Committee Chairman

David Ortiz says he is a HOFer

Mar 29, 2015

Three time World Series Champion, David Ortiz was interviewed recently by The Player’s Tribune, and openly decreed that he is a Baseball Hall of Fame worthy inductee. This made a few headlines, so we here at Notinhalloffame.com thought we would take a quick look at his Cooperstown credentials, but first let’s go over a few quotes from the piece:

"I never knowingly took any steroids. And this, too: "I deserve to be in the Hall of Fame."

The “knowingly” part refers to being named in the Mitchell Report where by in 2009 it was released that he was one of the 104 plus players who tested positive for banned substances in 2003.

“I will always be considered a cheater…nobody in baseball has been tested more often for performance-enhancing drugs -- more than 80 times since 2004. I have never failed a single one of those tests and I never will.”

I've won three World Series since MLB introduced comprehensive drug testing. I've performed year after year after year. But if a bunch of writers who have never swung a bat want to tell me it's all for nothing, OK. Why do they write my legacy? In 75 years, when I'm dead and gone, I won't care if I'm in the Hall of Fame. I won't care if a bunch of baseball writers know the truth about who I am in my soul and what I have done in this game. I care that my children know the truth.”

While we have heard of players frustration that their Hall of Fame induction is based on writers, the question that remains is whether Ortiz is truly a Hall of Famer. Taking away the stain of potential PED use, you do have a player with some solid credentials but also has some questions that can be asked.

Owning three rings is very impressive, and far too often the post season accomplishments of baseball players don’t come up in the conversation when talking about the Hall of Fame. Ortiz has not been a playoff bystander, earning an ALCS MVP, and owning a Slash Line of .295/.409/.553 with 17 Home Runs and 60 Runs Batted In.

Ortiz also brings to the table over 450 Home Runs, nine All Star appearances, six Silver Slugger Awards and from 2003 to 2007 was voted into the top five in American League MVP voting, and remember he isn’t done yet.

What works against him is his relatively low career bWAR (47.7), a metric that is increasing in importance, he was a weak defender and is essentially a Designated Hitter, a position that has not yielded one player into the Hall of Fame, unless you count Paul Molitor. This does not even include the PED shadow.

If Ortiz were to retire today, and if we had a Hall of Fame ballot, I don’t know if I would induct him, at least not with the crowded ballot that currently exists and it will be very curious to see if others feel the same way.

Having said that, his book isn’t written yet and we applaud any active athlete who doesn’t give cliché responses to questions and will be watching Ortiz this season to see what he might add to his resume this year.

Oak Ridge Boys headline the Country Music HOF

Mar 27, 2015

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

We here at Notinhalloffame.com have been open our respect for the growth of the Country Music Hall of Fame. While we have not elected to do a Notinhallofame list of those not chosen for their particular Hall of Fame, we are certainly excited about their progress. With that in mind, the Country Music Hall has announced their latest class, and we are certainly interested in this latest class.

The arguable headliner of this year’s class are the Oak Ridge Boys, who had some crossover Pop success and in the Gospel genre. The actual origins of the group can reach towards the 1940’s but the “Oaks” came into prominence in the late 70’s and for many will always be known for their biggest hit, “Elvira”. The group would have sixteen number one hits on the Country and Western Chart.

They are joined by Jim Ed Brown, and the Browns, who was successful as a solo and with his siblings would become known for the late 50’s smash, “The Three Bells”.

The third and final inductee of the 2015 Country Music Hall of Fame is Grady Martin, a well known session musician for many of the legends of country and rockabilly.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate this year’s new Country Music Hall of Fame class.

Kevin Nash to the WWE HOF

Mar 24, 2015

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

As long expected, the WWE Hall of Fame has announced that Kevin Nash will be going into the Hall of Fame this year, but not as “Diesel”, the persona he had from 1993 to 1996 in the then named World Wrestling Federation as was originally suspected. Rather, he will enter the WWE Hall under his own name.

