Which Hat Should They Wear?

[DoubleX]

I thought I'd start a thread in which we can discuss which hat likely future Hall of Famers should wear.

I'll throw two out there to start:

Mike Piazza: Mets or Dodgers?

Roberto Alomar: Blue Jays, Orioles, or Indians?

[55 chmps]

Piazza should go in a Met. (Well this a met fan talking )
Alomar, I'm not to sure, even if he does make it.

[Captain Cold Nose]

Rest assuredly, Alomar will make it.
As far as the cap goes, either Baltimore or Toronto. Or no logo.

[runningshoes]

Piaza should go in as a Met and Alomar as a Blue Jay, if he goes in at all.

[digglahhh]

Piazza is really 50/50. He played more seasons with the Mets but had his best years on L.A. He did have a couple of really good years in NY though and went to a WS with them. He broke the catcher HR record in NY, for whatever that's worth, if anything. Its close. He was the harbinger of the Mets rise back to respectability, for a bit, and for that I think I'd side with NY.

Alomar should go as a Blue Jay. He played longer there than anywhere else and won two championships.

[Yankeebiscuitfan]

I go with Digglahhh when it comes to Alomar. He won two championships with the Blue Jays.

But Piazza? Hard one. I would say the Dodgers.

[Brad Harris]

Piazza - Dodgers
Alomar - Blue Jays

I could really care less. Leave these debates for the plaque-makers. With the BBWAA passing up players like Gossage, Blyleven and Trammell, there isn't any assurity that someone like Alomar will even get elected.

[wilkerson_rulz-06]

I think Piazza will go as a Met.
He is more known as a Met than a Dodger.

As for Alomar- Toronto.

[wilkerson_rulz-06]

Dawson should wear an Expos cap in the HOF, he had his best years with Nos Amours and it would be like racism if he wore a Cubs cap!

[west coast orange and black]

it is difficult for me to consider piazza new york. to me, he is los angeles all the way.

[Chisox73]

Dawson should wear an Expos cap in the HOF, he had his best years with Nos Amours

Agree with you 100%

[DoubleX]

I think I'm leaning towards Piazza for the Mets. He did rise to fame with the Dodgers, but he spent more years with the Mets (7.5-6), did have some good years with the Mets (though he had more good years as a Dodger), and was also the centerpiece of the Mets team that won 2000 NL Pennant.

[runningshoes]

Dawson should wear an Expos cap in the HOF, he had his best years with Nos Amours and it would be like racism if he wore a Cubs cap!

I agree Dawson should go in as an Expo, but I don't see the correlation with racism should he not.

[leecemark]

Dawson-Expos
Piazza-Dodgers
Alomar-Blue Jays
---------------
Clemens-Red Sox
Johnson-Diamondacks
Maddux-Braves
Gossage-Yankees
Blyleven-Twins

[MasonDixon]

it is difficult for me to consider piazza new york. to me, he is los angeles all the way.

Same.

I'd put Alomar in either as a Blue Jay or with no team.

[KHenry14]

Those guys at least have a choice...

The question really is when you get to a guy like Sheffield who's had good seasons with five different teams! Perhaps a blank one for him?

KH14

[KCGHOST]

Piazza should be allowed to choose between the Dodgers & Mets. I just don't identify Alomar with any specific team, so I'd prefer he didn't have an emblem on his hat.

[wilkerson_rulz-06]

What about Rafael Palmeiro... if he is inducted who will he go as?

Probably a Ranger, maybe an Oriole (I doubt it)

[Tigerfan1974]

It is a bg leap to see either in the hall.
Assuming either ever makes it; Piazza - LA, Alomar - Orioles.

[Chisox]

It is a bg leap to see either in the hall.
Assuming either ever makes it; Piazza - LA, Alomar - Orioles.

It's a big leap to see two players in the top 10 at their position make it? Particularly two as popular as those?

[runningshoes]

Piazza should be allowed to choose between the Dodgers & Mets. I just don't identify Alomar with any specific team, so I'd prefer he didn't have an emblem on his hat.

Who was the last player to go in without an emblem?

I'm not sure, from a marketing standpoint, we'll be seeing any more emblem-less hats in the hall.

[Captain Cold Nose]

Who was the last player to go in without an emblem?

I'm not sure, from a marketing standpoint, we'll be seeing any more emblem-less hats in the hall.

Catfish Hunter, I believe. The latest, to be certain, in terms of when he played. Off the top of my head, I'm not sure if players like George Davis or Vic Willis have emblems on their HOF plaques.

[DoubleX]

It is a bg leap to see either in the hall.
Assuming either ever makes it; Piazza - LA, Alomar - Orioles.

