Lucky Hall of Famer Number 58 - Dave Bancroft

    A National League shortstop whose career spanned from 1915 through 1930, Dave Bancroft was a successful player in his day, winning two World Series with the New York Giants in 1921 and 1922. He was best known for his defense, leading NL shortstops in fielding twice, putouts four times, assists three times, and double plays three times. A career .279 hitter, Bancroft tallied 2,004 hits over his career. 

    Overall, Bancroft has a rather weak case for the Hall of Fame. His bat was mediocre (98 OPS+), and while he was a strong fielder at an important defensive position, he was inferior to the other defense-first shortstops in the Hall, such as Ozzie Smith, Luis Aparicio, and contemporary Rabbit Maranville (who I also consider a lucky Hall of Famer). In addition, he was often caught stealing, batted .172 in four World Series, and played fewer than 2,000 career games, leaving him with rather weak counting stats (including 591 RBI's). In my opinion, his career seems to be lacking the necessary credentials set forth by the Hall. 

    While he was a very good player, most people did not consider Bancroft a Hall of Famer until decades after his career ended. While he never surpassed 16.2% of the vote on any of his first 15 Hall of Fame ballots, he was inducted by the Veterans Committee in 1971, spearheaded by former teammates Bill Terry and Frankie Frisch, who gained infamy in the 1970's by inducting many former teammates whose careers were clearly undeserving. As part of that trend, Bancroft is very lucky to be in the Hall of Fame. 

My opinion: Dave Bancroft is not a Hall of Famer. 

Lucky Hall of Famer Number 57 - Edd Roush

Edd Roush was a Major League centerfielder from 1913 through 1931, most notably with the Reds and the Giants. A two-time batting champion and lifetime .323 hitter, Roush was known as a strong defender and had the unusual ability to make outfield throws with both arms. He was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1962. 

    While Roush was a fine player, in my opinion he falls a little short of the Hall's standards. Other than his two Batting Titles, he rarely topped his league in offense, leading once each in doubles, triples, and slugging percentage. He also played fewer than 2,000 career games, leaving his overall counting stats a little thin. In addition, Roush was frequently caught stealing, cutting heavily into his baserunning value. While his defense was very good and his 126 OPS+ is solid, they don't stand out enough to make up for his lack of volume. 

My opinion: Edd Roush is probably not a Hall of Famer. 

Requiescat In Pace, Bobby Cox

In Memoriam

Bobby Cox (1941-2026)

Hall of Famer, 29 years as a manager from 1978-2010. 4x Manager of the Year, 5x NL Pennant winner, manager of 1995 World Series champion Braves. 2,504 wins are 4th-most all-time. 16 postseason appearances are most all-time.

Bobby Cox passed away yesterday at age 84. 

Eternal rest grant to him, Oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. 

Image and tribute courtesy of baseball-reference.com

The Debate About Jim Rice

In 1995, Jim Rice made his debut on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot. He would remain on the ballot for 15 years, sparking one of the loudest Hall of Fame debates of all time. In one sense, the debate ended in 2009, when he squeaked out 76.4% of the vote to gain entry in his last year of eligibility. In another sense, it continues to this day. The debate is not merely about Jim Rice; it is about the old systems of player evaluation against the new. 

During his career, Jim Rice seemed like a sure-fire Hall of Famer. A three time home run champion, eight time all-star, and 1978 American League MVP, he routinely captured people's attention. Rice certainly has strong traditional stats: a .298 / .352 / .502 slash line, 382 career homers, 1,451 RBI's, and 2,452 hits. In his only World Series (1986), he batted .333 with six walks in a losing cause. To most people of his day, Rice was considered Hall-worthy. 

And then Bill James and his sabermetrics hit the scene in the mid-1990's. 

Right when Rice was making his debut with the BBWAA, James was starting to make a name for himself, and all throughout Rice's time on the ballot, new sabermetrics were popping up that seemed to devalue his career. The advanced statistics heavily penalized Rice for not walking and for hitting into double plays. And Rice did hit into a lot of double plays - 315 of them, eighth on the all-time list, leading the Majors every year from 1982 through 1985 - which really undercuts his value. 

In addition, Rice did not walk much: only 6.6% of the time unintentionally. His high batting average somewhat makes up for his lack of walks, giving him a .352 OBP, a respectable number but not one that particularly stands out. 

On the defensive side, Rice had decent fielding percentages, but was revealed by James to have below average range in leftfield (2.16 RF/9). He also made over 500 starts as a designated hitter, which further ate into his value. 

In terms of WAR (the king of the advanced stats), Rice sits at 47.7 for his career, including -8.0 on defense. Typically, the advanced statisticians expect Hall of Famers to fit between the 60-70 range or higher. In short, the new statistics did not like Rice as a Hall of Fame candidate. 

What should we think of all this? Is Jim Rice deserving of his Hall of Fame plaque? Are the new statistics truly superior to the old, or is this a case where conventional wisdom wins the day? 

A Tribute To Garret Anderson

Yesterday, the Angels announced the passing of Garret Anderson at age 53. 

