Anybody who follows football at all knows that there is nothing quite as exciting as college football rivalries. The adrenaline is pumping not only for the teams playing, but also for the fans watching on the sidelines or at home. No matter which college team you root for when it comes time for those matches against your team’s all-time rivals, it is “game on.”

Welcome to a new feature on Notinhalloffame.com, where I, the Committee Chairman come up with random pop culture lists of drunken ramblings.  

This is the kind of useless tripe that I excel at, though it did nothing to help me with high school English Class, nor did it impress any of the ladies, but as a middle-aged married guy, who still consumes alcoholic beverages that rivals anyone on Celebrity Rehab, I can say with full Joe Walsh meaning that “Life’s Been Good To Me So Far”.

After my M*A*S*H nonsense, I am going to switch over to the animated world and focus on the Smurfs.  Roughly twenty-five years ago (damn, I’m old) I came up with the realization that those blue creatures had red tendencies as they were clearly Communists.  I told that someone who I worked with, and he said, “Oh, you saw that online too?”

This was the internet’s early days, and I hadn’t saw that.   Since that time, I have seen others who came up with the same conclusion.  Basically, this was my long-winded caveat of saying that I apologize if I am not exactly breaking new ground, but in my defense, everything I am about to barf out now were my initial observations.

Without further ado, here are my ten drunken observations on how the Smurfs were commies.

1.All Smurfs lived in the same size mushroom house as everyone else. You have all seen mushrooms!  You may think I am under a mushroom-like influence right now, but I swear it is only hops and barley.  Mushrooms come in different sizes, but they had to find the one field where every one is the same size so nobody felt bitter about having a smaller house?  Some of those Smurfs deserved bigger houses.  Handy Smurf did all the work in designing those homes but he didn’t even create a basement in his own house, when surely, he could.  Every house had to be equal, regardless of what you contributed to the society, so a load like Lazy Smurf, who did absolutely nothing gets the same reward as a superstar like Handy.  

Sounds like Communism to me.

2. Smurfs had one role that appeared to be designated for them early in life.Some of them weren’t particularly good at what they were assigned to be but if that is what you were, that is what you had to be for the rest of your life. Sometimes it works out, like Handy, who must have been excellent at Lego as a kid, really was adept at architecture and lived up to his name.   Hefty Smurf really was the strongest and he seemed to be the only one who owned any weights so that one worked out but what of some of the others:

Brainy Smurf had a lot of inventions, but many of his plans backfired leading one to question how smart he was in the first place.  Because, he was diagnosed as nearsighted early in life and had to wear glasses, he just adopted what was expected of him and he read a lot.  Jokey Smurf had only one joke; the exploding box.  He wasn’t funny at all!  But, he had the distinct laugh, so it was decided for him that he was the prankster of the bunch, which sucked for the rest of the Smurfs, because he couldn’t make any of them laugh! Clumsy Smurf’s job was only to be a clutz.  He might not be the most co-ordinated Smurf, but when you are told that all of your life it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.  If one of the other Smurfs helped him out and got him a hat that wasn’t one size too big, he might see better and not trip so much.  They can’t do that, because that is what Clumsy is supposed to be, and changing his role, changes the society.  Lazy Smurf got the best end of the deal.  They expected him to do shit and he gets an equal share of everything.

Maybe it was Grouchy Smurf, because he was allowed to be an asshole and nobody begrudged him for it.

Sounds like Communism to me.

3. Smurfs had no currency. Smurfs didn’t use the barter system.They all worked (or didn’t work if that was your designation).  Capitalism didn’t exist.  

Sounds like Communism to me. 

4. The Smurfs would sing while they work or marched and it was always the same happy upbeat song with a lot of “la-las” in it.This was telling the community to be “happy in their work”.Art isn’t exactly encouraged in Communist societies so of course you only hear them sing one song.  There may have been Painter Smurf, but his art was only portraits, and it wasn’t very creative.  Painter Smurf’s art glorified all things Smurfy!

Sounds like Communism to me.

5. Smurfs had no traditional family structure.In later episodes, Baby Smurf was introduced after he was brought from the stork, so he had no actual father or mother.Presumably, none of the Smurfs do, so none of them are actually related. 

Why is this important? 

The father of Communism, Karl Marx was against the family unit and stated that it was the way that wealthy passed on their property, thus keeping the class system intact. Smurfs own no property and since they have no blood relation, they wouldn’t favor one over the other.  This is why the Smurfs value Smurfdom above all, just like Marx intended.

Sounds like Communism to me.

6. Independent thought wasn’t encouraged.As I stated before, Painter Smurf claimed to be artistic, but he wasn’t.With the exception of Papa Smurf (I will get to him later), everyone wears the same stock clothes of the same shaped white hat and white pants.  Sure, they could dress it up a bit, but how many times do you see a bunch of Smurfs running around where you can’t distinguish between one Smurf from another. How many of these Smurfs were named “Random Smurf”?  

Sounds like Communism to me.

7. Communist Russia (and pretty much Russia now) was homophobic.Vanity Smurf was clearly gay.Going back to an earlier point, Vanity may have been a cute baby Smurf, but most of them all look the same and beyond a pink flower on his hat, could you really tell him apart from “Random Smurf”?  

I will tell you what happened in the Smurf Village.  Papa Smurf figured out early from his somewhat effeminate voice that Vanity might be interested in the other Smurfs in ways that weren’t considered “Smurfy”.  I guarantee that you that what he did was hand him a mirror and convinced him that the only one he should love was himself.  This caused a chain reaction where Vanity expressed self-love, and subconsciously repressed his homosexual feelings.  

Oh, and yes when I mean self-love, I guarantee that the mirror wasn’t the only thing he held tight with his left hand.

Homophobia?

Sounds like Communism to me.

8. The Soviet Bloc was not just known for its homophobia but for its hatred of the Jewish faith.Who hated the Smurfs?  Gargamel. What did he look like?  A caricature of the perceived “hook-nosed Jew”, Gargamel wanted to capture and kill all the Smurfs and eat them.  He was viewed as evil, ugly and stupid.  How hard is it to find a mushroom field that was clearly only a few miles from his house?  Especially considering he actually did find it on occasion and couldn’t remember where the hell what it was.    

Not only that, he had a cat named Azreal.  Azreal? Isreal?  Coincidence?

Sounds like Communism to me.

9. Look at the politics in the Smurf Village.Why was it decided that Papa Smurf was their leader?Is it just because he is the oldest?  That is not the worst reason as he is certainly presented as the wisest but who chose him?  Did Papa Smurf win an election?  How long has he been the leader?  Can he be kicked out if he does something incompetent or gets dementia?  If Papa Smurf passes on, or no longer wants to lead, who takes over?  Brainy Smurf seems to think it is him, but would that happen?  Papa Smurf seems to have no succession plan (that we know of) as most real world dictators seem to lack.  It probably would be Brainy as he seems to kiss Papa’s ass the most but how many episodes ended with the other Smurfs kicking Brainy out of the village for being a condescending dipshit?

Once Papa Smurf dies, I predict total Smurf anarchy.

Sounds like Communism to me.

10. The most obvious one of all is Papa Smurf.The elder statesman of the Smurf Village didn’t have to wear white, as he wore red.  Hmmm.  Red. It wasn’t just red but a very similar shade of the Soviet Flag.  Papa Smurf had a nice bushy beard, very similar to Karl Marx.  What Papa Smurf said was the gospel and it wasn’t questioned. He had absolute authority over the rest of the Smurfs and it was never questioned.  It was considered Smurf Law.  What more could legendary left-wing leaders long for?  They wanted what Papa Smurf created.

Sounds like Communism to me.

This ends my second drunken list, and no worries as I have just restocked my fridge. Hopefully my third one isn’t one that is in twenty-five other corners of the world wide web.

Maybe the next one will only be replicated in twenty of them.

Anyone who is interested in NFL betting online or simply watching football for fun will be happy that the new season is underway. Summer can seem a long time as a football fan, and all supporters will be glad that the action has kicked off once more. Two sets of fans who will be especially looking forward to how this campaign pans out are those who follow the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams.

Welcome to a new feature on Notinhalloffame.com, where I, the Committee Chairman, come up with random pop-culture lists of drunken ramblings.  

This is the kind of useless tripe that I excel at, though it did nothing to help me with high school English class, nor did it impress any of the ladies, but as a middle-aged married guy, who still consumes alcoholic beverages that rivals anyone on Celebrity Rehab, I can say with full Joe Walsh meaning that "Life's Been Good To Me So Far".

With that all being said, here is the first one, which was created after binge-watching all eleven seasons of M*A*S*H.   I did this with the help of local Barbadian beer and rum. I have ten musings while watching the show that only comes with an increased blood alcohol level.

Before I do that, I am ignoring the most obvious observations, the most glaring of which being that the Korean War lasted two and a half years and M*A*S*H ran for 11 seasons.  Yeah, this led to continuity errors as when they occasionally mentioned dates or actual events both Henry Blake and Sherman Potter would have been the commanding officer for.  Every season, the sitcom had a Christmas episode, and in an early episode where they are looking for a Rabbi, Hawkeye and Trapper refer to (Duke) Forrest, who Hawkeye recalled left two years ago.  Hell, when Potter arrived, they said it was September of 1952, and they did one episode that went from New Year's to New Year's that spanned the entire year of 1951!  If we are to believe the timeline, this is some severe Rick and Morty parallel universe shit that no amount of booze can help me comprehend.

Another obvious one was the recycling of Asian-American actors.  I know that it was a different time, but you can't tell me that there weren't enough of them so that they did not have to regurgitate the same people.  I will grant that watching Mako in anything is good, but he played four different officers over two countries.  It wasn't just him as  an actor named Richard Lee Sung was in eleven various episodes, never playing the same role. 

I have more.

Byron Chung was in seven episodes (again playing seven different roles), and you may have seen him as Jin's dad in Lost.  Soon Tek-Oh, who was the evil Colonel in Missing in Action 2, was in it five times (five different roles).   For what it's worth, he was in four different Magnum P.I. episodes and again never playing the same character.

For those of you under 20, I am referring to the original Magnum P.I. and not this reboot where the lead character has no mustache!

I don't know why I bothered typing that earlier sentence.  Nobody under 20 knows what M*A*S*H is so nobody from that demographic clicked here.

Here are my ten drunken observations of M*A*S*H:

1. Hawkeye treated Radar like shit.Now he treated a lot of people horribly, and most have them deserved it, but without Radar, many of his plans could not have occurred.  Besides that, picking on Radar was low-hanging fruit.  He was also especially condescending, mainly when the company clerk spoke to a patient and tried to help.   Hawkeye would get on his high horse and not so subtly relate to Radar who was the surgeon and who was the Corporal.  I wager that when they reunited in the States (if they did), he still enforced that hierarchy.  

