HOF time!

[Theoldprofessor]

Choose your favorite veteran, or choose a team of them (one for each position, plus manager) and tell us why you believe it's time for him or them to be enshrined.

Me, I'm for Gil Hodges.

[Tinola]

This might create some controversy, but I would want to see Barry Bonds in the Hall of Fame. Also I am awaiting Jeff Kent. Vida Blue should also get in. I want Barry Bonds to get in because he had so much raw power. He was an all around player. He's fast, powerful, and accurate.

Just my opinion.
John

[daves_resale_shop]

These Dead Ballers deserve some consideration:

Mike Donlin: Decent Career highlighted by a .333 Career BA & captained several of Mugsy Mcgraws Championship caliber teams...

Gavvy Cravath: lasted only 11 years, but led the league in homers for 6 of them...

[novakjr]

I'm not going to list anyone that's currently on the ballott. So, Santo, Trammell, Ted Simmons, Joe Torre(as a player), Luis Tiant, Hodges, Oliva, Minoso, Albert Belle, Bill Dahlen, Mel Harder. Managers- Houk, Murtaugh, Billy Martin, Torre again(I'd like to see him in as both a player and manager).

There's plenty more, but these a the first that came to mind.

[90feetaway]

I agree with Joe Torre, that's who I was thinking as well. I think he'll eventually get in especially as since his current job allows him to have contact with those in power.

[Fred]

I think the HOF should take on a historic view of the game and create a section of the HOF dedicated to the pioneers of the game. Ross Barnes (and others) should be recognized for their contributions to the game.

As far as Joe Torre is concerned I think he should make it based on both his playing career and managerial career. Some might argue that he should make it as a manager alone but please consider this - even Lenny Dykstra couldn't have screwed up managing those teams that were given to Torre.

[deebro041]

He's not a veteran, but IMHO i think Fred Mcgriff should be inducted. He was a classy and consistent guy. He could have hit the 7 more homers he needed to get to 500 but alas i think he was too humble to drag his career out.
WTG Crimedog!

[Fred]

Cannot argue with the Crime Dog being inducted.

[daves_resale_shop]

Mcgriff should be in the hall for sure...a class guy who had a wonderfully consistent career! Easily a qualified and deserving member of the hallowed hall>

[39special]

I think Gil Hodges should have been in awhile ago.I'd also like to see Tommy John
in also.Also Ron Santo.

[Scott T]

Tony Oliva!

[David W]

I'm a Cardinal fan and a little biased, but I never understood why Ted Simmons got almost no votes for the HOF.

8 time AS, way up the all time lists for batting categories for catchers, caught 1700 games.

He spent the 70's overshadowed by Bench I suppose.

Lance Parrish is another catcher, both were off the ballot with less than 5% in their first years.

[Robextend]

I would have liked to see Ted Simmons get in, or at least some more recognition. His stats at his position rival some of the all time greats.

EDITED TO ADD: Just saw David's post above. I am glad there is at least one other person that feels Simmons deserves more credit.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Theoldprofessor

Choose your favorite veteran, or choose a team of them (one for each position, plus manager) and tell us why you believe it's time for him or them to be enshrined.

Me, I'm for Gil Hodges.

For me, this is simple - Ed Reulbach. Here's a page from my website that goes into more detail regarding my personal thoughts about this.

A few thoughts regarding HOF omissions have always been: during the period when the player in question played, as a kid, did you really want this guy's baseball card? Oliva was desirable, but Simmons was just one step up from a common. Sorry, no HOF there. Same for Phil Niekro and Don Sutton - longevity did not indicate 'hero' status to a kid.

Another thought - did the fans and sportswriters during the period that the player played, consider him great? Simmons was always considered to be very good, but certainly not great. But I have to admit, while I wouldn't enshrine Oliva, he was considered to be a damned good player. Same for Frank Howard, Sam McDowell and Roger Maris. While those three are questionable for reasons much-discussed, I would have enshrined Tony Perez a lot sooner - to me he was clearly a HOF'er, and one of the greatest players in MLB when I was a kid.

Early in my vintage card-collecting days, I thought Nap Rucker's stats really showed that he was HOF material. But in the eight years since creating the website I've come across period sportswriting that indicated that Rucker's contemporaries really didn't consider him all that great; in fact, he was considered a guy who didn't do so well in the big games.

But I have to still stick with Reulbach and Cravvath.

Vintage HOF Omissions

[SmokyBurgess]

Curt Flood.

Even though he lost the Supreme Court decision in his case, it shook up the establishment that they acted a few years later.

So, for better or worse, he changed the business of baseball.

...and maybe Marvin Miller for the same reason.

[Touch'EmAll]

I have seen here a lot of names, but no love for Roger Maris? C'mon, he is inked into baseball lore as having perhaps the greatest single season acheivement (along with a few other top shelf seasons). If its fame you are after, Roger Maris sure has that one covered.

Along the same lines (short career) some institution, be it baseball or football, has got to get it together and put in Bo Jackson. Again, if its fame you're after, BINGO !

[Beatles Guy]

I'll get in line for Ted Simmons. It's a travesty he's not in. Also, I'll throw my hat in for Hodges and Santo.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Beatles Guy

I'll get in line for Ted Simmons. It's a travesty he's not in. Also, I'll throw my hat in for Hodges and Santo.

Today's HOF reminds me of a strategy I had as a kid to acquire Batman #1: you start off with #100, find someone to trade for #99, then trade that for #98. You couldn't get to #1, but you could easily end up at around #10 or so.

With the HOF, you have a guy who averages 100 RBIs a year for 20 years and you decide he's in. So what about a guy who averages 99 a year for 19 years? Answer: close enough. Eventually you end up with guys like Phil Rizzuto.

With pitchers, you have a guy who has a 2.50 ERA over 10 years. So what about a guy who has 2.60 for 11 years? Or 2.90 for 15 years? Eventually you end up with guys like Niekro and Sutton.

So yeah, put Ted Simmons in. It's 2011, not 1936.

[Doug]

I hope Barry Larkin gets in this time. 12 time All Star, 1990 World Series Champion, 1995 MVP, 9 time Silver Slugger winner and 3 Gold Gloves which probably could have been more if he wasn't competing with Ozzie Smith. A great all around player and lifetime Cincinnati Red!

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Doug

I hope Barry Larkin gets in this time. 12 time All Star, 1990 World Series Champion, 1995 MVP, 9 time Silver Slugger winner and 3 Gold Gloves which probably could have been more if he wasn't competing with Ozzie Smith. A great all around player and lifetime Cincinnati Red!

Here's some data on HOF shortstops and Larkin. He had a good glove and a better bat than many who are in. Lately it seems to be a popularity and 'iron man' contest. There's a lot of weak wood in the HOF at shortstop

last yr - batting avg. (inducted, how long to wait)

2004 - .295 Larkin
2001 - .276 Ripken (07 - 6 years)
1996 - .262 Smith (02 - 6 years)
1993 - .285 Yount (99 - 6 years)
1973 - .262 Aparicio (84 - 11 years)
1958 - .269 Reese (84 - 26 years)
1956 - .273 Rizzuto (94 - 38 years)
1952 - .295 Boudreau (70 -28 years)
1950 - .315 Appling (64 - 14 years)
1948 - .318 Vaughan (85 - 37 years)
1945 - .301 Cronin (56 - 11 years)
1936 - .291 Travis Jackson (82 - 46 years)
1935 - .258 Maranville (54 - 19 years)
1916 - .262 Tinker (46)
1918 - .268 Wallace (53)
1917 - .328 Wagner (36)