WHY I THINK THE THREE STOOGES SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

 WHY I THINK THE THREE STOOGES SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

The Three Stooges were a major, national phenomenon. More dominant than Babe Ruth (in the film industry) and more long-lived than Nolan Ryan (1922-1970), the Stooges were the best entertainment that America had to offer. They are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and they do have a series of baseball cards from 1959 Fleer, so how come they can’t be included? 

The Three Stooges have included many men among their ranks, but the four instantly recognizable Stooges are Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, and Shemp Howard. The other four Stooges were Joe Besser, Curly Joe DeRita, Fred Sanborn, and Joe Palma. Palma’s role was unique, as he was the double for Shemp after Shemp died of a sudden heart attack in 1955. The Stooges still owed Columbia Pictures four shorts, so they used recycled footage and scenes with Palma to make it. After a while America began to realize that Shemp was not the actor, and that Palma had been falsely advertised as Shemp. He is now known forever as “Fake Shemp”, and the term is used universally whenever a double in a similar situation is used. 

The comedic style that was used by The Three Stooges was slapstick. Moe was always punching, kicking, flicking, biting, and poking the other Stooges whenever they did something dumb, or when he did and felt guilty. His most famous move, the “double eye poke”, was originally performed off-stage by Shemp when he was playing in a game of bridge with Larry and Moe. He accused Larry of cheating, and when Larry denied it, he got a finger in each eye. Moe thought that it was so funny that he made it a regular part of his routine. 

At any rate, baseball is entertainment. The Stooges had many references to baseball and even a series of baseball cards in their honor. The fact that they have not been honored with a plaque in Cooperstown is downright “Stoogey.” 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-also had a cartoon, “The New 3 Stooges”, for a few years, featuring Moe, Larry, and Curly Joe 

-made about a half dozen movies, and a 2012 movie was made about them 

-In the 1950’s, when kids started imitating their act for real, they had to make special commercials to discourage them

-when Joe Besser joined the Stooges, he was reluctant to be the victim of Moe’s abuse, so Larry volunteered to take all of the hits for him 

-Curly Joe didn’t even think that the Stooges were funny 

-Larry is commonly featured with a violin, which he used to strengthen an arm that he spilled acid on when he was four years old 

-that I am just kidding about the whole thing 

April Fool’s! 

Okay, maybe this wasn’t that funny. In all seriousness, my next player will come out tomorrow, preferably by noon o’clock. I’ll see you then!

WHY I THINK PLACIDO POLANCO SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

 WHY I THINK PLACIDO POLANCO SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Placido Polanco is best remembered as perhaps the greatest fielding infielder who has ever lived. He is the all time career leader in fielding percentage at both second base and third base (minimum 500 games). He also did what most would have labeled impossible in 2007: he fielded perfectly at second base, not making a single error across the entire season. Although he was a legendary fielder, his hitting skills were also no slouch. A .297 lifetime hitter, Polanco hit over 100 career home runs, almost 350 doubles, and four times was the hardest batter in his league to strike out. Placido Polanco started his career with the Cardinals in 1998, playing in 45 games as a 22 year old rookie. He impressed in 88 games in 1999 and was a regular .316 hitter by 2000. Polanco batted over .300 again as the St. Louis third baseman in 2001 and split the 2002 season between the Cards and the Phillies, producing another very good season. He batted .293 with 31 home runs in 2003 and 2004, setting the MLB record for fielding at second base for the first time in 2004, and had a career season at the plate in 2005. That season Polanco batted .331 and led the MLB in at bats per strikeout. He spent 2005 between the Phillies and the Tigers and in 2006 played the entire season in Detroit, helping the Tigers all the way to the World Series. Polanco batted .412 in the ALDS and .529 as the ALCS MVP, but failed to carry the momentum into the Series, as he went 0-for-17 against his former team, the Cardinals. At age 31, Polanco had a season for the ages in 2007, batting .341 with 200 hits, 105 runs scored, and his perfect season at second base. After another .300 season at second base, Polanco returned to third base in 2009, batting .285 with ten home runs, and followed that up in 2010 with a .298 mark as a returning member of the Phillies. He was an all-star again in 2011 but slumped to .257 in 90 games in 2012. Polanco got a job with the Miami Marlins in 2013, batting .260 in 118 games, before retiring. Placido Polanco was a great fielder, a fine hitter, and one of the most underestimated players in baseball history. In my opinion, he is absent from the Hall of Fame because he doesn’t measure up very well against the era’s best hitters, plenty of whom were juiced. If not for him enjoying his prime in the midst of the steroid era, Polanco may very well be in the Hall of Fame today. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,927 season high: 153 in 2009 

