All-Snub Team

by adarowski on Jan 10, 2011 11:09 AM EST

Last week, I brought you the One-and-Done All Stars. Let's look at Hall of Fame snubs, strickly by WAR. What would a starting lineup look like?

Catcher: Joe Torre (55.6)
First Base: Jeff Bagwell (79.9)
Second Base: Lou Whitaker (69.7)
Third Base: Ron Santo (66.4)
Shortstop: Bill Dahlen (75.9)
Left Field: Tim Raines (64.6)
Center Field: Jimmy Wynn (59.8)
Right Field: Larry Walker (67.3)
Designated Hitter: Edgar Martinez (67.2)

I see a lot of names from the current ballot (Bagwell, Raines, Walker, Martinez). Who ranks after those guys at each position? Well, behind Bagwell is Pete Rose, Rafael Palmeiro, and Mark McGwire. Down at #5 we have Dick Allen. Behind Raines is Shoeless Joe. After Joe is Sherry Magee. After Walker is Reggie Smith. Behind Edgar Martinez at DH is Brian Downing.

All of this, to me, says we're being more strict about Hall of Fame induction than ever.

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Joe Posnanski actually talked about this...

in his Hall of Fame Recap post. He talks to the Hall of Fame president, who says that he is completely comfortable only electing ~1% of all players from any given era.

I think the president needs to brush up on his math skills, but…it seems that he is perfectly happy with baseball writers acting as moral arbiters.

by jwiscarson on Jan 10, 2011 12:49 PM EST reply actions

How about pitchers?

It was Bert Blyleven.

Now it is (in a fairly tight clump) Rick Reuschel, Tony Mullane (from the 19th century) and Kevin Brown (from this year’s ballot). Maybe that’s why you didn’t mention it because Reuschel doesn’t seem like Hall of Fame material subjectively.

If we look past Bill Dahlen (who started his career in the 19th century), the best non-HOF shortstop according to b-rWAR was Barry Larkin and now is Alan Trammell.

by Detroit Michael on Jan 10, 2011 2:58 PM EST reply actions

Nothing against pitchers...

In fact, Reuschel is a new favorite topic of research. Just happened to be focusing on hitters today. Thanks for adding though.

On Twitter: @baseballtwit

by adarowski on Jan 10, 2011 5:33 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Luis Tiant, Jim Kaat, Ron Guidry, Kevin Brown, Tommy John

Dan Quisenberry as closer

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Jan 10, 2011 6:21 PM EST up reply actions

Oh, Dan.

I try to get him in any post that I can. I totally blew it in this case. :)

On Twitter: @baseballtwit

by adarowski on Jan 10, 2011 9:19 PM EST up reply actions

You need to find a new catcher

Torre shouldn’t be the representative at catcher for this team, seeing as he:
—had almost 60% of his career starts in the field at positions other than C
--had only 1 season (his rookie year) in which he started as many as 2/3 of his team’s games at C
—never caught 1000 innings in a season
--played zero innings at C after his age-29 season

No catcher currently in the Hall of Fame would have even one of those bullet points apply to his career.

Put Ted Simmons in there instead.

by salvomania on Jan 10, 2011 3:15 PM EST reply actions

I have no idea why there are strikethroughs in those two lines

I guess I’m an “accidental html-ist.”

by salvomania on Jan 10, 2011 3:16 PM EST up reply actions

It's when you separate out ideas with dashes. A foible of

the platform.

See Data Differently: Beyond the Box Score | @justinbopp

by Justin Bopp on Jan 10, 2011 3:20 PM EST up reply actions

I hate it.

Use * for bullet points (and let’s see what happens to that one…)

Beyond the Box Score | Facebook | @Sky_Kalkman

by Sky Kalkman on Jan 10, 2011 3:43 PM EST up reply actions

One
Two
Three

See Data Differently: Beyond the Box Score | @justinbopp

by Justin Bopp on Jan 10, 2011 5:15 PM EST up reply actions

Were those bullets created using an asterisk???

by salvomania on Jan 10, 2011 6:49 PM EST up reply actions

that is sweet!!!

Are those bullets via asterisks a standard html feature in a comment box????

by salvomania on Jan 10, 2011 6:50 PM EST up reply actions

No, it’s an SBNation thing.

by tarlinian on Jan 11, 2011 3:20 AM EST up reply actions

Well, he played more than anywhere else.

If he’s not a catcher, then he doesn’t exist.

On Twitter: @baseballtwit

by adarowski on Jan 10, 2011 5:31 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Torre is a good case

But I agree, Simmons is better. I like Trammell as the SS as I see no way he is getting into the HOF through the BBWAA. Vern Stephens was a pretty underrated SS as well.

I think Bagwell gets in eventually, so his replacement at that point will be Dick Allen or Darrell Evans.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Jan 10, 2011 6:19 PM EST up reply actions

Or Will Clark

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Jan 10, 2011 6:22 PM EST up reply actions

Behind Whitaker

Bobby Grich. I can’t believe he didn’t get more support.

Behind Walker – Dwight Evans.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Jan 10, 2011 6:24 PM EST reply actions

I would put Grich #1 ahead of Whitaker, but that's just me.

RU RAH RAH
RU RAH RAH

by Discofever on Jan 10, 2011 7:44 PM EST up reply actions

Does Jimmy Wynn get bonus points for literally getting no HoF support from the writers [he got ZERO votes]. It boggles the mind that such things are even possible. He has the highest career rWAR of any player who got 0 votes from the BBWAA going back to atleast 1980… Runners up in that regard:

Roy White 45 WAR
Andy Van Slyke 42
Ken Singleton 41
Darrell Porter 41
Devon White 41
Amos Otis 40
…

by erosen on Jan 14, 2011 3:47 PM EST reply actions