Skill and longevity are two of the key characteristics of a Hall of Fame candidate in the MLB. These credentials are more important for pitchers attempting to secure a place in the history of the sport, as it is far from easy to have an established career at the top amid the rigors of taking the mound one night in every five per week.

The players who do make it are a special breed and deserve their spot for remaining on top of their game over an extended period of time, but also showing their durability in a position that has a near 100% injury rate. Here are two of the outstanding candidates currently active in the MLB who are destined to join the Hall of Fame.

Justin Verlander

After a 15-year career at the top of the sport and earning his World Series crown with the Houston Astros in 2017 it appeared as though Verlander’s career was over. Like so many players before him, he had to undergo Tommy John surgery, which at the age of 38, seemed like the end. However, he returned to the action signing a one-year deal with the Astros for the 2022 campaign and has been nothing short of sensational.

Verlander has achieved everything in the game during his time in the MLB with the Detroit Tigers and Astros, winning the AL MVP in 2011, the All-MLB First-Team in 2019, along with the most wins as a pitcher in three seasons, two Cy Young Awards and multiple All-Star berths. He did not need to return to the MLB after his injury, but he has excelled for the Astros in the 2022 season, and he has put them on course for another run at the World Series, with a bet on MLBworth +425 for the Astros to win the crown. It would be the icing on the cake of a true Hall of Fame career for Verlander.

Max Scherzer

Scherzer has punched his ticket to the Hall of Fame, producing elite performances throughout his various stops in the MLB. He got one over his former team-mate with the Tigers in the 2019 World Series to win the crown for the Washington Nationals, ensuring that both men would end their careers with title victories. Incredibly, the Tigers failed to win the World Series despite boasting both Verlander and Scherzer in their starting rotation.

Scherzer like Verlander was forced to leave the Tigers to secure the title, but he has maintained his standard of excellence. He has bettered Verlander, earning two All-MLB First-Team nods and three Cy Young Awards along with eight All-Star berths. Scherzer’s durability has been nothing short of sensational as he has avoided many of the injuries that have plagued his contemporaries, allowing him to stack up wins and achievements after not having a lost season. In the 2022 campaign he joined the New York Mets, and although he has been excellent and maintained his high standards to steer the club towards the playoffs, the Mets will need a special effort to allow him to win a second title.

One third of the most important and influential song writing teams has passed away, with the announcement that Lamont Dozier passing away at the age of 81.

After years of putting out his own material to limited success, before he was teamed by Berry Gordy of Motown with the Holland Brothers (Brian and Eddie).  It resulted in arguably the most successful songwriing and production team in history. 

The trio crafted 13 number one songs, and considerably more on the American R&B Chart, making stars out of Martha and the Vandellas, the Supremes, the Four Tops, and they would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the fans, friends and family of Lamont Dozier.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post-2021 revision of our top 50 Denver Broncos.

As for all of our top 50 players in football we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League. 

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Broncos went 7-10 and failed to make the playoffs.  No new players made the top 50, but there was one change, which we will comment on below.

As always, we present our top five:

1. John Elway

2. Von Miller

3. Shannon Sharpe

4. Champ Bailey

5. Randy Gradishar

You can find the entire list here.

The only change on the list was Von Miller, who was traded during the season to the Rams, who moved up to #2 from #3.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB.  Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players, coaches and executives.  As such, it is news to us that the Pittsburgh Pirates have FINALLY announced the creation of a franchise Hall of Fame and announced 19 members to the inaugural class.

The franchise, which is well over 100 years old, boasts five World Series Championships, but this Hall also recognizes the contributions from the Homestead Grays and the Pittsburgh Crawford of the Negro Leagues.

The Hall of Fame will be unveiled on September 3, and will be honored before their home game against the Toronto Blue Jays:

The inaugural class comprises:

Jake Beckley:  Beckley played for the Pirates in the late 1880s and 1890s where he batted an even .300 for the team.  The First Baseman entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.

