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Committee Chairman

Kirk Buchner, "The Committee Chairman", is the owner and operator of the site.  Kirk can be contacted at [email protected] .

Adrian Beltre Retires: HOF in 2024?

The day after the Baseball Hall of Fame unveiled their official 2019 ballot, a top name has emerged for the 2024 ballot as Adrian Beltre has announced his retirement from baseball.

A member of the 3,000 Hit Club who probably could have extended his career to a 21st season, Beltre was signed as an Amateur Free Agent by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1994 and as a teenager he would make his Major League debut at Third Base in 1998 and he would cement himself as a the team’s starter the next season. The native of the Dominican Republic would have a breakout season in 2004 where he was the runner-up for the National League MVP with a league leading 48 Home Runs and a .334 Batting Average.

He would sign with the Seattle Mariners as a Free Agent where he played from 2005 to 2009 and while he was solid it was not until his lone season with the Boston Red Sox (2010) that he would finally be named an All Star and he had another top ten finish in MVP voting.

Beltre would then sign with the Texas Rangers in 2011 and he would stay there until the end of his career. He would go to three more All Star Games and from 2011 to 2016 he would receive MVP votes. Beltre may never have won a MVP but he was four time Silver Slugger and five time Gold Glove. His overall numbers are Hall of Fame worthy with 3,166 Hits, 1,524 Runs, 477 Home Runs, 1,707 RBI and a career bWAR of 95.7, which is only behind Mike Schmidt and Eddie Mathews among Third Basemen. By this standard he should be a Hall of Fame lock.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Adrian Beltre on having a wonderful career and we wish him the best on his post-playing career.

The Baseball Hall of Fame ballot is out

Baseball Hall of Fame season is in full gear as following the announcements of the Today’s Era Finalists last week, Cooperstown has now unveiled the official Hall of Fame ballot.

Let’s take a look at the 35 former players who the Baseball Writers can vote on:

In alphabetical order:

Rick Ankiel: Ankiel is debuting on the ballot and he was the runner-up for the National League Rookie of the Year in 2000 as a Pitcher. Injuries to his pitching arm forced him to abandon that aspect of the game and he would come back as an Outfielder and collect over 400 Hits. This is a great story but just getting on this ballot is a win.

Jason Bay: Bay was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2004 while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates and he would be selected for three All Star Games. The Canadian would have 1,200 Hits with 222 Home Runs but he is unlikely to get any votes.

Lance Berkman: Berkman was the third “Killer B” for the Houston Astros and he would later win a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. This is his first time on the ballot and he is a six time All Star with 366 career Home Runs with an OPS at .943. He will struggle to get past the first ballot. Berkman is ranked #89 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Barry Bonds: Bonds returns to the ballot for the seventh time and he had a high vote of 56.4% last year. The All-Time Home Run Leader and 7 time MVP has seen a 20.2% since he debuted and the “PED” guys have gone from “no chance” to “50/50”. Expect another bump this year. Bonds is ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Roger Clemens: How fitting that Clemens alphabetically comes after Bonds! Clemens was to pitching what Bonds was hitting and he was a 7 time Cy Young Award winner with 354 career Wins. Like Bonds, he has on his seventh year on the ballot and he had 57.3% of the ballot last year, well up from the 37.6% from his first year. Clemens is ranked #1C on Notinhalloffame.com.

Freddy Garcia: Garcia got off to a good start where he was a two time All Star and he was in the top ten in Cy Young voting twice. The Venezuelan Pitcher won 156 Games and he is on his first ballot but he will likely struggle to get any votes at all.

Jon Garland: Garland was an All Star in 2005, which was the same season he was sixth in Cy Young voting and helped the Chicago White Sox win the World Series. He won 136 Games over his career and he is not expected to receive any votes.

Travis Hafner: Hafner spent most of his career with the Cleveland Indians where he would finish in the top ten in MVP voting twice. Over his career he had 1,039 Hits with 213 Home Runs and he would win the American League Slugging Title in 2006. He will be fortunate to get any votes.

Roy Halladay: Halladay is on his first year of eligibility and he has an excellent chance to enter Cooperstown on his first year of eligibility. Over his career, “Doc” was a two time Cy Young winner one in both leagues and he was a top five finisher five times. Halladay had a great record of 203 and 105 with 2,117 Strikeouts. Should he get in, it will be posthumous as he died when he crashed his plane a couple of years ago. Halladay is ranked #5 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Todd Helton: Helton is a five time All Star who spent his entire career with the Colorado Rockies. Helton had 369 Home Runs over 2,519 Hits I n hic career. He is entering his first year of eligibility and while we don’t think he will enter on the first ballot he should receive enough to stay on the ballot. Helton is ranked #10 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Andruw Jones: Jones is on his second year on the Hall of Fame ballot after receiving 7.3 on his debut year. He had great power with 434 Home Runs and he was a ten time Gold Glove winner. Jones had a low vote tally due to a crowded ballot but we think he will see a decent rise this year. Jones is ranked #46 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jeff Kent: Jeff Kent is on his sixth year of eligibility where he has never escaped the teens, peaking at 16.7% in 2017. The 2000 National League MVP was a five time All Star and he smacked 2,461 Hits with 377 Home Runs. Kent will likely receive the same amount of Hall of Fame support as the previous years. Kent is ranked #52 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ted Lilly: Lilly had a 15 year career where he was a two time All Star who would have 130 and 113 record. Lilly never received any Cy Young votes and we suspect that he will not receive any Hall of Fame votes either.

Derek Lowe: Lowe was a two time All Star and in 2002 he finished third in Cy Young voting. He would win 176 Games and he helped the Boston Red Sox win the World Series in 2004. Lowe might receive a couple of votes.

Edgar Martinez: The bad news is that this is the last year that former Edgar Martinez is on the ballot. The good news is that he received 70.4% last year and has very solid momentum to get in this year. Arguably the greatest Designated Hitter of all-time had 2,247 Hits with 309 Home Runs and a career Slash Line of .312/.418/.515. He is ranked #14 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Fred McGriff: Like Martinez, Fred McGriff is on his last year of eligibility for the Baseball Hall of Fame, but last year he only had 23.2% of the vote so the odds of him getting another 51.8% seems very unlikely. The five time All Star had 493 Home Runs with 2,490 Hits and will likely have to look at a Veteran’s Committee Induction. He is ranked #32 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Mike Mussina: Mike Mussina is entering his sixth season on the ballot and after a 63.5% finish last year he could gain the support needed to enter this year. Splitting his career between the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees, Mussina may never been a Cy Young winner but he was in the top six in voting nine times. The Pitcher would have a 270 and 153 record with 2,813 Strikeouts. He is ranked #4 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Darren Oliver: Oliver had a 118 and 98 record over 766 Games. A 20 year veteran, Oliver probably won’t earn a vote but we are glad to see that he was respected enough to earn a spot on the ballot.

Roy Oswalt: This is Roy Oswalt’s first time on the ballot and the three time All Star would finish in the top six in Cy Young in voting six times. He was a two time 20 Game winner who totaled 163 over his career. A win for him this year would to be to make the 5% needed to stay on the ballot next year. He is ranked #104 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Andy Pettitte: In our eyes, the most interesting first ballot vote will be that of Andy Pettitte who amassed a 256 and 135 record with 2,448 Strikeouts. Five times he would finish in the top five in Cy Young voting and he is a five time World Series winner with 19 post-season Wins. He likely won’t get in on the first ballot and he could conceivably finish anywhere between 20% and 55%. Honestly, we can’t pinpoint this one at all. He is ranked #15 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Juan Pierre: Pierre was a speedster who would lead his league in Stolen Bases three times and he had 614 in total. He would have 2,217 Hits with a career Batting Average of .295. Pierre might get a couple of votes but will lucky to get even that.