At Bats career: 7,214 season high: 618 in 2009 

Hits career: 2,142 season high: 200 in 2007 

Doubles career: 348 season high: 36 in 2007 

Triples career: 32 season high: 4 in 2001 and 2009 

Home Runs career: 104 season high: 17 in 2004 

Runs career: 1,009 season high: 105 in 2007 

Runs Batted In career: 723 season high: 72 in 2009 

Stolen Bases career: 81 season high: 14 in 2003 

Walks career: 429 season high: 42 in 2003 and 2011 

Strikeouts career: 538 season high: 47 in 2010 

Batting Average career: .297 season high: .341 in 2007 

On Base Percentage career: .343 season high: .388 in 2007 

Slugging Percentage career: .397 season high: .447 in 2003 and 2005 

Total Bases career: 2,866 season high: 269 in 2007 

Sacrifice Hits career: 86 season high: 14 in 2001 

Fielding Percentage career: .990 season high: 1.000 in 2007 led NL 2B: .995 in 2004 led AL 2B: 1.000 in 2007, .997 in 2009 led NL 3B: .986 in 2010, .977 in 2011, .990 in 2013 

Double Plays career: 914 season high: 112 in 2009 

Putouts career: 2,767 season high: 323 in 2008 led AL 2B: 323 in 2008 

Assists career: 4,505 season high: 439 in 2009 led NL 3B: 259 in 2011 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-nicknamed “Polly” 

-had a career fielding percentage 25(!) points above the league average 

-holds MLB records for the most consecutive errorless games and chances for second basemen 

-was the 2007 MLB This Year in Baseball Awards Defensive Player of the Year 

-his 2,000th career hit was a home run 

-finished 17th in the AL MVP Award voting in 2007 and 25th in 2009 

-batted .300 in the 2000 NLDS 

-hit one of his home runs off of future Hall of Famer CC Sabathia and one off of Jered Weaver 

-also played 122 games at shortstop, five in leftfield, one at first base, three as a DH, and 110 as a pinch hitter

WHY I THINK SPUD DAVIS SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

 WHY I THINK SPUD DAVIS SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

By- Damien 

If you are a catcher, you are mostly relied on for your defense. If you can successfully block balls in the dirt and have a strong arm, you are regarded as a vital member of your club. Davis, who was a fine defender (two fielding titles) and could throw out a lot of enemy base stealers (he led the NL with 40 in 1931), also had a career batting average of .308, which is an incredible figure for a catcher. He played in over 100 games only seven times in his career, which was really his only weakness. He did play in 98 games in 1929 and 99 in 1940, so 100 games isn’t really an appropriate figure for Davis. In any game he played he always provided good defense and a superb bat. Spud Davis started his career with the Cardinals for two games in 1928 and played 67 more games that year with the Phillies. He batted a remarkable .342 in 1929 and batted .300 or better every year until 1936, when he hit .273. During that span he was traded back to the Cardinals and won a 1934 World Series ring with them, and batted 1.000 (2-for-2) during the Series with an RBI. Davis batted .268 in 76 games with the Reds in 1937 and .235 in 82 games for the Reds and Phillies in 1938, experiencing a severe decline. He also lost a lot of power, hitting only five home runs in 1937 and 1938 put together, after previously hitting as many as 14 homers in a year on two separate occasions. Davis was acquired again by the Phillies in 1939 and he batted .307 in 87 games that year. He was traded to the Pirates and hit .326 in 1940. Davis batted a combined .270 in parts of his next three seasons before being released. Spud Davis was a great hitting catcher who also provided good defense, which is almost precisely the definition of a Hall of Fame catcher. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,458 season high: 141 in 1933 