Steve Blass:  Blass pitched ten years for Pittsburgh, going 103-76, and picked up a World Series Ring in 1971.  He would later serve 34 years as a broadcaster for the team.

Ray Brown:  Brown led the Grays to eight Pennants and was a six-time league leader in Wins with two ERA Titles.

Max Carey:  Carey holds the team record with 690 Stolen Bases and was an 11-time league leader.  Collecting 2,416 Hits for the club, Carey aided the Pirates in their 1925 World Series win, and was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1961.

Oscar Charleston:  Charleston joined the Crawfords in 1933 as a Player/Manager, where he was a three-time All-Star.  He was selected for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.

Fred Clarke:  Clarke played 15 seasons with Pittsburgh, compiling 1,638 Hits with a .299 Batting Average, but he was also their Manager, leading Pittsburgh to their first World Series win in 1909.  He entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.

Roberto Clemente:  Clemente is one of the most important figures in sports, and was one the most complete baseball players ever.  The Puerto Rican helped Pittsburgh win the 1960 and 1971 World Series, while individual winning the 1966 MVP, four Batting Titles and 12 Gold Gloves.  He is still the all-time leader in Hits with 3,000, and would have had more had he not died tragically in a plane clash while delivery humanitarian aid.  After his death, he was posthumously elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.

Josh Gibson:  Gibson was one of the most prolific sluggers in Baseball, and he led the Negro Leagues in Home Runs 11 times, all either while playing for the Crawfords or Grays.  Gibson entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

Ralph Kiner:  Kiner made history as the first (and only) player in MLB history to win the Home Run Title in his first seven seasons, and he blasted 301 total for Pittsburgh, which is second all-time for the club.  A three-time Slugging and OPS Champion, Kiner entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975.

Buck Leonard:  Leonard played 15 years with Homestead, where he went to 13 All-Star Games, won three Negro League World Series, and was a two-time Batting and five-time OBP Champion.  He was chosen for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

Bill Mazeroski:  Mazeroski was a seven-time All-Star who hit the game and series-ending Home Run that won the 1960 World Series.  The eight-time Gold Glove recipient went into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001.

Danny Murtaugh:  Murtaugh managed the Prates for 12 seasons and was at the helm when they won the World Series in 1960 and 1971.

Dave Parker:  The “Cobra” played 11 years in Pittsburgh where he helped them win the 1979 World Series.  Individually, he went to four All-Star Games as a Pirate, won two Batting Titles and won the 1978 MVP.

Willie Stargell:  Stargell played all 21 of his seasons with Pittsburgh where he led them to two World Series Titles (1971 & 1979), with the latter year seeing him win the MVP, NLCS MVP and World Series MVP.  His 475 Home Runs are a franchise record, and he was selected for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988.

Pie Traynor:  Traynor played at Third Base for 17 years in Pittsburgh, amassing 2,416 Hits while batting .320.  Part of the 1925 World Series Champions, Traynor was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1948.

Arky Vaughan:  In 1935, Vaughan won the Batting Title with what is still a franchise record .385, and he would also be a three-time league leader in On Base Percentage.  An eight-time All-Star, Vaughan entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985.

Honus Wagner:  Wagner is one of the best players in Baseball history, and any discussion of the game’s top Shortstops has to include him.  Winning eight Batting Titles, Wagner also stole 723 Bases, a franchise record.  A member of the 1909 World Series Championship Team, he also still holds franchise marls for Runs (1,521) and Triples (231), and his 2,970 Hits are second behind only Clemente.  Wagner was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as part of their first class in 1936.

Lloyd Waner:  Accumulating 2,317 Hits for Pittsburgh, Waner batted .319 for the team, while also leading the NL in At Bats three times. Waner was selected for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967.

Paul Waner:  Waner won three Batting Titles with Pittsburgh, while batting .340 with 2,868 Hits for the team.  Named the MVP in 1927, Waner entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1952.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the new members of the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame.