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Old 05-18-2008, 10:21 PM
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Default Who is the one player who most deserves to be in the HOF?

Posted By: Misunderestimated (Brian H.)

Not to be a stickler but...
Hank O'Day was a terrible player -- he only gets in as a Umpire.
Babe Herman is already in the HOF (I'm pretty sure)

That said I'd go with (from different time periods) the following:

1870s-80s - Deacon White (Will White's brother btw)
(Bobby Caruthers too but his career was short, mid-1880's-early 1890's) I could go on about this era. . . Stovey, Gore, Mullane etc.

1890s-1900s - Bill Dahlen

1910's-20s - Carl Mays (will never happen)

1930's Seriously over-represented -- O'Doul probably belongs but his playing alone doesn't do it given the hyper-inflated stats of the era and relatively short career (ie not big enough career numbers)

1940's-50s I like Minnie Minoso but again that's based on more than his major league numbers -- I don't think that those numbers standing alone make him that big an ommission. Btw: Curt Flood may belong but his on the field prowess isn't the reason.

1960's-70s - Ron Santo (the most under-represented position, a great hitter and a great fielder)

1970s-80s - Used to be Gossage (Rice will likely get in but I'd prefer Blyleven)

More recent - Tim Raines (unfair to compare him w/ Henderson -- if Henderson was the standard there would be less than 60 players in now).

Barry Larkin is coming on the ballot next year and I think he won't do well but he's among the best ever at his position -- a really complete player, too.
As to the really tough ones --- Rose and the current performance enhancement candidates, Palmeiro, McGwire and later Bonds and Clemens eventually baseball will have to make its peace with them. I suppose that Sammy Sosa will be treated similarly purely based on suspicion (yes I think he used) Suspicion really is a poor basis for excluding a player with those numbers that supposedly helped rescue the game in 1998)

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