Tweet
It’s a crime that certain players are being left out of the Hall of Fame. This is the first in a series of polls to correct the situation.
Recently, we completed the Hall of Mistakes, identifying the bottom 15% among the players in the HOF. We finished by electing Rollie Fingers and Tony Lazzeri as the 33rd and 34th worst players enshrined. Here’s the entire roster of Mistakes:
C (2) - Rick Ferrell, Ray Schalk
1B (2) - George Kelly, Jim Bottomley
2B (4) - Red Schoendienst, Johnny Evers, Bill Mazeroski, Tony Lazzeri
3B (3) - Fred Lindstrom, Judy Johnson, George Kell
SS (4) - Travis Jackson, Joe Tinker, Dave Bancroft, Phil Rizzuto
LF (2) - Chick Hafey, Heinie Manush
CF (2) - Lloyd Waner, Earle Combs
RF (5) - Tommy McCarthy, Ross Youngs, Harry Hooper, Kiki Cuyler, Sam Rice
P (10) - Rube Marquard, Jesse Haines, Chief Bender, Herb Pennock, Jack Chesbro, Waite Hoyt, Vic Willis, Andy Cooper, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers
Now, we want to figure out who should replace them. For this election, players must be currently eligible for the Cooperstown Hall, except we will ignore the ten year rule. Also, players from the National Association (1871-75) and previous to this should be considered. Negro leaguers and other players from Black baseball in North America are also eligible, of course. Players retired after 2000 (Ripken, Gwynn, Raines, Henderson, etc.) are not eligible. Players on MLB’s banned list (Rose, J. Jackson, Cicotte, Chase, etc.) and players whose entire career was in Japan (Kaneda, Oh, Nomura, etc.) are also ineligible.
We will use the Hall’s criteria in deciding player’s merit. That means you should take into account the sum total of the man’s contributions both on and off the field. For example, if you think Curt Flood or Lefty O’Doul’s off-the-field influences were enough to boost his playing career, vote for him. But only if you think his playing career comprises the majority of his overall contribution; this is a player’s election.
Here are some suggestions as to whom to focus on (* marks players in BBFHOF):
The top 16 also-rans in BBWAA balloting for 2006
Jim Rice
Rich Gossage*
Andre Dawson*
Bert Blyleven*
Lee Smith
Jack Morris
Tommy John
Steve Garvey
Alan Trammell*
Dave Parker
Dave Concepcion
Don Mattingly
Orel Hershiser
Dale Murphy
Albert Belle
Will Clark
The 2005 Veterans Committee Balloting, 25 Players
Ron Santo*
Gil Hodges
Tony Oliva
Jim Kaat
Joe Torre*
Maury Wills
Vada Pinson
Luis Tiant
Roger Maris
Marty Marion
Ken Boyer
Joe Gordon
Carl Mays
Minnie Minoso*
Dick Allen*
Curt Flood
Wes Ferrell
Mickey Lolich
Don Newcombe
Sparky Lyle
Elston Howard
Bobby Bonds
Rocky Colavito
Thurman Munson
Smoky Joe Wood
18 Pre-1920 Stars Elected to the Hall of Merit (arranged chronologically)
Dickey Pearce
Joe Start
Lip Pike
Ross Barnes
Cal McVey
Ezra Sutton
Deacon White*
Paul Hines*
Charlie Bennett
Hardy Richardson
George Gore
Harry Stovey
Jack Glasscock
Bob Caruthers
Bill Dahlen*
Jimmy Sheckard
Sherry Magee*
Heinie Groh
4 More Pre-1920 MLB Players, in the All-Timeline HOF but not in the Coop
Pete Browning
Tony Mullane
Jimmy Ryan
George Van Haltren
5 “Top” Negro Leagues Candidates
John Beckwith
Grant Johnson
Dick Lundy
Dobie Moore
Dick Redding
15 Victims of the 5% Rule, Not Yet Eligible for VC Election
Darrell Evans
Dwight Evans
Bobby Grich
Ron Guidry
Keith Hernandez
Fred Lynn
Graig Nettles
Al Oliver
Lance Parrish
Dan Quisenberry
Willie Randolph
Ted Simmons*
Ken Singleton
Rusty Staub
Lou Whitaker
17 Older Candidates Not Currently On VC Ballot
Tommy Bridges
Norm Cash
Cupid Childs
Larry Doyle
Bob Elliott
Bill Freehan
Stan Hack
Bob Johnson
Charlie Keller
Tommy Leach
Al Rosen
Wally Schang
Reggie Smith
Vern Stephens
Mickey Vernon
Bucky Walters
Jimmy Wynn
Let’s show the 100 players listed above by position:
P (21) – Blyleven, Bridges, Caruthers, Ferrell, Gossage, Guidry, Hershiser, John, Kaat, Lolich, Lyle, Mays, Morris, Mullane, Newcombe, Quisenberry, Redding, L. Smith, Tiant, Walters, J. Wood.
