Baseball Hall of Fame Needs to Change 5 Percent Rule (NYT article)

Interesting perspective on HoF voting. The Grich vs Carew argument in particular is thought provoking...

about 3 years ago ballhawk 5 comments 0 recs |

Comments

Grich is a "feared slugger"?

I realize he played in a lower-offense era, but he hit more than 22 HR exactly once. (Yes, I know he would have hit more in ’81, the strike season, when he had 22). 1981 was the only year in which he led his league in any significant category.

He had only 1833 career hits. Yes, he was a key part of five playoff teams — all of whom lost the ALCS.

He’s basically Mark Grace with a little more power and a little lower average. And Grace isn’t a Hall of Famer either.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Dec 21, 2008 3:34 PM CST reply actions

Grace

While I tend to agree on Grace, there is an interesting stat that points to his long-term success: he had the most hits of any batter in the 1990s. Every other player who has led a decade in hits is enshrined, except for Pete Rose.

by ChipSet on Dec 22, 2008 6:20 PM CST up reply actions

That's what Bill James would have called "a freak-show stat".

All you need for that is to be a reasonably good hitter and play a lot.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Dec 22, 2008 7:46 PM CST up reply actions

Really?

1980’s hit leader was Willie Wilson (http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/historical/player_stats.jsp?teamPosCode=all&statType=1&timeFrame=1&Submit=Submit&c_id=mlb&subScope=teamCode&sitSplit=&baseballScope=mlb&timeSubFrame=1980&timeSubFrame=1981&timeSubFrame=1982&timeSubFrame=1983&timeSubFrame=1984&timeSubFrame=1985&timeSubFrame=1986&timeSubFrame=1987&timeSubFrame=1988&timeSubFrame=1989&&sortByStat=H) who’s rightfully not in the Hall. I didn’t go back further from there, though, so maybe everyone else is…except, as you mentioned, Rose. In any case, Grace would need a much better argument to have a realistic shot at it…

by MarchHare on Dec 23, 2008 3:12 PM CST up reply actions

Meh

In general, I lean more toward broadening the standards for the Hall of Fame. I think the writers have shown themselves to be fickle, spiteful and even lazy in their voting. I do not trust their judgement.

But there DOES need to be a limit. 5 percent is as good a number as any.

The worst beer I had was pretty good.

by Worf on Dec 22, 2008 8:39 AM CST reply actions