2024 Classic HOF election

[packs]

Put Joe Wood in already. If Dizzy Dean can get in because he won 30 games, then Joe Wood can get in for winning 34, then going 3-1 in the World Series.

There are already at least three men in the HOF for having one incredible season: Hack Wilson, Dizzy Dean, and Jack Chesbro. Smoky Joe Wood's 1912 season was one for the books too.

[Exhibitman]

Frank "Lefty" O'Doul is the greatest eligible position player not in the Hall of Fame. Over 970 games (30 shy of the 1,000 used for official records) from 1919 to 1934, Lefty averaged .349, winning two batting championships and setting the NL record for most hits in a season, which still stands. Not in any way a "homer" like Chuck Klein (whose numbers were greatly aided by playing in a small park in Philly), Lefty hit .352 at home and .347 on the road, proving he belongs among the elite hitters in history. After his days in the majors ended, he returned to the Pacific Coast League, where he was the longtime manager of the San Francisco Seals and later the San Diego and Seattle teams. Lefty was instrumental in organizing Japanese pro baseball, whose premiere team, the Giants, was named in his honor. Lefty is one of only 3 Americans in the Japanese baseball hall of fame. He is also one of the few players to have played for the Yankees, Dodgers and Giants while all 3 were in New York City. Lefty died on December 7, 1969. His epitaph reads "He was here at a good time and had a good time while he was here."

My favorite Lefty piece, a 1949 Sommer & Kaufmann card signed by Lefty:



PSA pop on the card is "0", BTW.

In this postcard, produced by the Mainichi Sports newspaper, Joe DiMaggio and Lefty O'Doul are posed with Japan Baseball superstar and Hall of Famer, Kaoru Betto in a photo taken during the U.S. All Stars' Tour of Japan in 1951



Studio publicity photograph showing Lefty instructing Gary Cooper on how to swing a bat left-handed for the movie "Pride of the Yankees".



He said Cooper played like an old lady and ultimately they ended up shooting the action sequences with Cooper batting righty and running to third base.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by packs

Put Joe Wood in already. If Dizzy Dean can get in because he won 30 games, then Joe Wood can get in for winning 34, then going 3-1 in the World Series.

There are already at least three men in the HOF for having one incredible season: Hack Wilson, Dizzy Dean, and Jack Chesbro. Smoky Joe Wood's 1912 season was one for the books too.

Dizzy Dean had more than one good season. He was the 1934 NL MVP. He finished 2nd in MVP voting in 1935. He finished 2nd in MVP voting in 1936.

[packs]

Originally Posted by rats60

Dizzy Dean had more than one good season. He was the 1934 NL MVP. He finished 2nd in MVP voting in 1935. He finished 2nd in MVP voting in 1936.

He's in the HOF because he won 30 games.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by packs

He's in the HOF because he won 30 games.

He won as many as Koufax. His WAR was only 2 points below Koufax.

[Beercan collector]

Dizzy Dean was an extremely popular and very accommodating to all the writers ,
Shouldn’t make a difference but it surely did .

[rats60]

Originally Posted by packs

He's in the HOF because he won 30 games.

No, he is in the HOF because he was one of the best players in the NL from 1932-36 winning 120 games and receiving MVP votes each year. Then an AS in 1937 with 12 wins at the break, he was injured in the AS game and never was the same after. His five year peak was similar to that of Sandy Koufax. Dean was elected by the BBWAA with 79% of the vote.

Jack Chesbro peaked at 2.2%. Hack Wilson peaked at 38.3%. Joe Wood peaked at 18%. None of those are comparable to Dean.

[packs]

Originally Posted by rats60

No, he is in the HOF because he was one of the best players in the NL from 1932-36 winning 120 games and receiving MVP votes each year. Then an AS in 1937 with 12 wins at the break, he was injured in the AS game and never was the same after. His five year peak was similar to that of Sandy Koufax. Dean was elected by the BBWAA with 79% of the vote.

Jack Chesbro peaked at 2.2%. Hack Wilson peaked at 38.3%. Joe Wood peaked at 18%. None of those are comparable to Dean.

None of this gets around what I said. He finished with 11 more wins than Johan Santana, but with less strikeouts, a lower ERA+ and a lower WAR total. Johan Santana won three ERA titles, a pitching Triple Crown and two Cy Young awards. He didn't make it beyond his first vote. He didn't win 30 games in a single season either.

I also don't see any real relation between Dean's brief peak and Koufax's other than they were brief. Koufax led the league in ERA all five seasons and won three Triple Crowns. Dean did not win any Triple Crowns. Twenty percent of all Dean's wins came in one season.

[shagrotn77]

I know the vote is in December, but does anyone know when the ballot will be released?