C (10) – Bennett, Freehan, Howard, McVey, Munson, Parrish, Schang, Simmons, Torre, D. White.
1B (9) – Allen, Cash, W. Clark, Garvey, Hernandez, Hodges, Mattingly, Start, Vernon.
2B (8) – Barnes, Childs, L. Doyle, Gordon, Grich, Randolph, H. Richardson, Whitaker.
3B (11) – Beckwith, K. Boyer, Elliott, Evans, Groh, Hack, Leach, Nettles, Rosen, Santo, Sutton.
SS (11) – Concepcion, Dahlen, Glasscock, G. Johnson, Lundy, Marion, D. Moore, Pearce, Stephens, Trammell, Wills.
LF (9) – Belle, Browning, B. Johnson, Keller, Magee, Minoso, Rice, Sheckard, Stovey.
CF (11) – Dawson, Flood, Gore, Hines, Lynn, Murphy, Oliver, Pike, Pinson, Van Haltren, Wynn.
RF(10) – Bonds, Colavito, Evans, Maris, Oliva, Parker, Ryan, Singleton, R. Smith, Staub.
Candidates are not restricted to these 100 of course. Nine players from the 64-Player VC Tournament that I ran a couple years back are not listed above: Urban Shocker, Gavy Cravath, Tommy Bond, Bobby Veach, Lon Warneke, Herman Long, Jack Fournier, Allie Reynolds, and Lave Cross. Some others who were close to the list were Wally Berger, Sal Bando, Frank Howard, Buddy Myer, Jim McCormick, Jack Quinn and Billy Pierce.
Voters should list their top ten selections in order. We'll elect three players each election for awhile. Points will be assigned this way: 12-11-10-7-6-5-4-3-2-1.
This is my list of the ten most deserving candidates for the Hall:
1. Bert Blyleven
2. Ron Santo
3. Minnie Minoso
4. Bill Dahlen
5. Bobby Grich
6. Paul Hines
7. Dick Allen
8. Rich Gossage
9. Alan Trammell
10.Deacon White
Recently, we completed the Hall of Mistakes, identifying the bottom 15% among the players in the HOF. We finished by electing Rollie Fingers and Tony Lazzeri as the 33rd and 34th worst players enshrined. Here’s the entire roster of Mistakes:
C (2) - Rick Ferrell, Ray Schalk
1B (2) - George Kelly, Jim Bottomley
2B (4) - Red Schoendienst, Johnny Evers, Bill Mazeroski, Tony Lazzeri
3B (3) - Fred Lindstrom, Judy Johnson, George Kell
SS (4) - Travis Jackson, Joe Tinker, Dave Bancroft, Phil Rizzuto
LF (2) - Chick Hafey, Heinie Manush
CF (2) - Lloyd Waner, Earle Combs
RF (5) - Tommy McCarthy, Ross Youngs, Harry Hooper, Kiki Cuyler, Sam Rice
P (10) - Rube Marquard, Jesse Haines, Chief Bender, Herb Pennock, Jack Chesbro, Waite Hoyt, Vic Willis, Andy Cooper, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers
Now, we want to figure out who should replace them. For this election, players must be currently eligible for the Cooperstown Hall, except we will ignore the ten year rule. Also, players from the National Association (1871-75) and previous to this should be considered. Negro leaguers and other players from Black baseball in North America are also eligible, of course. Players retired after 2000 (Ripken, Gwynn, Raines, Henderson, etc.) are not eligible. Players on MLB’s banned list (Rose, J. Jackson, Cicotte, Chase, etc.) and players whose entire career was in Japan (Kaneda, Oh, Nomura, etc.) are also ineligible.
We will use the Hall’s criteria in deciding player’s merit. That means you should take into account the sum total of the man’s contributions both on and off the field. For example, if you think Curt Flood or Lefty O’Doul’s off-the-field influences were enough to boost his playing career, vote for him. But only if you think his playing career comprises the majority of his overall contribution; this is a player’s election.
