As a member of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Carl Crawford would easily show off his best run in Baseball.  Crawford’s speed would see him lead the American League four times in Triples and in Stolen Bases and he would display enough power to also finish first in the Power/Speed# metric.  Crawford’s career would also see him bat over .300 six times and he was 69 Hits away from tallying 2,000 for his career.

Billy Butler spent the bulk of his career with the Kansas City Royals where he has a decent run as their Designated Hitter.  Butler was a horrific fielder (thankfully he played in the American League) but he had some respectable offensive numbers over his career with 1,479 Hits and 147 Home Runs.  He would be named an All Star, a Silver Slugger and the Edgar Martinez Award winner in 2012.

Angel Pagan would help the San Francisco Giants win the World Series twice (2012 & 2014) and would also lead the National League in Triples (2012).  Pagan’s best baseball was in the Bay Area and his career would see the Puerto Rican Centerfielder record 1,143 Hits.  Internationally, he was a member of the Puerto Rican Team that won the Silver Medal in both 2013 and 2017 in the World Baseball Classic.

Let's get all the derogatory stuff out of the way…and we know there is a lot.

While we talked about PED use a lot with Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, et all., they were baseball superstars who took enhancements (allegedly) when the players' union and Major League Baseball had not yet agreed that they were banned substances.  That is important to note, as Alex Rodriguez was caught while penalties were in place, leaving no doubt that he cheated and was suspended for the entire 2014 season. 

There is more, of course.

The Yankees famously tried everything to get out of the lavish contract they signed him to. A-Rod folded in many postseasons and clutch situations. He was also not known to be the most cohesive figure in the clubhouse.

That is a lot of negative, and yet…

Alex Rodriguez is still one of the best players that ever played the game.

Touted as a superstar, Alex Rodriguez was the first overall choice of the 1993 Draft. In the year he turned 20, he won the American League Batting Title with a 36-homer season and an OPS of 1.045. A-Rod was the cornerstone of a young, dynamic Seattle Mariners team that was a strong World Series contender in the late '90s. He was considered the best offensive infielder in baseball and one of the game's most complete players. 

When he achieved free agency, Rodriguez signed what was at the time by far the richest contract in baseball history with the Texas Rangers. While he couldn't make Texas a contender, Rodrigues did not disappoint, winning three straight Home Run titles and his first MVP (2003). Texas, however, could no longer afford him, and after a deal to Boston was voided, A-Rod moved to New York, where the most controversial yet productive period began.

While many remember the bad times with New York, it should never be forgotten that this was where he won two more MVP Awards, two more Home Run Titles, and three more Slugging Titles.  He went yard 351 times as a New York Yankee alone!  As mentioned, his postseason performance (.259/.365/.457 over 330 Plate Appearances) is well below his regular season numbers. His 2009 postseason was excellent, and it was a part of why the Yankees won the 2009 World Series.  If he does get into the Hall of Fame, shouldn't it be as a New York Yankee?

Love him or hate him, we are talking about a player who is a statistical juggernaut.  He has a career bWAR over 117, is a member of the 3,000 Hit Club and smashed 696 Home Runs.  His career Slash Line of .295/.380/.550 is also excellent considering the longevity of his career.  These digits are impossible to ignore, no matter what lens you use. 

For the record, if we here at Notinhalloffame.com had a Baseball Hall of Fame vote, we would vote for him (we think).  Maybe we would not.

The issue that we deal with regarding Rodriguez is that his PED use took place AFTER the MLBPA agreed to the parameters of what would happen if you used them. Not only that, but he was suspended twice. A-Rod might be welcomed back into the fold as a broadcaster, but the voters are rejecting him, and we understand why.