My ranking of the top eligible center fielders not enshrined.
1. Dale Murphy
2. Vada Pinson
3. Al Oliver
4. Dom DiMaggio
5. Brett Butler
6. Doc Cramer
7. Cy Williams
8.(t) George Van Haltren
8.(t) Jimmy Ryan
10. Paul Hines
11. Wally Berger
12. Curt Flood
13. Cesar Cedeno
14. Jimmy Wynn
15. Dummy Hoy
16. Amos Otis
17. Fred Lynn
18. Reggie Smith
19. Willie Wilson
20. Mike Donlin
Notes.
a. I'd endorse, with steadily diminishing enthusiasm, the first dozen for the Hall.
b. Murphy is head and shoulders the class of this field. He is the only person who will be in the top half of the Hall when he is inducted.
c. Pinson, Oliver, Cramer -- 2700+ hits, among other achievements.
d. Dom DiMaggio receives extra credit for the war years costing him much of his prime.
e. Leadoff-hitting CF seem to be very overlooked. Several examples on this list, the most recent being Butler's quick bounce from the ballot.
f. Ryan and Van Haltren are so close it's amazing. Both 2500+ hits, .300+ BA.
g. Cy Williams was a four-time HR champion, two-time OPS champ.
h. Paul Hines won a Triple Crown and had a ton of Black and Gray Ink.
g. Berger led league in HR and RBI while playing for a 115-loss team, 61.5 games out of first.
h. Flood is where he is because of his role as a pioneer/contributor who also happened to be an All-Star caliber player.
i. Cedeno and Wynn are nearest misses. Astrodome made it hard on them. They both did everything well.
j. Hoy got 2000 hits and stole nearly 600 bases -- and he was deaf.
k. Lynn had two extraordinary seasons in 1975 and 1979; the remaining seasons, he was just a good player.
l. Smith could be listed as easily in RF.
m. Wilson, over various seasons, led the league in BA, hits, runs, stolen bases, and at-bats. He led the AL five times in triples.
n. Donlin was perhaps the biggest head case of the turn of the 20th century -- and that's saying something. But he had a career BA of.333
1. Dale Murphy
2. Vada Pinson
3. Al Oliver
4. Dom DiMaggio
5. Brett Butler
6. Doc Cramer
7. Cy Williams
8.(t) George Van Haltren
8.(t) Jimmy Ryan
10. Paul Hines
11. Wally Berger
12. Curt Flood
13. Cesar Cedeno
14. Jimmy Wynn
15. Dummy Hoy
16. Amos Otis
17. Fred Lynn
18. Reggie Smith
19. Willie Wilson
20. Mike Donlin
Notes.
a. I'd endorse, with steadily diminishing enthusiasm, the first dozen for the Hall.
b. Murphy is head and shoulders the class of this field. He is the only person who will be in the top half of the Hall when he is inducted.
c. Pinson, Oliver, Cramer -- 2700+ hits, among other achievements.
d. Dom DiMaggio receives extra credit for the war years costing him much of his prime.
e. Leadoff-hitting CF seem to be very overlooked. Several examples on this list, the most recent being Butler's quick bounce from the ballot.
f. Ryan and Van Haltren are so close it's amazing. Both 2500+ hits, .300+ BA.
g. Cy Williams was a four-time HR champion, two-time OPS champ.
h. Paul Hines won a Triple Crown and had a ton of Black and Gray Ink.
g. Berger led league in HR and RBI while playing for a 115-loss team, 61.5 games out of first.
h. Flood is where he is because of his role as a pioneer/contributor who also happened to be an All-Star caliber player.
i. Cedeno and Wynn are nearest misses. Astrodome made it hard on them. They both did everything well.
j. Hoy got 2000 hits and stole nearly 600 bases -- and he was deaf.
k. Lynn had two extraordinary seasons in 1975 and 1979; the remaining seasons, he was just a good player.
l. Smith could be listed as easily in RF.
m. Wilson, over various seasons, led the league in BA, hits, runs, stolen bases, and at-bats. He led the AL five times in triples.
n. Donlin was perhaps the biggest head case of the turn of the 20th century -- and that's saying something. But he had a career BA of.333
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