Placido Polanco: Polanco had a good career with over 2,100 Hits and he was a two time All Star who also won three Gold Gloves. Polanco will be in the same boat as Pierre as they were both good players who will be worth a vote or two.

Manny Ramirez: Manny Ramirez will be on his third ballot but unlike other PED guys he went down last year in his votes. He had 22.0% last year and 23.8% the year before. It has to be remembered that unlike Bonds and Clemens, Ramirez DID test positive. Ramirez is a two time World Series Champion with the Boston Red Sox with four top four MVP votes. He also blasted 555 Home Runs with a career Slash Line of .312/.411/.585. Statistically speaking we know that he meets the criteria but the label of forgiveness hasn’t spread to him…at least not yet. He is ranked #8 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Mariano Rivera: Usually Relief Pitchers are not Hall of Fame locks but there has never been a closer like Mariano Rivera. The Panamanian is the all-time leader in Saves (652) and the career New York Yankee won five World Series titles and his post season record saw him win 8 Games, record 42 Saves and he had a 0.70 ERA and a 0.759 WHIP. It will be a shock if he does not get inducted this year and is the leading vote getter. He is ranked #3 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Scott Rolen: Rolen received 10.2% of the ballot last year and is entering his second year of eligibility. He brings a very balanced resume of eight Gold Gloves, 316 Home Runs, is a World Series Champion (with St. Louis) and in terms of bWAR he is at 70.6. He might see his number increase but not by much. He is ranked #17 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Curt Schilling: Schilling won 216 Games with 3,116 Strikeouts and three times he was the National League Cy Young runner-up but he was even more lights out in the post-season where he was a three time World Series Champion (one with Arizona and two with Boston) with an 11 and 2 record and a 2.23 ERA. Schilling is on his seventh year on the ballot with a 51.2% finish last year, but it is down from where it was two years ago (52.3%). Schilling’s past comments against the media have not helped him, which might explain partially why he is still waiting. He is ranked #7 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Gary Sheffield: Gary Sheffield is another name on the ballot with PED suspicion and has been ballot purgatory for the four years he has been on the ballot finishing anywhere from 11.1% to 13.3%. Sheffield hit 509 Home Runs over his career and perhaps with the less crowded ballot he might increase vote total but it will be difficult to see him rise above the mid-teens. He is ranked #20 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Sammy Sosa: Sammy Sosa has been on the ballot for six years and in his first year on the ballot he received 12.5%. Since that time he never got past 10% and while some PED guys are being forgiven, the former MVP does not seem to be. He had 609 Home Runs with 2,408 Hits over his career, which are incredible numbers yet he will probably struggle to get a double digit vote. He is ranked #30 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Miguel Tejada: Miguel Tejada won the American League MVP in 2002 and over his career he belted 307 Home Runs with 2,407 Hits. For Tejada, a win here would be to get the 5% needed to remain on the ballot but it will be difficult. He is ranked #95 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Omar Vizquel: Omar Vizquel is one of the greatest defensive players ever accumulating 11 Gold Gloves over a 24 year career that also saw him collect 2,877 Hits. This is the second year of eligibility for Vizquel who got 37.0% last year. While many expected Vizquel to get a higher percentage in his ballot debut this is still a good start on the Hall of Fame path. He might increase by ten percent this year. He is ranked #68 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Billy Wagner: Billy Wagner recorded 422 Saves over his career and he is entering his fourth year of eligibility. He received a high of 11.1% last year but it might be hard for him to reach the teens.

Larry Walker: Larry Walker is a former National League MVP who has a career bWAR over 70, a .313 career Batting Average and 383 Home Runs, which overall seems like a Hall of Fame resume on the surface but the former Colorado Rockies star appears to be the victim of what was then the “Coors Field effect” where he had really good home stats. He only has two more chances and he is coming off a high of 34.1%. He will likely see a vote increase but not much. He is ranked #13 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Kevin Youkilis: Youkilis would win two World Series Rings with the Boston Red Sox and was a three time All Star who finished third in MVP voting in 2008. He might get a vote or two but he probably shouldn’t.

Michael Young: Young had a pretty good career where he accumulated 2,375 Hits with an even .300 Batting Average. Young was a seven time All Star and should receive a few votes but it is also possible that we won’t have any.

Jose Contreras, Ryan Dempster, Octavio Dotel, Ramon Hernandez, Brad Penny, Yorvit Torrealba and Jake Westbrook played the minimum amount of seasons (10) to qualify for the ballot but they were not included.

The election results will be announced on January 22.

We can guarantee that between now and that time we will have a lot more to write about when it comes to this vote!

Awards = HOF? Part Twenty-Nine: Gold Glove Pitcher

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.

We are now taking a look at the Gold Glove Award, given annually to the best defensive player in MLB in each respective position.

We have finished our run around the bases and checked out the Outfield, which leaves the least interesting position left in regards to the Gold Glove, the Pitcher.

With this position there are less tangible statistics to look at and more what they do in terms of what they do to backup their teammates or holding runners.

Apologies ahead of time if there are limited commentary! Actually it will be quite limited!

The following are the past players who have won the Gold Glove at Pitcher who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and have been enshrined.

Bob Gibson, NL St. Louis Cardinals (1965)

0.0 dWAR Bob Gibson was coming off his first World Series win and in 1965 he went to his second All Star Game. Gibson was third in Putouts with a .952 Fielding Percentage with only a 20% Caught Stealing Percentage. This wasn’t terrible but fine for a Gold Glove, especially when he was as dominating as Gibson was with his arm. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

Bob Gibson, NL St. Louis Cardinals (2) (1966)

0.0 dWAR Now a three time All Star, Gibson’s percentages increased to a 50% Caught Stealing and a .964 Fielding Percentage. This would be the first and only time where he would finish first in Putouts among National League Pitchers. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

Bob Gibson, NL St. Louis Cardinals (3) (1967)

0.0 dWAR This season, Bob Gibson would again go to the All Star Game while finishing fourth in Putouts with a perfect Fielding Percentage and a 67% Caught Stealing Percentage. This seems like a Gold Glove win to us! Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

Bob Gibson, NL St. Louis Cardinals (4) (1968)

0.1 dWAR Bob Gibson would win the National League MVP and Cy Young and netted his first and surprisingly only Pickoff of his career. He would have a more than respectable .980 Fielding Percentage and 45% Caught Stealing Percentage. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

Bob Gibson, NL St. Louis Cardinals (5) (1969)

0.0 dWAR Gibson was third in Putouts with a somewhat average .946 Fielding Percentage and 33% Caught Stealing Percentage. This is not exactly screaming Gold Glove. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

Bob Gibson, NL St. Louis Cardinals (6) (1970)

0.0 dWAR From the limited metrics we have, Bob Gibson was not exactly Gold Glove worthy as he had only a .931 Fielding Percentage and 23% Caught Stealing Percentage but he would win his second Cy Young this year, and honestly this didn’t hurt. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

Bob Gibson, NL St. Louis Cardinals (7) (1971)

0.0 dWAR Again from what limited data we have Bob Gibson’s eighth Gold Glove win only saw him accrue a .942 Fielding Percentage and 23% Caught Stealing Percentage. We aren’t seeing defensive greatness here. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

Bob Gibson, NL St. Louis Cardinals (8) (1972)

0.0 dWAR This would be the final All Star Game appearance for Bob Gibson and in terms of Fielding Percentage he had a decent .983. Still, with the data we have this is not spectacular. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

Bob Gibson, NL St. Louis Cardinals (9) (1973)

0.0 dWAR 1973 would be the ninth and final Gold Glove win for Bob Gibson and again we don’t see anything notable with his .946 Fielding Percentage and 40% Caught Stealing Percentage. Again, he was not in the top five in Putouts and he was never in the top five in Range Factor per Game. What we can say is that overall he had a 31% Caught Stealing Percentage, which was lower than the league average of 37%. Is nine Gold Gloves correct here? Probably not. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

Jim Palmer, AL Baltimore Orioles (1976)

0.0 dWAR 1976 would see Jim Palmer win his third and final Cy Young and he was already at this point was already a two time World Series Champion. Palmer was fourth in Range Factor per Game in the AL and for the third and final time he would finish first in Putouts. He would have a solid .987 Fielding Percentage and had three Pickoffs. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.

