, though he was never again won a Vezina. Barrasso would win two Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh, and he was also a Second Team All-Star there.  The Goalie also played for Ottawa, Carolina, Toronto and St. Louis and he had a career record of 369-277-86.   

Eligible since 2006.  Ranked #18 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Gary Suter, Calgary Flames, Defense: 18 G, 50 A, 68 P, 8.0 PS: 1986  

Gary Suter was the first of two Calgary Flames to win the Calder in the 1980s (the other being Joe Nieuwendyk) and he was the first American blueliner to win the trophy.  Suter helped Calgary win the Stanley Cup in 1989, and the year before he was a Second Team All-Star.  Suter also played with Chicago and San Jose, and he would have 844 Points over his 17 NHL seasons.

Eligible since 2005.  Ranked #35 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators, Right Wing: 26 G, 35 A, 61 P, 5.3 PS: 1996  

Daniel Alfredsson was the first Calder winner for the Ottawa Senators, and is safe to say that he was the best player in the team’s resurrection.  Alfredsson was a Second Team All-Star in 2005/06, and he would also win the King Clancy and Mark Messier Leadership Award.  With the exception of his final season in Detroit, Alfredsson was a career Senator and he scored 1,157 Points in his career.

Eligible since 2017.  Ranked #5 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bryan Berard, New York Islanders, Defense: 8 G, 40 A, 48 P, 7.6 PS: 1997   

Berard played ten years in the NHL, which was incredible considering he almost lost an eye early in his career.  That injury occurred early in his career, and impeded what could have been a great career.  Still, the Defenseman had 323 career Points and won the Bill Masterton Award in 2004.

Eligible since 2011.   Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Sergei Samsonov, Boston Bruins, Left Wing: 22 G, 25 A, 47 P, 5.5 PS: 1998         

From Moscow, Samsonov never ascended to superstar status, but this was a really good player for a long time.  The Left Wing played for Boston, Edmonton, Montreal. Chicago, Carolina and Florida and scored a respectable 571 career Points.

Eligible since 2014.  Ranked #282 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Chris Drury, Colorado Avalanche, Centre: 20 G, 24 A, 44 P, 5.0 PS: 1999    

Two years after he won the Calder, Drury helped the Avalanche win their second NBA Title.  Drury was a good two-way player, and he also played for Buffalo and the New York Rangers over a 615-Point career.

Eligible since 2014.  Ranked #296 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Scott Gomez, New Jersey Devils, Centre: 19 G, 51 A, 70 P, 7.3 PS: 2000     

Gomez would win the Stanley Cup as a rookie, and again in 2003, both of which with the New Jersey Devils.  The Alaskan would also play for the Rangers, Montreal, San Jose, Florida, St. Louis and Ottawa with 655 career Points.

Eligible since 2019.  Ranked #249 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Evegeni Nabokov, San Jose Sharks, Goalie: 32-21-7 Record, 11.7 PS: 2001

Nabokov became the first San Jose Shark and the first Russian Goalie to win the Calder.  Nabokov was a First Team All-Star in 2008, and would have a career record of 353-227-86 in a career mostly with San Jose.

Eligible since 2018.  Ranked #122 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Dany Heatley, Atlanta Thrashers, Right Wing: 26 G, 41 A, 67 P, 6.8 PS: 2002      

Heatley will go down in history as the only Atlanta Thrasher to win the Calder.  He was the driver in an accident that killed his teammate, and needing a change of scenery, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators where he a one-time First Team and Second Team All-Star.  Heatley also played for San Jose, Minnesota and Anaheim and had 791 Points.

Eligible since 2018.  Ranked #108 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Barrett Jackman, St. Louis Blues, Defense: 3 G, 16 A, 19 P, 5.4 PS: 2003    

The Calder Trophy would be the only award that Jackman would win, or even receive a vote for, but this was stay-at-home defenseman who knew his role and did it well.  The Defenseman played 13 years with the Blues, and one final one with Nashville.

Eligible since 2019.  Unrankedon Notinhalloffame.com.

Andrew Raycroft, Boston Bruins, Goalie: 29-18-9 Record, 2.05 GAA, 12.6 PS: 2004      

This was the best season of Raycroft’s career, and he only ever had one good year again, which was when he was with Toronto. Raycroft also played for Colorado, Vancouver and Dallas, and had a record of 113-114-27 upon retirement.

Eligible since 2015.  Unrankedon Notinhalloffame.com.

Let’s update our tally, shall we?        

So, who is up next?

The following are the players who have won the Calder Trophy in the NHL who have retired but have not met the mandatory years out of the game to qualify for the Hockey Hall of Fame:

Steve Mason, Columbus Blue Jackets, 33-20-7 Record, 2.29 GAA, 11.2 GPS, 2009

In his rookie season, Mason was a Second Team All-Star, was the runner-up for the Vezina and was fourth in Hart voting. Mason never replicated that year, but did have a ten-year run where he also played for Philadelphia and Winnipeg. He retired with a career record of 205-183-64.

Eligible in 2021.

The following are the players who have won the Calder Trophy who are still active.

Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals, Centre: 52 G, 54 A, 106 P, 12.7 PS 2006

The Russian is easily the best European star of his generation and he was a First Team All-Star as a rookie.  Since that time, he has been a First Team All-Star five times and won the Hart three times.  The future Hall of Famer took the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup in 2018.

34 Years Old,Playing for the Washington Capitals.

Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins, Centre: 52 G, 54 A, 106 P, 12.7 PS 2007

Malkin was the second Russian Centre to win the Calder in a row, and how fitting is that Malkin played for Pittsburgh, a rival of Alex Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals.  Since his Calder win, Malkin has won three Stanley Cups, a Hart and two Art Ross Trophies.  He is already a member of the 1,000 Point club.

33 Years Old,Playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks, Right Wing: 21 G, 51 A, 72 P, 7.2 PS, 2008

Since his Calder win, Kane won the Hart Trophy and led Chicago to three Stanley Cups.  Kane is already a member of the 1,000 Point Club, has three First Team All-Stars, and an Art Ross Trophy on his mantle.

32 Years Old,Playing for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Tyler Myers, Buffalo Sabres, Defense: 11 G, 37 A, 48 P, 9.8 PS, 2010

After that good rookie year, Myers has yet to replicate that success and his 48 Points and 9.8 Point Shares remain career-highs.

30 Years Old,Playing for the Vancouver Canucks.

Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricanes, Left Wing: 31 G, 32 A, 63 P, 8.1 PS, 2011

Jeff Skinner has matched his rookie output of 63 Points twice but has yet to exceed it.

28 Years Old,Playing for the Buffalo Sabres.

Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche, Left Wing: 22 G, 30 A, 52 P, 6.8 PS, 2012

Gabriel Landeskog has had a good career thus far that has been spent entirely with the Avalanche.  He has had six 50-plus Point years, but nothing higher than 75 Points.

28 Years Old,Playing for the Colorado Avalanche.

Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers, Center: 14 G, 17 A, 31 P, 3.3 PS, 2013

Jonathan Huberdeau is the first Panther to win the Calder and he was an All-Star in 2020.

27 Years Old,Playing for the Florida Panthers.

Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche, Center: 24 G, 39 A, 63 P, 7.7 PS, 2014

Since his Calder season, MacKinnon went on a current three-year 90-Point streak.  He was an All-Star in 2002, and was the runner-up for the Hart in 2018.

25 Years Old,Playing for the Colorado Avalanche.

Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers, Defense: 12 G, 27 A, 39 P, 8.5 PS, 2015

Aaron Ekblad became the second Florida Panther in three seasons to win the Calder.  He has participated in two All-Star Games since.

24 Years Old,Playing for the Florida Panthers.

Artemi Panerin, Chicago Blackhawks, Left Wing: 30 G, 47 A, 77 P, 9.8 PS, 2016

Following his rookie year, Panerin was a Second Team All-Star and is coming off of a 95 Point season in his first year in New York.

29 Years Old,Playing for the New York Rangers.

Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs, Center: 40 G, 29 A, 69 P, 9.7 PS, 2017

In Matthews’ rookie year, his 32 Even-Strength Goals led the NHL. He would do so again with 35 in 2019-20.

22 Years Old,Playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Matthew Barzal, New York Islanders, Center: 22 G, 63 A, 85 P, 8.2 PS, 2018

Barzal’s Calder Trophy winning season is to date his best in his young NHL career.

23 Years Old,Playing for the New York Islanders.

Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks, Center: 28 G, 38 A, 66 P, 7.8 PS, 2019

Pettersson has been with the Canucks for two seasons and played in the All-Star Game in both years.

22 Years Old,Playing for the Vancouver Canucks.

Doesn’t it feel like the Calder means more than other league Rookies of the Year?

For the most part, winning the Calder reflects a great player, especially in the second half of this awards existence.

So, what is up next?

We stay with the NHL and look at the most important individual award in the NHL. The Hart Trophy.

As always, we thank you for your support, and look for that soon.

Albert Pujols: A big contract bringing clipping the Angels’ wings

Alberto Pujols is still playing baseball? That question may have crossed your mind when it was announced the current Los Angeles Angels first baseman had passed Alex Rodriguez on Major League Baseball’s all-time RBI list this week. Pujols knocked in his 2,087^thRBI on August 24^thand is now trailing Hank Aaron as the all-time Major League Baseball leader. Sports fans are enjoying a large amount of sports available currently from baseball to horse racing. The biggest horse race in the world will take place on September 5^that Churchill Downs and fans can watch a Kentucky Derby live stream to follow all of the action on race day. 