Oh, and I know there were times when Hawkeye successfully acted as Radar's older brother/father figure, but often it was because he did something to bring him down in the first place.  Oh, and that final salute that he gave Radar before shipping out does not make up for his overall dickishness.  

2. Jamie Farr was 38 years old when he was cast as Corporal Klinger, thus making his 49 when the show ended.Wasn't he way too old from the beginning to play a corpsman? So was Johnny Haymer, who played Supply Sgt. Zale.   He was 53 when he was first cast!  More often than not, the wounded soldiers who were shown as casualties were young, why not the enlisted men behind the lines?  The average age of the 4077th must have been close to 40…especially by the series end in '83.

3. There is not one plotline involving Father Mulcahey that was interesting.He holds the distinction of being my least favorite billed character in one of my top 100 television shows, and yes, I have counted 100.  The only time I got a remote chuckle was in the show's pilot where the priest won a date for two to Tokyo with the appropriately named Lt. Dish. Incidentally, that episode, Mulcahey was played by another actor, and not the mopey looking William Christopher who would adopt the role in all other episodes.

4. M*A*S*H may have had the most annoying laugh track of any sitcom.I don't know this for sure, but I am convinced they recycled the same five "laughs" over and over again

5. "Hot Lips" really hit the wall following the seventh season.No wonder Lt. Colonel Donald Penobscott dumper her expanding mommy ass in the seventh season. I think (not coincidentally) this is also why the nurses would become progressively less hot.

6. Radar's voice was rarely heard on the public address speaker but was the only one shown visually making the announcements.Who was that guy?

7. The best guest star was unquestionably Edward Winter as an intelligence officer, Colonel Flagg.The worst was Robert Alda (Alan Alda's real dad) as Dr. Anthony Borelli. Hawkeye was sanctimonious enough…two Aldas was unbearable…which brings me to…

8. Now it may seem I hate Hawkeye.I don't detest him at all.  He is the guy that I want to party with in the early episodes of the show. Sanctimonious Hawkeye is a drag, and the latter half of the series saw that happen as often as a Three's Company misunderstanding.  

9. How many times did Hawkeye operate while legally drunk? The answer is probably as many times as I wrote a chapter drunk.

10.The most underrated character in all of sitcom history is Charles Emerson Winchester III.He arrived at the perfect time to replace Major Burns who left the show knowing that the persona he created had no redeemable qualities and it could not grow with how the show was progressing.  Winchester fit in perfectly, and David Ogden Stiers correctly earned two consecutive Emmy nominations, though he lost (and I have no problem with this) to Taxi stars.   He lost to Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd for their portrayals of Louie DePalma and Reverend Jim Ignatowski respectively.  

If (When) I drink more, I am confident I can puke out ten more of these, but this will have to do for now.

Look for more of these soon, as my beer fridge is full.

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.

For our next selection we look at the Hutch Award.  This award is given annually to the player who “best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire” of Fred Hutchinson. Hutchinson was a former player and manager who died in 1964 after a long battle with lung cancer.  This award was created a year later by his friends and reporters who covered him to honor his memory.

So, how many Hutch Award winners have been enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Let’s find out!

*Please note that as statistics are not as relevant for this award so as opposed to how we normally list players, we will simply just list the winners as opposed to go into that year’s accomplishments.  This is the same position that we took with the Roberto Clemente Award.

The following are the past players who have won the Hutch Award in the MLB who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and have been enshrined.

Mickey Mantle, New York Yankees (1965)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974.

Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers (1966)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

Carl Yastrzemski, Boston Red Sox (1967)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.

Al Kaline, Detroit Tigers (1969)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980.

Joe Torre, St. Louis Cardinals (1971)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Willie McCovey, San Francisco Giants(1977)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986.

Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh Pirates(1978)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988.

Lou Brock, St. Louis Cardinals(1979)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.

George Brett, Kansas City Royals(1980)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999.

Johnny Bench, Cincinnati Reds(1981)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.

Paul Molitor, Milwaukee Brewers(1987)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.

Andre Dawson, Boston Red Sox(1994)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.

Trevor Hoffman, San Diego Padres(2004)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

Craig Biggio, Houston Astros(2005)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

The following are the players who have won the Hutch Award in MLB who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and have not been selected:

Pete Rose, Cincinnati Reds (1968)

Rose has been banned from the Baseball for gambling and the Baseball Hall of Fame has not allowed him on the ballot.  Ranked #1A on Notinhalloffame.com

Tony Conigliaro, Boston Red Sox (1970)

Conigliaro did not play the mandatory ten seasons to qualify for the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bobby Tolan, Cincinnati Reds (1972)

Tolan was on the ballot for one year in 1985 but he did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

John Hiller, Detroit Tigers (1973)

Hiller was on the ballot for one year and received 2.6% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Danny Thompson, Minnesota Twins (1974)

Thompson did not play the mandatory ten seasons to qualify for the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Gary Nolan, Cincinnati Reds (1975)

Nolan was on the ballot for one year in 1983 but he did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Tommy John, Los Angeles Dodgers (1976)

John was on the ballot for 15 years and finished as high as 31.7% in 2009.  Ranked #12 Notinhalloffame.com.

Andre Thornton, Cleveland Indians (1982)

Thornton was on the ballot for one year in 1993 and received 0.5% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ray Knight, New York Mets (1983)

Knight was on the ballot for one year in 1994 and received 0.2% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Don Robinson, Pittsburgh Pirates (1984)

Although Robinson was eligible for the Hall of Fame in 1998, he was not on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Rick Reuschel, Pittsburgh Pirates (1985)

Reuschel was on the ballot for one year in 1997 and received 0.4% of the vote.  Ranked #93 Notinhalloffame.com.

Dennis Leonard, Kansas City Royals (1986)

Leonard was on the ballot for one year in 1992 and received 0.2% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ron Oester, Cincinnati Reds (1988)

Although Oester was eligible for the Hall of Fame in 1996, he was not on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Dave Dravecky, San Francisco Giants (1989)

Dravecky did not play the mandatory ten years to qualify for the Hall of Fame.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Sid Bream, Pittsburgh Pirates (1990)

Although Bream was eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2000, he was not on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bill Wegman, Milwaukee Brewers (1991)

Although Wegman was eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2001, he was not on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Carney Lansford, Oakland Athletics (1992)

Lansford was on the ballot for one year in 1998 and received 0.6% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

John Olerud, Toronto Blue Jays (1993)

Olerud was on the ballot for one year in 2011 and received 0.7% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jim Abbott, Chicago White Sox (1995)

Abbott was on the ballot for one year in 2005 and received 2.5% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Omar Vizquel, Cleveland Indians (1996)

Vizquel has been on the ballot for two years and finished as high as 42.8% in 2019.  Ranked #51 Notinhalloffame.com.

Eric Davis, Baltimore Orioles (1997)

Davis was on the ballot for one year in 2007 and received 0.6% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

David Cone, New York Yankees (1998)

Cone was on the ballot for one year in 2009 and received 3.9% of the vote.  Ranked #48 Notinhalloffame.com.

Sean Casey, Cincinnati Reds (1999)

Casey was on the ballot for one year in 2014 but did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jason Giambi, Oakland Athletics (2000)

Giambi is entering his first year of eligibility. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Curt Schilling, Arizona Diamondbacks (2001)

Schilling has been on the ballot for seven years and has finished as high as 60.9% in 2019.  Ranked #5 Notinhalloffame.com.

Tim Salmon, Anaheim Angels (2002)

Salmon was on the ballot for one year in 2012 and received 0.9% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jamie Moyer, Seattle Mariners (2003)

Moyer was on the ballot for one year in 2018 and received 2.4% of the vote.  Ranked #105 Notinhalloffame.com.

Mark Loretta, Boston Red Sox (2006)

Although Loretta was eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2015, he wasn’t on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Mike Sweeney, Kansas City Royals (2007)

Sweeney was on the ballot for one year in 2016 and received 0.7% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Mark Teahen, Kansas City Royals (2009)

Teahen did not play the mandatory ten years to qualify for the Hall of Fame.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Raul Ibanez, Seattle Mariners (2013)

Ibanez is entering his first year of eligibility. 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 Hutch Award in the Major League Baseball who have retired but have not met the mandatory years out of the game to qualify for the Baseball Hall of Fame:

Tim Hudson, Atlanta Braves(2010)

Hudson is eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2021.

Billy Butler, Kansas City Chiefs(2011)

Hudson is eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2022.

Barry Zito, San Francisco Giants(2012)

Zito is eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2021.

Dustin McGowan, Miami Marlins(2016)

McGowan is eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2023.

The following are the players who have won the Hutch Award who are still active.

Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox (2008)

35 Years Old, Playing for the Chicago Cubs.

Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals (2014)

35 Years Old, Playing for the Kansas City Royals.

Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals (2015)

37 Years Old, Playing for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Jake Diekman, Texas Rangers (2017)

32 Years Old, Playing for the Oakland Athletics.

Stephen Piscotty, Oakland Athletics (2018)

32 Years Old, Playing for the Oakland Athletics.

The Hutch Award winners don’t focus on elite players like other tertiary, or any other baseball related award.  Since its namesake was not a Hall of Famer himself, this is not exactly a surprise.

We are finally finished with the tertiary Baseball Awards and we are going to go back to Football with a major award in the Offensive Player of the Year.

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

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.

For our next selection we look at the Roberto Clemente Award. Originally, this was called the Commissioners Award, the accolade is given annually to the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to the team.  It was renamed the Roberto Clemente Award following the death of Clemente who died in a plane crash while on the way to Nicaragua to deliver supplies to victims of the Nicaragua Earthquake.

So, how many Roberto Clemente Award winners have been enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Let’s find out!

*Please note that as statistics are not as relevant for this award so as opposed to how we normally list players, we will simply just list the winners as opposed to go into that year’s accomplishments.

The following are the past players who have won the Roberto Clemente Award in the MLB who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and have been enshrined.

Willie Mays, San Francisco Giants (1971)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.

Brooks Robinson, Baltimore Orioles (1972)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Al Kaline, Detroit Tigers (1973)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980.

Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh Pirates (1974)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988.

Lou Brock, St. Louis Cardinals (1975)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.

Rod Carew, Minnesota Twins (1977)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991.

Phil Niekro, Atlanta Braves (1980)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.

Gary Carter, New York Mets (1989)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.

Cal Ripken Jr., Baltimore Orioles (1992)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007.

Barry Larkin, Cincinnati Reds (1993)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

Dave Winfield, Minnesota Twins (1994)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.

Ozzie Smith, St. Louis Cardinals (1995)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

Kirby Puckett, Minnesota Twins (1996)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.

Tony Gwynn, San Diego Padres (1999)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007.

Jim Thome, Cleveland Indians (2002)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

Edgar Martinez, Seattle Mariners (2004)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019.