Jim Palmer, AL Baltimore Orioles (2) (1977)

0.0 dWAR Palmer was the American League Cy Young runner-up in 1977 and in regards to his defensive prowess he had a decent .971 Fielding Percentage and a 67% Caught Stealing Percentage. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.

Jim Palmer, AL Baltimore Orioles (3) (1978)

0.0 dWAR Jim Palmer would finish third in Putouts and fifth in Range Factor per Game and he would also finish third in Cy Young Voting. He had a solid .972 Fielding Percentage with a 49% Caught Stealing Percentage. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.

Phil Niekro, NL Atlanta Braves (1978)

0.0 dWAR Phil Niekro by this time had already led the National League Pitchers in Fielding Percentage three times yet in this year he was fourth in Range Factor per Game and second in Assists. 1978 would see him with a .978 Fielding Percentage but only had a 26% stat in Caught Stealing Percentage. He would also have four Pickoffs. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.

Jim Palmer, AL Baltimore Orioles (4) (1979)

0.0 dWAR This would be the fourth and final Gold Glove for Jim Palmer who would eventually enter the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first try. It should be mentioned that he would have a perfect 1.000% Fielding Percentage here, but his overall body of work does not showcase a four time Gold Glove recipient. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.

Phil Niekro, NL Atlanta Braves (2) (1979)

0.0 dWAR Niekro turned 40 this year but was still a very good Pitcher who for the second year in a row would finish sixth in Cy Young voting. Defensively he would have a .989 Fielding Percentage with a very low 22% Caught Stealing Percentage, although he was second in Range Factor per Game among all of the National League Pitchers, which would be the last time that Niekro would be in the top five. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.

Phil Niekro, NL Atlanta Braves (3) (1980)

0.0 dWAR Niekro had a .983 Fielding Percentage, which was good enough for fourth overall. He also had a Caught Stealing Percentage of 43 with two Pickoffs. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.

Steve Carlton, NL Philadelphia Phillies (1981)

0.0 dWAR Steve Carlton won his only Gold Glove in a season that was sandwiched between his third and fourth Cy Young Award, but a deeper look shows that Carlton possibly should have won more than just one. Carlton had five Pickoffs that year and he would have 146 in total, by far and wide the most of all-time. Carlton had five full seasons where he had a perfect Fielding Percentage and 1981 was one of those seasons. He had a 60% Caught Stealing Percentage and had a career 42% against the league average of 34%. Carlton should have won many more. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994.

Phil Niekro, NL Atlanta Braves (4) (1982)

0.0 dWAR Phil Niekro would finish fifth in Cy Young voting, an amazing feat for a 43 year old. Defensively he had three Pickoffs with a 48% Caught Stealing Percentage and a .982 Fielding Percentage. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.

Phil Niekro, NL Atlanta Braves (5) (1983)

0.0 dWAR This would be the final Gold Glove for Niekro and it would see him with a .955 Fielding Percentage but only 29 in Caught Stealing Percentage. Amazingly, this would not be the last individual accolade for Phil Niekro as he was a New York Yankee the following season and was named to the American League All Star Team. Overall, Niekro had 51 Pickoffs in his career. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.

Greg Maddux, NL Chicago Cubs (1990)

0.0 dWAR Greg Maddux was a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee and is regarded as the finest defensive Pitcher of all time as evident by his record 18 Gold Gloves. Again, let’s say that again...18! However, this is the Gold Glove after all and we know that there are many suspect wins, however with Maddux this looks pretty solid. In what was his first win, he finished first in Putouts, Assists, Range Factor per Game and Fielding Percentage. Other than a 24% in Caught Stealing Percentage, this was a near perfect start to a defensive dynasty! Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Greg Maddux, NL Chicago Cubs (2) (1991)

0.0 dWAR 1991 would see the then Chicago Cub finish first in Putouts and Range Factor while landing second in Assists. Maddux had a decent Fielding Percentage of .978 with a low 22 in Caught Stealing Percentage but did have 5 Pickoffs. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Greg Maddux, NL Chicago Cubs (3) (1992)

0.0 dWAR The dominance on the mound for Greg Maddux begun here as he would win his first of four straight Cy Young Awards. Maddux was first in Assists, Putouts and Range Factor per Game with a .969 Fielding Percentage and 33 in Caught Stealing Percentage. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Greg Maddux, NL Atlanta Braves (4) (1993)

0.0 dWAR Now an Atlanta Brave after signing a Free Agent deal, Maddux would have a low .933 Fielding Percentage with 18% on Caught Stealing but he was again first in Assists, Putouts and Range Factor per Game. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Greg Maddux, NL Atlanta Braves (5) (1994)

0.0 dWAR This season, Greg Maddux was fifth in Putouts, second in Assists and again was the National League leader in Range Factor per Game. Maddux would have a .935 Fielding Percentage and 21 in Caught Stealing Percentage. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Greg Maddux, NL Atlanta Braves (6) (1995)

0.0 dWAR Greg Maddux would win his fourth straight and final Cy Young in 1995 and more importantly would win the World Series. Defensively, he had a low 19 in terms of Caught Stealing Percentage but he had a perfect Fielding Percentage and was also first in Assists and Range Factor per Game while finishing third in Putouts. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Greg Maddux, NL Atlanta Braves (7) (1996)

0.0 dWAR With his seventh straight Gold Glove win, Greg Maddux again finished first in Range Factor per Game for the eighth consecutive season and he was again first in Assists and Putouts. He had a strong .991 Fielding Percentage with a weak Caught Stealing Percentage of 19%. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Greg Maddux, NL Atlanta Braves (8) (1997)

0.0 dWAR For the first time there are some serious holes in a Gold Glove win for Greg Maddux. The Cy Young Award runner-up had a .956 Fielding Percentage but his streak of Range Factor per Game wins ended with a fifth place finish. He was also not in the top five in Assists and Putouts, the first time since 1987. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Greg Maddux, NL Atlanta Braves (9) (1998)

0.0 dWAR Maddux returned to his defensive dominance with a first place finish in Putouts, Assists and Range Factor per Game and he had a .959 Fielding Percentage. He still had a bad Caught Stealing metric with only 28%. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Greg Maddux, NL Atlanta Braves (10) (1999)

0.0 dWAR Greg Maddux did it again as he finished atop the leaderboard in Range Factor per Game and was second in Assists and Putouts. He would have a Fielding Percentage of .956 and had a Caught Stealing Percentage of 32%. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Greg Maddux, NL Atlanta Braves (11) (2000)

0.0 dWAR Maddux finished third in Cy Young voting, which would be the last time that he would receive votes for this accolade. He would have a .979 Fielding Percentage with 18% in Caught Stealing and was first in Assists, Range Factor per Game and was fourth in Putouts. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Greg Maddux, NL Atlanta Braves (12) (2001)

0.0 dWAR Once again, Greg Maddux would finish first in Range Factor per Game and Assists and was third in Putouts. His Fielding and Caught Stealing Percentage was .986 and 37 respectively. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Greg Maddux, NL Atlanta Braves (13) (2002)

0.0 dWAR Maddux did not finish first in Range Factor per Game this season but he was still very good with a third place finish and a fourth place rank in Assists. He would have a .986 Fielding Percentage and again a below league average of 14% in Caught Stealing. Notably, this was his last season with the Atlanta Braves. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Greg Maddux, NL Chicago Cubs (14) (2004)