A leftfielder whose career spanned from 1994 to 2010, Anderson spent 15 of his 17 seasons with the Angels, holding franchise records for most career hits and games played. He was the runner-up for AL Rookie of the Year in 1995 and was a key contributor to the team's lone World Series victory in 2002, driving in the winning runs in Game 7. All told, Anderson compiled 2,529 hits, 522 doubles, 287 home runs, 1,365 RBI's, and a .293 batting average. He was inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame in 2016. 

A quiet and unassuming player, Anderson was a consistent presence in the Angels' lineup during the franchise's golden years. Despite modest accolades, he rarely missed a game and could be counted on for a big hit in a key situation. He will be sorely missed. 

Eternal rest grant to him, Oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. 

Requiescat In Pace, Bill Mazeroski

In Memoriam

Bill Mazeroski (1936-2026)

Hall of Fame second baseman. Played 17 seasons in the majors, all with the Pirates. Won 8 Gold Gloves. A ten-time NL All-Star. All-time leader in double plays turned as a second baseman. Won two World Series, and is the only player to hit a walk-off home run in Game Seven of the World Series.

Bill Mazeroski passed away yesterday at the age of 89. 

Eternal rest grant to him, Oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. 

Image and tribute courtesy of baseball-reference.com

2026 Hall Of Fame Ballot Results

The BBWAA's annual Hall of Fame voting results have been released. 

Carlos Beltran - 84.2% of the vote 

Andruw Jones - 78.4% 

Chase Utley - 59.1% 

Andy Pettitte - 48.5% 

Felix Hernandez - 46.1% 

Alex Rodriguez - 40.0% 

Manny Ramirez - 38.8% (aged off ballot) 

Bobby Abreu - 30.8% 

Jimmy Rollins - 25.4% 

Cole Hamels - 23.8% 

Dustin Pedroia - 20.7% 

Mark Buehrle - 20.0% 

Omar Vizquel - 18.4% 

David Wright - 14.8% 

Francisco Rodriguez - 11.8% 

Torii Hunter - 8.7% 

Dropoffs From Future Ballots 

Ryan Braun - 3.5% 

Edwin Encarnacion - 1.4% 

Shin-Soo Choo - 0.7% 

Matt Kemp - 0.5% 

Hunter Pence - 0.5% 

Rick Porcello - 0.5% 

Alex Gordon - 0.2% 

Nick Markakis - 0.2% 

Gio Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick, Daniel Murphy - 0% 

After several ballots each, Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones were elected by the BBWAA this year. While I am pleased with the induction of Jones, a ten-time Gold Glove centerfielder who hit 434 home runs, I frankly do not think Beltran deserves his plaque. Due to his involvement in the Houston Astros' sign-stealing plot in 2017, one of the worst scandals in baseball history and one that cost him a managing job, I do not believe he is worthy of immortality in Cooperstown. However, I realize that his career record is among the greatest of all time, and that it already was before the scandal. Despite him struggling to get into the Hall on his first three ballots, the BBWAA has proven lenient enough to bypass the incident and focus on the many good things he did in his career. While I ultimately disagree with the voters' decision, I must congratulate Beltran for earning their favor. 

With Beltran's election, the door swings wide for a candidate like Dustin Pedroia, who may or may not have been guilty, but was also part of a team that was nailed for illegal sign stealing. After debuting at 11.9% last year, Pedroia climbed over 20% this year and has an outside shot at induction. Although he played his last full season at age 33 and has meager counting statistics, the 2008 MVP was one of the greatest defensive second basemen of all time and maintained a .300 career batting average until his final seven games. Pedroia should be an intriguing candidate in the coming years. 

At 59.1% on his third ballot, Chase Utley is quickly becoming a likely candidate for induction, perhaps even in the next year or two. A six-time all-star and postseason hero for the Phillies, the slugging second baseman has a compelling case for the Hall of Fame. 

After middling on the ballot for six years, Andy Pettitte jumped to 27.9% in 2025 and 48.5% this year, making him a legitimate candidate for induction. While I personally would not vote for him, he is the winner of 256 games (plus 19 more in the postseason) and five World Series rings, making him an attractive candidate to many voters. 

After debuting at 20.6% last year, Felix Hernandez garnered a surprising 46.1% of the vote in 2026, a second-year tally which has historically bidden well for players. While I believe Hernandez's career is short of the Hall's standards (169-136 record, 3.42 ERA in 2,729 2/3 innings), he seems to be gaining the necessary traction that would lead to his induction. 

Similarly, Cole Hamels debuted with 23.8%, slightly higher than Hernandez's first-year total. Although Hamels's career was more consistent and less spectacular than Hernandez's, their career numbers are nearly identical, and given the outcomes of their respective ballots, it seems clear that the BBWAA's criteria for starting pitchers are changing. 

Although still only at 30.8%, Bobby Abreu jumped from 19.5% on last year's ballot, meaning he may still have a shot at a plaque. A consistent star who performed mostly under the radar, Abreu is one of the best players on the current ballot and has been for years. 

Finally, it is time to say goodbye to Manny Ramirez, who was aged off his tenth and final ballot. Despite 555 career home runs, the Hall has once again shown that it will not cave to steroid users.