At Bats career: 4,255 season high: 495 in 1933 

Hits career: 1,312 season high: 173 in 1933 

Doubles career: 244 season high: 32 in 1931 

Triples career: 22 season high: 5 in 1932 

Home Runs career: 77 season high: 14 in 1930 and 1932  

Runs career: 388 season high: 51 in 1933 

Runs Batted In career: 647 season high: 70 in 1932 

Stolen Bases career: 6 season high: 2 in 1933 

Walks career: 386 season high: 40 in 1932 

Strikeouts career: 326 season high: 39 in 1932 

Batting Average career: .308 season high: .349 in 1933 

On Base Percentage career: .369 season high: .395 in 1933 

Slugging Percentage career: .430 season high: .522 in 1932 

Total Bases career: 1,831 season high: 234 in 1933 

Sacrifice Hits career: 50 season high: 10 in 1930 

Fielding Percentage career: .984 season high: 1.000 in 1939 led NL C: .992 in 1935, 1.000 in 1939 

Double Plays career: 101 season high: 15 in 1932 led NL C: 15 in 1932 

Putouts career: 4,423 season high: 459 in 1934 

Assists career: 688 season high: 78 in 1931 led NL C: 78 in 1931 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-owns the fourth highest career batting average of any catcher in MLB history, behind only Joe Mauer and Hall of Famers Mickey Cochrane and Bill Dickey 

-finished second in the 1933 NL batting race to teammate and future Hall of Famer Chuck Klein (.368), who won the NL Triple Crown that season 

-finished 25th in the NL MVP Award voting in 1933 

-led the NL in games caught in 1931 (114) 

-hit over 20 doubles in a season for six years in a row from 1931 through 1936 

-had a .418 career caught stealing percentage 

-also played five games at first base, two at third base and 216 as a pinch hitter 

-coached the Pirates from 1941 through 1946, and the Cubs from 1950 through 1953 

-went 1-2 as the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1946 

-was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1977

WHY I THINK BOBBY THOMSON SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

 WHY I THINK BOBBY THOMSON SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

It was October 3, 1951. The crowd at the Polo Grounds was very anxious. They knew that the Giants were staging a gigantic comeback in the National League pennant race but they didn’t know how it was going to end. Stepping into the batters’ box was Bobby Thomson with 31 home runs on the year. He was facing a feared pitcher in Ralph Branca with two men on base when he sent an 0-1 inside fastball into the leftfield seats for a 5-4 walk-off win and the pennant. The fans forgot all anxiety and went crazy. Branca was beyond upset. For that, the most famous hit in baseball history, Bobby Thomson was a baseball immortal. Without his long and prosperous career, however, many fans wouldn’t even know the name of the man who had launched that historic home run. Thomson, an outfielder and third baseman, was a great ballplayer who was underrated in the times of the second Yankee dynasty and the Dodger Boys of Summer. He led the Major Leagues in triples in 1952 and batted .270 for his career. Thomson belted at least 20 home runs in a season eight times and collected over 260 of them before his career was through. Bobby Thomson started his career in 1946 with the Giants for 16 games. He batted .283 with 29 home runs as a rookie in 1947 and hit .309 in 1949. After a .252 season Thomson had his best season in 1951, starting a streak of three straight 100-RBI seasons (out of four total) and batting .293, including his pennant winning home run. He batted .270 and .288 in his next two seasons but wasn’t good enough to be a regular on your fantasy baseball team until 1958, when he batted .283 with the Cubs. That was Thomson’s last 20-homer season, and he slipped out of superiority after that season. He played one more quality season and part of another before retiring. Bobby Thomson was a great baseball player and an eternal Giants hero. His play, with or without that mighty pennant-winning swing, was deserving of the Hall of Fame. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS

Games career: 1,779 season high: 156 in 1949 

At Bats career: 6,305 season high: 641 in 1949 

Hits career: 1,705 season high: 198 in 1949 

Doubles career: 267 season high: 35 in 1949 

Triples career: 74 season high: 14 in 1952 led NL: 14 in 1952 

Home Runs career: 264 season high: 32 in 1951 

Runs career: 903 season high: 105 in 1947 

Runs Batted In career: 1,026 season high: 109 in 1949 

Stolen Bases career: 38 season high: 10 in 1949 

Walks career: 559 season high: 73 in 1951 

Strikeouts career: 804 season high: 78 in 1947 

Batting Average career: .270 season high: .309 in 1949 

On Base Percentage career: .332 season high: .355 in 1949 

Slugging Percentage career: .462 season high: .562 in 1951 

Total Bases career: 2,912 season high: 332 in 1949 

Sacrifice Hits career: 36 season high: 7 in 1951 

Fielding Percentage career: .973 season high: .990 in 1957 

Double Plays career: 57 season high: 15 in 1951 led NL CF: 4 in 1949, 7 in 1950, 3 in 1958 led NL LF: 2 in 1954 

Putouts career: 3,800 season high: 488 in 1949 

Assists career: 492 season high: 187 in 1952 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-nicknamed “The Flying Scot” and “The Staten Island Scot” 

-went 2-for-4 with two RBI’s in his MLB debut 

-was a three time all-star (in 1948, 1949, and 1952) 

-was the first European born MLB player to hit his 100th home run (active Didi Gregorius was the second)

-finished eighth in the NL MVP Award voting in 1951, 14th in 1949 and 16th in 1952 

-doubled and drew five walks in the 1951 World Series against the Yankees 

-led NL centerfielders in games in 1949 (156) 

-hit nine career home runs off of Hall of Famer Warren Spahn, three off of Robin Roberts, and one off of Sandy Koufax, plus two off of Hall of Fame snub Harry Brecheen 

-also played nine games at second base, one at first base, 101 as a pinch hitter, and 12 as a pinch runner

WHY I THINK STAN HACK SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

 WHY I THINK STAN HACK SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Stan Hack was the best leadoff hitter of his time and the greatest defensive third baseman of the 1930’s and 1940’s. He batted .301 for his career with a .394 on base percentage and had a career fielding percentage ten points above the league average. Most of all, he was known as a good sport and a cheerful man who was nicknamed “Smiling Stan” and was the crowd’s favorite. Career long Chicago Cub Stan Hack started his career in 1932 for 72 games, batting a lowly .236. He batted a resounding .350 in 20 games the following season and was a regular by 1934. Hack enjoyed his first .300 season at .311 in 1935 but stayed a hair under the mark in each of the next two seasons. Not satisfied with this, he batted .320 in 1938 and began an eight year streak in which he captured MVP votes. Hack was both an all-star and the NL leader in stolen bases in 1938 and 1939, and led the NL in hits in the next two years. In 1942 he batted .300 again and finished the season with the highest fielding percentage among all NL third basemen. Hack batted .289 in 1943 and was limited to just 98 games in 1944, coming out of a temporary retirement, but came back in 1945 with the finest season of his career. That year Hack batted .323, won his second fielding title, and scored over 100 runs for the seventh time in his career. He played in 92 games in 1946 and 76 in 1947, hitting well enough to prove that he was still a highly valuable player as he aged, but was released from the club on September 24, 1947. To put Hack’s value into perspective, the Cubs went 98-56 (.636) in 1945, but went 64-90 (.416) in 1948, their first year without him. Stan Hack was a fantastic hitter, a patient batter, a good baserunner, and a fine hitter whose immense talents in so many different phases of the game make him an easy Hall of Famer to me. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,938 season high: 156 in 1939 led NL: 152 in 1938 

At Bats career: 7,278 season high: 641 in 1939 

Hits career: 2,193 season high: 195 in 1938 led NL: 191 in 1940, 186 in 1941 

Doubles career: 363 season high: 38 in 1940 

Triples career: 81 season high: 11 in 1938 

Home Runs career: 57 season high: 8 in 1939 and 1940 

Runs career: 1,239 season high: 112 in 1939 

Runs Batted In career: 642 season high: 67 in 1938 

Stolen Bases career: 165 season high: 21 in 1940 led NL: 16 in 1938, 17 in 1939 

Walks career: 1,092 season high: 99 in 1941 and 1945 

Strikeouts career: 466 season high: 42 in 1934 and 1937 

Batting Average career: .301 season high: .323 in 1945 

On Base Percentage career: .394 season high: .420 in 1945 

Slugging Percentage career: .397 season high: .439 in 1940 

Total Bases career: 2,889 season high: 265 in 1940 

Sacrifice Hits career: 115 season high: 15 in 1939 and 1943 

Fielding Percentage career: .959 season high: .975 in 1945 led NL 3B: .965 in 1942, .975 in 1945 