0.0 dWAR Maddux would finish second in Range Factor per Game and Assists and for the last time in his career was first in Putouts. The legend would have a .987 Fielding Percentage with a Caught Stealing Percentage of 32. He may have missed out on the 2003 Gold Glove after winning 13 straight, but here he is starting a new one. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Greg Maddux, NL Chicago Cubs (15) (2005)

0.0 dWAR In what would be his final full season with the Chicago Cubs he was second in Assists and third in Range Factor per Game. His Fielding and Caught Stealing Percentage was .958 and 20 respectively. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Greg Maddux, NL Chicago Cubs/Los Angeles Dodgers (16) (2006)

0.0 dWAR Maddux turned 40 this year and he split his season between the Cubs and Dodgers. Despite his older age, he was still a good defensive contributor and for the third time he would have a perfect Fielding Percentage (although it was again a low Caught Stealing Percentage with only 19). He was third in Range Factor per Game and was the leader in Putouts. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Greg Maddux, NL San Diego Padres (17) (2007)

0.0 dWAR First the bad. We have been ragging on Maddux’s inability to assist his Catchers in stopping baserunners and this was his worst season yet with a paltry 5% in that statistic. Still, we don’t have any problem with this, as his fielding was again great as he finished first in Range Factor per Game and Assists. He had a Fielding Percentage of .986.   Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Greg Maddux, NL San Diego Padres/Los Angeles Dodgers (18) (2008)

0.0 dWAR As we have done this process, we have encountered many Hall of Fame players who won Gold Gloves late in their career who had no business winning that final award, or in some cases final ones. For Greg Maddux, who again we need to say “18 time Gold Glove winner Greg Maddux” was one of the most deserving multi-time winners ever. In his last win, Maddux had a .961 Fielding Percentage with a first place finish in both Range Factor per Game and Putouts. A nice finish for a defensive superstar. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

The following are the players who have won the Gold Glove at Pitcher who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and have not been selected:

Bobby Schantz, ML New York Yankees (1957)

0.0 dWAR. In 1952, Bobby Schantz had the season of his life winning 24 Games and leading the American League in WHIP and SO/BB and the then Philadelphia Athletic would win the American League MVP Award. He would never have a season like that again, but he had a long career and the converted Third Baseman was known throughout baseball for his defensive skill, so naturally he won the first Gold Glove awarded to a Pitcher. Schantz was second in Range Factor per Game and he would go to his third and final All Star Game this year. He also would have three Pickoffs this year, a career high.  Schantz was on the ballot for five years and finished as high as 2.3% in both 1970 and 1972.

Bobby Schantz, AL New York Yankees (2) (1958)

0.0 dWAR. Schantz again made history as the first player to win the Gold Glove at Pitcher in the American League, however he only played 126 Innings this year. This trend will continue as Schantz would continue to collect Gold Gloves.   Schantz was on the ballot for five years and finished as high as 2.3% in both 1970 and 1972.

Harvey Haddix, NL Cincinnati Reds (1958)

0.0 dWAR. Harvey Haddix in terms of the defensive stats showed him to be average but he was already at this point in his career a three time All Star. Haddix was on the ballot for ten years and finished as high as 3.8% in both 1985.

Bobby Schantz, AL New York Yankees (3) (1959)

0.0 dWAR. By this stage of his career, Schantz was now coming out of the bullpen and he threw for 94.2 Innings.   Schantz was on the ballot for five years and finished as high as 2.3% in both 1970 and 1972.

Harvey Haddix, NL Pittsburgh Pirates (2) (1959)

0.0 dWAR. Haddix had a perfect Fielding Percentage, but 1959 for Harvey Haddix was all about the 12 perfect innings he threw in a game, and lost in the 13th. Nobody will ever do that again. Haddix was on the ballot for ten years and finished as high as 3.8% in both 1985.

Bobby Schantz, AL New York Yankees (4) (1960)

0.0 dWAR. Schantz would not start a game this year and he was now reduced to 67.2 Innings. While he may have been still solid with the glove, when you are playing a third of what other Pitchers are could there be a hole in this voting? There will be more of this to come. Schantz was on the ballot for five years and finished as high as 2.3% in both 1970 and 1972.

Harvey Haddix, NL Pittsburgh Pirates (3) (1960)

0.0 dWAR. This was the third and final Gold Glove win of Harvey Haddix’ career where he would finish fifth among National League Pitchers in Range Factor per Game. Haddix was on the ballot for ten years and finished as high as 3.8% in both 1985.

Frank Lary, AL Detroit Tigers (1961)

0.0 dWAR. This was unquestionably the greatest season of Frank Lary’s career where he was an All Star and a third place finisher in Cy Young voting. Defensively he was first in Putouts and Range Factor per Game by a Pitcher and he had 2 Pickoffs with a 64% Caught Stealing Percentage. Although Lary was Hall of Fame eligible in 1971 he was not on the ballot.

Bobby Schantz, NL Pittsburgh Pirates (5) (1961)

0.0 dWAR. This would be the first Gold Glove win for Schantz in the National League in what would be his only season in Western Pennsylvania. Schantz threw for 89.1 Innings this year. Schantz was on the ballot for five years and finished as high as 2.3% in both 1970 and 1972.

Jim Kaat, AL Minnesota Twins (1962)

-0.1 dWAR. Jim Kaat is regarded as one of the greatest defensive Pitchers ever and he certainly has a mantle of Gold Glove trophies to back it up. Kaat would have a good 75% Caught Stealing Percentage and had 1 Pickoff. He finished first among American League Pitchers in Assists and Range Factor Per Game. Kaat was on the ballot for 15 years finishing as high as 29.6% in 1993. He is ranked #29 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bobby Schantz, NL Houston Astros/St. Louis Cardinals (6) (1962)

0.0 dWAR. Splitting his season between Houston and St. Louis, Schantz won his sixth straight Gold Glove and again did so in under 100 Innings. Schantz was on the ballot for five years and finished as high as 2.3% in both 1970 and 1972.

Jim Kaat, AL Minnesota Twins (2) (1963)

0.0 dWAR. Kaat was second in the American League in Range Factor per Game and he recorded two Pickoffs. Nothing special on the surface here. Kaat was on the ballot for 15 years finishing as high as 29.6% in 1993. He is ranked #29 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bobby Schantz, NL St. Louis Cardinals (7) (1963)

0.0 dWAR. Again from the pen, Schantz won his seventh straight Gold Glove while pitching 79.1 Innings. Schantz was on the ballot for five years and finished as high as 2.3% in both 1970 and 1972.

Jim Kaat, AL Minnesota Twins (3) (1964)

-0.1 dWAR. Kaat had one pickoff but only a .928 Fielding Percentage and a pedestrian 38% Caught Stealing Percentage. He was third in Assists and fourth in Range Factor per Game. Kaat was on the ballot for 15 years finishing as high as 29.6% in 1993. He is ranked #29 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bobby Schantz, NL St. Louis Cardinals/Chicago Cubs (8) (1964)

0.0 dWAR. In what would be his final Gold Glove win, Bobby Schantz spread 60.2 Innings between the Cardinals and Chicago Cubs. Should Schantz have won eight Gold Gloves? Probably not, as we will employ a reliever bias (or rather Innings bias) but there was no mistake to be made that by all accounts of his peers that he was very good with his glove. Schantz was on the ballot for five years and finished as high as 2.3% in both 1970 and 1972.

