WHY I THINK FRANK HOWARD SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

 WHY I THINK FRANK HOWARD SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

By- Damien 

Frank Howard was among the greatest sluggers of his era, which was an era that included Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Harmon Killebrew and Hank Aaron. He retired with the most career home runs as a member of any Washington, D.C. team in baseball history, and additionally hit 40 or more home runs three years in a row and had ten seasons with over 20 home runs. Frank Howard started his career with the Dodgers by batting a mediocre .241 in eight games in 1958 but got two hits, including a home run, on his MLB debut. He batted .143 in nine games in 1959 but won the 1960 NL Rookie of the Year Award for his .268 batting average and 23 home runs. Howard batted .296 with 15 home runs in only 92 games in 1961, the season dominated by the great home run race in the AL. He returned in 1962 to bat .296 again with 31 home runs and 119 RBI’s and hit .273 with 28 home runs in 123 games in 1963, when his Dodgers won their second straight pennant and the World Series. Howard fell really badly to .226 and 24 homers in 1964, which is not at all Hall of Fame worthy, and was traded to the replacement Washington Senators, but regrouped with his new team in 1965 to bat .289 with 21 homers. He batted .278 with 18 home runs in 1966 and doubled his homer output to 36 in 1967. In 1968, the “Year of the Pitcher” where the AL batted .237 as a whole, Howard batted .274 and led the AL with 44 homers, 330 total bases, and a .552 slugging percentage. Howard came back in the summer of 1969 to bat .296 with 48 homers and 111 RBI’s and set the Senators’ record for hits in a season (175). He batted .283 in 1970 and led the AL in homers, RBI’s, and walks before falling to .279 and 26 homers in 1971. Howard’s 1972 season saw him swat ten longballs in 109 games between the Rangers, who had just changed their name, and the Tigers. He batted .256 with a dozen longballs in roughly half a season in 1973 with Detroit and retired. Frank Howard was a great slugger who could hit high enough for a .273 lifetime average and was graceful enough in the field to capture a fielding title in 1967. He deserves a high spot in Cooperstown. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS

Games career: 1,895 season high: 161 in 1969 and 1970 

At Bats career: 6,488 season high: 598 in 1968 

Hits career: 1,774 season high: 175 in 1969 

Doubles career: 245 season high: 28 in 1968 

Triples career: 35 season high: 6 in 1962 and 1965 

Home Runs career: 382 season high: 48 in 1969 led AL: 44 in 1968 and 1970 

Runs career: 864 season high: 111 in 1969
Runs Batted In career: 1,119 season high: 126 in 1970 led AL: 126 in 1970 

Stolen Bases career: 8 season high: 1 in 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1972 

Walks career: 782 season high: 132 in 1970 led AL: 132 in 1970 

Strikeouts career: 1,460 season high: 155 in 1967 led AL: 155 in 1967 

Batting Average career: .273 season high: .296 in 1962 and 1969 

On Base Percentage career: .352 season high: .416 in 1970 

Slugging Percentage career: .499 season high: .574 in 1969 led AL: .552 in 1968 

Total Bases career: 3,235 season high: 340 in 1969 led AL: 330 in 1968, 340 in 1969 

Sacrifice Hits career: 7 season high: 2 in 1960 and 1963 

Fielding Percentage career: .978 season high: .993 in 1971 led AL LF: .986 in 1967 

Double Plays career: 213 season high: 44 in 1972 led AL LF: 4 in 1970 

Putouts career: 4,412 season high: 521 in 1972 

Assists career: 277 season high: 65 in 1971 

DID YOU KNOW?

-nicknamed “Hondo”, “The Washington Monument”, and “The Capital Punisher” 

-drove in two runs on his MLB debut 

-was a four time all-star and homered in the 1969 all-star game

-led the AL in extra-base hits and home run percentage in 1968 

-once hit a legitimate bunt triple

-led AL leftfielders in games (138) in 1965 

-led the AL in intentional walks in 1970 (29) and 1971 (20) 

-was the July 1962 NL Player of the month with a dozen homers and 41 RBI’s 

-finished fourth in the AL MVP voting in 1969, fifth in 1970, eighth in 1968 and 29th in 1965 

-finished ninth in the NL MVP voting in 1962 

-batted .300 with a double and a home run in the 1963 World Series 

-hit 15 home runs off of eight different Hall of Fame pitchers 

-homered in six straight games from May 12-18, 1968, finishing the week with a record ten homers in only 20 at bats 

-also played 334 games at first base, 165 as a pinch hitter and, 76 as a DH 

-went 93-133 (.412) as a manager 

-coached seven MLB clubs from 1977 through 1999

WHY I THINK CLAUDE RITCHEY SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