Seriously? Piazza is the greatest offensive catcher in the history of the game. His defense might leave a lot to be desire, but the fact that he could hit like Frank Thomas as a catcher, made him extremely valuable during his prime. If his defense was just a little better, I'd say his offense is valuable enough to make him the greatest catcher of all-time. As it stands, I have him at third (behind Bench and Berra).

As for Alomar, I think most people would say he is among the 10 best 2Bman who have ever played. His decline was very sudden and drastic, ruining what everyone thought was surefire 3000 hitter, but Alomar could really do it all during his peak. He hit for average, he had good power for a 2Bman, he had good speed, and he was a terrific defender.

I think Alomar's Hall case will end up be very similar to Ryne Sandberg's, in that most people believed he was a surefire Hall of Famer while playing, but that he'll take a few years longer than he should to get in. This will be because, like Sandberg, Alomar's decline was sudden and drastic, the voters have a short memory, and the voters don't appreciate the skillsets of great middle infielders (which is why Barry Larkin will probably also have a hard time, why Alan Trammell struggles to get 20% of the vote, and why Bobby Grich, Lou Whitaker, and Willie Randolph were all dropped from the ballots on their first time out).

[Tigerfan1974]

"Seriously? Piazza is the greatest offensive catcher in the history of the game. His defense might leave a lot to be desire, but the fact that he could hit like Frank Thomas as a catcher, made him extremely valuable during his prime. If his defense was just a little better, I'd say his offense is valuable enough to make him the greatest catcher of all-time. As it stands, I have him at third (behind Bench and Berra)."

Offensive cather? Are we back to the one factor only argument again as in the other thread about McGwire?
Pudge is a better catcher than Piazza and will make it before him, if Mike ever makes it.

Piazza #3 and better than 4 of these Hofers? I disagree.
Johnny Bench
Yogi Berra
Roy Campanella
Mickey Cochrane
Carlton Fisk
Josh Gibson

"As for Alomar, I think most people would say he is among the 10 best 2Bman who have ever played. His decline was very sudden and drastic, ruining what everyone thought was surefire 3000 hitter, but Alomar could really do it all during his peak. He hit for average, he had good power for a 2Bman, he had good speed, and he was a terrific defender.

I think Alomar's Hall case will end up be very similar to Ryne Sandberg's, in that most people believed he was a surefire Hall of Famer while playing, but that he'll take a few years longer than he should to get in. This will be because, like Sandberg, Alomar's decline was sudden and drastic, the voters have a short memory, and the voters don't appreciate the skillsets of great middle infielders (which is why Barry Larkin will probably also have a hard time, why Alan Trammell struggles to get 20% of the vote, and why Bobby Grich, Lou Whitaker, and Willie Randolph were all dropped from the ballots on their first time out)."

I would take Lou Whitaker over Alomar. (I am TigerFan)
Larkin is also a possibility. I don't know, but I just don't think of Alomar and HOF in the same sentence.
Alomar is not even the same caliber as any of these 2B!

Rod Carew
Charlie Gehringer
Rogers Hornsby
Nap Lajoie
Joe Morgan
Jackie Robinson
Ryne Sandberg

If you think of someone who dominated the game at their position for a significant period of time, Piazza and Alomar don't do it, in my opinion.

[DoubleX]

Piazza #3 and better than 4 of these Hofers? I disagree.
Johnny Bench
Yogi Berra
Roy Campanella
Mickey Cochrane
Carlton Fisk
Josh Gibson

Even if you were to put four of those names ahead of Piazza, you'd still have him 5th all-time, and you're saying that's still not good enough to be a Hall of Famer? These guys were all terrific catchers, all in my top 10 (except Gibson who I except because I don't know how to properly honor the Negro League greats) but none of them sustained the hitting dominance that Piazza had for a decade. Piazza's bat is unheard from the catcher position (Gibson might be an exception to this, and according to what most people say about Gibson, he'd probably rank above Piazza too). So you don't believe the best offensive catcher in the history of the Major Leagues should not be in the Hall?

Also, I like Lou Whitaker a lot, and believe he got an undeserved shaft by the baseball writers, but I'd still take Roberto Alomar. Whitaker hit for more power, but Alomar was a better all-around hitter, was terrific on the basepaths, and was a better defender. I have Alomar as the 9th best 2Bman in history (he'd be 8th and ahead of Biggio if not for his sudden decline), while I have Whitaker a few spots lower around 12 or 13 (depending on how I'm feeling about Frankie Frisch on a given day). It's close, but the difference to me is a sure Hall of Famer (Alomar) and a questionable one (Whitaker).