Jim Kaat, AL Minnesota Twins (4) (1965)

0.0 dWAR. While we have stated that the defensive skills of a Pitcher are harder to substantiate, we have going forward some statistical issues that should question whether or not he should have won so many Gold Gloves. This season would be the last in which Kaat would finish in the top five in Assists (third) and Range Factor per Game (fourth). He also finished first in Errors, picked off nobody, had only 27% in Caught Stealing Percentage and had a .929 Fielding Percentage. There will be a lot of living off reputation (or just using the same ballot as the year before) with Kaat as we continue…which will be a lot. Kaat was on the ballot for 15 years finishing as high as 29.6% in 1993. He is ranked #29 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jim Kaat, AL Minnesota Twins (5) (1966)

-0.1 dWAR. This was Kaat’s best year as a Pitcher winning 25 Games and going to his second All Star Game. Defensively, he had three Pickoffs with a .958 Fielding Percentage. Kaat was on the ballot for 15 years finishing as high as 29.6% in 1993. He is ranked #29 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jim Kaat, AL Minnesota Twins (6) (1967)

-0.1 dWAR. Kaat had no Pickoffs, a 30% Caught Stealing Percentage and a .952 Fielding Percentage. This certainly wasn’t spectacular. Kaat was on the ballot for 15 years finishing as high as 29.6% in 1993. He is ranked #29 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jim Kaat, AL Minnesota Twins (7) (1968)

0.0 dWAR. Kaat did have a better Fielding Percentage than the year before with a .976 and he did have a much better Caught Stealing Percentage of 67% but there was only six attempts. Again, there was nothing spectacular in term of his numbers. Kaat was on the ballot for 15 years finishing as high as 29.6% in 1993. He is ranked #29 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jim Kaat, AL Minnesota Twins (8) (1969)

0.0 dWAR. Jim Kaat’s Fielding Percentage plummeted to .826 and he had an American League leading 8 Errors for a Pitcher. He also had a 15% Caught Stealing Percentage with zero Pickoffs. There just doesn’t seem to be any statistical justification for this Gold Glove win, so what are we missing here? Kaat was on the ballot for 15 years finishing as high as 29.6% in 1993. He is ranked #29 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jim Kaat, AL Minnesota Twins (9) (1970)

0.0 dWAR. Kaat would again have a low Fielding Percentage (.935) and Caught Stealing Percentage (20) there is not a lot here. Kaat was on the ballot for 15 years finishing as high as 29.6% in 1993. He is ranked #29 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jim Kaat, AL Minnesota Twins (10) (1971)

0.0 dWAR. Kaat recorded a pair of Pickoffs this season with an improved Fielding Percentage of .982 but he did have a Caught Stealing Percentage of 20%. Kaat was on the ballot for 15 years finishing as high as 29.6% in 1993. He is ranked #29 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jim Kaat, AL Minnesota Twins (11) (1972)

0.0 dWAR. Again we don’t see anything special here. He did have a Fielding Percentage of .923 and tied his career high of three Pickoffs but again he had a below league average Caught Stealing Percentage of 33%. Keep in mind that we haven’t in a while talked about his position in awhile in terms of Range Factor per Game because he was not in the top five. He won’t be again when we are done talking about him either. Kaat was on the ballot for 15 years finishing as high as 29.6% in 1993. He is ranked #29 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jim Kaat, AL Minnesota Twins/Chicago White Sox (12) (1973)

0.0 dWAR. Kaat was traded to the Chicago White Sox midway through the season and while he had a .973 Fielding Percentage with a 20% Caught Stealing Percentage with no Pickoffs. Kaat was on the ballot for 15 years finishing as high as 29.6% in 1993. He is ranked #29 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jim Kaat, AL Chicago White Sox (13) (1974)

0.0 dWAR. While it seems like we have been picking on the Gold Glove wins, there are some positives in this win. He tied his season high in Pickoffs (3) with a 69% Caught Stealing Percentage. Kaat was on the ballot for 15 years finishing as high as 29.6% in 1993.

Andy Messersmith, NL Los Angeles Dodgers (1974)

0.0 dWAR. Messersmith would lead the National League in Wins (20) and he was second in Cy Young voting, although his defensive numbers seemed below average with a .873 Fielding Percentage and 46% in Caught Stealing Percentage. Messersmith was on the ballot for 2 years finishing as high as 0.8% in 1985

Jim Kaat, AL Chicago White Sox (14) (1975)

0.0 dWAR. Kaat had a great season where he went to his third All Star Game and finished fourth in Cy Young voting and defensively he had two Pickoffs with a 75% Caught Stealing Percentage and .982 Fielding Percentage. Kaat was on the ballot for 15 years finishing as high as 29.6% in 1993. He is ranked #29 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Andy Messersmith, NL Los Angeles Dodgers (2) (1975)

0.0 dWAR. This would be the third and final time that Andy Messersmith would finish in the top five in Cy Young voting (he was fifth this year) and he would finish fourth in Assists, which was the only time that he ever did that. Worth mentioning is that Messersmith was in the top five in Errors seven times. Perhaps we don’t have a two time Gold Glove winner here? Messersmith was on the ballot for 2 years finishing as high as 0.8% in 1985

Jim Kaat, NL Philadelphia Phillies (15) (1976)

0.0 dWAR. While Jim Kaat was now in the National League his streak of consecutive Gold Gloves continued, though again there was not a lot to point at statistically to justify this win. He had no Pickoffs with a 33% Caught Stealing Percentage and a .949 Fielding Percentage. Kaat was on the ballot for 15 years finishing as high as 29.6% in 1993. He is ranked #29 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jim Kaat, NL Philadelphia Phillies (16) (1977)

0.0 dWAR. We end our look at Jim Kaat who would win his sixteenth straight and final Gold Glove. We have certainly questioned many of those wins and this one is no different as his Fielding Percentage dipped back below .900 with .897%. A quick look overall sees that Kaat’s overall Range Factor per Game is not in the top 100 overall and over his career he had a below league average Caught Stealing Percentage of 34% compared to the rest of the league of 37%. He also had a career Defensive bWAR of -0.4. Honestly, does this seem like a 16 time Gold Glove winner to you? Kaat was on the ballot for 15 years finishing as high as 29.6% in 1993. He is ranked #29 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Mike Norris, AL Oakland Athletics (1980)

0.0 dWAR. Mike Norris was the runner-up for the Cy Young this season having by far his best season in the Majors with 22 Wins, leading the AL in H/9 and he was second in ERA. Defensively, he was good too as he led all of the American League Pitchers in Range Factor per Game and he was second in Assists and third in Putouts. Although Norris was Hall of Fame eligible in 1996 he was not on the ballot.

Mike Norris, AL Oakland Athletics (2) (1981)

0.0 dWAR. Mike Norris parlayed the success from the previous year to an All Star appearance, though his second Gold Glove was hard to find merit in. He was not in the top five in Range Factor per Game, Assists or Putouts and his decent .976 Fielding Percentage was offset by his 27 in Caught Stealing Percentage. They probably should have done better this year. Although Norris was Hall of Fame eligible in 1996 he was not on the ballot.

Ron Guidry, AL New York Yankees (1982)

0.0 dWAR. Oh Boy. This will be a bit of a mess in our eyes as Ron Guidry would go on a streak here that may be a little hard to justify, although we do our best. In 1982, Ron Guidry was already a Cy Young winner (1978) and in 1982 he would have his second perfect Fielding Percentage. He also had a 40% metric in Caught Stealing Percentage. Guidry was on the ballot for nine years and finished as high as 8.8% in 2000. Guidry is ranked #60 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ron Guidry, AL New York Yankees (2) (1983)

0.0 dWAR. Finishing fifth in Cy Young voting this year, Guidry would have his third straight season where he had a perfect Fielding Percentage, although notably he was never in the top five in Range Factor per Game in ANY of his five Gold Glove wins. In this season, he would have a 34 in Caught Stealing Percentage. Guidry was on the ballot for nine years and finished as high as 8.8% in 2000. Guidry is ranked #60 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ron Guidry, AL New York Yankees (3) (1984)

0.0 dWAR. This was the fourth straight and final time that “Louisiana Lightning” Ron Guidry would go perfect in Fielding Percentage. He would go 45% in Caught Stealing. Guidry was on the ballot for nine years and finished as high as 8.8% in 2000. Guidry is ranked #60 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Joaquin Andujar, NL St. Louis Cardinals (1984)

0.0 dWAR. This was arguably the best season of Joaquin Andujar’s career as he was a 20 Game Winner and he finished fourth in Cy Young Award voting. Andujar would finish first in Assists, third in Range Factor per Game and had 5 Pickoffs with a .954 Fielding Percentage. Although Andujar was eligible for the Hall of Fame in 1994 he was not on the ballot.