Now, 40-years-old, Pujols’ standing as one of the greatest in Major League Baseball history doesn’t seem to be as firm as it was years ago. Pujols has spent the last eight and a half seasons playing for the Angels. So, if you forgot he was even in the league at this point, you can be forgiven. 

Pujols’ 2020 season has been rather forgettable. His RBI on Monday night to pull him closer to Aaron was a milestone but there was little to actually celebrate. The Angels are 10-22 as of this writing and 12.0 games out of first place in the AL West. For all the talk of the greatness of Pujols and Mike Trot, they sure have done little to get the Angels into American League West winning position. Of course, baseball takes more than just two players, but Pujols’ stats show a player limping toward retirement and hanging on for too long.

The first baseman is hitting .215 with an OBP of .253, and slugging percentage of .367 as of August 27^th. He has hit just three home runs and knocked in 12 RBI in 79 at bats. The once great hitting machine is a shell of his former self. 

Since arriving in Los Angeles in 2012, Pujols has regularly failed to get the Angels into the playoffs. Just one time have the club made the postseason following Pujols’ big money move from St. Louis. In pure poor money management, the Angels rewarded Pujols for what he did with the Cardinals and not what he could do in the future. 

The club signed him to a 10-year contract in 2012 for a $240 million. According to Spotrac, Pujols was due $29m this season alone. In 2012, signing Pujols for 10 years may have sounded like a great deal. He was 32 and coming off of winning the World Series with the Cardinals. He was also a three-time MVP. 

Pujols’ batting average has never risen over .300 for a full season in Los Angeles. Three times his OBP has dipped below .300, including this season. Other than in the 2015 season, Pujols hasn’t shown the power of his time in St. Louis. The 2015 campaign witnessed Pujols hitting 40 home runs. He hit 40 or more homers six times for the Cardinals. Just once has he done it in Los Angeles.

The last eight and a half seasons in Los Angeles have been well paid for Pujols. But with the Angels making the playoffs just once in that time, Pujols is now just a huge contract around the club’s neck. That deal won’t end until after the 2021 season. Pujols will earns $30m next season.

A Guide for Sports Fans: How to Keep Yourself Entertained During the Offseason

No matter what sport you enjoy watching, there will come a time at least once a year when it enters its offseason period. All sports need this break in their schedule, simply because it provides the athletes with a chance to rest their bodies, improve their performance, and ultimately prolong their careers.

Offseason might be necessary, but it’s still incredibly boring! If you want to keep yourself entertained when your favorite sport enters its annual break, you’re going to have to put the advice laid out below into practice.

Find another sport to follow

Different sports are suited to different conditions and seasons — baseball, for example, is played during the summertime, whereas basketball is played throughout the winter — which means that you have the opportunity to indulge in sporting action all year round. 

Following another sport might feel sacrilegious at first, but, if nothing else, it’ll provide you with the sporting rush you need to keep yourself entertained throughout the long, arduous months of your offseason. You never know, you might end up enjoying your new sport enough to follow it even once your favorite sport starts up again.

Pick up a new pastime

You might not have the luxury of being able to watch your favorite sporting action for the time being, but that doesn’t mean you have to mope around every weekend. There are always going to be new, fun and exciting pastimes out there for you to pick up. You just have to be willing to try something a bit different.

If you’re determined to recreate the thrill of the sporting action that you enjoy, you should seriously consider picking up poker as your pastime of choice. The excitement that you experience as you take risks, formulate strategies, and place your bets will be akin to the sensation that you feel when you watch your favorite sports team take to the field. 

Should you decide to pick up poker as your offseason pastime of choice, be sure to check out the poker strategies provided by Unibet. If you heed their advice, you’ll be sure to become an expert player in no time.

Start watching a TV show about your favorite sport

Regardless of what sport you are passionate about, chances are there has been a TV show made about it at some point in the past. Whether based on fact or purely fictional, these sorts of shows are perfect to binge on when there’s no real sporting action to watch on the weekend. If nothing else, the roar of the make-believe crowd will trick you into thinking that you are actually watching live sporting action take place.

Here are just a few of the different sports-related shows that you can watch:

• Ballers, Friday Night Lights, Blue Mountain State— American Football
• The White Shadow, Hangin' With Mr. Cooper, Inside the NBA— Basketball
• The League, Back in the Game, Eastbound and Down— Baseball

The offseason might be an incredibly boring time, but it’s necessary. If you want to keep yourself entertained while you wait for your favorite sport to start up again, be sure to heed the above advice.

If you ask any basketball fan who their favourite player is then chances are that 9 out of 10 times the name you'd hear is Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan is undoubtedly one of the greatest in the world of basketball. He was responsible for the sudden growth in popularity of the NBA back in the 1980s. His incredibly flamboyant style of playing and his high jumps found him titles like Air Jordan and His Airness, names that have stuck to this day. Between him and Scottie Pippen, they turned around the fortunes of the Chicago Bulls making the team one of the greatest of that era.

The Chicago Bulls won six championship titles with Michael Jordan which pretty much made him one of the most bettable sportsmen of the time. Sports betting back in those days was very different from what it is now. These days, one can go online and even bet on virtual sports like this article describes.  If Michael Jordan were playing today, he would most definitely be one of the most bankable players. His sheer talent and skill is also the reason why he was so popular. In fact here are a few reasons for his popularity and his dependability.

He can act

Sure, Michael Jordan can play basketball but can he act? Yes, he can! Michael Jordan made his debut in Hollywood in a most bizarre movie called Space Jam where he acted opposite not human beings but cartoon characters. His co-stars were the iconic Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny from Looney Tunes. The story is about a bunch of aliens coming down to earth to enslave these characters as well as steal some basketball talent from the guys at NBA. Michael Jordan manages to come to the rescue as he always does. 

He can play even with the flu

Most people would be in bed, sipping hot soup and resting when they get the flu but not Michael Jordan. He gets up and plays basketball. The match between Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz featuring a flu-ridden Michael Jordan is one for the history books because he leads the team to a crazy 90-88 win before finally collapsing in a heap. 

The Last Shot

Michael Jordan's last match was in 1998 before retirement. The Chicago Bulls were playing against Utah Jazz. Michael Jordan dribbled his way through Bryon Russell and then gently pushed him and stole an opportunity to win a point. This won him his final title and the match has gone down in history as one of the greatest ever. No wonder then that the shoes he wore during that match fetched thousands of dollars at a recent auction. 

These are just some of the high points of MJ's career that made him one of the most dependable sportsmen ever. It was so difficult to keep him out of the game that he even returned to the court at the age of 40 and managed to score 43 points against New Jersey Nets. 

Garden State Greatness in the World of Sports

New Jersey is known for many things including the iconic Atlantic City and its fabulous hotel and casino operations, world-famous sports teams, and NJs mind-boggling population density. From an sports and entertainment perspective, the Garden State stands proud. It is home to New York's finest – not the police officers – the New York Jets and the New York Giants – NFL titans. These teams play for the Empire State, but their stadium is located in East Rutherford New Jersey, at MetLife Stadium. Interestingly enough, according to 888sport’s Brett Chatz, the New York Jets and the New York Giants are the only NFL teams to share a stadium since 1984. Granted, the LA Chargers will be sharing a stadium with the LA Rams from 2020 onwards, at the SoFi stadium in California.

The New Jersey Devils Stun the Crowds at the NHL 

The best New Jersey Devils Teams of all time are pretty easy to identify. They're the ones who won the Stanley Cup, back in 1994/5, 1999/2000, and again in 2002/3. As the quintessential picture of perfection, these New Jersey Devils teams went hell for leather and brought home the ultimate prize in the NHL. Their first Stanley Cup victory took place under the management of coach J. Lemaire. Fast forward to 1999/2000. The New Jersey Devils again performed superbly under coaches L. Robinson and R. Ftorek, winning their second cup. The last time the New Jersey Devils won the Stanley Cup was back in 2002/3. That year, it was coach P. Burns who led the team to victory in a spectacular way. The New Jersey Devils are without doubt one of the best exports to emerge from the state. They are currently ranked at #14 in the Eastern Conference (2019/2020) with plenty of opportunities to move up the ranks in coming seasons.

The New York Giants and the New York Jets Playing Out of Jersey

No sport captivates the attention of fans more than the NFL. The other 3 major sports in the US include MLB, NBA, and NHL, in that order. True to form, New York's NFL prospects – the Giants and the Jets have cemented their place in history among fans. What many folks outside of New York and New Jersey don't know is that both these NFL teams are based in the Garden State. According to NFL power rankings (2019 regular season), the New York Giants in the NFC East are in third place, and the New York Jets in the AFC East are also in third place. Both of these teams have their home base at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants have won 4 NFL Championships, in 1956, 1938, 1934, 1927. They also won 4 Super Bowls, in 2012, 2008, 1991, and 1987. The New York Jets have just 1 NFL Championship to their credit, when they beat the Baltimore Colts 16-7, back in 1969.