John Smoltz, Atlanta Braves (2005)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Craig Biggio, Houston Astros (2007)

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

The following are the players who have won the Roberto Clemente Award in MLB who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and have not been selected:

Pete Rose, Cincinnati Reds (1976)

Rose is banned from the Hall of Fame. Ranked #1A on Notinhalloffame.com.

Greg Luzinski, Philadelphia Phillies (1978)

Luzinski was on the ballot for one year in 1990 and received 0.2% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Andre Thornton, Cleveland Indians (1979)

Thornton was on the ballot for one year in 1993 and received 0.5% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Steve Garvey, Los Angeles Dodgers (1981)

Garvey was on the ballot for fifteen years in and finished as high as 42.6% in 1995.  Ranked #25 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ken Singleton, Baltimore Orioles (1982)

Singleton was on the ballot for one year in 1990 but did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Cecil Cooper, Milwaukee Brewers (1983)

Cooper was on the ballot for one year in 1993 and received 0.5% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ron Guidry, New York Yankees (1984)

Guidrey was on the ballot for nine years in and finished as high as 8.8% in 2000.  Ranked #54 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Don Baylor, New York Yankees (1985)

Baylor was on the ballot for two years in 1993 and received 2.6% of the vote in both years.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Garry Maddox, Philadelphia Phillies (1986)

Maddox was on the ballot for one year in 1990 but did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Rick Sutcliffe, Chicago Cubs (1987)

Sutcliffe was on the ballot for one year in 2000 and received 1.7% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Dale Murphy, Atlanta Braves (1988)

Murphy was on the ballot for fifteen years in and finished as high as 23.2% in 2000.  Ranked #30 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Dave Stewart, Oakland Athletics (1990)

Stewart was on the ballot for two years and finished as high as 7.4% in 2001.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Harold Reynolds, Seattle Mariners (1991)

Although Reynolds was eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2000 he was not on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Eric Davis, Cincinnati Reds (1997)

Davis was on the ballot for one year in 2007 and received 0.6% of the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Sammy Sosa, Chicago Cubs (1998)

Sosa has been on the ballot for seven years and finished as high as 12.5% in 2013.  Ranked #29 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Al Leiter, New York Mets (2000)

Leiter was on the ballot for one year in 2011 and received 0.7% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Curt Schilling, Arizona Diamondbacks (2001)

Schilling has been on the ballot for seven years and finished as high as 60.9% in 2019.  Ranked #5 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jamie Moyer, Seattle Mariners (2003)

Moyer was on the ballot for one year and finished with 2.4% in 2018.  Ranked #105 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Carlos Delgado, New York Mets (2006)

Delgado was on the ballot for one year and finished with 3.8% in 2015.  Ranked #79 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Tim Wakefield, Boston Red Sox (2010)

Wakefield was on the ballot for one year in 2017 and received 0.2% 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 Roberto Clemente Award in the Major League Baseball who have retired but have not met the mandatory years out of the game to qualify for the Baseball Hall of Fame:

Derek Jeter, New York Yankees (2009)

Eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020.

David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox (2011)

Eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.

Carlos Beltran, New York Mets (2013)

Eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023.

Jimmy Howard, Philadelphia Phillies (2014) (Co-Winner)

Eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.

Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox (2014) (Co-Winner)

Eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020.

The following are the players who have won the Roberto Clemente Award who are still active.

Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals (2008)

39 Years Old, Playing for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers (2012)

31 Years Old, Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates (2015)

32 Years Old, Playing for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Curtis Granderson, New York Mets (2016)

38 Years Old, Playing for the Miami Marlins.

Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs (2017)

29 Years Old, Playing for the Chicago Cubs.

Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals (2018)

36 Years Old, Playing for the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Roberto Clemente Award winners seems to lean toward elite players and we suspect that this will be a pattern to continue.

Up next, we are going to stay within the tertiary Baseball Awards and look at the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award.

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

Now that the NBA Finals are over and the 2018/19 Season has officially been brought to a close, we can turn our attention to what we always do here at Notinhalloffame.com, look at the next Basketball Hall of Fame Class!

People who thought the 2018 Hall of Fame class was stacked, with Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Grant Hill, and Ray Allen, will gawk at the 2020 eligibles say Paruk from SBD. The top-three players in this class -- Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Garnett -- are arguably the three most-accomplished players ever to become eligible at the same time. The trio has 11 NBA titles and 48 All-Star Game nods between them, and they are all 100%, iron-clad locks to be inducted in their first year of eligibility.

Every single one of them is bona fide headliners but if you are looking for a quadruple threat like 2018 remember that the forced end of Chris Bosh’s career in 2016 makes him also Hall of Fame eligible for 2020 and he too has a first ballot resume.

Even with the retirements this year of Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki and Tony Parker (all of whom will be eligible for the Class of 2023) we may never see a more loaded group in any Basketball Hall of Fame Class.

We will go one step further and state that this is the most star-studded group of any North American Athletic Hall of Fame Class in the 21^stCentury.

One thing is for sure is that this will be the hottest Hall of Fame ticket of any kind in the year of 2020!

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.

For our next selection we look at the Babe Ruth Award, which until 2007 only constituted the MVP of the World Series, which may seem like overkill considering it is secondary to the World Series MVP, which is awarded right after the World Series.  The Babe Ruth Award is given a few weeks after.  Incidentally, the Babe Ruth Award is older than the World Series MVP, but as it is not sanctioned by Major League Baseball it is not considered nearly as prestigious, but we aren’t letting that stop us here at Notinhalloffame.com!

So, how many Babe Ruth Award winners have been enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Let’s find out!

The following are the past players who have won the Babe Ruth Award in the MLB who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and have been enshrined.

Phil Rizzuto, New York Yankees (1951)

The first Hall of Famer who was also a Babe Ruth Award winner is fittingly a New York Yankee.  Phil Rizzuto played his entire career with the Yankees and he would win the World Series seven times, this being his fifth.  In the Fall Classic, “Scooter” would bat .320 with 8 Hits and a Home Run in New York’s six game win over their crosstown rival, the New York Giants.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994.

Johnny Mize, New York Yankees (1952)

The Yankees would generate their fourth (in four) straight Babe Ruth winner and this one is especially sweet.  Mize was very late in his career and was a bench player at this stage but he was still clutch and in the 1952 World Series five game win over the Brooklyn Dodgers, he batted .400 with 3 Home Runs and 6 Runs Batted In. He would only play one more year in the Majors.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

Bill Mazeroski, Pittsburgh Pirates (1960)

Bill Mazeroski batted .320 in the World Series with a pair of Home Runs, one of which being the most famous in World Series history as he blasted a walk-off dinger in Game 7, to date the only one of its kind.  Despite the heroics and overall good series (he also had 5 Runs Batted In and a .960 OPS) Bobby Richardson of the New York Yankees (.367 and 12 RBIs) won the World Series MVP despite being on the losing team. As for Mazeroski, he was a seven-time All-Star, eight-time Gold Glove recipient but only had a career On Base Percentage of .299.  The chances are that had Mazeroski not had that World Series winning Home Run we have to wonder if he would have gotten into the Hall of Fame without it.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.

Whitey Ford, New York Yankees (1961)

This was the best season of Whitey Ford’s career, though this was 1961 where most people remember the Roger Maris home run chase.  Ford went 25 and 4 won the Cy Young Award and in the 1961 World Series he went 2 and 0 with 14 Innings of scoreless baseball with a 0.500 WHIP.  Ford would also win the World Series MVP this year.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974.

Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers (1963)

This was about as good as a season as you can get as Sandy Koufax won the National League’s Triple Crown with 25 Wins, a 1.88 ERA, 306 Strikeouts and he also had a 0.875 WHIP.  Not only did Koufax win the Cy Young, he was also the MVP.  He kept his dominance in the post-season going 2 and 0 with a 1.50 ERA in their win over the Minnesota Twins.  Koufax also won the World Series MVP.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals(1964)

Gibson had a good 1964 but this year’s World Series was arguably the coming out party of the dominance that was to come as he would go on to win the Cy Young Award twice and the MVP once.  Gibson would go 2 and 1 completing all three games with a 3.00 ERA.  He would also win the World Series MVP.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

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

This was almost a carbon copy season of 1963 where Koufax again won the Pitcher’s Triple Crown (26 Wins, 2.04 ERA and 382 Strikeouts) and he would again win the Cy Young and have a WHIP under 0.900.  The only thing he didn’t so was win the MVP (he was second) but in the 1965 World Series he went 2 and 1 over 24 Innings and an ERA of 0.38. Koufax played one more year in baseball before retiring at the peak of his career.  Historically speaking this is the first time that there was a repeat winner for the Babe Ruth Award.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

Frank Robinson, Baltimore Orioles(1966)

Robinson made a lot of history in 1966 as in his first season in Baltimore he won the MVP, making him the first player in baseball history to win the MVP in both leagues (he won the NL version in Cincinnati in 1961).  He would also lead his Orioles to their first World Series win since they moved east from St. Louis.  In the World Series, Robinson batted .286 with a pair of Home Runs in their sweep over the Los Angeles Dodgers.   Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982.

Lou Brock, St. Louis Cardinals(1967)

Lou Brock is without question one of the greatest tablesetters in baseball history and he did exactly what you would expect him to do in the World Series where he batted .414, had 7 Stolen Bases and 8 Runs. This year was his first of six All-Star trips and he retired with the all-time record in Stolen Bases.  With all due respect to Brock, the World Series MVP was awarded to Bob Gibson who won three Games with a 1.00 ERA and a 0.704 WHIP.  That was the better choice.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.

Brooks Robinson, Baltimore Orioles(1970)

Brooks Robinson is one of the best defensive players the game of baseball has ever seen and his bat wasn’t too shabby either.  In the 1970 World Series, Robinson batted .429 with a pair of Home Runs and six RBIs.  He would simultaneously win the World Series MVP.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Roberto Clemente, Pittsburgh Pirates(1971)

Roberto Clemente is one of the few players who when you say the word, “legend”, there is no inaccuracy in the statement.  Clemente was a 12-time All-Star who had an even 3,000 Hits and probably would have had more had he not perished in a plane crash in 1972.  In 1971, Clemente would lead Pittsburgh to the World Series (his second) and he would bat .414 with two Home Runs in Pittsburgh’s win over Baltimore.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973.

Johnny Bench, Cincinnati Reds(1976)

The Catcher of “The Big Red Machine” was in the middle of a career that had already seen him win two National League MVP Awards and a World Series the year before.  Bench would bat .533 with a pair of Home Runs in this version of the Fall Classic.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.

Reggie Jackson, Oakland Athletics(1977)

Reggie Jackson had already won the World Series MVP (but not the Babe Ruth Award) in 1973 as an Oakland Athletic, but it was his 1977 performance as a New York Yankee that made him forever a legend.  Jackson blasted five Home Runs in the World Series, including three in Game 6, making him the first to do that since Babe Ruth did it in 1928.  Jackson also batted .450 with a 54 On Base Percentage.  This is where he got the nickname of “Mr. October”.  Jackson of course would also win the World Series MVP. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh Pirates(1979)

Willie Stargell was deep into back nine of his career but he shot an eagle in 1979 winning the National League MVP and in the World Series he batted .400 with three Home Runs in their seven game win over the Baltimore Orioles. He would notably also win the NLCS MV batting .455 with two Home Runs against Cincinnati.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988.