Ron Guidry, AL New York Yankees (4) (1985)

0.0 dWAR. The streak of perfect Fielding Percentage was over and Ron Guidry would finish with a .976. This season he was second in Cy Young voting and arguably this was his last really good season as a Pitcher. Again, he was not in the top five in Assists, Putouts and Range Factor per Game. Guidry was on the ballot for nine years and finished as high as 8.8% in 2000. Guidry is ranked #60 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Rick Reuschel, NL Pittsburgh Pirates (1985)

0.0 dWAR. Also the winner of the Hutch Award, Rick Reuschel was first in Range Factor per Game with a perfect Fielding Percentage. He was also second in Putouts and had a Caught Stealing Percentage of 47. Reuschel was on the ballot for one year in 1997 and received 0.4% of the vote. He is ranked #96 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ron Guidry, AL New York Yankees (5) (1986)

0.0 dWAR. Like many of the Gold Glove wins by Ron Guidry, his fifth and final one probably should not have happened. Guidry (as you would expect from the previous wins) was not a top five finisher in Range Factor per Game, Assists and Putouts and his .968 and 28 in Fielding and Caught Stealing Percentage do not echo what a Gold Glove winner should have. Guidry was on the ballot for nine years and finished as high as 8.8% in 2000. Guidry is ranked #60 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Fernando Valenzuela, NL Los Angeles Dodgers (1986)

0.0 dWAR. Fernando Valenzuela was an above average defensive hurler and in 1986 he was the Cy Young runner-up while leading the NL in Wins. The popular Mexican led the league in Range Factor per Game, the third and final time that he did so and he was also the leader in Assists, which was the second time he did that. He was also second in Putouts and had a .987 Fielding Percentage with an above average 42 in Caught Stealing Percentage. Overall, it was good that Valenzuela won at least one Gold Glove and he probably should have won more. Valenzuela was on the ballot for two years and finished as high as 6.2% in 2004.

Mark Langston, AL Seattle Mariners (1987)

0.0 dWAR. Mark Langston was fifth in American League Cy Young voting but defensively he was not in the top five in Assists, Putouts or Range Factor per Game. His Fielding Percentage was a decent .961 and his Caught Stealing Percentage was 30, which was essentially the American League average. Langston was on the ballot for one year in 2005 but did not receive any votes.

Rick Reuschel, NL San Francisco Giants (2) (1987)

0.0 dWAR. Reuschel was named an All Star this year and he finished third in Cy Young Voting. Defensively, he was not in the top five in Range Factor per Game, but he was second in Putouts and had an excellent 67 in Caught Stealing Percentage. This would be the last Gold Glove for Reuschel who over his career was solid. Four times he would have a perfect Fielding Percentage and he would finish first in Range Factor per Game three times and was second twice. Reuschel was on the ballot for one year in 1997 and received 0.4% of the vote. He is ranked #96 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Orel Hershiser, NL Los Angeles Dodgers (1988)

0.0 dWAR. This was a dream season for Hershiser would win the Cy Young, the World Series and the World Series and NLCS MVP in 1988 and defensively he had a case here for what would be his only Gold Glove. While Hershiser led all National League Pitchers in Errors but he did finish first in Putouts, Assists and Range Factor per Game and had 5 Pickoffs. Hershiser was on the ballot for two year and finished as high as 11.2% in 2006. Hershiser is ranked #75 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bret Saberhagen, AL Kansas City Royals (1989)

0.0 dWAR. Bret Saberhagen had an incredible pitching performance in 1989 where he would win his second Cy Young Award with an eighth place finish in American League MVP voting. That success apparently parlayed into a great defensive season but did he really have one? The Kansas City Royal would have 3 Pickoffs and a high 64% in regards to his Caught Stealing Percentage, however he was not in the top five in Assists, Putouts and Range Factor per Game. For that matter, he only ever had a top five finish once in Assists (3rd in 1994) and Range Factor per Game (4th in 1995). He did however have a career high 4 Errors and his Fielding Percentage of .934 was not special. This was clearly the wrong choice here. Saberhagen was on the ballot for one year and finished with 1.3% in 2001. Saberhagen is ranked #69 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ron Darling, NL New York Mets (1989)

0.0 dWAR. This might be a little suspect as Darling was not in the top five in any significant defensive metrics and he had a pedestrian .929 and 30 Fielding Percentage and Caught Stealing Percentage respectively. Darling was on the ballot for one year and finished as high as 0.2% in 2001.

Mike Boddicker, AL Boston Red Sox (1990)

0.0 dWAR. Mike Boddicker has some seasons in the mid 1980’s where he should have won a Gold Glove or two but in 1990, while still decent was not at the level he had in previous season. In 1990 he would finish fifth in Range Factor per Game, third in Putouts and had a .966 Fielding Percentage with a Caught Stealing Percentage of 47%. At least he won one, albeit in the wrong year. Boddicker was on the ballot for one year in 1999 but did not receive any votes.

Mark Langston, AL California Angels (3) (1991)

0.0 dWAR. Mark Langston was an All Star for the second time in his career. Defensively he had a .942 Fielding Percentage but a solid 60% in Caught Stealing. The California Angel was fourth in Assists. Langston was on the ballot for one year in 2005 but did not receive any votes.

Mark Langston, AL California Angels (4) (1992)

0.0 dWAR. Langston regressed from the season before as he had a .941 Fielding Percentage and only a 32% in Caught Stealing. Langston was on the ballot for one year in 2005 but did not receive any votes.

Mark Langston, AL California Angels (5) (1993)

0.0 dWAR. For the third and final time Mark Langston would finish first in Assists among the American League Pitchers. He would have a .966 Fielding Percentage and a 55% in Caught Stealing. Langston was on the ballot for one year in 2005 but did not receive any votes.

Mark Langston, AL California Angels (6) (1994)

0.0 dWAR. Langston again was a strange winner for the American League Gold Glove for a Pitcher as not only he was not in the top five in any major defensive category for an AL Pitcher his .938 Fielding Percentage was nothing spectacular. Langston was on the ballot for one year in 2005 but did not receive any votes.

Mark Langston, AL California Angels (7) (1995)

0.0 dWAR. This was the final Gold Glove for Mark Langston and realistically we have to ask how he won one, let alone seven. He would have a solid 75% Caught Stealing Percentage this year. Langston was on the ballot for one year in 2005 but did not receive any votes.

Mike Mussina, AL Baltimore Orioles (1996)

0.0 dWAR. Mike Mussina would finish sixth in Cy Young voting in what would be his first Gold Glove win   Mussina would have a perfect Fielding Percentage this season, the third time he would do so. Buckle up, as we have a lot more to do with Mike Mussina to come. Mussina has been on the ballot for five years and finished as high as 63.5% in 2018.

Mike Mussina, AL Baltimore Orioles (2) (1997)

0.0 dWAR. This year Mike Mussina would finish sixth in Cy Young voting and for the fourth time he had a 1.000 Fielding Percentage.  Mussina also had a 40% in Caught Stealing. Mussina has been on the ballot for five years and finished as high as 63.5% in 2018.

Mike Mussina, AL Baltimore Orioles (3) (1998)

0.0 dWAR. For the third season in a row, Mussina would have a 1,000 Fielding Percentage while finishing fifth in Range Factor per Game. Mussina has been on the ballot for five years and finished as high as 63.5% in 2018.

