Johnny Mostil

[Cowtipper]

I think Johnny Mostil is an interesting case. He started pretty late (age 25), ended pretty early (age 33) but had quite the impressive run in-between.

He was in the big leagues for 10 seasons, hitting .301 with 1,054 hits, a .386 OBP, a 113 OPS+ and 176 stolen bases. In 1925 and 1926 he earned MVP votes, finishing seventh and second in the balloting respectively (he was also voted an "All-Star" in 1926 in the Retrospective All-Star project). He later received Hall of Fame support, though not much as he garnered a maximum of 0.5% of the vote.

From 1922 to 1926, he hit .309 with a 120 OPS+. He averaged 160 hits, 33 doubles, 13 triples and a .394 on-base percentage in that time and he led the league in plate appearances once, runs once, walks once, stolen bases twice, HBP three times, OF games once, OF fielding percentage once and OF putouts twice in those years as well. Furthermore, he scored at least 100 runs twice, stole at least 40 bases twice and hit at least 10 triples four times during that stretch.

Statistically, he is similar to Harry Rice, Danny Green, Barney McCosky, Bake McBride, Lew Fonseca, Taylor Douthit, Steve Evans, Socks Seybold, Phil Bradley and Shane Victorino.

What do you think about Johnny Mostil? Should he be in the Hall of Fame? Did he have Hall of Fame potential?

[chicagowhitesox1173]

I would say he's the best centerfielder the Whitesox ever had but deff not a hofer.

[westsidegrounds]

I would say he's the best centerfielder the Whitesox ever had.

pretty close call between him and Jim Landis.

[chicagowhitesox1173]

pretty close call between him and Jim Landis.

And Chet Lemon. You really can't go wrong with any of em.

[Cowtipper]

And Chet Lemon. You really can't go wrong with any of em.

Chet Lemon, you say?

[chicagowhitesox1173]

Chet Lemon, you say?

I think had Chet Lemon played his entire career with the Whitesox, he woulda gotten a little more hall support. The Whitesox have had some decent centerfielders. (Landis, Lemon, Kreevich, F. Jones, Mostil, L. Johnson but I would say Mostil was the best out of em all.

I think most say Landis was the best though.

I just read the wikipedia on Mostil and it's interesting and sad that he cut his throat pretty severe while attempting suicide when rumors came out that he was having an affair with Red Faber's wife. I have to wonder what the real story behind that was.

[Freakshow]

I would say he's the best centerfielder the Whitesox ever had but deff not a hofer.

Players with 400 G in CF for the ChiSox:

Rk           Player WAR/pos OPS+ Rfield   PA From   To
1     Fielder Jones    30.0  112     70 5077 1901 1908
2        Chet Lemon    23.3  126     33 3198 1975 1981
3     Johnny Mostil    22.0  113     44 4100 1918 1929
4     Lance Johnson    19.6   92     61 3820 1988 1995
5        Jim Landis    18.4  101     48 4181 1957 1964
6      Happy Felsch    17.6  123     21 3133 1915 1920
7      Aaron Rowand    11.9  104     36 1823 2001 2005
8     Mike Kreevich    10.3   93     41 3588 1935 1941
9         Ken Berry     7.4   90     50 2976 1962 1970
10   Thurman Tucker     5.5   97     16 1934 1942 1947

[Cowtipper]

I can't say he had Hall of Fame potential, though he had the potential to be a historically "very good" player had things turned out differently.

[Cowtipper]

I can't say he had Hall of Fame potential, though he had the potential to be a historically "very good" player had things turned out differently.

Then again, players who put up semi-similar numbers from 1922 to 1926, Mostil's solid five-year run, include Hall of Famers Eddie Collins, Edd Roush, Ross Youngs, etc.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Mostil was below .600 in OWP (.567) Even if we bump him to .580 OWP factoring out his worst years, that's still nothing more than a good center fielder. Mostil was a terrible percentage base stealer, which hurt his offense. His offensive numbers are inflated somewhat by the era he played in, and this is an era where players have been over-honored. Mostil is probably not as defensible a pick as Chick Hafey; he's a little better than Riggs Stephenson, but only because he was more of a full-time player.