Bruce Sutter, St. Louis Cardinals(1982)

Bruce Sutter was one of the most dominating closers of his day and he was named the Cy Young Award winner in 1979.  In 1982 he would lead the National League in Saves for the fourth straight year and in the World Series he had two more, but had an ERA of 4.70. Sutter would not win the World Series MVP as Darrell Porter would earn that accolade along with the NLCS MVP.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.

Jack Morris, Detroit Tigers(1984)

The Detroit Tigers were the dominating team of 1984 and Jack Morris was their ace.  In the 1984 World Series he would win both his starts with 13 Strikeouts, a 2.00 ERA and a WHIP of 0.889.  He would not win the World Series MVP as that went to the Tigers’ Shortstop, Alan Trammell. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

Jack Morris, Minnesota Twins (2)(1991)

In the thrilling seven game series against the Atlanta Braves, Jack Morris would win his second Babe Ruth Award when he went 2 and 0 over 23 Innings and a 1.17 ERA.  His heroic 10 Inning shutout win in Game 7 will never (and should never) be forgotten. This time, Morris would be named the World Series MVP.  It should be mentioned that whether or not the Baseball Hall of Fame Veteran’s Committee were on the fence about his overall stats, his post-season exploits had to put him over the top.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

Dave Winfield, Toronto Blue Jays(1992)

For the first time ever the World Series Championship left the United States as the Toronto Blue Jays would win it all in 1992.  Winfield batted .227 with 5 RBs, including the series winning double in Game 6.  Winfield did not win the World Series MVP as that went to Jays Catcher, Pat Borders who batted .450.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.

Paul Molitor, Toronto Blue Jays(1993)

For the second year in a row the Babe Ruth Award winner was a Toronto Blue Designated Hitter.  Paul Molitor would bat .500 with half of his hits being of the extra-base variety.  He would also accumulate eight RBIs and he was also named the World Series MVP.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.

Tom Glavine, Atlanta Braves(1995)

The Atlanta Braves finally won a World Series, though I think we can agree that they should have won a lot more in the 1990s.  Glavine won the Cy Young Award in 1991 and would again in 1998 but in 1995 the Babe Ruth Award and World Series MVP where he went 2 and 0 with a 1.29 ERA, 0.714 WHIP and 11 Strikeouts.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees(1999)

This would be the third of Mariano Rivera’s five World Series Championships and in this World Series he appeared in three games, winning one Game, saving two and allowing zero runs.  Rivera is not just the greatest Relief Pitcher of all-time, he is also the greatest post-season closer.  His overall playoff numbers (all for the Yankees) is 8 and 1 with 42 Saves, 78 Games Finished an ERA of 0.70 and WHIP of 0.759.  Is there any wonder that he would become the first person to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame on a perfect ballot.  He would also win the World Series MVP.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019.

Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks(2001)

In 2001, both the Babe Ruth Award and World Series MVP were co-awarded to Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling.  Johnson’s 2001 World Series would see him win all three of his starts with a 1.04 ERA, 0.692 WHIP and strikeout 19 batters.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

The following are the players who have won the Babe Ruth Award in MLB who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and have not been selected:

Joe Page, New York Yankees (1949)

Joe Page was one of the game’s first relief pitchers of note and in 1949 he had already been to three All-Star Games.  1949 was the third and final straight year that he would finish first in Games Finished and he would record 27 Saves with a 13 and 8 record while also finishing third in MVP voting.  In the World Series five game win over the Brooklyn Dodgers, Page pitched in three games winning one, and saving another with a 2.00 ERA and 1.000 WHIP.  Page did not play enough seasons to qualify for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jerry Coleman, New York Yankees (1950)

For the second year of the award’s inception, a New York Yankee would win the award and like the first winner he did not play enough seasons to be on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.  This was the second year for Jerry Coleman in the Majors and it was last (and arguably only) good season.  Coleman was an All-Star for what would be the only time in his career and is 150 Hits and .287 Batting Average were career highs.  The Yankees would win the World Series sweeping the Philadelphia Phillies and he would bat .286 with 4 RBIs.  That was not spectacular, but it was enough.  Notably, this was the second of four World Series that he would win, which was all with the Yankees.  Coleman did not play enough seasons to qualify for the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Billy Martin, New York Yankees (1953)

Five Babe Ruth Awards and five New York Yankees.  This one was one by Billy Martin, who would become more associated with the team later as a Manager.  In 1953, the Second Baseman hit 2 Home Runs with 8 RBIs and a .500 Batting Average in their six-game win over Brooklyn.  Martin was on the ballot for one year in 1967 and received 0.3% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Dusty Rhodes, New York Giants (1954)

For the first time ever the Babe Ruth Award did not go to a New York Yankee and of course it couldn’t as the Yanks did not make the post-season for the first time in the awards existence.  Rhodes was a clutch Pinch Hitter throughout the series and while he only batted seven times he had a .667 Batting Average with 2 Home Runs and 7 Runs Batted In.  Rhodes did not play enough seasons to qualify for the Hall of Fame.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Johnny Podres, Brooklyn Dodgers (1955)

This is an important year in regards to the Babe Ruth Award as this is the first year that the World Series MVP was also issued.  This year’s winner (and also of the inaugural World Series MVP) was Johnny Podres who would later be a three time All-Star and would help the Dodgers win two more World Series titles after they relocated to Los Angeles.  In this World Series, Podres threw for 18 Innings with a 2 and 0 record and a 1.00 ERA. This was the only title that the Dodgers would win when the team was located on the East Coast.  Podres was on the ballot for three years and finished as high as 0.8% in both 1975 & 1977.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Don Larsen, New York Yankees (1956)

The Babe Ruth Award returned to the New York Yankees and it went to Don Larsen who made history by throwing what has been to date the only perfect game in World Series history.  The Yankees would beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in seven games and Larsen would go on to have a journeyman’s career going 81 and 91 over 14 seasons and nine teams.   Of course, Larsen would also win the World Series MVP.  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 (1957)

1957 was the first and only time that the Braves would win the World Series while playing in Milwaukee thus making Lew Burdette the only Babe Ruth Award winner (and World Series MVP) who was a Milwaukee Brave.  Burdette had a really good season as he was an All-Star this year and would go 3 and 0 with a 0.67 ERA in the World Series. Milwaukee’s opponents, the New York Yankees, could only muster two runs over 27 Innings.  Burdette was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 23.2% in 1987.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Elston Howard, New York Yankees (1958)

The choice of Elston Howard for the Babe Ruth Award was a little curious as he only batted .222 in the World Series and none of his four Hits were for extra bases.  He did hit the series winning RBI, which may have been why he won the award.  The World Series MVP was given to Bob Turley, who went 2-1 with a Save and he was also named the Cy Young Award winner that year. This marked the first time that the Babe Ruth Award winner and the World Series MVP went to two different people. He would later be named the American League MVP in 1963.  Howard was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 20.7% in 1981.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Larry Sherry, Los Angeles Dodgers (1959)

This was the official rookie season for Larry Sherry (he played five games the year before) and he would go on to have a good career as a Relief Pitcher securing 82 Saves.  Sherry assisted the Dodgers in winning the 1959 World Series where he pitched in four games, winning two and saving another two.  Over 12.2 Innings he had an ERA of 0.71 and a WHIP of 0.789.  Sherry was also named the World Series MVP.  Although Sherry was eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974, he was not on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ralph Terry, New York Yankees (1962)

This was the best year by far for Ralph Terry who in the regular season won a league leading 23 Games and was an All-Star for the only time in his career.  Terry went 2 and 1 with a 1.80 ERA in their World Series win over the San Francisco Giants. He was also named the World Series MVP. Although Terry was eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, he was not on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Mickey Lolich, Detroit Tigers (1968)

The 1968 World Series was expected to be the battle between Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals and Denny McClain of the Detroit Tigers but the best hurler of the World Series was Mickey Lolich who went 3 and 0 with a 1.67 ERA. Lolich would go on to participate in three All-Star Games and win 217 Games in baseball.  He was also the World Series MVP.  Lolich was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 25.5% in 1988.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Al Weis, New York Mets (1969)

This is one of the most unlikely winners of the Babe Ruth Award, which was fitting considering that the New York Mets were the most unlikely World Series Champions.  Weis, who never had more than 81 Hits in a season and a career Batting Average of .219. In the 1969 World Series, Weis batted .455 with a Home Run and had an OBP of .529.  Donn Clendenon would be named the World Series MVP as he hit three Home Runs with a Batting Average of .357.  With these two heroes, the name “Miracle Mets” really makes a lot of sense. Although Weis was eligible for the ballot in 1977 he was not on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Gene Tenace, Oakland Athletics (1972)

Gene Tenace had only 51 Hits in the regular season but by the playoffs he was the team’s Catcher and in the World Series he would bat .348 with four Home Runs and nine Runs Batted In.  Tenace would later be an All-Star in 1985.  Tenace was on the ballot for one year in 1989 and received 0.2% of the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bert Campaneris, Oakland Athletics (1973)

Bert Campaneris was a very good player who had 2,249 Hits, which chances are most of you may not have been aware that he is a member of the 2,000 Hit Club.  In the 1973 World Series he batted .290 with three RBIs.  He did not win the World Series MVP as it was given to Reggie Jackson with a .310 Batting Average with six RBIs.  Campaneris was on the ballot for one year in 1989 and received 3.1% of the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Dick Green, Oakland Athletics (1974)

While Dick Green had a good defensive series engineering six double plays, he didn’t have a hit in the World Series and only had one walk in fifteen Plate Appearances with one Run and one RBI.  Green retired after the World Series but was not the World Series MVP. That honor was given to Rollie Fingers who pitched in four of the five games with a Win and two Saves.  Although Green was eligible for the Hall of Fame in 1980, he was not on the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Luis Tiant, Boston Red Sox (1975)

A lot of history with this award took place in 1975 as for the third year in a row the Babe Ruth winner did not match the World Series MVP. Also for the first and only time this award was given to the losing team of the World Series.  The winner, Luis Tiant went 2 and 0 in three games, pitching 25 Innings with a 3.60 ERA.  Pete Rose was named the World Series MVP.  Tiant was on the ballot for 15 years finishing as high as 30.9% in 1988.  Ranked #34 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bucky Dent, New York Yankees (1978)

Bucky Dent was not known for being a great hitter but in 1978 he was clutch.  Prior to the World Series, Dent hit a three run Home Run to win a one game playoff against the Boston Red Sox to get them into the playoffs.  In the World Series, Dent batted .417 with seven Runs Batted In and he would also be named the World Series MVP.  Dent was on the ballot for one year in 1990 and received 0.7% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Tug McGraw, Philadelphia Phillies (1980)