Mike Mussina, AL Baltimore Orioles (4) (1999)

0.0 dWAR. An All Star for the fifth time of his career and the Cy Young Award runner-up, Mike Mussina had a good season in terms of his glove. Mussina was third in Range Factor per Game with a second place finish in Assists and he had a respectable 56% in Caught Stealing and a .984 Fielding Percentage. Mussina has been on the ballot for five years and finished as high as 63.5% in 2018.

Kenny Rogers, AL Texas Rangers (2000)

0.0 dWAR. “The Gambler” already had a case for Gold Gloves in the past and he was certainly worthy in 2000 when he won his first of five. Rogers would pick off nine runners, matching his career high and he had a decent .970 Fielding Percentage. For the second time (the first being 1998) he finished first in Assists and Range Factor per Game and he was also fifth in Putouts. Rogers was on the ballot for one year in 2014 and he finished with 0.2% of the ballot.

Mike Mussina, AL New York Yankees (5) (2001)

0.0 dWAR. This was the first Gold Glove for Mike Mussina as a New York Yankee and he was fifth place in Cy Young voting. Mussina was not in the top five in Range Factor per Game, Assists and Putouts and he had a strong Fielding and Caught Stealing Percentage of .977% and .59% respectively. Mussina has been on the ballot for five years and finished as high as 63.5% in 2018.

Kenny Rogers, AL Texas Rangers (2) (2002)

0.0 dWAR. Rogers again finished first in Range Factor per Game and he was second in Putouts and fifth in Assists. He had a .954 Fielding Percentage and NOBODY stole a base on him this year. Rogers was on the ballot for one year in 2014 and he finished with 0.2% of the ballot.

Mike Mussina, AL New York Yankees (6) (2003)

0.0 dWAR. Mike Mussina would return to the top of Fielding Percentage leaderboard as for the sixth time he was perfect. He had a respectable Caught Stealing Percentage of 53% but he was not in the top five in Assists, Putouts and Range Factor per Game. Mussina has been on the ballot for five years and finished as high as 63.5% in 2018.

Mike Hampton, NL Atlanta Braves (2003)

0.0 dWAR. Mike Hampton was the only National League Pitcher to win a Gold Glove in a nineteen year stretch who was not named Greg Maddux. Hampton, who was in his first season as an Atlanta Brave had a 67% Caught Stealing rate and a .985 Fielding Percentage and for the first and only time in his career was a first place finisher in Range Factor per Game. He was also second in Assists. Hampton was on the ballot for one year in 2000 but did not receive any votes.

Kenny Rogers, AL Texas Rangers (3) (2004)

0.0 dWAR. This was another good season with the glove for Kenny Rogers. He would finish fourth in both Range Factor per Game and Assists. This was a good match with his six Pickoffs, .985 Fielding Percentage and 71% Caught Stealing Percentage. Rogers was on the ballot for one year in 2014 and he finished with 0.2% of the ballot.

Kenny Rogers, AL Texas Rangers (4) (2005)

0.0 dWAR. For the first time, Rogers’ Catchers were unable to stop any runners from stealing bases (0 for 3) and also for the first time he recorded no Pickoffs in a Season. He did have a quality .985 Fielding Percentage and he was second in both Range Factor per Game and Assists. Rogers was on the ballot for one year in 2014 and he finished with 0.2% of the ballot.

Kenny Rogers, AL Detroit Tigers (5) (2006)

0.0 dWAR. Now a Detroit Tiger, Kenny Rogers had a fourth place finish in Range Factor per Game with a third place rank in Assists. “The Gambler” had a low .912 Fielding Percentage but he rebounded with a rate of 86% in Caught Stealing. It is also worth noting that Rogers was 41 and he had a fifth place finish in Cy Young voting, which was by far his best performance. This would be the final Gold Glove for Kenny Rogers and he finished his career with 79 Pickoffs and runners being Caught Stealing 59% of the time. This is definitely a worthy multi-time recipient of the Gold Glove. Rogers was on the ballot for one year in 2014 and he finished with 0.2% of the ballot.

Johan Santana, AL Minnesota Twins (2007)

0.0 dWAR. By this point, Johan Santana had already won his two Cy Young Awards however he never once finished in the top five in Assists, Putouts or Range Factor per Game. 2007 would be the first and only time he had a perfect Fielding Percentage, which coincidently was the only time he would win the Gold Glove. He had a 45% Caught Stealing Percentage this year. Santana was on the ballot for one year in 2018 and he finished with 2.4% of the ballot. Santana is ranked #64 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Mike Mussina, AL New York Yankees (7) (2008)

0.0 dWAR. This was Mike Mussina’s final season in the Majors and he ended on a great note with a sixth place Cy Young finish. He was decent this year defensively but he may not have been the best choice. Mussina again was not in the top five in Assists, Putouts and Range Factor per Game and he had a decent Fielding Percentage of .976. Overall, Mike Mussina was decent with his glove but we have to question whether he was worthy of seven Gold Gloves. Mussina has been on the ballot for five years and finished as high as 63.5% in 2018.

 

 

Let’s update our tally shall we?

Award in Question

Percentage of recipients who have entered the HOF

Percentage of recipients by year who have entered the HOF.

NBA MVP

100%

100%

NHL Norris

90.5%

96.4%

NBA All Star Game MVP

89.5%

91.7%

NHL Conn Smythe

74.2%

85.4%

NHL Lady Byng

63.8%

76.0%

NFL Super Bowl MVP

60.6%

64.9%

NBA Defensive Player of the Year

58.3%

56.5%

NBA Rookie of the Year

56.5%

56.5%

MLB/NL/AL Cy Young Award

44.4%

55.4%

NHL Frank J. Selke Trophy

33.3%

36.7%

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

28.6%

28.6%

MLB Edgar Martinez Award

26.7%

17.2%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Designated Hitter)

25.0%

30.8%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Shortstop)

23.5%

52.6%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove

21.7%

36.8%

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year

20.6%

20.6%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Catcher)

20.0%

22.5%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Second Base)

18.8%

39.8%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Shortstop)

18.2%

35.1%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Pitcher)

18.2%

20.1%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Second Base)

16.7%

32.7%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Outfield)

16.7%

30.1%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Outfield)

15.7%

25.2%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Third Base)

14.3%

14.3%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Third Base)

13.6%

14.3%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (First Base)

13.6%

13.3%

MLB (NL/AL) Rookie of the Year

13.3%

13.3%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Catcher)

10.3%

15.2%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (First Base)

3.8%

3.2%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Catcher)

20.0%

22.5%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Second Base)

18.8%

39.8%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Shortstop)

18.2%

35.1%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Pitcher)

18.2%

20.1%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Second Base)

16.7%

32.7%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Outfield)

16.7%

30.1%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Outfield)

15.7%

25.2%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Third Base)

14.3%

14.3%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Third Base)

13.6%

14.3%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (First Base)

13.6%

13.3%

MLB (NL/AL) Rookie of the Year

13.3%

13.3%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Catcher)

10.3%

15.2%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (First Base)

3.8%

3.2%

So who is up next?

The following are the players who have won the Gold Glove at Pitcher who have retired but have not met the mandatory years out of the game to qualify for the Baseball Hall of Fame:

Mark Buehrle, AL Chicago White Sox (2009)

0.0 dWAR   Mark Buehrle went to his fourth All Star Game this year and the 2005 World Series winner would be first this season among the American League Pitchers in Range Factor per Game and Assists with a .982 Fielding Percentage. Buehrle will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2021.

Mark Buehrle, AL Chicago White Sox (2) (2010)

0.0 dWAR   In what would be his second Gold Glove win, Mark Buehrle would for the third time have a perfect Fielding Percentage and he was also third in Assists for an American League Pitcher. Buehrle will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2021.

Bronson Arroyo, NL Cincinnati Reds (2010)

0.0 dWAR   2010 was the best year of Bronson Arroyo’s career as he had a 12th place finish in Cy Young voting and had 17 Wins. He would have a perfect Fielding Percentage. Arroyo will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2023.

