After a year hiatus, the HOF rundown is back! Feel free to
disagree and debate…
No Doubt
Bruce
Dellucci – An absolute no-brainer. For the
record, he went 278-145 (3rd) with a 2.84 ERA (top 10) over 3720
innings (top 10). He also struck out 3327 batters (3rd). He went to
an amazing 11 ASG, and won 2 CYA.
Solid chance
Mel Barfield
– An excellent 2B, went to 7 ASGs and won 4 SS and 1 GG. He batted
.313/.371/.514 for an outstanding .885 OPS, and added 512 SB. He scored more
than 1500 R and drove in over 1200. He’s a very respectable candidate and
should garner quite a few votes.
Jamie
Bradley – A true ace, Bradley pitched 3771 innings and won 239
games. Combine that with a 3.49 career ERA and you’ve got someone worth serious
HOF consideration. He never won the CYA and only went to 4 AS games, but he was
the definition of a front-line starter for a very long time. Obviously not in
the Dellucci tier, but a good choice nonetheless.
Miguel
Perez – An intriguing player, Perez is the all-time hits leader who
also contributed with a decent amount of power. He ended up at .299/.393/.467
for an .860 OPS, with 396 HR. His longevity may earn him a HOF slot, with
around 1500 R and RBI, and the 3166 H.
Jimmie
Franco – An absolute masher, Franco posted a career 1.017 OPS with
a .326 AVG! About 2/3rds of his career starts are at C, with the rest at DH.
440 HR, over 1250 RBI and 1100 R. His numbers are certainly HOF worthy, though
his low durability cost him many awards, with 3 ASG and 3 SS.
Hayes Corino
– Another mashing 1B, and another guy who may not quite get in. Excellent
numbers with over 500 HR, 1400 RBI, and a .923 OPS. Might have been a HOFer
with a shade more longevity. He did win 2 MVPs, which is huge, but only went to
4 ASGs.
Coco
Hentgen – Hentgen played most of his career as an above-average
defensive 2B, and really stood out at the position. He hit 463 HR and finished
with a .857 OPS. He won 7 Silver Sluggers in 8 seasons, and went to 4 ASG. He
scored almost 1500 R and drove in almost 1400. He’s a good choice, but a step
behind Barfield for a 2B.
Bud
Wilkins – Wilkins played SS, but not particularly well. But he was
the best hitting SS in the league for quite a while, so that counts for quite a
bit. He ended up at .278/.356/.478 with 338 HR and 310 SB. Almost 2200 H and
around 1300 R and RBI. He went to 5 ASG, won 8 Silver Sluggers at SS and 2 GG
later in RF. I’m not sure he’s quite HOF quality but I wouldn’t be surprised if
he got some support.
Borderline
Abdul
Thomas – Is Thomas the C that finally stands out after a glut of
“almost good enough” catchers? His slash line of .294/.400/.521 certainly fits
the bill, and his longevity is great with over 2000 H, 1100 R and 1200 RBI. He
went to 8 ASG and won 4 SS, so the awards say yes as well.
Clayton
Rollins - Or is it Rollins,
who as a catcher produced .308/.383/.475 for an .858 OPS. He surpasses Thomas
with over 2300 H but is behind with 1188 RBI and 1083 R. He went to 6 ASG and won 3 SS. So he’s
perhaps a tiny step behind Thomas.
Ralph
Daniels – Or perhaps Daniels, with perhaps the highest peak, but
less longevity? He ended with 428 HR and a .295/.357/.556 slash line. He had 5
seasons of .999 OPS or better. But he only had 3 ASG and 1 SS. I’m not sure any
of these guys stand out enough to make it in…
Ariel Cortez
– Very valuable pitcher who pitched over 3600 IP. He also won over 240 games,
good for 5th all-time when he retired. But with his 4.11 ERA he’s a
shade behind HOF quality. 5 All-Star games and 1 CYA.
Stan Coleman
– Played 1B and LF about equally, and had great power. Hit 545 HR and drove in
over 1500 runs. His .888 OPS means he was really excellent, but not quite
elite. 6 ASG, 1 GG, 1 SS.
Dmitri
Stafford – Played roughly even amounts of CF, 2B and LF, and was a
solid defensive contributor. An offensive threat as well, he finished with 417
HR and 306 SB, with a .802 OPS. He also had good longevity, amassing almost
2600 H. He went to 5 ASG and won a GG in LF. He is probably just below HOF
level but may garner a few votes.
Al Cedeno –
Cedeno played SS, 3B and RF, almost 2300 H and 1200 R, .840 OPS. A very good player, but he played in just one
AS game, and a GG in RF, and he’s clearly not quite a HOFer.
Gregg
Ward – Primarily a 3B in his career, Ward put up .270/.328/.503
with 432 HR and 234 SB. He is another player who was a star but perhaps not
quite a HOFer. He did go to 7 ASG, won 2 GG and a SS.
Chuck Coleman
– An above-average SS with big power. He had some major seasons, but not great
longevity – he only played 11 full seasons. He was probably HOF level at his
peak, but didn’t seal the deal. 5 ASG, 1 SS and a late career GG at RF.
Billy
Leary – A corner OF with an .897 OPS is certainly worth
consideration, but he played in the early years when you needed a 1.000 OPS or
better to stand out. A very good player, but not a HOFer. His 415 SB helped
carry him to 5 ASG and he also won 5 SS in RF.
Tomas Barrios – A staff ace who had an excellent career, Barrios
probably falls in the not quite category. He won 209 games and won a CYA, along
with 4 AS appearances. He also logged over 3300 IP. His career 4.01 ERA is very
good, but not HOF quality.
Raul Costilla
– A LF with lots of power (526 HR), but just an .853 OPS for his career. Went
to 3 ASG and won 1 GG and 1 SS. Not quite enough for this HOF.
No Shot
Geraldo
Johnson – Played mostly SS (poorly) and 3B (very well). He had good
longevity, amassing over 2400 H and 452 HR. He was certainly a valuable player,
but his .785 OPS will keep him out of the HOF. He went to 2 ASG, won a GG in
RF, and a Silver Slugger at SS.
Russ Bulger – Played 2/3 of his games at DH, the rest mostly at
C. He had a great peak, but only made one ASG. Finished with 455 HR and a .908
career OPS. Those are certainly valuable numbers, and he’s a very good player,
but short of the HOF.
Pat
Atchley – A 1B with an .881 OPS, 342 HR, less
than 1700 H and only 2 AS appearances, Atchley has no shot at the HOF. His
claim to fame was his one spectacular career year where he won the MVP.
Edgar Berroa – A mediocre defensive 2B who had some longevity,
but nothing spectacular. An .826 OPS with 250 HR and 450 SB is a solid,
valuable player, but hardly a HOF candidate.
3 ASG and 3 SS.
Bobby White
– A nice save total, at 419, but that’s all that’s particularly outstanding
about White. He did pitch a lot, amassing 1400 IP, but with an ERA of 4.08. He
notched 2 Fireman awards, but only 3 All-Star games.
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