After 23 seasons of the league, we have quite a few players who have
performed above and beyond their peers and have earned a nomination for the
Hall of Fame. Here I have sorted out the entire list of nominees in ranked
order and have given my assessment to decide who should be immortalized forever
and who should be relegated to distant memory. Some consideration was also
given in the rank order to give older retirees some priority in the hopes that
they get elected before they disappear (The reason Pena moved up to #5 over Marrero at #6).
HALL OF FAMERS (AT LEAST THEY SHOULD BE) – These are the guys who seem
like clear cut choices who deserve to have a plaque.
#1 - J.J. Perez – C
Final Season: 19
Awards: 1 MVP, ROY, 2 SS, 2 GG,
6 AS
Far and away the best all-around catcher in league history and the only one to ever win a
MVP, a GG, and a SS. He has barely
missed making it in every season since he retired and absolutely belongs. His
status as an older draft pick (21) gave him a couple less prime seasons than
some others. Please vote for J.J. before he disappears.
Verdict: Absolute Hall of Famer
Best Vote Count: 15 (S20)
#2 - Earl Jorgensen – 2B/LF
Final Season: 17
Awards: 2 MVP, 6 SS, 5 AS
The story of Earl Jorgensen is essentially split in two. Before his
devastating season long injury in Season 8, he was a 2-time MVP and as a 2B, arguably
the best player in the AL (Best in NL and all MLB being HOFer Jake Clapp). After
season 8, he was still a very good contributor as a LF (or subpar 2B). As a corner
outfielder his numbers would make him a borderline guy, but as someone who
mostly played 2B, his offensive numbers are spectacular and should make him an
easily elected candidate.
Verdict: Hall of Famer
Best Vote Count: 3 (S20)
#3 - Brandon Sutton – DH/1B
Final Season: 19
Awards: 4 SS, 4 AS, 1 WS Ring
The best hitter in Yankee history and the best overall bat among all of
the current class of nominees when taking into account power, average, and
longevity. He is also the #4 all-time leader in runs created. His lower
durability lessened his playing time causing him to just miss on some of the
magic career numbers, but would be in the conversation of best all-time lefty
hitters not named Hutton or Marte. He was a six-time MVP candidate, finishing
second 5 times. Call me a homer if you wish, but he looks like a sure fire HOFer
to me.
Verdict: Hall of Famer
Best Vote Count: 1st
Time Nominee (Waited to nominate him until he was a Top 5 candidate I could
endorse)
#4 - Francisco Guillen – 3B
Final Season: 18
Awards: 3 SS, 5 AS, 1 WS Ring
Great switch-hitting 3B who was a lifetime Yankee. Elected as the all
first decade team 3B and in the conversation with Doug Stewart as the best 3B
of all time. Has barely missed election every season since eligible and belongs
in the Hall.
Verdict: Hall of Famer
Best Previous Vote: 15 (S19)
#5 - Miguel Pena – CF/2B
Final Season: 18
Awards: 2 SS, 2 GG (1 CF, 1 2B), 6 AS, 1 WS Ring
A superb defensive player who also had a very potent bat. Did gain some benefit from playing almost exclusively at offense friendly home parks, but his combination of offense and defense was a rare talent. He is similar, yet a slight downgrade from the legendary Damian Chen.
Verdict: Hall of Famer
Best Vote Count: 6 (S22)
#6 - Juan Marrero – CF/2B
Final Season: 20
Awards: 5 SS, 7 AS, 2 WS Rings
Was a spectacular offensive performer at a premium defensive position.
Spending 60% of his career in pitching friendly St. Louis put a significant dent
in his career power numbers which are still very impressive.
Verdict: Hall of Famer
Best Vote Count: 4 (S20)
#7 - Hiram Abbott - 1B
Final Season: 23
Awards: 1 MVP, 5 SS, 1 AS
A great hitter who had all but his final season in pitching friendly
home ball parks, but was still able to put up nine seasons of being a top tier
offensive threat, two of which were superstar level. Was an older draft pick
(21), which diminishes his total career numbers. The biggest knock people might
have on him is his lack of hardware, but this is the result of playing in the
golden era of NL 1B (Dee Dee Hutton, Kevin Marte, Pedro Garrido, Pascual Martin),
but a career .410 OBP (a number that would annually be close to league leading)
is outstanding.
Verdict: Hall of Famer
Best Previous Vote: 1st Time Nominee
BORDERLINE CANDIDATES – These are guys who have had quite a career but
there are just going to be people on both sides of the discussion over their
candidacy.
#8 - Guy Cunningham – RF/1B
Final Season: 19
Awards: 3 SS, 6 AS, 3 GG (1B), 1
WS Ring
Excellent hitter who played almost his entire career in neutral Yankee
Stadium. Had a long career of sustained excellence as none of his 17 seasons
vary significantly from his career averages (.304/.363/.524).
Verdict: Probably belongs in but
definitely the “Chris Bosh” of the Yankee glory years Big 3
Best Previous Vote: 9 (S20)
#9 - Hersh Taylor – 1B
Final Season: 23
Awards: 1 MVP, 3 SS, 4 AS
Was a very good power hitter who played all of his home games in home
run suppressing ballparks. Missed at least one prime season from being brought
up slowly. His defensive skills were best suited for DH so unfortunately, he
made quite a few poor plays during his time in the field.
Verdict: He plays in neutral parks and he probably loses borderline status, so I think he should be in.
Best Vote Count: 0
#10 - Douglas Carpenter – RF
Final Season: 20
Awards: 1 MVP, 5 SS, 9 AS, 2 WS
Rings
An excellent hitter who spent the majority of his career in hitting
friendly ballparks. Had some spectacular seasons in Cinci so his homerun total
was given a significant boost from Riverfront. RF was a relatively thin
position during most of his career, assisting in the award totals. He is a
tough call.
Verdict: Tough call with his big home park benefit. I am still on the fence.
Best Previous Vote: 5 (S20)
#11 - Bernard Springer – C/DH
Final Season: 17
Awards: 2 SS, 7 AS
One of the most feared right handed bats of all time. His defense was
unremarkable at best and his lower durability did not allow him to play more
than about ¾ of each season. With his low durability and the late start to his
career, it decreased his career output to put him in the borderline category,
but there was not very many better with regard to per AB production.
Verdict: I thought he was pretty
much our closest equivalent to Mike Piazza, but he has not generated any
support to this point which is why he falls so low.
Best Vote Count: 0
#12 - Kordell Becker – SP
Final Season: 23
Awards: 3 AS, 4 GG
A pitcher who teased many a GM with many performances that never quite
lived up to the hype surrounding how good his “stuff” was. He did have some
great seasons, but he also had a few too many above average and mediocre
seasons to have a clear cut case. Of his 18 mostly complete seasons, I would
classify 8 as excellent, 5 as above average, 3 as mediocre, and 2 as terrible.
Verdict: Hard to elect a SP
without a Cy and I don’t think he quite did enough.
Best Previous Vote: 1st
Time Nominee
#13 - Pedro Garrido – 1B
Final Season: 15
Awards: 1 MVP, ROY, 2 SS, 2 AS,
1 WS Ring
Great hitter who burst onto the scene at the end of Season 1 as a fully
developed player who went straight from the Dominican Republic to the Majors.
He did get a boost from hitter friendly Veteran’s Stadium for most of his prime
and got overshadowed by Hutton and Marte. He lost some career numbers as he did
not get his first full season until he was 25. If he would have come to the US
as a teenager, he would likely already have a plaque, but as it is he has not
been able to generate any support with his borderline candidacy.
Verdict: Put up lots of Hall
quality numbers, but the short career is likely his undoing.
Best Previous Vote: 0
#14 - Valerio Guillen – 1B
Final Season: 17
Awards: 1 MVP, 1 SS, 1 GG, 4 AS
Superb hitter who missed some seasons as he was already in his prime at
league inception. A guy who would have been a serious candidate with a few more
seasons on the books, but just didn’t have quite enough to garner support.
Verdict: A woulda-coulda HOFer
if the league started 5 seasons earlier.
Best Vote Count: 1 (S19)
#15 - Bingo Miller – 2B/LF
Final Season: 22
Awards: 2 SS, 8 AS, 1 GG (LF), 3
WS Rings
A very good hitter and a great OBP guy with solid power for a 2B. Had a
slow start to his career trying to break in to the lineup on a loaded Yankees
squad which decreased his career totals. Impressive numbers for a 2B but not sure
that it was quite enough.
Verdict: Terrific OBP guy who
gets in with a couple more prime years.
Best Vote Count: 0
#16 - Sam Kubinski – 2B
Final Season: 18
Awards: 2 SS (2B), 1 AS
Was a great slugger for a 2B and had some outstanding seasons. He did
not have quite enough or did not do enough of anything else that well to merit
any serious consideration.
Verdict: Homers are great to get
from a 2B, but not a good enough all around player
Best Vote Count: 1 (S19)
#17 - Morris Houston – RP
Final Season: 19
Awards: 1 Fireman, 7 AS
A superb short reliever who had his best seasons in extreme pitching
friendly Petco. While his numbers are outstanding, the home park effects and
the status as a short reliever are massive obstacles to his election.
Verdict: A one-inning guy has to
be dominant, a one-inning guy pitching mostly in Petco has to be Vic Castillo
good.
Best Vote Count: 1 (S20)
#18 - Bing Miles – LF/1B
Final Season: 19
Awards: 1 AS, 1 WS Ring
The leading singles hitter of all-time who hit for a decent batting
average but only had the one skill.
Verdict: If it were the singles
hitting Hall of Fame, I would be the first one to vote for him.
Best Vote Count: 2
Not on the Radar – These guys had decent careers but did not do nearly
enough to warrant more than a homer vote and any vote for them has as much as
value as a vote for a third party presidential candidate.
#19 - Chad Seabol – RF/2B
Awards: 1 GG (RF), 1 SS, 2 AS
Mysteriously played RF when he had the skills to do so and then moved
to 2B later in his career after he lost some range and didn’t do very well. Was
a good slugger who might have had a chance if he had been a 2B in his prime and
then moved to LF later. As a COF, he comes up short.
Verdict: Not on the Radar
Best Vote Count: 2 (S18)
#20 - Alejandro Vazquez – SP
Awards: 1 GG, 2 AS
An above average pitcher with a long career. Not close to the level of
sustained greatness for Hall consideration.
Verdict: Not on the Radar
Best Vote Count: 1st
Season Nominated
#21 - Gene Simms – C
Awards: 5 SS, 7 AS, 3 WS Rings
Was a solid offensive contributor to some powerful A’s teams with
adequate defensive skills. With his offensive output, he would have had to be a
brilliant defensive wizard to warrant consideration.
Verdict: Not on the Radar
Best Vote Count: 0
#22 - Jolbert Lopez - LF
Awards: 5 SS, 9 AS
Had quite a few very good seasons, but not enough and not special
enough to merit any support.
Verdict: Not on the Radar
Best Vote Count: 0
#23 - Ken Upshaw – RP
Awards: 7 AS, 2 WS Rings
Was a very good relief pitcher for quite a few seasons but had far more
seasons that would be considered simply above average and not nearly enough
that were great.
Verdict: Not on the Radar
Best Vote Count: 1 (S21)
#24 - James Hutton – RP
Awards: 2 Fireman, 7 AS
Was a very good reliever for a number of years in mostly pitching
friendly locations. With the home park effects and low number of innings, he
was not outstanding enough to garner any serious Hall consideration.
Verdict: Not on the Radar
Best Vote Count: 2 (S20)
#25 - Ismael Lopez – SS
Awards: 1 SS, 4 AS, 1 GG (RF), 1
WS Ring
If he had been a good fielding SS, then those offensive numbers would
be impressive, but with a lifetime of 15 + plays and 24 - plays at SS, it just
is not enough.
Verdict: Not on the Radar
Best Vote Count: 0
#26 - Tom Tucker – 3B
Awards: 1 SS, 1 GG, 1 AS
Was an above average defensive 3B and an above average hitter, but
nothing that remarkable or close to HOF worthy.
Verdict: Not on the Radar
Best Vote Count: 1st
Season Nominated
#27 - Eric Roosevelt – RF
Awards: 3 AS
For the most part, Eric was a homer or nothing guy and didn’t do
anything else particularly well.
Verdict: Not on the Radar
Best Vote Count: 0
#28 - Bo Whitaker – SP
Awards: 2 AS
Had 3 very good seasons in a barely above average lengthy career. Can
get into the Hall if he buys a ticket to visit.
Verdict: Not on the Radar
Best Vote Count: 1st
Season Nominated
#29 - Felipe Oropesa – C
Awards: 1 SS, 7 AS
A good catcher but by no means Hall worthy.
Verdict: Not on the Radar
Best Vote Count: 0
Current Rank:
WASTE OF OUR TIME – These guys had relatively unremarkable careers and
really have no business taking up space on a HOF ballot.
#30 - Sammy Arias – CF
Awards: ROY, 4 AS
A valuable power bat at a premium defensive position, but not really a
stand out performer in either category.
Verdict: Waste of Ballot Space
Best Previous Vote: 1st Time Nominee
#31 - Jerry Kaline – 3B
Awards: 1 SS, 2 AS, 1 WS Ring
Was an above average 3B with a decent career, but does not belong
anywhere near this list.
Verdict: Waste of ballot space
#32 - Damion Stock – 2B
Awards: 1 SS, 1 GG, 2 AS
A decent 2B with great base stealing skill, but overall just an above
average player.
Verdict: Waste of Ballot Space
Best Vote Count: 0
#33 - Warren Justice – SP
Awards: 1 GG, 3 AS
An above average starting pitcher with no business being on the ballot.
Verdict: Waste of ballot space
#34 - Raul Astacio – RP
Awards: 1 Fireman, 6 AS
An above average one inning closer who made all-star teams because
Simmy loves saves.
Verdict: Waste of ballot space
Best Previous Vote: 1 (S18) (That one vote is a hardcore homer vote!)
#35 - Wascar Martinez – SP
Awards: 1 AS, 1 WS Ring
An above average pitcher with no business being on the ballot.
Verdict: Waste of Ballot Space
Best Vote Count: 1 (S18) (This
homer vote is beyond crazy!)
#36 - Rico Herrera – SP
Awards: 2 AS
At his best he was above average, at his worst he was horrid, and
overall he wasn’t much more than a league average starting pitcher who had a
decent length career.
Verdict: Waste of Ballot Space
Best Vote Count: 0
#178 (There has to be around that many better retired players) - John
McCall – RP
Awards: 1 Fireman, 2 AS, 1 WS
Ring
An average relief pitcher who does not belong.
Verdict: Waste of Ballot Space
Best Vote Count: 0
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