Mark Buehrle, AL Chicago White Sox (3) (2011)

0.0 dWAR   Mark Buehrle would for the second time in his career was the American League leader in Range Factor per Game and he was also second in Assists. Buehrle would have 6 Pickoffs with a 70% Caught Stealing Percentage with a .982 Fielding Percentage. Buehrle will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2021.

Jake Peavy, AL Chicago White Sox (2012)

0.0 dWAR   The National League Cy Young Award winner from 2007 would win his only Gold Glove as a member of the Chicago White Sox in the American League. Peavy would sport a .973 and 47 in Fielding and Caught Stealing Percentage but was not in the top five in Assists, Putouts or Range Factor per Game. Peavy will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2022.

Mark Buehrle, NL Miami Marlins (4) (2012)

0.0 dWAR   Buehrle was only in the National League for one season but he would go “one for one” in terms of Gold Gloves. He would finish this season with a perfect Fielding Percentage and he was the league leader in Assists. Beuhrle also second in Range Factor per Game with 4 Pickoffs and a Caught Stealing Percentage of 38%. Buehrle would record an even 100 Pickoffs of his career and his Caught Stealing Percentage of 58% percent was well above the league average of 29%. Buehrle will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2021.

R.A. Dickey, AL Toronto Blue Jays (2013)

0.0 dWAR   The knuckleballer was the surprise National League Cy Young Award winner the season before after seemingly coming out of nowhere. Dickey would win the Gold Glove in his first season as a Toronto Blue Jay and his resume showed him finish third in Range Factor per Game and was first in Assists. He had a .962 Fielding Percentage. Dickey will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2023.

 

 

The following are the players who have won the Gold Glove at Pitcher who are still active.

Adam Wainwright, NL St. Louis Cardinals (2009)

0.0 dWAR. Wainwright would finish among all of the National League Pitchers in Putouts and Field Percentage while ranking third in Range Factor per Game. 37 Years Old, Playing for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Clayton Kershaw, NL Los Angeles Dodgers (2011)

0.0 dWAR. To say that Clayton Kershaw would become one of the most dominant Pitchers form this point on and to the rest of the decade would be an understatement. Seriously, he was just that good! In regards to his season defensively in 2011, Kershaw would win his first Cy Young and he had a perfect Fielding Percentage with a fifth place finish in Assists. 31 Years Old, Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Jeremy Hellickson, AL Tampa Bay Rays (2012)

0.0 dWAR. The co-winner of the Gold Glove, Hellickson won this Gold Glove the year after being named the Rookie of the Year. The Tampa Bay Ray had a .950 Fielding Percentage, although he would bookend those seasons with a perfect 1,000. He was not in the top five in Assists, Putouts or Range Factor per Game. 31 Years Old, Playing for the Washington Nationals.

Adam Wainwright, NL St. Louis Cardinals (2) (2013)

0.0 dWAR. Wainwright was the second place finisher in the Cy Young voting while having a 50% Caught Stealing Percentage. Wainwright would have a perfect Fielding Percentage, while finishing second in Range Factor per Game and third in Putouts. 37 Years Old, Playing for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Dallas Kuechel, AL Houston Astros (2014)

0.0 dWAR. This would be the first individual award for Kuechel and he really earned this Gold Glove. The Houston Astro was first in Range Factor per Game and Assists with a fourth place rank in Putouts. He had a .985 Fielding Percentage with only one runner successfully stealing a base on him (75% Caught Stealing Percentage rate). 30 Years Old, Playing for the Houston Astros.

Zack Greinke, NL Los Angeles Dodgers (2014)

0.0 dWAR. Greinke won a Cy Young Award with the Kansas City Royals in 2009, but it would not be until 2013 where he would receive votes again for that prestigious accolade. In 2014, Greinke finished with a .983 Fielding Percentage and he finished first in both Putouts and Range Factor per Game. He was seventh in Cy Young voting this year. 35 Years Old, Playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Dallas Kuechel, AL Houston Astros (2) (2015)

0.0 dWAR. Keuchel would win the Cy Young this year and he was the fifth place finisher in MVP voting. He would finish first in both Assists and Range Factor per Game with a fourth place finish in Putouts while having a .986 Fielding Percentage. He would however fail to have ant runner not steal a base. 30 Years Old, Playing for the Houston Astros.

Zack Greinke, NL Los Angeles Dodgers (2) (2015)

0.0 dWAR. Greinke was an All Star for the third time this year and he was the Cy Young Award runner-up. Greinke finished second in Range Factor per Game and was fourth in both Putouts and Assists. He would have a Fielding and Caught Stealing Percentage of .968 and 46 respectively. 35 Years Old, Playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Dallas Kuechel, AL Houston Astros (3) (2016)

0.0 dWAR. For the second time, Dallas Kuechel had a perfect Fielding Percentage and he would have a 50% record in Caught Stealing. He did however fail to finish in the top five in Assists, Putouts and Range Factor per Game. 30 Years Old, Playing for the Houston Astros.

Zack Greinke, NL Arizona Diamondbacks (3) (2016)

0.0 dWAR. Greinke would not finish in the top five in Range Factor per Game but he was named a Wilson Defensive Player. He had a Fielding Percentage of .980 and a Caught Stealing record of 57%. 35 Years Old, Playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Marcus Stroman, AL Toronto Blue Jays (2017)

0.0 dWAR. Stroman finished eighth in Cy Young voting this year and he was the leader in Assists while finishing second in Range Factor per Game. He had a .979 Fielding Percentage. 27 Years Old, Playing for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Zack Greinke, NL Arizona Diamondbacks (4) (2017)

This would be the third season that Zack Greinke would have a 0.0 dWAR.perfect Fielding Percentage, which was complimented by a second place finish in Range Factor per Game. His Caught Stealing Percentage was an excellent 64. 35 Years Old, Playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Dallas Kuechel, AL Houston Astros (4) (2018)

0.0 dWAR. Kuechel had a perfect Fielding Percentage again with a second place in both Range Factor per Game in Putouts. 30 Years Old, Playing for the Houston Astros.

Zack Greinke, NL Arizona Diamondbacks (5) (2018)

0.0 dWAR. Grienke would go back-to-back in terms of a perfect Fielding Percentage and he would also lead all of the National League Pitchers in Putouts and Range Factor per Game. Throw in a 71% in Caught Stealing and you are talking about an extraordinary defensive year! 35 Years Old, Playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

We have to be honest, as when we started this we never would have thought that the most successful Gold Glove position to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame would be the Pitcher!   We do however think that this could change with increased sabremetrics in the future!

Honestly, we are happy to be done with the Gold Glove and since we have worked on this for so long, we want leave Baseball for a while.

Up next we are going to the hard court and look at the NBA with a relatively new Award, the Most Improved Player of the Year.

Look for that soon!

John Prine discusses his Rock and Roll and Songwriters HOF nominations

It has been an interesting year for John Prine who was nominated for both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriting Hall of Fame this year. In an interview with Billboard, he discussed both of those nominations and what those meant to him.

"It's been quite a year. The (halls of fame), those things are pretty darned neat just to get nominated for. I know there's lots of people who have been waiting years to just get in. Truly, the nominations are good enough. I haven't been nominated before for these particular organizations. I don't know if I'll get in the first year or not."   

When asked about the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, Prine indicated that it would it mean a lot to him to be inducted:

"I found it easier to make up songs than to learn other people's songs…The Songwriters Hall of fame, that's the one all the big-time writers get into, the really great stuff, the Broadway stuff and all that. That would be something, to get your name in there."

Prine however was comfortable with the idea that he could possibly be a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer next year.

“I always related to the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. So that'd be great to be in there, no matter what year they want to put me in."

Prine however was quick to add tha the felt the Zombie should go in before him.  

We will know next month whether or not Prine will get into both, one or neither of the Halls of Fame. As you can imagine we will be paying very close attention to what those nominations will be!