It seemed like Bobby Bonds was always in someone’s shadow.  As a kid breaking into the Giants he shared an outfield with Willie Mays.  In his final years, he remained a talented pro but was regulated to journeyman status bouncing around the league.  Currently, he is Barry’s father.  We prefer to think of him as one of the early prototypes to the modern baseball athlete.

Stan Hack played his entire sixteen seasons as a player for the Chicago Cubs.  He was one of the Cubbies most popular players as “Smilin” Stan’s sunny disposition made him a fan favorite among players, fans and journalists alike.  It also didn’t hurt that he was one hell of a hitter.

If the main criteria for the Hall is perseverance and effort then Rusty Staub should have been a first ballot Hall of Famer.  His hard work resulted in over 2,700 hits in a Major League career that many people who saw him early on would never have pegged him for an amount that high.

1,800 career hits and a lifetime .266 Batting Average sound like a good career but not necessarily a Hall of Fame one.  A closer look at the overall body of work of Bobby Grich indicates he is a lot closer than you would think.