Tug McGraw went 1 and 1 with a 1.17 ERA where he pitched in four of the games in the Phillies’ first World Series win.  This was McGraw’s second World Series championship as he would win his first with the New York Mets in 1969.  McGraw would not win the World Series MVP as that went to Mike Schmidt who batted .381 with two Home Runs and seven RBIs.  McGraw was on the ballot for one year in 1990 and received 1.4% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ron Cey, Los Angeles Dodgers (1981)

Arguably, the best seasons of Ron Cey were behind him as his six All-Star Games were behind him but the Third Baseman was still good and in the 1980 World Series, he would bat .350 with a Home Run and six Runs Batted In. Cey would also be named the World Series MVP.  Cey was on the ballot for one year in 1993 and received 1.9% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Rick Dempsey, Baltimore Orioles (1983)

Light hitting but defensively brilliant, Rick Dempsey was an unlikely post-season hero but in the 1983 World Series the Catcher would bat .385 with all five of his hits being extra bases (four doubles and a home run). Dempsey would also be named the World Series MVP.  Cey was on the ballot for one year in 1998 and received 0.2% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bret Saberhagen, Kansas City Royals (1985)

Saberhagen would win the first of two Cy Youngs in 1985 and he took the Royals to win their first World Series.  He would win both of his starts in the World Series with a 0.50 ERA and a WHIP of 0.667.  Saberhagen was on the ballot for one year in 2007 and received 1.3% of the vote.  Ranked #67 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ray Knight, New York Mets (1986)

Ray Knight would bat .391 in the World Series and he would hit the series winning Home Run in the 7^thInning of Game 7.  Knight, who would have five Runs Batted In would also win the World Series MVP.  Knight was on the ballot for one year in 1994 and received 0.2% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Frank Viola, Minnesota Twins (1987)

Viola finished 6^thin Cy Young voting this year and would hurl the Twins to their first World Series win since they relocated to Minnesota from Washington.  Viola went 2 and 1 with 16 Strikeouts and would also be the World Series MVP. Viola would win the American League Cy Young the year after.  Viola was on the ballot for one year in 2002 and received 0.4% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Orel Hershiser, Los Angeles Dodgers (1988)

1988 was a dream season for Orel Hershiser as he would win the National League Cy Young Award and would follow that up with the NLCS and World Series MVP.  In the World Series, Hershiser won both of his starts with a 1.00 ERA, 17 Strikeouts and a 0.722 WHIP.  Hershiser was on the ballot for two years and finished as high as 11.2%.  Ranked #70 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Dave Stewart, Oakland Athletics (1989)

1989 was the third of four straight 20 Win seasons for Dave Stewart who was the ace of a potent offensive Oakland Athletics team.  In the 1989 World Series, he would win both his starts with a 1.69 ERA, 0.750 WHIP and 14 Ks.  He would also win the World Series MVP and would also be named the ALCS MVP the following year.  Stewart was on the ballot for two years and finished as high as 7.4% in 2001.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Billy Hatcher, Cincinnati Reds (1990)

How fitting that the 1990 Babe Ruth Award went to a surprise player considering that the Reds were a surprise themselves sweeping the heavily favored Oakland Athletics.  In the 1990 World Series, Hatcher batted .750 with four Doubles but was not the World Series MVP.  That would go to Jose Rijo who went 2 and 0 with a sparkling Earned Run Average of 0.59. Although Hatcher was eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2001 he was not on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Cecil Fielder, New York Yankees (1996)

Cecil Fielder was traded from the Detroit Tigers midway through the season and though his best years were behind him, his greatest team accomplishments were still to come.  Fielder would bat .391 with 2 Runs Batted In in the World Series.  He was not named the World Series MVP as that would go to John Wetteland who saved all four of New York’s wins.  Fielder was on the ballot for one year in 2004 and received 0.2% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Moises Alou, Florida Marlins (1997)

Moises Alou was a Florida Marlin for only one season and it was a World Series winning one, the first in franchise history.  Alou would bat .321 with three Home Runs and nine RBIs in the World Series.  Livan Hernandez would win the World Series MVP however as the rookie won both of his starts, though had an ERA of 5.27.  Alou was on the ballot for one year in 2014 and received 1.1% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Scott Brosius, New York Yankees (1998)

The New York Yankees would sweep the San Diego Padres, and in the Fall Classic Scott Brosius would bat .471 with a pair of Home Runs. Brosius would help New York win two more World Series Titles.  Brosius was on the ballot for one year in 2007 but did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Curt Schilling, Arizona Diamondbacks (2001)

Like with the 2001 World Series MVP, Curt Schilling would share the Babe Ruth MVP with Randy Johnson.  Schilling went 1 and 0 with a 1.69 ERA, a 0.656 WHIP with 26 Strikeouts. Schilling has been on the ballot for seven years and has finished as high as 60.9% in 2019.  Ranked #5 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Troy Glaus, Anaheim Angels (2002)

A four-time All-Star, Glaus was enjoying his third straight 100 RBI season.  Glaus would bat .385 with 3 Home Runs and 8 Runs Batted In in the 2002 World Series, which brought the Angels their first title.  Glaus would also be named the World Series MVP.  Glaus was on the ballot for one year in 2016 but did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Keith Foulke, Boston Red Sox (2004)

The curse ended with the Red Sox sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals and he would finish all four of Boston’s games with one Save and a 1.80 ERA. Foulke would not be named the World Series MVP as that would go to Manny Ramirez.  Although Foulke was eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2014 he was not on the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jermaine Dye, Chicago White Sox (2005)

Also winning the World Series MVP, Jermaine Dye had a really good career where he would have 1,779 Hits and 325 Home Runs.  In the 2005 World Series, he would bat .438 with the series winning RBI.  Dye was on the ballot for one year in 2015 but he did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

David Eckstein, St. Louis Cardinals (2006)

Eckstein was a two-time All-Star and 2006 was the second of them. The infielder was already a World Series Champion (Anaheim in 2002) and in this World Series he would bat .364 with 4 Runs Batted In.  He would also win the World Series MVP.  Dye was on the ballot for one year in 2015 but he did not receive any votes.  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 Babe Ruth Award in the Major League Baseball who have retired but have not met the mandatory years out of the game to qualify for the Baseball Hall of Fame:

Derek Jeter, New York Yankees (2000)

This was the Yankees fourth World Series win in five years and this one was the battle of New York.  The Yankees defeated the Mets in five games and he batted .409 with two Home Runs.  Jeter would also win the World Series MVP.  Eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020.

Josh Beckett, Florida Marlins (2003)

In the second World Series Championship for the Marlins, Josh Beckett went 1 and 1 with a 1.10 ERA, 19 Strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.714. Beckett would go on to win the ALCS MVP for Boston and help the team win the 2007 World Series.  He would win 138 Games over his career.  Eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020.

Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox (2007)

This was the start of a new era for the Babe Ruth Award now covered the entire post-season as opposed to just the World Series.  Papelbon was in his second season as Boston’s closer and in the post-season he would win one game, record four Saves and would not allow a run in 10.2 Innings of work.  Mike Lowell would be named the World Series MVP.  Eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.

Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees (2009)

Alex Rodriguez was often criticized for his lack of playoff success but in 2009 he was a huge part of the Yankees’ success in the 2009 World Series. A-Rod’s playoffs would see him bat .365 with 6 Home Runs and 18 Runs Batted In, but he would not win the World Series MVP as that would go to Mariano Rivera.  Eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2021.

Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants (2010)

Tim Lincecum finished 10^thin Cy Young voting this year and he won the award the two years previously.  Lincecum would have an excellent playoff with a 4 and 1 record and 2.43 ERA with 43 Strikeouts.  Lincecum would be a member of San Francisco’s 2012 and 2014 World Series wins but he was not nearly as productive as he was here.  Eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.

David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox (2013)

“Big Papi” would win his third World Series ring and he saved the best for last.  Ortiz would hammer five playoff Home Runs with a .353 Batting Average.  He would also win the Worod Series MVP Award.  Eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.

The following are the players who have won the Babe Ruth Award who are still active.

Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies (2008)

In Cole Hamels’ five post-season starts he would go 4 and 0 with a 1.80 ERA. He would also win the World Series MVP and the National League NLCS MVP.  35 Years Old, Playing for the Chicago Cubs.

David Freese, St. Louis Cardinals (2011)

Who else could win this in 2011 other than David Freese?  Freese, who would also win the NLCS and World Series MVP would set playoff records with 50 Extra Base Hits and 21 RBIs and he would bat .397 with five Home Runs.  36 Years Old, Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants (2012)

“Panda” captured the imagination of the Baseball world in 2012 where the popular figure had six post-season Home Runs with 13 RBIs and a .364 Batting Average.  The Third Baseman would also win the World Series MVP and was a member of both the 2010 and 2014 World Series Title with the Giants.  32 Years Old, Playing for the San Francisco Giants.

Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants (2014)

Bumgarner was in the second year of a four-year All-Star stretch and like many of his teammates, he was a part of San Francisco’s 2010 and 2012 World Series wins.  Bumgarner, who also won the World Series and NLCS MVP went 4 and 1 with a 1.03 ERA over 52.2 Innings Pitched.  He would also record the Save in Game 7 of the World Series,.  29 Years Old, Playing for the San Francisco Giants.

Wade Davis, Kansas City Royals (2015)

Davis pitched in eight games, recording a Win, four saves and striking out 18 batters over 10.2 scoreless Innings.  Salvador Perez would be named the World Series MVP.  33 Years Old, Playing for the Colorado Rockies.

Jon Lester, Chicago Cubs (2016)

Lester was named to his third All-Star game and he was already a two-time World Series Champion with the Boston Red Sox.  Lester was a vital part of the Cubs first win in over a century and he was the NLCS MVP while going 3 and 1 with a 2.02 ERA with 30 Strikeouts. The World Series MVP would not go to Lester but to Ben Zobrist.  35 Years Old, Playing for the Chicago Cubs.

Jose Altuve, Houston Astros (2017)

The Babe Ruth Award had a co-winner for the first time since 2001 and in the first World Series win for the Houston Astros, Jose Altuve would go yard seven times in the playoffs with 14 RBIs and a .310 Batting Average.  Neither Altive or his co-winner, Justin Verlander would win the World Series MVP, as that would go to George Springer.  29 Years Old, Playing for the Houston Astros.

Justin Verlander, Houston Astros (2017)

Verlander accomplished what he could not do in Detroit by winning a World Series with the Houston Astros and the move was a rejuvenation of sorts as he returned to elite form.  Verlander went 4 and 1 over 36.2 Innings with 38 Strikeouts.  He did not win the World Series MVP as that would go to George Springer, but he was the ALCS MVP.  35 Years Old, Playing for the Houston Astros.