Here are some suggestions as to whom to focus on (* marks players in BBFHOF):
The top 16 also-rans in BBWAA balloting for 2006
Jim Rice
Rich Gossage*
Andre Dawson*
Bert Blyleven*
Lee Smith
Jack Morris
Tommy John
Steve Garvey
Alan Trammell*
Dave Parker
Dave Concepcion
Don Mattingly
Orel Hershiser
Dale Murphy
Albert Belle
Will Clark
The 2005 Veterans Committee Balloting, 25 Players
Ron Santo*
Gil Hodges
Tony Oliva
Jim Kaat
Joe Torre*
Maury Wills
Vada Pinson
Luis Tiant
Roger Maris
Marty Marion
Ken Boyer
Joe Gordon
Carl Mays
Minnie Minoso*
Dick Allen*
Curt Flood
Wes Ferrell
Mickey Lolich
Don Newcombe
Sparky Lyle
Elston Howard
Bobby Bonds
Rocky Colavito
Thurman Munson
Smoky Joe Wood
18 Pre-1920 Stars Elected to the Hall of Merit (arranged chronologically)
Dickey Pearce
Joe Start
Lip Pike
Ross Barnes
Cal McVey
Ezra Sutton
Deacon White*
Paul Hines*
Charlie Bennett
Hardy Richardson
George Gore
Harry Stovey
Jack Glasscock
Bob Caruthers
Bill Dahlen*
Jimmy Sheckard
Sherry Magee*
Heinie Groh
4 More Pre-1920 MLB Players, in the All-Timeline HOF but not in the Coop
Pete Browning
Tony Mullane
Jimmy Ryan
George Van Haltren
5 “Top” Negro Leagues Candidates
John Beckwith
Grant Johnson
Dick Lundy
Dobie Moore
Dick Redding
15 Victims of the 5% Rule, Not Yet Eligible for VC Election
Darrell Evans
Dwight Evans
Bobby Grich
Ron Guidry
Keith Hernandez
Fred Lynn
Graig Nettles
Al Oliver
Lance Parrish
Dan Quisenberry
Willie Randolph
Ted Simmons*
Ken Singleton
Rusty Staub
Lou Whitaker
17 Older Candidates Not Currently On VC Ballot
Tommy Bridges
Norm Cash
Cupid Childs
Larry Doyle
Bob Elliott
Bill Freehan
Stan Hack
Bob Johnson
Charlie Keller
Tommy Leach
Al Rosen
Wally Schang
Reggie Smith
Vern Stephens
Mickey Vernon
Bucky Walters
Jimmy Wynn
Let’s show the 100 players listed above by position:
P (21) – Blyleven, Bridges, Caruthers, Ferrell, Gossage, Guidry, Hershiser, John, Kaat, Lolich, Lyle, Mays, Morris, Mullane, Newcombe, Quisenberry, Redding, L. Smith, Tiant, Walters, J. Wood.
C (10) – Bennett, Freehan, Howard, McVey, Munson, Parrish, Schang, Simmons, Torre, D. White.
1B (9) – Allen, Cash, W. Clark, Garvey, Hernandez, Hodges, Mattingly, Start, Vernon.
2B (8) – Barnes, Childs, L. Doyle, Gordon, Grich, Randolph, H. Richardson, Whitaker.
3B (11) – Beckwith, K. Boyer, Elliott, Evans, Groh, Hack, Leach, Nettles, Rosen, Santo, Sutton.
SS (11) – Concepcion, Dahlen, Glasscock, G. Johnson, Lundy, Marion, D. Moore, Pearce, Stephens, Trammell, Wills.
LF (9) – Belle, Browning, B. Johnson, Keller, Magee, Minoso, Rice, Sheckard, Stovey.
CF (11) – Dawson, Flood, Gore, Hines, Lynn, Murphy, Oliver, Pike, Pinson, Van Haltren, Wynn.
RF(10) – Bonds, Colavito, Evans, Maris, Oliva, Parker, Ryan, Singleton, R. Smith, Staub.
Candidates are not restricted to these 100 of course. Nine players from the 64-Player VC Tournament that I ran a couple years back are not listed above: Urban Shocker, Gavy Cravath, Tommy Bond, Bobby Veach, Lon Warneke, Herman Long, Jack Fournier, Allie Reynolds, and Lave Cross. Some others who were close to the list were Wally Berger, Sal Bando, Frank Howard, Buddy Myer, Jim McCormick, Jack Quinn and Billy Pierce.
Voters should list their top ten selections in order. We'll elect three players each election for awhile. Points will be assigned this way: 12-11-10-7-6-5-4-3-2-1.
This is my list of the ten most deserving candidates for the Hall:
1. Bert Blyleven
2. Ron Santo
3. Minnie Minoso
4. Bill Dahlen
5. Bobby Grich
6. Paul Hines
7. Dick Allen
8. Rich Gossage
9. Alan Trammell
10.Deacon White
Comment