Lucky Hall of Famer Number 59 - Hal Newhouser

Hal Newhouser pitched for the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians from 1939 through 1955. A six-time all-star, two-time MVP, and four-time 20-game winner, Newhouser finished with 207 wins and a 3.06 career ERA. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1992. 

    Despite the accolades he earned, I believe Newhouser's career was a little short of the Hall's standards. Both of his MVP Awards (including his 1945 Triple Crown) came in the midst of World War II, when many of baseball's best players were serving overseas and inferior players were brought up to replace them. While these seasons are still valid, they need to be properly contextualized, which makes them appear more impressive at face value than they really were. Newhouser did have a spectacular season in 1946 (league-leading 26 wins and 1.94 ERA), but afterward lost effectiveness due to arm trouble. 

    Overall, while he was a fine pitcher, I think Newhouser's career lacks the volume required for the Hall of Fame. Due to his injuries, he was mostly finished by age 30, and he retired at 33 with fewer than 3,000 career innings. He struggled to gain traction with the BBWAA, but found luck with the VC. 

My opinion: Hal Newhouser is probably not a Hall of Famer. 

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