David Price, Boston Red Sox (2018)

David Price had a bad appearance in the ALDS against the New York Yankees, but he rebounded with three wins in the rest of the playoffs including wins in Game 2 and 5 in the World Series.  Price would not be named the World Series MVP, as that would go to Steve Pearce.  32 Years Old, Playing for the Boston Red Sox.

The Babe Ruth Award winners are all over the map in terms of legends, one-offs and everything in between.

Up next, we are going to stay within the tertiary Baseball Awards and look at the Roberto Clemente Award.

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

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 amount 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.

For our next selection we go back to the National Hockey League with the Calder Trophy, which is awarded annually to the league’s top rookie. Does being a top rookie put you in line for the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Let’s find out!

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

Syl Apps, Toronto Maple Leafs (1937)

16 Goals, 29 Assists, 45 Points, 6.1 Point Shares.  This is off to an excellent start at Syl Apps would lead the National Hockey League in Assists as a Rookie and he built on that to be named a post season All Star five times.  More importantly for Apps and the Maple Leafs he would help them win three Stanley Cups and he would retire as a Point per Game player.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1961.

Frank Brimsek, Boston Bruins (1939)

33 Wins, 9 Losses 1 Tie, 1.56 GAA, 11.3 Goalie Point Shares.  Very few players had a start to their career like Frank Brimsek as not only was the Calder Trophy winner, he also was the Vezina Trophy winner, a First Team All Star and he took the Boston Bruins to the Stanley Cup.  The native of Eveleth, Minnesota would lead the Bruins to another Cup win in 1941 and he was also a Vezina Trophy winner in 1942.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1966.

Edgar Laprade, New York Rangers (1946)

15 Goals, 19 Assists 34 Points, 2.9 Point Shares.  Edgar Laprade played his entire career with the New York Rangers and he would finish third in Lady Byng balloting that year.  He would win the Lady Byng in the 1949/50 season. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

Terry Sawchuk, Detroit Red Wings (1951)

44 Wins, 13 Losses 13 Ties, 1.56 GAA, 17.0 Goalie Point Shares. In what would be a huge opening year, Terry Sawchuk would lead the National Hockey League in Goalie Point Shares and was also a First Team All Star.  Sawchuk was the leader in Wins his year and would be the next four seasons. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971.

Bernie Geoffrion, Montreal Canadiens (1952)

30 Goals, 24 Assists 54 Points, 7.0 Point Shares.  The future Hockey Hall of Famer would lead the NHL in Power-Play Goals.  The future Hart Trophy winner would win six Stanley Cups with a Hart and Art Ross Trophy win in 1961.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

Gump Worsley, New York Rangers (1953)

13 Wins, 29 Losses 8 Ties, 3.02 GAA, 4.4 Goalie Point Shares. The “Gump” would lose way more games than he won in this season (16) and this would be a theme for Worsley but he gave it everything he always had, which was why he would enter the Hockey Hall of Fame and would win two Vezina Trophies.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971.

Glenn Hall, Detroit Red Wings (1956)

30 Wins, 24 Losses 16 Ties, 2.10 GAA, 14.5 Goalie Point Shares. As a rookie, Glenn Hall was not only the Calder Trophy winner but was a Second Team All Star and the leader in Shutouts and Minutes Played and a second place finish in Point Shares.  Hall would later be a multi time post season All Star and was a first ballot Hall of Famer.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975.

Frank Mahovolich, Toronto Maple Leafs (1958)

20 Goals, 16 Assists 37 Points, 3.3 Point Shares.  The “Big M” had a. good rookie season but he would later become a six time Stanley Cup winner and also a nine time post season All Star.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

Dave Keon, Toronto Maple Leafs (1961)

20 Goals, 25 Assists 45 Points, 4.2 Point Shares.  With the Toronto Maple Leafs for most of his career, Dave Keon would later be a two time Lady Byng Trophy winner and was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner for the last Toronto Maple Leaf Stanley Cup Championship team.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986.

Jacques Laperriere, Montreal Canadiens(1964)

2 Goals, 28 Assists, 30 Points, 6.7 Point Shares.  Laperriere was another great Quebecer to play for his home province team where he was immediately one of the better Defenseman in the NHL.  Playing for the Montreal Canadiens his entire career be was a Second Team All Star as a rookie and would be a First Team All Star the next two seasons after, which included a Norris Trophy win in 1966.  Laperriere would help the Habs win five Stanley Cups.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987.

Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins(1967)

13 Goals, 28 Assists, 41 Points, 6.0 Point Shares.  Any chance we have here to talk about Bobby Orr is always a blessing to us!  Orr is without question the greatest Defenseman that ever lived and some will go as far to say is the best hockey player period.  As a rookie, the Boston Bruin was a member of the Second Team All Star roster.  Orr finished third in Norris Trophy voting but would go on to win the next eight. He was such a great player that he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame without the mandatory three year wait. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.

Tony Esposito, Chicago Blackhawks(1970)

38 Wins, 17 Losses 8 Ties, 2.17 GAA, 14.7 Goalie Point Shares. This would be an incredible career for Tony Esposito who as a rookie would not only win the Calder but the Vezina Trophy First Team NHL and was the league leader in Wins and Save Percentage. He would win the Vezina two more times. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988.

Gilbert Perreault, Buffalo Sabres(1971)

38 Goals, 34 Assists, 72 Points, 6.5 Point Shares.  One of the greatest Buffalo Sabres of all time, Gilbert Perreault played his entire career in Western New York.  The Quebecer would later be named a Second Team All Star on two occasions and a later Lady Byng Trophy winner.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.

Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadiens(1972)

38 Wins, 8 Losses 15 Ties, 2.24 GAA, 15.0 Goalie Point Shares. In terms of a brief career, there is nobody in any team sport that equals that if Ken Dryden.  Prior to winning the Calder, Ken Dryden would win the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe, which made him more successful than any other Calder Trophy winner. Dryden would later win four Vezina Trophy wins and would hoist the Stanley Cup five more times.  Long story short, Ken Dryden was the best NHL Goalie of the 1970’s. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Denis Potvin, New York Islanders(1974)

17 Goals, 37 Assists, 54 Points, 6.5 Point Shares.  Denis Potvin was the first piece in what would eventually become the New York Islanders dynasty that would win four Stanley Cups in the 1980’s.  Potvin anchored the Islanders blueline where he would win three Norris Trophies and was a five time First Team All Star.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991.

Bryan Trottier, New York Islanders(1976)

32 Goals, 63 Assists, 95 Points, 8.6 Point Shares.  See above!  With the Denis Potvin entry we talked about him being the building block for the Islanders dynasty.  Here was the next massive piece of the puzzle was Bryan Trottier who was eighth in the NHL in Assists as a Rookie and had an excellent finish of 95 Points.  Trottier would later win the Hart Trophy (1979), was a four time post season All Star and in addition to the four Stanley Cups he won with the Islanders, he would help the Pittsburgh Penguins two Cups in the early 1990’s.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.

Mike Bossy, New York Islanders(1978)

53 Goals, 38 Assists, 91 Points, 10.3 Point Shares.  See above!  Again!  Potvin. Trottier.  Mike Bossy.  Three Calder trophy winners in five years and all three Hall of Famers resulting in four Stanley Cups.  As a rookie, Mike Bossy scored 53 Goals and was second in that metric.  With the exception of his final season he never had a year where he dipped below 50.  A Second Team All Star as a Rookie, Bossy would later be a First Team All Star five times.  His excellent career ended early at the age of 30 due to back issues.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991.

Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins(1980)

17 Goals, 48 Assists, 65 Points, 10.3 Point Shares.  When you had Bobby Orr, how lucky are you as an organization to land Ray Bourque?  The Boston Bruins Defenseman was a First Team All Star as a rookie and he would be named to either a First or Second Team All Star every year after until the 1996/97 season. Bourque would later win the Norris Trophy five times.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.

Peter Stastny, Quebec Nordiques(1981)

39 Goals, 70 Assists, 109 Points, 8.6 Point Shares.  While some might point to Stastny’s age (24) and that he had already been playing in his native Czechoslovakia for a while to paint this Calder win as tainted, this was a huge deal as Stastny had already established himself as the best player on the Czechoslovakian team and his defection (along with his brother Anton) ushered in others from the Iron Curtain to do the same.  As an NHL rookie, he scored 109 Points and would have five more 100 Point seasons.   Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.

Dale Hawerchuk, Winnipeg Jets(1982)

45 Goals, 58 Assists, 103 Points, 7.9 Point Shares.  Scoring 103 Points as a rookie, Hawerchuk would later be a Second Team All Star and runner-up for the Hart Trophy in the 1984/85 season.  He would score 1,409 Points over his National Hockey League career.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.

Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins(1985)

43 Goals, 57 Assists, 100 Points, 7.9 Point Shares.  With a 100 Point season as a rookie, Mario Lemieux was just getting started.  He would win the Hart Trophy three times, the Art Ross six times, was a post season NHL All Star nine times and took the Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup win in 1991 and 1992.  He would become the player to rival Wayne Gretzky.  Lemieux retired in 1997 but returned in 2000 as a player owner and retired again in 2006.  Lemieux would later win three more Stanley Cups as an owner and is the only man in history to have his name etched on the Cup as a player and as an owner.  Had the Penguins never drafted him there is a very good chance that Pittsburgh would not have an NHL team today.  He was inducted immediately after his first retirement and he would become the first player to win the Calder, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and return to action.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.

Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles Kings(1987)

45 Goals, 39 Assists, 84 Points, 6.8 Point Shares.  In addition to winning the Calder, Luc Robitaille would be named a Second Team All Star.  This was just the beginning for a great career that was spent predominantly with Los Angeles and he would be named a First Team All Star five times and a Second Team All Star three times.  He retired with 1,394 Points and he entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.