The Brooklyn Nets Playing Out of New Jersey

The Brooklyn Nets were once known as the New Jersey Nets, and this NBA team certainly made waves in the basketball arena. The best Brooklyn Nets players include the likes of: Jason Kidd, Julius Erving, Buck Williams, Drazen Petrovic, Brook Lopez, Richard Jefferson, Rick Barry, John Williamson, Keith Van Horn, Kerry Kittles, andKenyon Martin, among others. Some of their best performances ever took place in the following years:

• 1973/4– the Brooklyn Nets delivered a 55-29 win/loss performance in the ABA. Legendary players, Larry Kenon and Julius Erving starred.
• 1975/6- the 1976 Slam Dunk contest with none other than Julius Irving a.k.a. Dr J won the hearts of fans the world over. He was named the ABA Most Valuable Player, and was appointed to the ABA First Team. In that year, the Brooklyn S came in second with a 55-29 record in the ABA.
• 2002/3– during the season, the Brooklyn Nets had the best defensive rating in the league. Richard Jefferson stepped in, replacing Van Horn. Just two games were lost during the play-offs in the Eastern conference, as the Brooklyn Nets made it to the NBA Finals. In 2002, their win percentage was .634, and in 2003 their win percentage was .598.
• 2001/2– in this year, Jason Kidd spearheaded the Nets towards greatness as they reached the NBA finals. While the Lakers dominated, the Nets showed their grit. The Eastern conference team could not possibly hope to compete with the Western Conference team, but their regular-season winnings got them to the finals.

These New Jersey teams have left an indelible impression on the sports world. Many of these teams are etched into the annals of history in the NHL Hall of Fame, the NBA Hall of Fame, and the NFL Hall of Fame. It's been some time since a team from New Jersey lifted a championship trophy, but they've done it before and they can certainly do it again!

Rock n roll is always considered to be more of a lifestyle than a form of music. Rock stars are known to live in excesses. It's popularly romanticized as a life of excess drugs, sex and hedonism. Many rockers bend the rules and stretch it to the limit. Some survive, some become casualties. The golden era of rock n roll was probably the 60s with legendary bands like Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and The Doors pushing the limits both musically as well as in their own personal lives. 

There are several sordid stories of overdosing on drugs and sometimes even endangering the lives of those around them. This kind of a lifestyle is something you can probably taste a slice of in Las Vegas with all its casinos and clubs. Although it's true that Las Vegas now does offer more than just gambling like this article says. But as we enter the era of hip hop and electronic music, it would be a good idea to look back and go through some of the greatest tragedies of rock n roll history. 

Death of John Bonham

There is absolutely no doubt that Led Zeppelin was one of the greatest bands on the planet and that John Bonham was one of the greatest drummers who ever lived. His unique style of drumming remains unparalleled and still inspires a whole new generation of drummers. Bonham was known for his excessive drinking which is what led to his death in 1980 when he was only 32 years old. The band decided not to carry on without him and that was the end of Led Zeppelin. His death is considered to be one of the greatest losses to the world of rock.

Death of John Lennon

There has probably never been a more famous band in the history of the world than The Beatles. It's a remarkable story how four young lads from Liverpool went on to confquer the world with their brilliant tunes and sharp songwriting. John Lennon was at one point considered to be almost god like. After quitting the The Beatles, Lennon pursued a solo career and went through a series of personal awakenings and changes. His wife Yoko Ono and he became activists and protested against a lot of decisions that the government was taking at that time. In 1980, John Lennon was shot dead outside his home by a crazed Beatles fan by the name of Mark Chapman. Chapman claims he was upset by claims that Lennon had made about The Beatles being more famous than Jesus. Chapman is still in jail and seeking parole according to this article. 

Death of Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly was an American singer-songwriter known for being an influential figure in the rock n roll scene of the 50s. He is known to be the first musician to come up with the traditional band format of two guitars, drums and bass. He had a very short career and yet his work managed to influence legends like Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton. In 1959, Buddy Holly died in a plane crash along with the rest of his band mates. The event was considered to be so tragic that Don McLean refers to it in his song American Pie saying it was the day that music died. 

There are many more events that could make the list like the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash and Elvis Presley's death that changed the course of rock n roll forever. 

We here at Notinhalloffame.com thought it would be fun to take a look at the major awards in North American team sports and see how it translates into Hall of Fame potential.

Needless to say, different awards in different sports yield hall of fame potential.  In basketball, the team sport with the least number of players on a roster, the dividend for greatness much higher.  In baseball, it is not as much as a great individual season does not have the same impact.

Last time, we looked at the NBA Finals MVP.  This time we went back to baseball, and the Comeback Player of the Year.

This is a recent award, first created in 2005, so the sample size at present is not a large one, but that has not stopped us before.  As with most awards in the Majors, there is one issued for both the National League and the American League.

So how many MLB Comeback Player of the Years have made the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Let’s find out!

The following are the past players who have won the Comeback Player of the Year who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and have been enshrined.

Ken Griffey Jr., Cincinnati Reds (NL: 2005)                    

Ken Griffey Jr was beset with injury after injury from 2001 to 2004 as a Cincinnati Red with the most games he had in a year being 111.  This season, Griffey Jr appeared in 128 Games and had 35 Home Runs with a .301 Batting Average.  He played until 2010, retiring with 630 Home Runs and 2,781 Hits.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

Jim Thome, Chicago White Sox (AL: 2006)                      

In 2005, Thome had elbow problems and batted only .205 as a Philadelphia Phillie.  The Phils traded him to the White Sox, and he rebounded with 42 Home Runs and 109 RBIs.  The slugger played until 2012 and left the game with 612 Home Runs.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees (AL: 2013)                

Mariano Rivera was already entrenched as the greatest Relief Pitcher in history before he won this award, and in 2012 it looked like he had to retire.  In May of that year, he tore his ACL, and it was expected that he would not return, but he did and was back in form.  In what was his final season, the career Yankee had 44 Saves and was an All-Star for the 13^thtime.  Rivera ended his career as the all-time leader in Games Finishes (952), Saves (652) and ERA+ (205).  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019.

The following are the players who have won the Comeback Player of the Year who are eligible for the Baseball Basketball Hall of Fame and have not been selected:

Jason Giambi, New York Yankees (AL: 2005)                   

Jason Giambi won the 2000 MVP, and was a top slugger for the seasons after but knee issues held him to 80 Games in 2004.  In 2005, he returned with 32 Home Runs, and led the American League in Walks (108) and On Base Percentage (.440).  Eligible Since 2020.  Was on the ballot for one year in 2020 and received 1.5% of the ballot.  Ranked #98 on Notinhalloffame.com

Nomar Garciaparra, Los Angeles Dodgers (NL: 2006)       

Injuries compiled on Garciaparra for years, taking him away from surefire Hall of Famer to also-ran.  He missed most of 2005 due to a torn groin, but 2006 had Garciaparra go to his first All-Star Game since 2003.  Garciaparra had 20 Home Runs, and batted .303 this year.  Realistically, this was his last good year, and he retired in 2009.  Eligible Since 2015.  Was on the ballot for two years in 2015 finishing as high as 5.5% in 2015.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay Rays (AL: 2007)                        

Carlos Pena had a pair of 100 Hit years, and had a 27 Home Run season in 2004, but he was released by the Tigers before the start of the 2006 season.  He signed with the Yankees, but was released before he played for them.  He did manage to get in 18 Games for Boston, but was in the minors for most of the year.  Pena signed a minor league deal with Tampa before the 2007 season, and he rewarded them with a 46 Home Run and .282 Batting Average year.  Pena was ninth in MVP voting, and two years later he won the Home Run Title (39) and was an All-Star.  Pena would later play for the Cubs, Houston, Kansas City and Texas.  He retired with 286 Home Runs.  Eligible Since 2020.  Was on the ballot for one year in 2020 but did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Dmitri Young, Washington Nationals (NL: 2007)             

An All-Star in 2003 with the Detroit Tigers, Young’s 2006 season was his last in Motown, where he only played in 48 Games, had a sub .300 OBP and was treated for substance abuse and depression.  The Tigers released him that year, and it looked like his career might be over.  The Nationals signed Young, and in 2007 he was an All-Star again and he batted .320, which was good enough for fifth in the NL. He played one more season, and he retired with 1,389 Hits and 171 Home Runs.  Eligible Since 2014.  Although Young was eligible in 2014, he was not on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians (AL: 2008)                            

Lee won at least 14 Wins annually from 2004 to 2006, and was fourth in Cy Young voting in 2005.  Lee had a horrendous 2007 where he had abdominal issues and was sent down to the minors, and his ERA was over six in his 20 Games with Cleveland. He rocketed back with his best year ever, going 22-3, and he led the AL in Wins, ERA (2.54) and FIP (2.83), and he won the Cy Young, making him the first to win the Cy Young and the Comeback Player of the Year at the same time.  Eligible Since 2020.  Was on the ballot for one year and received 0.5% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Brad Lidge, Philadelphia Phillies (NL: 2008)                    

An All-Star in 2005, Lidge’s game fell apart after and he dropped to 19 Saves in 2007 from his 42 two years before.  Lidge joined the Phillies, and he was an All-Star again with 41 Saves and an ERA of 1.95.  Lidge finished fourth in Cy Young voting, was an All-Star, and won the Rolaids Relief and Delivery Man of the Year Award.  The Phillies won the World Series that season, and Lidge was the first player to win the Comeback Player of the Year and the World Series in the same year.  Lidge played until 2012 and retired with 225 Saves.  Eligible Since 2018.  Was on the ballot for one year and received 0.5% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals (NL: 2009)              

In 2007, Carpenter threw only six innings and underwent Tommy John Surgery and he was only on the mound for 15.1 Innings in 2008 due to shoulder issues.  The Pitcher stormed back as the Cy Young runner-up and had a 17-4 record while leasing the National League in ERA (2.24).  Carpenter would be an All-Star again the following year, and he played until 2012, finishing his career with a 144-94 record.  Eligible Since 2018.  Was on the ballot for one year and received 0.5% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Tim Hudson, Atlanta Braves (NL: 2010)                          

An All-Star twice with Oakland, Tim Hudson joined the Braves in 2005 and did well until Tommy John Surgery took him out in 2008 and he missed most of 2009.  In 2010, he was an All-Star again with a 17-9 record and a fourth place finish in the Cy Young.  Hudson was an All-Star again in 2014 as a San Francisco Giant and retired the year later with 222 Wins and 2,080 Strikeouts.  Eligible Since 2021.  His first year of eligibility is this year.  Ranked #101 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Lance Berkman, St. Louis Cardinals (NL: 2011)               

Lance Berkman was a five-time All-Star with the Astros, but in an injury plagued 2010 he only had 14 Home Runs and batted .249. Berkman joined the Cardinals and blasted 31 Home Runs, was an All-Star for his sixth and final time and he helped the Cardinals win the World Series.  He played two more seasons and retired with 1,648 Hits, 326 Home Runs and 1,090 RBIs.  Eligible Since 2019.  He was on he ballot for one year and had 1.2% of the ballot.  Ranked #88 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Let’s update our tally, shall we?        

So, who is up next?

The following are the players who have won the Comeback Player of the Year in MLB who have retired but have not met the mandatory years out of the game to qualify for the Baseball Hall of Fame:

Aaron Hill, Toronto Blue Jays (AL: 2009)

Aaron Hill suffered a concussion in late May of 2008, and he was put for the remainder of the season.  Hill came back to have the best season of his career where he was an All-Star for the first and only time of his career, and would post career-highs in Home Runs (36), RBIs (108) and Hits (195).  The Second Baseman would also win his lone Silver Slugger this season. Hill went on to play for Arizona, Milwaukee, Boston and San Francisco, and he retired with 1,501 Hits and 162 Home Runs.  Eligible in 2023.

Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox (AL: 2011)

Jacoby Ellsbury played only 18 Games due to fractured ribs in 2010, but he returned the following season to have his only All-Star year.  Ellsbury had career-highs in Hits (212), Home Runs (32), RBIs (105), and the Slash Line (.321/.376/.552).  He would later win his second World Series ring with the BoSox in 2013, and he finished his career with 104 Home Runs and 1,376 Hits.  Eligible in 2023.

Chris Young, Seattle Mariners (AL: 2014)

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome held Chris Young to only nine minor league starts in 2013, and he was a long way removed from his 2007 All-Star year in San Diego.  Young was a Mariner for only this season, and he went 12-9 with a 3.65 ERA.  He played three more years with Kansas City, winning a World Series ring and retiring with 79 Wins against 67 Losses.  Eligible in 2023.

Chris McGehee, Miami Marlins (NL: 2014)

Chris McGehee debuted in 2008, and had a decent 2010 season, but was a journeyman after that, playing in Japan in 2013. McGehee returned to the Majors as a Miami Marlin, and he would collect 177 Hits with a .287 Batting Average.  He went back to journeyman status and was out of the majors after 2016.  McGehee had 721 Hits over his career.  Eligible in 2022.

Prince Fielder, Texas Rangers (AL: 2015)

Prince Fielder won the Home Run Title in 2007 with the Milwaukee Brewers, and he had six more 30-Home Run years right after. Fielder joined the Texas Rangers in 2014, but he had season-ending neck surgery after 42 Games.  In 2015, Fielder had 187 Hits, 23 Home Runs and batted .305, and was an All-Star for the sixth and final time.  Injuries kept him to only one more season, and he retired after the 2016 season with 319 Home Runs and 1,645 Hits.  Eligible in 2022.

The following are the players who have won the MLB Comeback Player of the Year who are still active.

Francisco Liriano, Minnesota Twins (AL: 2010)

Francisco Liriano was an All-Star as a rookie in 2006, but he missed all of 2007 due to Tommy John Surgery, and he was injured for much of 2008 and 2009.  Liriano rebounded with a 14-10 record in 2010 with a 3.62 ERA.  36 Years Old, Playing for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Fernando Rodney, Tampa Bay Rays (AL: 2012)

Fernando Rodney los the closers job with the Angels the year before with only three Saves and a 4.50 ERA.  With the Rays, he came back with a vengeance with 48 Saves, a 0.60 ERA, a 0.777 WHIP and a fifth place Cy Young finish.  43 Years Old, Free Agent.

Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants (NL: 2012)

Buster Posey was the 2010 Rookie of the Year and the Catcher helped lead the Giants to a World Series win.  2011 was not as good, as a home plate collision fractured his fibula and tore ligaments.  Posey rebounded by taking the Giants to another World Series win with 24 Home Runs, a Batting Title (.336) and an MVP.  Posey won another World Series Ring with the Giants in 2014.  33 Years Old, Playing for the San Francisco Giants.

Francisco Liriano, Pittsburgh Pirates (2) (NL: 2013)

Liriano made history as the first player to win the Comeback Player of the Year twice, and he did it in both leagues.  This time, he made a comeback after an awful 2012 split between Minnesota and Chicago (AL), and in his first season as a Pirate he had his best year in baseball.  Liriano went 16-8 with a 3.02 ERA and a ninth-place finish in Cy Young voting.  36 Years Old, Playing for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Matt Harvey, New York Mets (NL: 2015)

An All-Star in 2013, Matt Harvey missed all of 2014 from Tommy John Surgery.  Harvey went 13-8 for the Mets in 2015, and had a 2.71 ERA with 188 Strikeouts.  31 Years Old, Free Agent.

Rick Porcello, Boston Red Sox (AL: 2016)

After having six good seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Rick Porcello joined the Red Sox, but had a poor year with a 9-15 record and an ERA near five.  Porcello had a monster 2016 with a 22-4 record and a league-leading SO/BB (5.91). He would also win the Cy Young, and two years later, he helped Boston win the World Series.  31 Years Old, Playing for the New York Mets.

Anthony Rendon, Washington Nationals (NL: 2016)

Rendon had a great 2014 year with a fifth place finish in MVP voting.  The season after, he had a poor year and missed his share of games, but he bounced back with a 20 Home Run year in 2016. Rendon would later lead the Nationals to their first World Series win in 2019.  29 Years Old, Playing for the Anaheim Angels.

Mike Moustakas, Kansas City Royals (AL: 2017)

Mike Moustakas helped the Royals win the 2015 World Series, but in 2016, he had a torn ACL and only played in 27 Games.  In 2017, Moustakas was an All-Star for the second time and he belted 38 Home Runs, his personal best.  31 Years Old, Playing for the Cincinnati Reds.

Greg Holland, Colorado Rockies (NL: 2017)

Greg Holland was an All-Star closer in 2013 and 2014, and he was injured late in the 2015 season, which coincided with the Royals World Series win.  Holland missed all of 2016 following Tommy John Surgery, and he returned in 2017, though with Colorado.  Holland was again an All-Star and he led the National League in Games Finished (58) and Saves (41).  31 Years Old, Playing for the Kansas City Royals.

David Price, Boston Red Sox (AL: 2018)

David Price had a down year in 2017 with elbow issues holding him to 16 Games, but he was healthy in 2018 and went 16-7 with 177 Strikeouts. Price and the Red Sox would win the World Series this year.  34 Years Old, Playing for the Boston Red Sox.

Jonny Venters, Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves (NL: 2018)

With all due respect to all of the other winners, this has to be the most inspirational winner ever.  Venters was an All-Star in 2011 (his second year in the league) and he led the National League in appearances (2011).  Venters would have arm trouble and had to endure his second and third Tommy John Surgery, and after last playing in 2012, he returned in 2018, now as a Tampa Bay Ray. He was traded back to the Braves in July of that year, and would see more action than he had as a Ray. Venters had a total 5-2 record with three Saves.  35 Years Old, Playing for the Boston Red Sox.

Carlos Carrasco, Cleveland Indians (AL: 2019)

This is the first winner who had a weaker year than the season before, but Carlos Carrasco is the first winner to battle cancer.  Carrasco has a 17-10 year in 2018 and in June of 2019, he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia.  Carrasco returned in September. 33 Years Old, Playing for the Cleveland Indians.

Josh Donaldson, Atlanta Braves (NL: 2019)

In 2018, injuries held the former MVP to 52 Games, but Josh Donaldson had a lot to prove in 2019.  The Third Baseman joined Atlanta as a Free Agent and in his comeback year he had 37 Home Runs and 94 RBIs.  34 Years Old, Playing for the Minnesota Twins.

The Comeback Player of the Year was all over the place and based on what we see, its percentage of Hall of Famers will likely decline.

So, what is up next?

We return to basketball and the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, which is awarded to the player who shows the most outstanding service and dedication to the community.

As always, we thank you for your support, and look for that soon.

Celebrities are just like regular people when it comes to sports. They love to watch and attend sporting occasions, whether it be football, hockey, soccer, basketball, tennis, golf or any other sport. As long as there is a ball to be hit, a sharp corner to negotiate or a punch to be thrown, the buzz of sports is the same for everyone.

Celebrities have even become part of sporting occasions. Their attendance in the crowd gathers airtime, and some also perform at the stadium – just look at the Super Bowl and its string of megastar performers. But who are the most prominent celebrity sports fans?