 WHY I THINK CLAUDE RITCHEY SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

By- Damien 

Claude Ritchey was quite the defensive second baseman, as he won five fielding titles there and had a career fielding average 11 points above the league average. Ritchey also played a capable shortstop, but was mostly the second sacker. He could also hit quite well, accumulating a lifetime batting average of .273 with over 150 stolen bases. Claude Ritchey started his career with the Cincinnati Reds in 1897 and batted .282. Traded to the Louisville Colonels, he had his first .300 season two years later. In 1900, the Colonels traded him to the Pirates in one of the worst deals in baseball history, as they also traded away such stars as Honus Wagner, Fred Clarke, Tommy Leach, Deacon Phillippe, Chief Zimmer and Ritchey for three players and cash. Ritchey was developing into the finest all around second baseman in baseball, as he batted no lower than .277 until 1904. He slumped to marks a bit under .270 in his next three seasons and was dealt over to the Boston Doves for the 1907 season. He continued his fine fielding ways in Boston but was not the hitter that he used to be. After a .255 season Ritchey revitalized a bit with a .273 mark in 1908 but played in only 30 games in his final season of 1909, before being released. Claude Ritchey was the finest fielding second baseman of the dead ball era and a great hitter for a middle infielder. For all of his hits and all of the hits that he saved in the field, he belongs in Cooperstown. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS

Games career: 1,672 season high: 156 in 1904 led NL: 156 in 1904 

At Bats career: 5,923 season high: 551 in 1898 

Hits career: 1,619 season high: 162 in 1899 

Doubles career: 216 season high: 29 in 1905 

Triples career: 68 season high: 12 in 1904 

Home Runs career: 18 season high: 5 in 1898 

Runs career: 709 season high: 79 in 1904 

Runs Batted In career: 675 season high: 74 in 1901 

Stolen Bases career: 155 season high: 21 in 1899 

Walks career: 607 season high: 68 in 1906 

Strikeouts career: 290 season high: 36 in 1904 

Batting Average career: .273 season high: .300 in 1899 

On Base Percentage career: .348 season high: .370 in 1897 and 1902 

Slugging Percentage career: .342 season high: .381 in 1903 

Total Bases career: 2,025 season high: 204 in 1899 

Sacrifice Hits career: 224 season high: 31 in 1898 led NL: 31 in 1898 

Fielding Percentage career: .952 season high: .971 in 1907 led NL 2B: .966 in 1902 and 1906, .961 in 1903 and 1905, .971 in 1907 

Double Plays career: 619 season high: 59 in 1905 and 1906 led NL 2B: 53 in 1901, 59 in 1905, 46 in 1908 

Putouts career: 3,841 season high: 379 in 1899 

Assists career: 4,958 season high: 484 in 1904 led NL 2B: 392 in 1901, 460 in 1903 

DID YOU KNOW?

-nicknamed “Little All Right” 

-was a switch hitter 

-despite a low overall batting average, he hit a double, stole a base and drew four walks in the 1903 World Series 

-fielded perfectly in the 1903 World Series (five double plays, 20 putouts, 29 assists) 

-was the hardest batter to strike out in the NL in 1908 

-stole 15 or more bases in a season five times 

-led NL second basemen in games in 1901 (139), 1903 (137) and 1904 (156) 

-also played 23 games in the outfield and eight as a pinch hitter 

-had over 300 putouts in a season seven times and over 400 assists six times 

-among MLB second basemen, ranks 42nd in career games, 37th in putouts and 40th in assists 

WHY I THINK GINGER BEAUMONT SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

 WHY I THINK GINGER BEAUMONT SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

By- Damien 

Ginger Beaumont was always unappreciated. Who thinks that keeping a 1902 NL batting title winner, a four time league leader in hits, a seven time .300 hitter out of the Hall of Fame is a good idea? Clearly, there is a problem there. It is true that he played a lot with Hall of Famers Honus Wagner and Fred Clarke, plus the great Tommy Leach, so he was rarely the best player on his team, and that was certainly one of the reasons why he never got in. Ginger Beaumont was as good a leadoff hitter as anyone who ever set foot on a baseball field. He was also an excellent defensive centerfielder with a lot of speed to spare. Ginger Beaumont started his career with the Pirates in 1899 and showed that he was a dangerous hitter as there was in baseball, as he batted a robust .352 as a rookie. He slowed to .279 in 1900 but had another great year in 1901 when he recorded a .332 batting mark. An instant hit with the fans, he captured his only batting championship in 1902. Beaumont continued to shine in 1903 when he batted .341 and helped the Pirates to the World Series. One of the biggest reasons for their defeat was that the Boston pitchers limited him to a .265 batting average during the Series. Beaumont had two more .300 seasons before he hit a dead end in 1906. Limited to only 80 games during the season, Pittsburg (the “h” wasn’t added until 1911) assumed that he was washed up and traded him to the Boston Braves. Beaumont surprised everybody in 1907 when he hit .322 but didn’t top the .270 mark again for the rest of his career. He retired after batting .267 in 76 games in 1910. Ginger Beaumont was one of the finest leadoff batters in the history of baseball, a fine centerfielder and a gifted baserunner. He certainly had the skills to be a Hall of Famer. If only he were ever appreciated. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS

Games career: 1,463 season high: 153 in 1904 led NL: 141 in 1903 

At Bats career: 5,660 season high: 615 in 1904 led NL: 613 in 1903, 615 in 1904 

Hits career: 1,759 season high: 209 in 1903 led NL: 193 in 1902, 209 in 1903, 185 in 1904, 187 in 1907 

Doubles career: 182 season high: 30 in 1903 

Triples career: 82 season high: 14 in 1907 

Home Runs career: 39 season high: 8 in 1901 

Runs career: 955 season high: 137 in 1903 led NL: 137 in 1903 

Runs Batted In career: 617 season high: 72 in 1901 

Stolen Bases career: 254 season high: 36 in 1901 

Walks career: 425 season high: 44 in 1901 and 1903 

Strikeouts career: 314 season high: 40 in 1902 

Batting Average career: .311 season high: .357 in 1902 led NL: .357 in 1902 

On Base Percentage career: .362 season high: .404 in 1902 

Slugging Percentage career: .393 season high: .444 in 1903 

Total Bases career: 2,222 season high: 272 in 1903 led NL: 272 in 1903 

Sacrifice Hits career: 166 season high: 23 in 1904 

Fielding Percentage career: .956 season high: .969 in 1909 

Double Plays career: 53 season high: 12 in 1907 led NL CF: 12 in 1907 

Putouts career: 2,860 season high: 296 in 1907 

Assists career: 168 season high: 30 in 1907 led NL CF: 30 in 1907 

DID YOU KNOW?

-batted lefthanded and threw righthanded 

-stole 30 or more bases in a season three times 

-scored 100 or more runs in a season in four years in a row from 1900 through 1903 

-led the NL in singles in 1902, 1903, 1904, and 1907 

-led NL centerfielders in games in 1904 and 1907 

-was the first player ever to bat in a modern World Series game 

-collected six hits in one game on July 22, 1899, and scored six runs in the same game 

-went 1-for-3 in his final MLB game 

-his 12 double plays from centerfied in 1902 are the second most of all time

-ranks 15th all time with 27 career inside the park home runs

-also played 18 games in leftfield, five in rightfield, two at first base, 46 as a pinch hitter and two as a pinch runner 

NOTICE

 I will still be publishing my player posts on Mondays and Thursdays, as I have been doing thus far, but they will be released after my workday, so from about 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Central Time. Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

-Damien 

WHY I THINK BRET SABERHAGEN SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK BRET SABERHAGEN SHOULD

BE IN COOPERSTOWN

By- Damien 

Bret Saberhagen was as dominant as a pitcher could get for a lot of his career. He won two Cy Young Awards and finished third in 1994, once pitched 177 ⅓ innings in a season while allowing only 13 walks, won 20 games in a season twice and won the 1989 AL ERA title, the 1985 World Series MVP award, and even a Gold Glove award. He used his fastball, changeup, slider and curveball to devastate opposing batters for sixteen seasons. Bret Saberhagen started his career with the Royals in 1984 by going 10-11. He was the ultimate example of a second year standout when he went 20-6 on a 2.87 ERA in 1985, leading the fine Kansas City team to the World Series, where he went 2-0 on a 0.50 ERA with ten strikeouts. Saberhagen fell to 7-12 in 1986 and ditched his slider to strengthen his curveball. The day he chose to do so, all of the batters in the AL let out a groan, for Saberhagen went 18-10 in 1987. After a 14-16 1988 season, Saberhagen went 23-6 and led the NL in wins, innings pitched, complete games and ERA on the way to his second Cy Young award. Despite Saberhagen’s 3.27 ERA, he went only 5-9 in 1990 but came back strong in 1991 to go 13-8. He was traded to the Mets in 1992 and went 3-5 and 7-7 before going 14-4 with a 2.74 ERA and 5-5 before being traded in the middle of 1995 to the Rockies, where he finished the year by going 2-1 with them. An injury kept Saberhagen out of baseball in 1996 and he was traded to the Red Sox but recorded only one decision in 1997 before going 15-8 and 10-6. He stayed out of baseball in 2000 and came back to win a game in 2001 before hanging up his spikes for good. Bret Saberhagen was one of the best pitchers of his day, a great fielding pitcher and a winning ballplayer deserving of the Hall of Fame, which is something that not very many players can say. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS

Games Pitched career: 399 season high: 38 in 1984

Starts career: 371 season high: 35 in 1988 and 1989

Complete Games career: 76 season high: 15 in 1987 led AL: 12 in 1989

Shutouts career: 16 season high: 4 in 1987 and 1989
Games Finished career: 13 season high: 9 in 1984

Wins career: 167 season high: 23 in 1989 led AL: 23 in 1989

Losses career: 117 season high: 16 in 1988

Winning Percentage career: .588 season high: .793 in 1989 led AL: .793 in 1989

ERA career: 3.34 season low: 2.16 in 1989 led AL: 2.16 in 1989

WHIP career: 1.141 season low: 0.961 in 1989 led AL: 1.058 in 1985, 0.961 in 1989

Innings Pitched  career: 2,562 ⅔ season high: 262 ⅓ in 1989 led AL: 262 ⅓ in 1989

Strikeouts career: 1,715 season high: 193 in 1989

Strikeouts Per Nine Innings career: 6.0 season high: 7.3 in 1994

Walks career: 471 (34 intentional) season high: 59 in 1988

Strikeouts Per Walk career: 3.64 season high: 11.00 in 1994 led AL: 4.16 in 1985, 4.49 in 1989, 11.00 in

1994

Saves career: 1 season high: 1 in 1984

Fielding Percentage career: .963 season high: .971 in 1998 

Double Plays career: 26 season high: 5 in 1987 

Putouts career: 203 season high: 22 in 1985

Assists career: 415 season high: 38 in 1985

DID YOU KNOW

-nicknamed “Sabes” 

-had a .431 career caught stealing percentage at pitcher

-is one of the few pitchers ever to have more wins in a season than walks (14 and 13 in 1994)

-his 3.64 career strikeout per walk ratio ranks the 24th highest of all time, and his 11.00 in 1994 is the

second highest season mark ever

-had two career three pitch innings

-was a three time all-star (in 1987, 1990,and 1994)

-hit two doubles in 1994

-finished eighth in the AL MVP voting in 1989, tenth in 1985 and 22nd in 1994

-allowed only 1.7 walks per nine innings across his career, and allowed the fewest in the AL in 1985 (1.5)

and 1994 (0.66)

-won two TSN Pitcher of the Year awards and the 1985 AL Babe Ruth Award (for the best performance

in the postseason)

-won five Pitcher of the Month awards and four Player of the Week awards

-pitched a 7-0 no-hitter over the White Sox on August 26, 1991 

-in 1994, he pitched ten scoreless innings in a team loss, and was the last to do so until 2012 

-pitched a complete game shutout in Game 7 of the 1985 World Series 

-was the winning pitcher of the 1990 MLB all-star game 

-was the 1998 NL Comeback Player of the Year

-was inducted into the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame in 2005

WHY I THINK TONY MULLANE SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

 WHY I THINK TONY MULLANE SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

By- Damien 

Tony Mullane was the Nolan Ryan of his era. At a time where foul balls weren’t counted as strikes and you had to put four strikes on a batter to strike him out (and five to walk him), Mullane still threw a ton of strikeouts. He led the American Association with 170 in 1882 and had two other seasons in which he struck out 325 and 250 batters, respectively. Mullane was not only a strikeout machine, but he was arguably the most complete pitcher of the 1880s. He won 284 career games, lost only 220, had a seasonal ERA under 3.00 seven times, pitched 468 complete games in 504 starts, tossed 40 or more complete games in a season seven times, pitched 400 or more innings six times, and was a 30 game winner five years in a row. The most special thing about him was that he was ambidextrous, and opposing batters had a hard time guessing from which angle the pitch would come from. Tony Mullane started his career with the NL Detroit Wolverines in 1881, going 1-4 in 44 innings. He went 30-24 with a 1.88 ERA in 1882 with the AA Louisville Eclipse and won 35 games with the St. Louis Browns in 1883. After a 36-26 season with the Toledo Blue Stockings, Mullane was suspended in 1885 when the league wanted him to stay with one team, a suspension that would ultimately cost him his 300th win. He returned in 1886 for the Cincinnati Red Stockings (later the Reds) to win 33, 31 and 26 games before being limited to 220 innings in 1889 and an 11-9 record. Mullane was traded again and went 12-10 in 209 innings for the Cincinnati Reds of the NL in 1890 before falling to 23-26 despite a strong 3.23 ERA in 1891. After a 21-13 season Mullane split 1893 between the Reds and the Baltimore Orioles and went a combined 18-22. Mullane won seven more games in 1894 before retiring. Tony Mullane was a dominant, iron-armed power pitcher who could win many ballgames. The Hall of Fame is all about the players who helped their team(s) to win and only three pitchers (Roger Clemens, Bobby Mathews and Tommy John) have ever won more games than Mullane without being voted into Cooperstown (not to mention the fact that Clemens was accused of being on steroids). Come on, you realistically cannot exclude an ambidextrous pitcher who won 284 games in only 13 seasons.  

LIFETIME STATISTICS

Games Pitched career: 555 season high: 67 in 1884 led AA: 55 in 1882 

Starts career: 504 season high: 65 in 1884 led AA: 55 in 1882 

Complete Games career: 468 season high: 64 in 1884 

Shutouts career: 30 season high: 7 in 1884 led AA: 7 in 1884, 6 in 1887 

Games Finished career: 52 season high: 10 in 1893 led AA: 7 in 1886, 9 in 1889 led NL: 10 in 1893 

Wins career: 284 season high: 36 in 1884 

Losses career: 220 season high: 27 in 1886 

Winning Percentage career: .563 season high: .700 in 1883 led AA: .700 in 1883 

ERA career: 3.05 season low: 1.88 in 1882 

WHIP career: 1.237 season low: 0.968 in 1883 

Innings Pitched career: 4,531 ⅓ season high: 567 in 1884 

Strikeouts career: 1,803 season high: 325 in 1884 led AA: 170 in 1882 

Strikeouts Per Nine Innings career: 3.6 season high: 5.2 in 1884 

Walks career: 1,408 season high: 189 in 1893 led AA: 78 in 1882 

Strikeouts Per Walk career: 1.28 season high: 3.65 in 1884 

Saves career: 15 season high: 5 in 1889 led AA: 1 in 1883 and 1888, 5 in 1889 led NL: 2 in 1893, 4 in 1894 

At Bats career: 2,720 season high: 352 in 1884 

Hits career: 661 season high: 97 in 1884 

Doubles career: 99 season high: 19 in 1884 

Triples career: 38 season high: 8 in 1890 

Home Runs career: 8 season high: 3 in 1884 and 1887 

Runs career: 407 season high: 59 in 1886 

Runs Batted In career: 223 season high: 39 in 1886 

Stolen Bases career: 112 season high: 24 in 1889 (stolen bases weren’t counted in the AA until 1886) 

Walks career: 221 season high: 39 in 1890 

Strikeouts career: 159 season high: 33 in 1891 (batters’ strikeouts weren’t counted in the AA from 1884 through 1886) 

Batting Average career: .243 season high: .333 in 1894 

On Base Percentage career: .307 season high: .436 in 1894 

Slugging Percentage career: .316 season high: .418 in 1889 

Total Bases career: 860 season high: 131 in 1884 

Sacrifice Hits career: 1 season high: 1 in 1894 (sacrifice hits weren’t counted until 1894) 

Fielding Percentage career: .903 season high: .940 in 1882 (the league fielding percentage was .895) 

Double Plays career: 75 season high: 10 in 1882, 1884 and 1886 

Putouts career: 916 season high: 187 in 1882 led AA P: 54 in 1882 

Assists career: 1,228 season high: 191 in 1882 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-nicknamed “The Count” and “Apollo of the Box” 

-was a switch hitter 

-hit one of his home runs off of Hall of Famer Tim Keefe

-allowed the fewest hits per nine innings in the NL in 1892 (6.8) 

-held a career fielding percentage eight points above the league average despite the fact that did not wear a glove in the field 

-pitched a 2-0 no-hitter against the Cincinnati Red Stockings on September 11, 1882 

-was the first pitcher ever to throw lefthanded and righthanded in the same game 

-umpired five games after his playing career 

-his 2,364 batters faced in 1884 are the 29th most of all time, and his 2,258 in 1886 rank 43rd

-his 177 assists as a pitcher in 1882 are the fifth most of all time

-his 54 putouts at pitcher in 1882 are the second most of all time, and his 41 in 1884 rank 23rd

-also played 154 games in the outfield, 52 at third base, 38 at first base, 12 at shortstop and nine at second base 

-among MLB pitchers, ranks tenth in career complete games, 29th in wins, 24th in innings pitched, 20th in batters faced, 11th in putouts, and 19th in assists 

-was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2010