Nash first made his mark athletically as a center with the University of Tennessee basketball team and would bounce around in various jobs after before being recruited by World Championship Wrestling, when WCW wrestlers noticed the then bouncer’s size and thought he might be a good fit.

The near seven foot tall Nash, would endure horrendous gimmicks there, first as Master Blaster Steel, Oz and Vinnie Vegas but his star would rise when he would secure his release from WCW and enter the WWF as the bodyguard of Shawn Michaels. The two would become fast friends and the big man (rechristened as Diesel) was in the right place as he would become the first man to win the Intercontinental, Tag Team and World Heavyweight Championship in a twelve month period.

Nash would win the World Title in eight seconds over Bob Backlund in Madison Square Garden and would hold that belt for a full year before losing it to Bret Hart at the 1995 Survivor Series. Along with Scott Hall, Nash would bolt for WCW and would become a founder of the New World Order and launch the famed Monday Night Wars, which resulted in a boom period for the product.

He would become a multi-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion and Tag Team Champion, and easily one of the biggest draws in the company’s history.

Kevin Nash will be inducted by longtime friend, Shawn Michaels and becomes the fourth member of the famous “clique” to enter the WWE Hall of Fame.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Kevin Nash for entering the WWE Hall of Fame.

Steve Nash Retires

Mar 24, 2015

Published in Not in Hall of Fame News

While it was expected to be officially announced at the end of this season, Los Angeles Lakers Point Guard, Steve Nash has officially announced his retirement from the National Basketball Association.

Born in South Africa, but raised in Canada, Nash was lightly recruited and played collegiately at Santa Clara. Nash would open eyes by making Santa Clara relevant in the West Coast Conference, but overall he was relatively unknown when entering the 1996 draft, so much so that the fans of the Phoenix Suns were upset that their team drafted him 15th overall. Nash would have to uneventful seasons in Phoenix where he used primarily off of the bench, but a trade to the Dallas Mavericks would change his fortunes.

Nash would become the starting Point Guard for the Mavs and with an equally unwanted at the draft Dirk Nowitski, would slowly change the fortunes of the team. Year by year, Nash’s stats would rise and in the 2000/01 season would have a breakout year with 15.1 Points and 7.3 Assists and a PER of 19.6.

The following season, Nash would have his first All Star selection and would average a PER over 20.0 for the next seasons in Dallas. With Michael Finlay and Dirk Nowitski, the Mavericks were regular playoff fixtures and Nash would be chosen for the All NBA Third Team twice.

Nash had proven to be a valuable starter in the NBA but at age 30 the Mavs ownership felt that a longterm contract may not yield a proper return. The Phoenix Suns felt otherwise and he returned to the team that drafted him and the Canadian would embark on the most successful run of his career.

Nash was the perfect fit for Mike D’Antoni’s up tempo style, and he became the star of the Suns offense. Phoenix had a forty game swing from the previous season and made the Western Conference Finals. Nash was named the NBA MVP, earn First Team All NBA Honors and won his first Assists Title.

While Phoenix would become a potent team, Nash was unable to take them to the NBA Finals, though he would accrue quite an impressive trophy case. Nash would win another MVP, four more Assists Titles, two Free Throw Percentage Titles, another two First Team All NBA and two Second Team All NBA Selections.

As a free agent again, Nash would chase the final accolade, a championship ring and when he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, the odds makers pegged L.A. as a favourite but by all accounts, Nash had a horrific time with the Lakers compiling injury after injury to the point where he was ineffective and could not play at all this season.

It may have been a disappointing end, but it is an end to a career that should place Steve Nash in the Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com suspect that he will enter immediately, and will only be on our Basketball list for one year, and will likely be ranked number one by us.

We would also like to thank Steve Nash for the great memories on the court and we are anxious to see what his plans are for his post-NBA career.