1.   Floyd Mayweather

He may be better known for his eagle eye and fast defence in the ring, but Mayweather also likes to kick back and watch sports as well. He attends boxing games but is known to be a big fan of the NBA. While Mayweather has been busy staking thousands on sports betting - reportedly winning over $6million on an NBA game back in 2013, he's also not shy of the casinos themselves. Having won nearly £800,000 on a slot machine in 2017, his latest conquest seems to be to tackle Japan by building a new casino in 2020/21.

2.   Denzel Washington

America's acting hall of fame has a seat for Denzel Washington. But the movie star is not just about taking his place among the film gods. He likes to take a seat at Lakers and Yankees games too and is known to be in the crowd always wearing his all-black cap. But Washington could play the game as well. During his university days at Fordham University, he was a point guard for coach Carlesimo. Yes, the same coach who made it to the NBA.

3.   Kevin Hart

Kevin Hart has gone from working as a shoe salesman to being one of the world's best comedians with some flagship acting jobs along the way. When Hart is not writing comedy gold, he is a massive sports fan. He participates in the NBA's All-Star weekend and even plays himself in the celebrity match, which he has won the MVP award on three occasions. By being in and around the players, he has acquired some new NBA buddies.

4.   Jerry Seinfeld

But Hart is not the only comedy royalty to love sports. Jerry Seinfeld, the creator of his namesake comedy hit show, is a renowned Mets fan. When he is not watching sports, he can be found talking about them on the WFAN sports radio station in New York. This may be why his famous show includes many references to Mets and one or two appearances from players.

5.   Drake

Actor rapper and singer, Drake has a controversial history with the sporting world. It began when he was denied access to the locker room of Miami Heat after they won the championship in 2013. In the same year, he announced himself as an official ambassador for the Raptors. Since then, the cameras have been on him during sporting occasions due to his courtside behaviours and celebrations. Some think it could be part of a publicity stunt, but he undoubtedly loves his sports.

How Real is Willie Beaman? 

In the 2001 season, the once-great American Football team Miami Sharks, had a hard time making it to the AFFA (Associated Football Franchises of America) divisional playoffs.  Coached by Tony D’Amato, the 30-year veteran that had seen it all, the team lost its starting quarterback Jack “Cap” Rooney, and second string quarterback Tyler Cherubini due to injuries.  

This leaves the desperate Sharks to depend on their third-string QB, University of Houston graduate Willie Beamen. Never doing anything beyond warming the bench, Beamen pukeshis guts out and embarrasses the hell out of the Miami Sharks on the first few games, but then he just gets it and becomes the MVP, star quarterback that carries the team to glory.  

You probably figured it out by now, this is the tale of Oliver Stone’s 1999 movie Any Given Sunday. Where Coach D’Amato is played by Al Pacino, Cap Rooney by Dennis Quaid, and rookie-turned-narcissist-starring-QB Willie Beamen is no other than Jamie Foxx.

It’s pretty cool to see the upsets that are taking place during the first games where Beamen is leading the Sharks as starting quarterback.  At the beginning bookies wouldn’t give him and his team a chance, and when the movie was made there were no legal sports-betting apps that everyone can use from their mobile phone to place bets.  But if it was today, the whole stadium would have pulled out their phones and use their sports-betting app for sure to place bets on the Miami Sharks every time Beaman threw up, as that became is trademark for winning plays.  

So how much of this great American sports drama is based on true events? And does Beamen have any truth in him? Or is the Sharks hall-of-fame quarterback totally made up? The story is based on a novel by the same name written by ex NFL Defensive End, and Super Bowl champion Pat Toomay.  Selected in the sixth round of the 1970 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys, he started an impressive football career which in addition to the Cowboys, included playing for the Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders.  Toomay said that the characters are loosely based on actual players.

Although the NFL declined to participate, and supposedly issued a memo to teams suggesting they do not cooperate with the film, Jamie Williams who was the movie’s technical adviser and writer played in the league for 12 years, including playing as a Tight End for the San Francisco 49ers.  Many others involved with the movie, other crew or cast, have played professional football at some point in their lives.  And most said that Beamen is “very close to the real thing.” 

Beaman is supposedly based on several NFL players, including Washington Redskins, Super Bowl XXII MVP Doug Williams, Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback Randall Cunningham.  Many also draw similarities to larger-than-life Defensive Back Deion Sanders who was one of the most interesting and famous players the NFL has seen.  

And when asking Jamie Fox who played Beamen, he actually thinks the real-life Beamen is Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Dak Prescott.  “He’s the real live Willie Beaman” said Jamie Foxx in an interview.  But that may be due to Foxx being a die-hard Cowboys fan. 

But if you are into real, non-fictional sports action, now is the time to get into the excitement of sports-betting, casino and poker mobile apps and websites, which are legal in many states in the US including Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Jersey, West Virginia, and many more states that are now in the process of signing legal bills that allow punters to legally download a sportsbook mobile app and place bets online safely and securely. 

We here at Notinhalloffame.com thought it would be fun to take a look at the major awards in North American team sports and see how it translates into Hall of Fame potential.

Needless to say, different awards in different sports yield hall of fame potential.  In basketball, the team sport with the least number of players on a roster, the dividend for greatness much higher.  In baseball, it is not as much as a great individual season does not have the same impact.

Last time, we looked at the Bert Bell Award.  This time we went back to baseball, and the World Series MVP.

The World Series was first played in 1903, but they did not award an MVP of the Fall Classic until 1955.  It goes without saying only a great team can win a World Series, but in a seven-game series any player can get on a hot streak.

So how many World Series MVPs have made the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Let’s find out!

The following are the past players who have won the World Series MVP who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and have been enshrined.

Whitey Ford, New York Yankees, Pitcher (1961)             

Based on who won the World Series MVP from 1955 to 1960, we think it safe to day that Whitey Ford will forever be the first chronological World Series MVP to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Ford was a career-Yankee who would help the Bronx Bombers win six World Series Titles.  In 1961, Ford won the Cy Young Award with a 25-4 record, and in the World Series he won both starts.  Ford pitched 14 Innings without allowing a single run, and the Yankees would defeat the Cincinnati Reds in five games.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974.

Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pitcher (1963)        

Sandy Koufax was on year two of his second-half of brilliance, and in the regular season he would win the first of five consecutive ERA Titles.  In the World Series, his Dodgers were paired against the New York Yankees, and Koufax won both starts.  He would throw for 18 Innings with a 1.50 ERA.  Los Angeles would sweep New York.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals, Pitcher (1964)              

Bob Gibson would do well in 1964 with a 19-12 record, but he was still not yet a superstar.  The World Series would change that.  He led the St. Louis Cardinals to a win over the New York Yankees where he went 2-1 with 27 Innings and 31 Strikeouts.  Gibson would go to the All-Star Game annually from 1965 to 1970 but had plenty left to offer. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pitcher (2)(1965)   

Koufax became the first player to repeat as the World Series MVP, and doesn’t it seem appropriate?  In between his World Series MVPs, Koufax won the Cy Young and MVP.  This year, Los Angeles faced the Minnesota Twins and Koufax went 2-1 with a 0.38 ERA.  He played two more seasons, winning the Cy Young in both of them.  Koufax retired after that with a record of 165-87 and 2,396 Strikeouts.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

Frank Robinson, Baltimore Orioles, Outfield (1966)       

The Cincinnati Reds made a colossal error when they traded Frank Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles after 1965 season. Robinson proceeded to have the best year of his life, becoming the first player to win the MVP in both leagues. It got even better, as Robinson led the Orioles to their first World Series, and he would have two Home Runs with a 1.217 OPS in Baltimore’s sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982.

Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals, Pitcher (2) (1967)         

Gibson’s star rose since 1964, and in 1967, he had an even better World Series performance than his first.  Gibson pitched three complete games, winning them all, and only allowed three earned runs.  His 1.00 ERA was matched with an equally spectacular WHIP of 0.704.  Gibson would have a phenomenal 1968 in the “Year of the Pitcher” where he led the National League with a 1.12 ERA and a 0.853 WHIP.  He won the Cy Young and MVP that season, and he would play until 1975, ending a career spent entirely with the St. Louis Cardinals.  Gibson had a record of 251-174 with 3,117 Strikeouts.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

Brooks Robinson, Baltimore Orioles, Third Base(1970)  

Brooks Robinson was already a superstar by this point, as he was already a World Series champion (1966), an MVP (1964), and he was on year 11 of 15 straight All-Star Games.  The 16-time Gold Glove winner batted .429 with two Home Runs in the Orioles five-game victory over the Reds.  Robinson played his entire career with Baltimore and would accumulate 2,848 Hits, 268 Home Runs and 1,357 Runs Batted In.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Roberto Clemente, Pittsburgh Pirates, Outfield(1971)   

A legend with 3,000 career Hits, Clemente was already a World Series Champion (1960), and an MVP (1966).  In 1971, the 15-time All-Star batted .414 with two Home Runs in the Pirates seven-game win over Baltimore.  Clemente only played one more season and died shortly after in a plane crash.  He was delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.  He was fast-tracked to the Baseball Hall of Fame the year after.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973.

Reggie Jackson, Oakland Athletics, Outfield (1973)       

Reggie Jackson won the American League MVP this year, and would win the first of what would be four Home Run Titles.  In the seven-game win over the New York Mets, Jackson batted .315 with a Home Run, in what was Oakland’s second of three straight World Series Championships.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

Rollie Fingers, Oakland Athletics, Pitcher (1974)           

This was the last of three straight Oakland World Series titles, and the future Hall of Fame closer was in the beginning of his turn as an elite closer.  In this World Series, Fingers appeared in four Games, won one of them, had two Saves with an ERA of 1.93.  Fingers would later win the Cy Young and MVP in 1983 when he was with the Milwaukee Brewers. He would play until 1985 and accumulate 341 Saves over his 17-year career.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992.

Johnny Bench, Cincinnati Reds, Catcher (1976)             

The Catcher of the “Big Red Machine”, was a two-time MVP by this point and had already won two Home Run Titles.  In this year’s World Series, Bench batted .533, a 1.667 OPS with two Home Runs and six Runs Batted In.  The 14-time All-Star played his entire career with Cincinnati and would collect 2,048 Hits, 389 Home Runs and 1,376 RBIs.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.

Reggie Jackson, New York Yankees, Outfield (2)(1977)  

This was the first of two straight World Series Championships for the New York Yankees, and it was this year where Reggie Jackson became “Mr. October”.   In Game Six of the 1977 World Series, Jackson belted three Home Runs on three first pitches against Dodger hurlers, and that was the clinching game.  He would bat .450 with an OPS of 1.792 with five taters.  Jackson played until 1987, and would retire with 2,584 Hits, 563 Home Runs, 1,702 RBIs. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh Pirates, First Base (1979)       

Winning the MVP this year (though he probably should not have), Willie Stargell did earn both NLCS and World Series MVP.  The career-Pirate helped his team defeat Baltimore in seven games with a .400 Batting Average with three Home Runs and seven RBIs.  He played 21 seasons and retired in 1982 with 2,232 Hits, 475 Home Runs and 1,540 RBIs. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988.

Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies, Third Base (1980)  

This season, Mike Schmidt won the first of what would be three MVPs and it was also the year he set career-highs (also league-leading) in Home Runs (48) and Runs Batted In (121).  Schmidt also finished first in Slugging Percentage (.624) and OPS (1.004).  The Phillies would win his first World Series this year as Schmidt batted .381 with a two Home Runs and seven RBIs.  Philadelphia would beat Kansas City in six games.  Schmidt played his entire career with the Phils and would retire in 1989. Overall, he would appear in twelve All-Star Games, win six Silver Sluggers, ten Gold Gloves and had 2,234 Hits with 548 Home Runs and 1,595 RBIs.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.

Alan Trammell, Detroit Tigers, Shortstop (1984)            

This year, Alan Trammell was on his second of what would be six All-Star Games and the Detroit Tigers were an unstoppable team in 1984.  In this World Series, Detroit took out the San Diego Padres in five games with Trammell batting .450 with two Home Runs, six RBIs and a 1.300 OPS.  He would play his entire career with the Tigers, retiring in 1996 with 2,365 Hits, 185 Home Runs, four Silver Sluggers and three Gold Gloves.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

Jack Morris, Minnesota Twins, Pitcher (1991)                

Jack Morris already won a World Series title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers, but this title was especially sweet.  In the 1991 World Series, Morris pitched in three games, winning two games with a 1.17 ERA.  In Game 7, Morris pitched a ten-inning shutout to win the Fall Classic for the Twins.  Morris went on to win two more World Series Rings with the Toronto Blue Jays.  He retired in 1994 with a record of 254 Wins against 186 Losses with 2,478 Strikeouts.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

Paul Molitor, Toronto Blue Jays, Third Base and Designated Hitter (1993)   

Paul Molitor was with the Milwaukee Brewers for 15 years before joining the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993, who were the defending World Series Champions.  That year, Molitor would go to his fifth All-Star Game, and led the American League in Hits (211) and would bat .332.  The Blue Jays returned to the World Series, and in their successful title defense, Molitor batted .500 with two Home Runs, eight RBIs and a 1.571 OPS.  Moltor played until 1998, and retired with 3,319 Hits, 234 Home Runs, 1,307 RBIs with a Batting Average of .303.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.

Tom Glavine, Atlanta Braves, Pitcher (1995)                  

The Atlanta Braves were one of the most loaded teams of the 1990s, but it only translated into one World Series win. That was in 1995, and the World Series MVP went to one of the big three, Tom Glavine.  He would win the 1991 Cy Young, and later the 1998 Cy Young, and this season was a nice 16-7 year, a 3.08 ERA, and a third place finish in the Cy Young vote.  In the World Series, Glavine won both starts and had an ERA of 1.29, a WHIP of 0.714 and 11 Strikeouts.  He retired in 2008 with a 305-203 record and 2,607 Strikeouts.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees, Pitcher (1999)         

Considered to be the greatest Relief Pitcher of all-time, Mariano Rivera would win five World Series Rings, and was a 13-time All-Star. In the 1999 World Series, Rivera appeared in three games, winning one, saving two, and he did not allow a run. Rivera’s overall post-season record was 8-1, 42 Saves, 0.70 ERA, 0.759 WHIP over 141 Innings.  Let that sink in!   When Rivera retired, he was the all-time leader in Saves (652), Games Finished (952) and a career WHIP of 1.000.  Rivera became the first player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame with a unanimous vote.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019.

Derek Jeter, New York Yankees, Shortstop (2000)          

Playing his entire career with the New York Yankees, Derek Jeter was not only the leader of the team, but was the most popular player and recognizable player of his day.  In the 2000 World Series, he batted .409 with two Home Runs, two RBIs and an OPS of 1.344.  Jeter would overall go to 14 All-Star Games, and was a five-time Silver Slugger and five-time Gold Glove winner.  He retired in 2014 with 3,465 Hits, 260 Home Runs, 1,311 RBIs and a Batting Average of .310. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.

Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks, Pitcher (co-winner) (2001)    

Sharing the World Series MVP with Curt Schilling, Randy Johnson was on the third of four straight Cy Young Awards, one of the most incredible runs of any pitcher in the history of the game.  With the Arizona Diamondbacks, Johnson took the team that was still under ten years old to the World Series, and he won three World Series Games with a 1.04 ERA against the Yankees.  He also had a WHIP of 0.692 with 19 Strikeouts.  Johnson played until 2009, and retired with a record of 202-166 with 4,875 Strikeouts.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

The following are the players who have won the World Series MVP who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and have not been selected:

Johnny Podres, Brooklyn Dodgers, Pitcher (1955)

The winner of the first World Series MVP, coincided with the only championship that the Dodgers would win in Brooklyn.  This was Podres third year in baseball, and he had been an average starter at best.  He would win both his starts, including a shutout in Game 7.  Over 18 Innings, he had a 1.00 ERA with 10 Strikeouts. Podres would play until 1969, mostly with the Dodgers and he retired with a record of 141-116 with 1,435 Strikeouts. He won two more World Series Rings with the Dodgers after they relocated to Los Angeles.  Eligible Since 1975.  Podres was on the ballot for three years and finished as high as 0.8% in both 1975 and 1978. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com

Don Larsen, New York Yankees, Pitcher (1956)

After only lasting 1.2 Innings in Game 2 (though all four runs were unearned due to errors), Larsen came back to throw a perfect game, the only time that this happened in the history of the World Series.  The Yankees beat the Dodgers in seven games, and Larsen’s Game 5 meant you could not possibly give the World Series MVP to anyone else.  Aside from the most spectacular pitching performance ever, Larsen was an average pitcher at best.  The 11 regular season Wins that he had in this regular season, was the most he had, and Larsen would only post 81 Wins against 91 Losses.  Eligible Since 1973.  Larsen was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 12.3% in 1979. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com

Lew Burdette, Milwaukee Braves, Pitcher (1957)

This was the only World Series that the Braves would win while competing in Milwaukee.  Burdette, who was an All-Star this year, had a 17-9 regular season record, would win all three of his World Series starts, throwing for 27 Innings with a 0.67 ERA.  Burdette would go to a second All-Star Game two years later and would retire in 1967 with a 203-144 record.  179 of those wins were with the Braves.  Eligible Since 1973.  Burdette was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 24.1% in 1984. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com

Bob Turley, New York Yankees, Pitcher (1958)

This was the best season of Bob Turley’s career as he was an All-Star for the third (and final) time, and he would have a career-high 21 Wins.  For the regular season, he won the Cy Young, and was the runner-up for the MVP.  In the World Series, he lost his first start, but won the next two, aiding the Yankees in their seven-game win over the Milwaukee Braves.  In the process, the Yanks became the second team to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series.  It was all downhill for Turley, as he never had another 10 Win season again, and he retired with 101 Wins against 85 Losses.  Eligible Since 1969.  Although he was eligible, he was not on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Larry Sherry, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pitcher (1959)

1959 was Sherry’s second year of an 11-year journeyman career.  In the six-game series win over the Chicago White Sox, he appeared in four games, pitched in 12.2 Innings and had a 2-0 record with 2 Saves.  He had a 0.71 ERA and a 0.789 WHIP over the Fall Classic. Sherry would have a record of 53-44 with 82 Saves.  Eligible Since 1974.  Although he was eligible, he was not on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bobby Richardson, New York Yankees, Second Base (1960)

The sixth World Series MVP finally went to a position player, and while it is not a Hall of Famer, it is of course a New York Yankee!  Bobby Richardson was already a two-time All-Star, and he would go to five more over his career.  Historically speaking, this was also the first, and to date, only player to win the World Series as the member of the losing team.  Richardson would bat .367 with 11 Hits in the Series.  While the Yanks lost this one, Richardson would win three rings with the team.  He retired in 1966 with 1,432 career Hits.  Eligible Since 1972.  Richardson was on the ballot for three years and finished as high as 2.0% in 1972.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ralph Terry, New York Yankees, Pitcher (1962)

Ralph Terry would only go to one All-Star Game in his career, which would be 1962.  That season, he led the American League in Wins (23) and Innings Pitched (298.2) and was 14^thin MVP voting.  Terry was on the World Series Title the year before with New York, and in this championship, he went 2-1 with an ERA of 1.80 and WHIP of 0.766.  This was the best year he had, and he played until 1967, retiring with a record of 78-59.  Eligible Since 1973.  Although he was eligible, he was not on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Mickey Lolich, Detroit Tigers, Pitcher (1968)

Mickey Lolich had an up and down 1968, and was overshadowed by Denny McClain, who was a 30-Game winner that year.  However, in the 1968 World Series, it was Lolich who was the star, winning all three starts with a 1.67 ERA.  He would later go to three All-Star Games, and finished his career with a 217-191 record and 2,832 Strikeouts.  Eligible Since 1985.  Lolich was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 25.5% in 1988. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Donn Clendenon, New York Mets, First Base (1969) 

A very unlikely winner of the World Series MVP, Donn Clendenon was traded midway through the 1969 season from the Montreal Expos and he would platoon at First Base with Ed Kranepool.  Clendendon did not even play on the NLCS, but played in four of the five World Series Games where he batted .367 with three Home Runs and four RBIs.  He played until 197 and had 1,273 Hits with 159 Home Runs.  Eligible Since 1978.  Although he was eligible, he was not on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Gene Tenace, Oakland Athletics, Catcher (1972)

It was in the 1972 post-season where Gene Tenace finally won the starting Catcher’s job, and in what was the first of three straight World Series wins by Oakland, Tenace was on fire.  He would bat .348 with four Home Runs and nine RBIs. He would play until 1983, winning a fourth World Series win with the Cardinals in 1982.  Eligible Since 1989.  Tenace was on the ballot for one year and finished with 0.2% of the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Pete Rose, Cincinnati Reds, Third Base (1975)

Pete Rose was at the heart of Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine, and he was already an MVP.  In this World Series, Rose and the Reds beat Boston and had a .370 Batting Average with 10 hits with five Walks.  Rose would help the Reds win another World Series in 1976, and the first for Philadelphia in 1980.   He played until 1986 and would retire as the all-time leader in Hits with 4,256.  Eligible Since 1992.  Rose was declared ineligible by the Baseball Hall of Fame due to gambling on baseball. Ranked #1A on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bucky Dent, New York Yankees, Shortstop (1978)

Bucky Dent was never known for his hitting, but the three-time All-Star came to life in the 1978 World Series.  Prior to that, he hit the Home Run tin the tie-breaker where the Yankees beat the Red Sox to win the AL East.  He batted .417 with seven RBIs in the World Series, earning him his second ring, as he was with the Yanks the year before.  Dent played until 1984 and retired with 1,114 Hits.  Eligible Since 1990.  Dent was on the ballot for one year and finished with 0.7% of the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ron Cey, Los Angeles Dodgers, Third Base (co-winner) (1981)

For the first and only time in World Series MVP history, there were three co-winners.  Prior to this win, Ron Cey was a six-time All-Star, and had already appeared in three World Series for the Dodgers, albeit in losing efforts.  This year, he batted .350 with a Home Run and six RBIs.  He played until 1987, and had 1,868 Hits and 316 Home Runs when he retired.  Eligible Since 1993.  Cey was on the ballot for one year and finished with 1.9% of the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Pedro Guerrero, Los Angeles Dodgers, First Base (co-winner) (1981)

For the first and only time in World Series MVP history, there were three co-winners.  This season would see the first of five All-Star years for Pedro Guerrero, and in the World Series, he batted .333 with two Home Runs, seven RBIs and an OPS of 1.179.  Eligible Since 1998.  Guerrero was on the ballot for one year and finished with 1.3% of the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Steve Yeager, Los Angeles Dodgers, Catcher (co-winner) (1981)

For the first and only time in World Series MVP history, there were three co-winners.  A light hitting Catcher but well-respected handler of pitchers, Steve Yeager had two key Home Runs with a ,286 Batting Average in the World Series. Eligible Since 1998.  Yeager was on the ballot for one year and finished with 0.5% of the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Darrell Porter, St. Louis Cardinals, Catcher (1982)

Darrell Porter had been a four-time All-Star prior to this World Series, and in this season’s Fall Classic, the Catcher batted .286 with one Home Run and five RBIs.  Notable, he batted .556 in the NLCS, and won the NLCS MVP that season. He played until 1987, and retired with 1,369 Hits and 188 Home Runs.  Eligible Since 1993.  Porter was on the ballot for one year but did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Rick Dempsey, Baltimore Orioles, Catcher (1983)

For the third year in a row, a Catcher won the World Series MVP.  Dempsey, who was never known for being a great hitter delivered on this stage with a .385 Batting Average and a Home Run in Baltimore’s five-game Series win over Philadelphia.  Dempsey would later win a second World Series Ring with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988. He played until 1992.  Eligible Since 1998.  Dempsey was on the ballot for one year and finished with 0.2% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bret Saberhagen, Kansas City Royals, Pitcher (1985)

In his second year in the Majors, Bret Saberhagen won the Cy Young with a 20-6 record and a league-leading 1.056 WHIP. In the World Series win over the Cardinals, he would win both starts and have a stellar 0.50 ERA and 0.667 WHIP. Saberhagen would win his second Cy Young in 1989.  The hurler would play until 2001 and retire with a record of 167-117 and 1,715 Strikeouts. Eligible Since 2007.  Saberhagen was on the ballot for one year and finished with 1.3% of the vote.  Ranked #65 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ray Knight, New York Mets, Third Base (1986)

While it could be joked that the World Series MVP was really Bill Buckner, Ray Knight had an incredible World Series.  He would bat .391 with an OPS of 1.005 with one Home Run and five RBIs.  Knight was an All-Star twice and he played until 1988 with 1,311 Hits.  Eligible Since 1994.  Knight was on the ballot for one year and finished with 0.2% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Frank Viola, Minnesota Twins, Pitcher (1987)

Finishing sixth in Cy Young voting this year, Frank Viola ascended to the ace of the Twins pitching staff.  In the seven-game World Series win over the St. Louis Cardinals, Viola started three of them and went 2-1 over 19.1 Innings with an ERA of 3.72 and 16 Strikeouts.  Viola would win the Cy Young the following season, and he played until 1996, retiring with a record of 176-150.  Eligible Since 2002.  Viola was on the ballot for one year and finished with 0.4% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Orel Hershiser, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pitcher (1988)

Before 1988, Orel Hershiser was already the ace of the Dodgers pitching staff, but he was about to embark on the best season of his career.  This year, Hershiser won the Cy Young while leading the National League in Wins (23) and posting an ERA of 2.26 with 178 Strikeouts.  Hershiser would win the NLCS MVP, appearing in four games, winning one, and earning an ERA of 1.09.  In that World Series, he won both starts against the Oakland A’s winning both games with an ERA of 1.00 and a WHIP of 0.722.  Hershiser played until 2000 and would have a record of 204-150 with 2,014 Strikeouts.  Eligible Since 2006.  Hershiser was on the ballot for two years and finished as high as 11.2% in 2006.  Ranked #71 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Dave Stewart, Oakland Athletics, Pitcher (1989)

From 1987 to 1990, Dave Stewart finished in the top four in Cy Young voting, and was the ace of the Oakland staff that went to three straight World Series (1988-90).  1989 was the only one of the three that the A’s would win, and in this year, he would win both starts against the San Francisco Giants with a 1.69 ERA and 14 Strikeouts.  Stewart played until 1995, retiring with a 168-129 record and 1,741 Strikeouts.  Eligible Since 2002.  Stewart was on the ballot for two years and finished as high as 7.4% in 2001. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jose Rijo, Cincinnati Reds, Pitcher (1990)

Jose Rijo and the Cincinnati Reds would shock Oakland in a four-game sweep in the World Series, and Rijo won both starts, with a phenomenal 0.59 ERA and 14 Strikeouts.  The Puerto Rican played until 1995, and after a five-year layoff due to injury, he returned for two years before retiring for good in 2002. He would have a record of 116-91. Eligible Since 2008.  Rijo was on the 2001 ballot and received 0.2% of the ballot, and appeared again in 2008, but had no votes that year.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Pat Borders, Toronto Blue Jays, Catcher (1992)

An unlikely World Series MVP, Pat Borders never had a season where he hat over 125 Hits and only had two 100 Hit plus years. Regardless, his bat was on fire in the 1992 World Series where he batted .450 with nine Hits, one Home Run and three RBIs.  This would be the first World Series win for the Toronto Blue Jays, and he would help them win it again in 1993.  He played until 2006.  Eligible Since 2011.  Although Borders was Hall of Fame eligible, he was never on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com. 