Joe Nieuwendyk, Calgary Flames(1988)

51 Goals, 41 Assists, 92 Points, 8.7 Point Shares.  Nieuwendyk would lead the NHL in Power Play Goals as a rookie and later in his career would win the Stanley Cup with three different teams; 1989 with Calgary, 1999 with Dallas (where he won the Conn Smythe) and 2003 with New Jersey.  He finished his career with 1,126 Points.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

Brian Leetch, New York Rangers(1989)

23 Goals, 48 Assists, 71 Points, 9.0 Point Shares.  Brian Leetch had an exceptional career in the NHL and securing the Calder Trophy was just the beginning.  Leetch played for the Rangers most of his career where he would win the Norris Trophy twice and lead his team to win the Stanley Cup in 1994 where he was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner.  He scored 1,028 Points and entered the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

Sergei Makarov, Calgary Flames(1990)

24 Goals, 62 Assists, 86 Points, 6.8 Point Shares.  This is the most controversial Calder Trophy winner as Makarov was over 30, but this was in fact his professional season as he played for the Soviet Union and was a star for the Red Army throughout the 1980’s and through Canada Cups and other small tournaments he had played against the NHL’s best many times.  Still, by the definition of what a rookie is, he qualified though he entered the Hockey Hall of Fame more on what he did Internationally.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

Ed Belfour, Chicago Blackhawks(1991)

43 Wins, 19 Losses 7 Ties, 2.47 GAA, 14.0 Goalie Point Shares. Ed Belfour had many excellent seasons in the National Hockey League and the argument can certainly be made that this was his best one.  Belfour won the Vezina and William M. Jennings trophy and was the leader in Goals Against Average, Save Percentage and Minutes Played.  Belfour would later earn his second Vezina as a Blackhawk two years later, and he was also a William M. Jennings Trophy winner three more times.  More importantly, “Eddie the Eagle” would backstop the Dallas Stars to a Stanley Cup win in 1999. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

Pavel Bure, Vancouver Canucks(1992)

34 Goals, 26 Assists, 60 Points, 6.8 Point Shares.  This was a good season for “The Russian Rocket” but he would later have five 50 Goal Seasons, two of which would see him net 60. Bure a First Team All Star with the Canucks and later for the Florida Panthers would have back-to-back Second Team All Star Selections and Maurice Richard Trophy wins as the NHL’s leading Goal Scorer.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016. 

Teemu Selanne, Winnipeg Jets(1993)

76 Goals, 56 Assists, 132 Points, 13.4 Point Shares.  Wow!!!  First off Selanne was the first player from Finland to win the Calder but there is so much more here.  Selanne scored 76 Goals and 132 Points, both of which are by the far most of any rookie and Calder winner.  Considering the current landscape, this could be untouchable.  Selanne would score the most goals this year but this would be his best season by far of his career though “The Finnish Flash” was no flash in the pan (sorry, couldn’t resist).  Selanne would have three more 100 Point seasons and would play into his early 40’s and scored 1,457 Points over his career.  He would win a Stanley Cup with the Ducks and was a first ballot Hall of Famer.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.

Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils(1994)

27 Wins, 11 Losses, 8 Ties, 8.9 Point Shares.  Martin Brodeur is one of the most successful Goalies of all-time and save for seven games with the St. Louis Blues it was done with the Devils.  Brodeur had a good rookie year but unlike other Calder winners who were Goalies, Brodeur’s Calder year was not even in his top ten.  Brodeur would later win four Vezina Trophies, five William M. Jennings Trophies and four Stanley Cups.  He is the all time leader in Wins, Saves, Games Played (by a Goalie) and Minutes Played and that may not change in 50 years.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

Peter Forsberg, Quebec Nordiques(1995)

15 Goals, 35 Assists, 50 Points, 8.2 Point Shares.  When the Philadelphia Flyers traded for Eric Lindros there was piece of the puzzle that was an unknown factor.  That was the rights to Peter Forsberg, who would turn out (we think) to best player in the deal.  The Swedish star would later help the Colorado Avalanche win two Stanley Cups and for his own trophy case the Hart Trophy and Art Ross in 2002/03.  He would also be a three First Team All Star.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

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

Cully Dahlstrom, Chicago Blackhawks (1938)

10 Goals, 9 Assists, 19 Points, 1.3 Point Shares.  Dahlstrom would have better seasons in the National Hockey League but he would never have a season that could be considered great. He would however win the Stanley Cup as a rookie with the Blackhawks and his 206 Points in 345 Games were perfectly decent.   Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Kilby MacDonald, New York Rangers (1940)

15 Goals, 13 Assists, 28 Points, 3.8 Point Shares.  This would be the best season of Kilby MacDonals’s brief career as he would bounce back and forth between the Rangers and the minors after. MacDonald who also won a Stanley Cup with the Rangers this year also served in the Army in between stints in professional hockey.   Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

John Quilty, Montreal Canadiens (1941)

18 Goals, 16 Assists, 34 Points, 3.8 Point Shares.  This was by far and away the best season of John Quilty’s career and after another season for the Montreal Canadiens he would join the Canadian military.  Quilty would later return but did not do much and retired with only 81 Points in 125 NHL Games.   Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Grant Warwick, New York Rangers (1942)

16 Goals, 17 Assists, 33 Points, 3.0 Point Shares.  Warwick would play for nine seasons in the NHL and peaked with 42 Points in the 1944/45 Season.  He would play most of his career with the New York Rangers with two seasons with Boston and a year with Montreal following.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Gaye Stewart, Toronto Maple Leafs (1943)

24 Goals, 23 Assists, 47 Points, 4.0 Point Shares.  The Calder Trophy win for Gaye Stewart had so much historical meaning.  The first is that he would become the first player to win the Calder after he won the Stanley Cup as he played for the Maple Leafs in three games in the 1942 Playoffs.  Like so many, Stewart’s career took on a sabbatical as he joined the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II but he returned in the 1945/46 Season to lead the National Hockey League in Goals and he was the runner-up for the Hart Trophy and the year after he helped Toronto win the 1947 Stanley Cup.  He was traded the following season to Chicago and was a Second Team All Star that season.  He finished his career with 344 Points in 502 Games.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Gus Bodnar, Toronto Maple Leafs (1944)

22 Goals, 40 Assists, 62 Points, 4.5 Point Shares.  Bodnar’s 62 Points was the best of his career and that was likely because it occurred in the depleted talent pool that was the World War II NHL.  Bodnar’s career was not Hall of Fame worthy but it was a good one that spanned 12 years long and he would win two Stanley Cups with Toronto in 1945 and 1947.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Frank McCool, Toronto Maple Leafs (1945)

24 Wins, 22 Losses 4 Ties, 3.22 GAA, 10.1 Goalie Point Shares. Frank McCool had a very interesting and brief career.  The Goalie played hockey at Gonzaga and would join the Canadian Military to serve in World War II.  He would return to hockey and this time it was at the professional level where he would serve between the pipes for the Toronto Maple Leafs and take them to the Finals and win the Cup.  In the process he recorded four Shutouts in the post season and three straight, which still is tied for the record today.  So what did Frank McCool do for an encore?  Nothing really.  He would play 22 more games for the Leafs and retire shortly after due to ulcers.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Howie Meeker, Toronto Maple Leafs (1947)

27 Goals, 18 Assists, 45 Points, 4.5 Point Shares.  The first season of Howie Meeker’s career was arguably his finest as he had career highs with 27 Goals and 45 Points as a rookie and would help the Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup.  Meeker would win two more Stanley Cups with Toronto and retired with 185 Points in 346 Games.  Meeker would later become more famous as a broadcaster.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jim McFadden, Detroit Red Wings (1948)

24 Goals, 24 Assists, 48 Points, 5.7 Point Shares.  In terms of traditional statistics, Jim McFadden’s best season was his rookie year where he had career highs in Goals, Assists and Points. McFadden’s career was not a long one as it lasted seven seasons, four with Detroit and three with Chicago.  His last season in Motown would see him win the Stanley Cup.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Pentti Lund, New York Rangers (1949)

14 Goals, 16 Assists, 30 Points, 2.6 Point Shares.  This was the best season of Lund’s career where he had career highs in Points and would become the first European born to win the Calder.  Lund was born in Finland, although arrived in Canada at the age of six.  The Forward would last five years in the NHL. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jack Gelineau, Boston Bruins (1950)

22 Wins, 30 Losses, 15 Ties, 3.28 GAA, 7.3 Point Shares.  Jack Gelineau may have had a losing record but he was a machine in terms of work load.  The Boston Bruin was fifth in Goalie Point Shares this season and he was third in the season after but his overall career ended shortly after.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Camille Henry, New York Rangers (1954)

24 Goals, 15 Assists, 39 Points, 5.4 Point Shares.  Camille Henry’s rookie season would see him lead the National Hockey League in Power Play Goals (20).  Henry would regress and would bounce around in the AHL but would return wo have a Second Team All Star and Lady Byng winning season in 1957/58. Henry would finish in the top five in Lady Byng voting five more times and would also finish first in Power Play Goals two more times and he would retire with 528 Points in 727 Games.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ed Litzenberger, Montreal Canadiens/Chicago Blackhawks (1955)

23 Goals, 28 Assists, 51 Points, 5.8 Point Shares.  According to the story, the Montreal Canadiens “gifted” Litzenberger in a trade to the Chicago Blackhawks in an attempt to keep the team viable in the NHL; basically so that they would not go under!  He would score 51 Points as a rookie and would later be a Second Team All Star in 1957 where he was sixth in Hart Trophy voting. He retired with 416 Points in 619 Games. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Larry Regan, Boston Bruins (1957)

14 Goals, 19 Assists, 33 Points, 2.8 Point Shares.  With all due respect to Larry Regan, he had a pedestrian career in professional hockey and he did nothing more than what you saw in this season.  The forward would only score 136 Points over his career in the NHL  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ralph Backstrom, Montreal Canadiens (1959)

18 Goals, 22 Assists, 40 Points, 3.8 Point Shares.  Ralph Backstrom would win six Stanley Cup Rings with the Montreal Canadiens and was also a six time All Star.  Ranked #34 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bill Hay, Chicago Blackhawks (1960)

18 Goals, 37 Assists, 50 Points, 4.9 Point Shares.  Bill Hay played all of his eight seasons in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks where he would win a Stanley Cup and a Calder, but this would be the only awards he would win.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bobby Rousseau, Montreal Canadiens (1962)

21 Goals, 24 Assists, 45 Points, 4.3 Point Shares.  Rousseau would lead the NHL in Short-Handed Goals and he would later help the Montreal Canadiens win four Stanley Cups in the 1960’s. In the 1965/66 season he would lead the NHL in Assists and was named a Second Team All Star.  He would score 703 Points over his career.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Kent Douglas, Toronto Maple Leafs (1963)

7 Goals, 15 Assists, 22 Points, 6.6 Point Shares.  While Kent Douglas would have better individual stats in later years, his first season in the NHL was a special one as he not only won the Calder but was a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 1963 Stanley Cup win. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Roger Crozier, Detroit Red Wings (1965)

40 Wins, 22 Losses, 7 Ties, 2.42 GAA, 14.4 Point Shares.  The rookie season of Roger Crozier was also the best of his career as he was the league leader in Wins, Saves, Shutouts and Minutes Played while also being named a First Team All Star.  Crozier was named the Conn Smythe winner the next year but he never had a season like this again though is still a 200 Game winner. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Brit Selby, Toronto Maple Leafs (1966)

14 Goals, 13 Assists, 27 Points, 2.0 Point Shares.  Considering that he was a Calder Trophy winner, Brit Selby did not have a great career as he would be sent down to the minors the year after and never had a season higher than 30 Points.  He isn’t the worst player to win the Calder but is in the top ten. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Derek Sanderson, Boston Bruins (1968) 

