Steve Finley

[Cowtipper]

Over 19 years in the big leagues, Steve Finley has hit .271 with 2548 hits, 449 doubles, 124 triples, 304 homers and 320 stolen bases. A two-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner, Finley ranks relatively high all-time in many categories. For example, he is 38th in games, 41st in at-bats, 46th in plate appearances, 63rd in total bases, 73rd in runs, 79th in hits, 82nd in doubles, 90th in triples...he also ranks first among active players in triples with 124.

Four times has he hit over 30 homers and three times has he stolen over 30 bases.


Statistically, he is related to two Hall of Famers: Ryne Sandberg and Joe Morgan. A big knock against that comparison however is they both played 2B, while Finley is an outfielder.

So...is Finley a Hall of Famer?

[Fuzzy Bear]

He's not a HOFer. He's about as good as Doc Cramer.

Finley started slow in the majors, although a few of his best years were diminished by the Astrodome. He's an example of a guy who HAS to get to 3,000 hits to be enshrined, and he just wasn't good enough to last long enough to do that.

[jjpm74]

Finley belongs in the hall of good. He was a good player for a long time but never the best at any given point in his career. His career reminds me a lot of Harold Baines, except that Finley was a slightly better fielder.

[Colorado Express]

Not even close...

[Paul Wendt]

He's not a HOFer. He's about as good as Doc Cramer.

Finley started slow in the majors, although a few of his best years were diminished by the Astrodome. He's an example of a guy who HAS to get to 3,000 hits to be enshrined, and he just wasn't good enough to last long enough to do that.

Like Brett Butler although Finley started a little earlier and lasted a little longer than that.

Only a little better than Harold Baines at pasture?
Last year Finley passed Paul Hines, Willie Davis, and Ty Cobb in full seasons equivalent games played in centerfield. So he is third behind Mays and Speaker. Should there be a note to Finley fans following that Baines comment, perhaps "slowly twist knife"?

[KCGHOST]

Not a chance.

[jjpm74]

Like Brett Butler although Finley started a little earlier and lasted a little longer than that.

Only a little better than Harold Baines at pasture?
Last year Finley passed Paul Hines, Willie Davis, and Ty Cobb in full seasons equivalent games played in centerfield. So he is third behind Mays and Speaker. Should there be a note to Finley fans following that Baines comment, perhaps "slowly twist knife"?

I did say he was slightly better defensively.

[dabigyankeeman]

see my post in the Vidro thread, this guy was not dominant enough. no way.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Like Brett Butler although Finley started a little earlier and lasted a little longer than that.

Only a little better than Harold Baines at pasture?
Last year Finley passed Paul Hines, Willie Davis, and Ty Cobb in full seasons equivalent games played in centerfield. So he is third behind Mays and Speaker. Should there be a note to Finley fans following that Baines comment, perhaps "slowly twist knife"?

Finley was a lot better than Bainsey with the leather and legs.

[ElHalo]

Finley was a lot better than Bainsey with the leather and legs.

This might just be my AL bias showing up, but I don't see Finley as being in remotely the same stratosphere as Baines.

Now, I'll preface this by saying that I probably don't know as much about Finley as most. In all honesty, I'd never heard of the guy before the 2001 WS (which goes to show you how big a factor he was in the '98 WS).

But Harold Baines was so much a better hitter than Finley that the comparison seems laughable to me. Baines had a 120 OPS+ for his career; Finley's at 104, and has topped Baines' career average a grand total of twice: 121 in 1992, 135 in 1996. He's never once in his career hit .300, never drew more than 65 walks... his entire case is built around the fact that he managed to stay healthy for a relatively long period. That's not a HoF'er. That's a solid fourth outfielder.

[Cowtipper]

One big thing against Finley is his less than stellar batting average of .271. Had he hit .300 with 2548 hits, 304 home runs and 320 stolen bases or even .290, then there may be more talk of him getting into the Hall of Fame.

Alas, as it stands, his chances are slim to none.

As an aside, I find it surprising that Vada Pinson is Finley's most similar player. If I had to choose between Pinson and Finley for the Hall of Fame, I'd choose Pinson in a heartbeat - he was a much better player, in my opinion.

[leecemark]

--You are correct. Pinson was much better. Similarity scores do not take era into account and Pinson put up similar raw numbers to Finley at a time when runs were much harder to come by. Since Pinson is short of being a Hall of Famer that is a very bad sign for Finely.

[jjpm74]

Finley was a lot better than Bainsey with the leather and legs.

I agree which is why it annoys me that Harold Baines lasted 5 years on the HOF ballot and Steve Finley received only 4 votes or 0.7% of the total votes in his one year on the HOF ballot.

[Ben Grimm]

Wow. If there's ever a player who'll be looked at as a "suspicious" user that's not mentioned in the same regularity as others, it's Finley.

He averages 7 HR a year up until 30 years old. From 31-39, he's suddenly smacking 26 HRs a season. Oh yeah, his breakout year was '96 - a year that was mentioned quite a few times by Canseco and Caminiti IIRC. He moved from Houston to SD in a trade along with Caminiti - who also let loose in 1996 with his MVP season as Finley's teammate. Suddenly, they're now both playing ball about 1000 miles or so closer to BALCO. Oh yeah, Finley's also Brady Anderson's brother-in-law who had his 50-HR year in '96 as well.

I'm not into conspiracy theories, but for those who are, they can probably have fun making one out of this.

[TomBodet]

Agreed, Finley, Matt Williams, Louis Gonzalez, Jay Bell were all members of the body by Balco brigade. Suspicious? You bet.