John Wetteland, New York Yankees, Pitcher (1996)

John Wetteland played two seasons with the New York Yankees, and this was the second of them.  For the first and only time, the closer would lead the league in Saves (43), and he was an All-Star for what would be the first of three times. Wetteland appeared in five games in the ’96 World Series against the Braves, and he would net four Saves with a 2.08 ERA and six Strikeouts.  He played until 2000, retiring with 330 Saves.  Eligible Since 2006.  Wetteland was on the ballot for one year and received 0.8% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Livan Hernandez, Miami Marlins, Pitcher (1997)

In Florida’s shocking World Series win, Livan Hernandez was a rookie, who was the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year Award. Hernandez was incredible in the post-season, winning the NLCS MVP (2-0), and he won both his starts in the ’97 World Series against the Cleveland Indians, albeit with a 5.27 ERA. Hernandez played until 2012, and was a two-time All-Star.  He finished his career one game over .500, with a record of 178-177.  Eligible Since 2018.  Hernandez was on the ballot for one year and received 0.2% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Scott Brosius, New York Yankees, Third Base (1998)

Scott Brosius became very popular when he arrived in 1998 to New York.  This would be his only All-Star year, and in the World Series he batted .471 with two Home Runs and six RBIs.  Brosius played for three more years, and retired with two more World Series Rings and 1,001 Hits.  Eligible Since 2007.  Brosius was on the ballot for one year and but did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Curt Schilling, Arizona Diamondbacks, Pitcher (co-winner) (2001)

In the regular season, Curt Schilling finished second in Cy Young voting to his teammate, Randy Johnson, which would be the same hurler who he shared the World Series MVP with.  In this World Series, Schilling pitched in three games, winning one with an ERA of 1,69 with 26 Strikeouts.  He would win two more World Series rings with the Boston Red Sox, and he retired in 2007 with a record of 216-146 with 3,116 Strikeouts.  Eligible Since 2013.  Schilling has been on the ballot for eight years and has finished as high as 70.0% in 2020.  Ranked #5 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Troy Glaus, Anaheim Angels, Third Base (2002)

Troy Glaus was a four-time All-Star, two of which happened before 2002, and two after.  In the Angels first World Series win, Glaus batted .385 with an OPS of 1.313. and three Home Runs and eight RBIs.  He would play until 2010 and retired with 320 Home Runs.  Eligible Since 2016.  Glaus was on the ballot for one year and but did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Josh Beckett, Florida Marlins, Pitcher (2003)

We think it can be safely stated that the Marlins are the most unlikely two-time World Series Champions, but that is sports for you!  Their second World Series MVP was Josh Beckett, who was in his third year in the Majors.  In this World Series, he would pitch in two Games, going 1-1 with a 1.10 ERA and 19 Strikeouts.  A future three-time All-Star, Beckett would later help the Red Sox win the 2007 World Series, and he played until 2014, retiring with a 138-106 record.  Eligible Since 2020.  Beckett was on the ballot for one year and but did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Manny Ramirez, Boston Red Sox, Outfield (2004)

One of the huge reasons that the “Curse of the Bambino” was finally eradicated in 2004 was because of Manny Ramirez, who was on year seven of eleven straight All-Star Game appearances.  In the four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, Ramirez batted .412 with a Home Run and four RBIs.  His controversial career came to an end in 2011, and would have 2,574 Hits, 555 Home Runs and 1,831 RBIs.  Eligible Since 2017.  Ramirez has been on the ballot for four years and has finished as high as 28.2% in 2020. Ranked #6 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jermaine Dye, Chicago White Sox, Outfield (2005)

An All-Star in 2000, and later in 2006, Jermaine Dye would win his first and only World Series ring in 2005 with the Chi-Sox. In the White Sox sweep of the Astros, Dye had a Home Run, three Runs Batted In, and a .438 Batting Average. He played until 2009, and would have 1,779 Hits with 325 Home Runs.  Eligible Since 2015.  Dye was on the ballot for one year and but did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

David Eckstein, St. Louis Cardinals, Shortstop(2006)

This was the first of two straight All-Star Game years for David Eckstein, and he had already won a World Series Championship with the Anaheim Angels in 2002.  Eckstein batted .364 with four RBIs in this World Series, and he played until 2010.  Eligible Since 2016.  Eckstein was on the ballot for one year and received 0.5% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Mike Lowell, Boston Red Sox, Third Base (2007)

Mike Lowell finished fifth in MVP voting this year, which would be the highest he would ever finish.  A four-time All-Star, Lowell already had a World Series Ring with the Marlins, and in this World Series sweep over the Colorado Rockies, he would bat .400 with a Home Run with four RBIs.  Lowell played until 2010, and he retired with 1,619 Hits and 223 Home Runs. Eligible Since 2016.  Lowell was on the ballot for one year and but did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Hideko Matsui, New York Yankees, Outfield (2009)

Hideki Matsui was already a two-time All-Star, and with his MVP in the 2009 World Series, he became the first Japanese to win the award.  In the six-game win over the Philadelphia Phillies, “Godzilla” blasted three Home Runs, had eight RBIs, and had a disgusting Slash Line of .615/.643/1.385, meaning he had an OPS over 2.000.  He played in the Majors until 2012.  Eligible Since 2018.  Matsui was on the ballot for one year and received 0.8% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Edgar Renteria, San Francisco Giants, Shortstop (2010)

This was the penultimate season of Edgar Renteria, who was a five-time All-Star, who had previously won a World Series Ring in 1997 as a Florida Marlin.  In the 2010 World Series, the Venezuelan Shortstop had two Home Runs, six RBIs and batted .412.  Retiring in 2011, Reneteria had 2,327 Hits with 140 Home Runs.  He was also a three-time Silver Slugger and twice a Gold Glove winner.  Eligible Since 2018.  Matsui was on the ballot for one year and received 0.8% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Let’s update our tally, shall we?

So, who is up next?

The following are the players who have won the World Series MVP in the NFL who have retired but have not met the mandatory years out of the game to qualify for the Baseball Hall of Fame:

David Freese, St. Louis Cardinals, Third Base (2011)

David Freese will mostly be remembered over his career for his 2011 playoffs, where he won both the NLCS MVP and World Series MVP. In Game 6 of the World Series, Freese tied the game to send it into extra innings.  In the 11^thinning, he homered to win it, and force a Game 7, which the Redbirds won.  Overall, in the World Series, he had seven RBIs, the aforementioned Home Run, and a .348 Batting Average.  He played until 2019, and had 1,041 Hits.  Eligible in 2025.

David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox, Designated Hitter and First Base (2013)

This season would be the ninth of ten of All-Star seasons, for David Ortiz, which would also see him earn his third and final World Series Ring.  In the 2013 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Ortiz had the following Slash Line: .688/.760/1.188.  Incredible right?  He played until 2016, and would end his career with 2,472 Hits, 541 Home Runs, and 1,768 RBIs.  Eligible in 2022.

Ben Zobrist, Chicago Cubs, Second Base (2016)

In what Ben Zobrist’s first of four years in Chicago, the Cubs finally broke their curse and won their first World Series in well over a century.  In the regular season, Zobrist was an All-Star for the third and final time, and he would win the World Series for the second straight year, as he was with the Royals in 2015.  In this World Series, he batted .357 with 10 Hits and two RBIs.  He played until 2019 and retired with 1,566 Hits and 167 Home Runs. Eligible in 2025.

Steve Pearce, Boston Red Sox, Outfield (2018)

This was the penultimate year for Steve Pearce, who over 13 years would never have a 100 Hit season.  In the 2018 World Series, his bat was on fire with a three Home Run, eight RBI performance with a .333 Batting Average.  He would only have 572 Hits over his career.  Eligible in 2025.

The following are the players who have won the World Series MVP who are still active.

Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies, Pitcher (2008)

Cole Hamels led the National League in WHIP this year and in the World Series, he pitched two games, going 1-0 with an ERA of 2.77.  Hamels also won the NLCS MVP.  35 Years Old, Playing for the Atlanta Braves.

Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants, First Base (2012)

Exceptionally popular, Pablo Sandoval would bat .500 in the four-game sweep over the Detroit Tigers and the “Panda” would have three Home Runs and four RBIs.  33 Years Old, Playing for the San Francisco Giants.

Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants, Pitcher(2014)

Bumgarner was on year two of a four-year run of All-Star Game years, and he would finish fourth in Cy Young voting.  In the 2014 playoffs, Bumgarner was on fire winning both the NLCS MVP and the World Series MVP.  In the latter, he went 2-0 with a 0.43 ERA, and earned a save in the deciding Game 7 over the Kansas City Royals.  30 Years Old, Playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals, Catcher (2015)

An All-Star for the third straight year, Salvador Perez batted .364 in Kansas City’s five-game World Series win over the New York Mets.  He would also have two Doubles and two RBIs.  30 Years Old, Playing for the Kansas City Royals.

George Springer, Houston Astros, Outfield (2017)

This was the breakout year for George Springer, and the breakout for the Houston Astros, who won their first World Series this year. In the seven-game series over the Los Angeles Dodgers, Springer blasted five Home Runs, with seven RBIs, with a .379 Batting Average and an even 1.000 OPS.  30 Years Old, Playing for the Houston Astros.

Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals, Pitcher(2018)

In the regular season, Stephen Strasburg led the National League in Wins (18), and was fifth in Cy Young voting.  In the World Series, he pitched twice, winning both games with 14 Strikeouts and a 2.51 ERA.  31 Years Old, Playing for the Washington Nationals.

You can’t win the World Series MVP, without making the World Series, and winning teams have stars, average players, and those who seize the moment.  The World Series MVP reflects all of those players.

So, what is up next?

We are going to return to the ice, and look at the Art Ross Trophy, which is awarded annually to the player who has the most Points in a season.

As always, we thank you for your support, and look for that soon.