24 Goals, 25 Assists, 49 Points, 4.8 Point Shares.  Many books can be written on the career of Derek Sanderson but for this purpose we have an exciting Calder Trophy winner who had the tiger by the tail. Sanderson would later win the Stanley Cup twice with the Boston Bruins but would never win another individual accolade again.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Danny Grant, Minnesota North Stars (1969)

34 Goals, 31 Assists, 65 Points, 6.8 Point Shares.  Danny Grant had an understated career which was spent predominantly with the Minnesota North Stars and Detroit Red Wings.  Grant would have four 60 Point Seasons, this being the first of them, but overall it was not one that warranted serious Hall of Fame consideration.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Steve Vickers, New York Rangers (1973)

30 Goals, 23 Assists, 53 Points, 5.9 Point Shares.  Steve Vickers made history as the first rookie to score consecutive hat tricks and he would overall put the puck in the net 30 times in his Calder Trophy winning season. Vickers would later be named a Second Team All Star two season later with a 41 Goal year but by age 30 he was out of the NHL after his play dropped off considerably.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Eric Vail, Atlanta Flames (1975)

39 Goals, 21 Assists, 60 Points, 6.1 Point Shares.  Eric Vail’s best goal scoring season was as a rookie (39) and he would become the first player in Flames franchise history to win the Calder.  Vail would have two more 30 Goal seasons and when the team moved to Calgary he was the leading goal scorer in franchise history.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Willi Plett, Atlanta Flames (1977)

33 Goals, 23 Assists, 56 Points, 6.1 Point Shares.  This was the second Calder trophy in three years for the Atlanta Flames but unlike the Islanders who had the same earlier with Potvin and Trottier, Eric Vail and Willi Plett were not in that league. Still, Plett had 33 Goals as a rookie and would have another 30 goal season when he scored 38 the year the Flames moved to Calgary.  This would be the only individual award that Plett would win the NHL.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bobby Smith, Minnesota North Stars (1979)

30 Goals, 44 Assists, 74 Points, 6.1 Point Shares.  Bobby Smith had a really good career where he would score 1,036 Points and would be a four time All Star.  His best individual seasons were with the Minnesota North Stars but he would later win the Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in 1986. Ranked #22 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Steve Larmer, Chicago Blackhawks (1983)

43 Goals, 47 Assists, 90 Points, 8.4 Point Shares.  Steve Larmer was a Point per Game player in the National Hockey League, which was very good for the 1980’s but not what it means today. Larmer would go to two All Star Games and late in his career he would assist the New York Rangers would win the Stanley Cup.  Ranked #32 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Tom Barrasso, Buffalo Sabres (1984)

26 Wins, 12 Losses, 3 Ties, 2.85 GAA, 7.5 Point Shares.  Tom Barrasso would have a very long career in the National Hockey League (19 years) but like other Calder winning Goalies his best season professionally was as a rookie.  He would not only win the Calder but was a First Team All Star and would win the Vezina.  Barrasso would later win the William M. Jennings Trophy and two Second Team All Star nods and overall won 369 Games in the NHL.  Ranked #12 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Gary Suter, Calgary Flames (1986)

18 Goals, 50 Assists, 68 Points, 8.0 Point Shares.  Gary Suter would score well for a Defenseman and in his third season he scored 91 Points en route to a third place finish in Norris Trophy voting and a Second Team All Star Selection.  Suter would help the Flames win the Stanley Cup the year after and overall would score 844 Points in his NHL career.  Ranked #27 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators (1996)

26 Goals, 35 Assists, 61 Points, 5.3 Point Shares.  Daniel Alfredsson was the second straight Swedish player to win the Calder (following Peter Forsberg) and the Ottawa Senator would go on to lead the team to what is their greatest success to date.  The greatest player in franchise history would score 1,157 Points and was named a Second Team All Star in 2005/06.  Ranked #4 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bryan Berard, New York Islanders (1997)

8 Goals, 40 Assists, 48 Points, 7.6 Point Shares.  The native of Rhode Island would never have a season where he had more Points or Point Shares but he still had a good career, especially considering it was almost over after getting slashed in the eye by a stick in 2000 that almost caused him to lose it.  The fact that he came back at all to be effective was a testament to who Berard was and he would win the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in the 2003/04 Season.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com

Sergei Samsonov, Boston Bruins (1998)

22 Goals, 25 Assists, 47 Points, 5.5 Point Shares.  Sergei Samsonov would have a pretty good career in the NHL with 571 Points in 888 Games but when you a teen sensation from Russia winning the Calder you expected something more and likely the Bruins faithful hoped for the same.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com

Chris Drury, Colorado Avalanche (1999)

20 Goals, 24 Assists, 44 Points, 5.0 Point Shares.  Drury would go on to have a solid career where he helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2001.  He would later blossom into a strong defensive forward and for five years in a row (2005-06 to 2009-10) he would receive votes for the Frank J. Selke. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Scott Gomez, New Jersey Devils (2000)

19 Goals, 51 Assists, 70 Points, 7.3 Point Shares.  From the great state of Alaska, Scott Gomez scored 70 Points as a rookie and would hit that mark three more times.  Gomez helped the Devils win the Stanley Cup as a rookie and again in 2003 and he would be a two time All Star.  He scored 756 Points over his career.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose Sharks (2001)

32 Wins, 21 Losses, 7 Ties, 11.7 Point Shares.  Evgeni Nabokov finished fourth in Vezina Trophy as a rookie, and would finish in the top six five more times.  He would also be a First Team All Star in 2007/08 when he led the Goalies in Wins.  He would have a career record of 353-227-86.  Ranked #124 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Dany Heatley, Atlanta Thrashers (2002)

26 Goals, 41 Assists, 67 Points, 6.8 Point Shares.  Heatley had a great start to his career but a car crash that killed a teammate necessitated a change of scenery and he would be traded to the Ottawa Senators who would later have a pair of 100 Point Seasons where he was named a First Team and Second Team All Star.  He would score 791 Points in 869 Games.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Barret Jackman, St. Louis Blues (2003)

3 Goals, 16 Assists, 19 Points, 5.4 Point Shares.  Barret Jackman would have a good career as a stay-at-home Defenseman and his was spent with the St. Louis Blues for all but one season. Jackman never would come close to winning an individual award but the fact that the Blues held on to him for 13 seasons show what kind of asset he was.   Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Andrew Raycroft, Boston Bruins (2004)

29 Wins, 18 Losses, 9 Ties, 12.6 Point Shares.  Other than his Calder trophy win, Raycroft only had one good season of note which was with the Toronto Maple Leafs three years after his Calder win.  Those two years comprised well over half of Goalie Point Shares over his 11 seasons in the National Hockey League.  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 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 (2009)

33 Wins, 20 Losses, 7 Ties, 11.2 Point Shares.  Mason’s Calder Trophy winning season was his best year and he was also the runner-up for the Vezina and fourth place finish in Hart Trophy voting. Mason would have a 205-183-64 record. Eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2021.

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

Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals (2006)

52 Goals, 54 Assists, 106 Points, 12.7 Point Shares.  Ovechkin was the first Washington Capital to win the Calder and he did so with a 50 Goal and 100 Point Season which is no small feat in the dead puck era.  Since that win Ovechkin took the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup win in 2018 and along the way he has won seven Maurice Richard Awards, three Hart Trophies and one Art Ross.  33 Years Old, Playing for the Washington Capitals.

Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins (2007)

33 Goals, 52 Assists, 85 Points, 9.4 Point Shares.  Evgeni Malkin would be the second straight Russian to win the Calder and to date he has had a spectacular career where he has been a four time All Star, a Hart Trophy winner and two time Art Ross winner.  Malkin would also take the Penguins to three Stanley Cups continuing the winning tradition of the Western Pennsylvania team.  32 Years Old, Playing for the Washington Capitals.

Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks (2008)

21 Goals, 51 Assists, 72 Points, 7.2 Point Shares.  Patrick Kane has to date an incredible career where he has won three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks and was also a three time First Team All Star.  He would win the Hart Trophy in 2015/16.  30 Years Old, Playing for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Tyler Myers, Buffalo Sabres (2010)

11 Goals, 37 Assists, 48 Points, 9.8 Point Shares.  As of this writing, Tyler Myers’ rookie season was his best by far as his Goals, Assists, Points and Point Shares were all career highs. It has been a good career but not what you would hope for considering his start.  28 Years Old, Playing for the Buffalo Sabres.

Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricanes (2011)

31 Goals, 32 Assists, 63 Points, 8.1 Point Shares.  To date Skinner has been named an All Star twice and has equaled his rookie point total in 2016/17 but has not eclipsed it.  26 Years Old, Playing for the Buffalo Sabres.

Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche (2012)

22 Goals, 30 Assists, 52 Points, 6.8 Point Shares.  From Sweden, Gabirel Landeskog has performed well and went to his first All Star Game in 2019.  He does have a way to go to get onto a Hockey Hall of Fame trajectory.  26 Years Old, Playing for the Colorado Avalanche.

Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers (2013)

14 Goals, 17 Assists, 31 Points, 3.3 Point Shares.  Huberdeau has thus far had a good career though it has been spent exclusively in Florida and he has not been showcased much on a national level.  25 Years Old, Playing for the Florida Panthers.

Nathan McKinnon, Colorado Avalanche (2014)

24 Goals, 39 Assists, 63 Points, 3.3 Point Shares.  Since his Calder Trophy win McKinnon has had two 90 Point Seasons and in 2017/18 was a Second Team All Star and the runner-up for the Hart Trophy.  23 Years Old, Playing for the Colorado Avalanche.

Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers (2015)

12 Goals, 27 Assists, 39 Points, 8.5 Point Shares.  A better than you think blueliner, Ekblad finished 22^ndin Norris Trophy voting as a rookie and was 16^thas a sophomore.  22 Years Old, Playing for the Florida Panthers.

Artemi Panarin, Chicago Blackhawks (2016)

30 Goals, 47 Assists, 77 Points, 9.8 Point Shares.  Panarin played in the KHL a little longer and did not arrive in the NHL until he was 23 making him a little older than most rookies so perhaps he had a bit of an advantage, but he was great as a rookie and he would be named a Second Team All Star in his second season.  27 Years Old, Playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (2017)

40 Goals, 29 Assists, 69 Points, 9.7 Point Shares.  Maple Leafs fans were thrilled when Matthews scored five goals in his first game and overall in his rookie year he had a 40 Goal season that was good enough for second overall.  The American was also named an All Star and he led the NHL in Even Strength Goals.  22 Years Old, Playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders (2018)

22 Goals, 63 Assists, 85 Points, 8.2 Point Shares.  Barzal finished fifth in the NHL in Assists as a rookie.  21 Years Old, Playing for the New York Islanders.

From what we can see in terms of the Calder Trophy winners there are some solid Hall of Fame potential but like so many sports injuries can derail such great starts.  This looks to be our favorite to monitor as we go forward.

Up next we are going to back to the NFL to the Pro Bowl MVP.

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

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