Double Plays career: 298 season high: 29 in 1945 led NL 3B: 25 in 1937, 26 in 1938, 27 in 1940 

Putouts career: 2,311 season high: 233 in 1945 led NL 3B: 151 in 1937, 178 in 1938, 177 in 1939, 175 in 1940, 195 in 1945 

Assists career: 3,527 season high: 314 in 1945 led NL 3B: 247 in 1937, 302 in 1940 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-batted lefthanded and threw righthanded 

-set a record in 1945 by playing 54 consecutive errorless games at third base 

-was a five time all-star 

-his 1,092 career walks are the Cubs’ all time record and were the record for a third baseman at the time of his retirement 

-led the NL in plate appearances in 1938 (707), 1939 (724), and 1941 (694) 

-finished seventh in the NL MVP Award voting in 1938, eighth in 1940, 11th in 1945, 12th in 1941, 15th in 1939, 19th in 1943, 20th in 1942, and 26th in 1944 

-batted .348/.408/.449 with 24 hits in 18 career World Series games 

-collected three hits and drove in every Cub run in Game 1 of the 1938 World Series 

-in Game 6 of the 1945 World Series, he became the first Cub ever to have four hits in a World Series game (he also drew two walks in the game) 

-his .471 average in the 1938 World Series led all batters that year 

-led the NL twice in singles and three times in times on base 

-led NL third basemen in games in 1937 (150), 1938 (152), 1939 (156), 1940 (148), and 1941 (150) 

-also played 47 games at first base, 58 as a pinch hitter, and nine as a pinch runner 

-among MLB third basemen, ranks 20th in career games, 50th in double plays, 15th in putouts, and 25th in assists 

-went 199-272 (.423) as a manager

WHY I THINK TOMMY LEACH SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

 WHY I THINK TOMMY LEACH SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Tommy Leach was a power hitter, a base thief, and a stellar bunter all rolled into one, elite baseball player. He led the NL in home runs in 1902 and stole over 360 career bases. Leach’s prowess at the bat and on the basepaths led to a lot of runs for the early Pittsburg Pirates (the “h” at the end wasn’t added until July 9, 1911), but he was just as skilled in the field. He played exactly 1,000 games in centerfield and 957 at third base, providing above average leather at two key defensive positions. Tommy Leach started his career with the Louisville Colonels in 1898, but for only three games. He batted .288 with them in 1899 and was traded to the Pirates in the worst trade of all time, one that was essentially Leach, Honus Wagner, Fred Clarke, Rube Waddell, Claude Ritchey, Deacon Phillippe, and Chief Zimmer for Hall of Famer Jack Chesbro and $25,000. It took him a couple of years to gain regular status on the Pirates, but was an expected starter by 1902, when he batted .278 and led the league in both home runs and triples. Leach followed up that marvelous season with a .298 batting mark in 1903. Leach didn’t reach those heights offensively until 1907, when he batted .303 and scored 102 runs, but proved to still be a consistently excellent player for the rest of his career, helping the Pirates to a pennant in 1903 and the World Series Title in 1909. He led the NL in runs scored twice and had a career year in 1913, when he hit .287 with a career best .391 on base percentage for the Chicago Cubs. Leach didn’t age very well, as he batted a disappointing .224 in 107 games in 1915, at the age of 37, and was out of baseball after 1918, when he fell below the .200 mark in 30 games at 40. Tommy Leach was a great hitter, a legendary baserunner, and a fine fielder. He had it all, and should be rewarded accordingly with a spot in the Hall of Fame. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 2,156 season high: 153 in 1914 

At Bats career: 7,959 season high: 587 in 1909 

Hits career: 2,143 season high: 166 in 1907 

Doubles career: 266 season high: 29 in 1909 

Triples career: 172 season high: 22 in 1902 led NL: 22 in 1902 

Home Runs career: 63 season high: 7 in 1903 and 1914 led NL: 6 in 1902 

Runs career: 1,355 season high: 126 in 1909 led NL: 126 in 1909, 99 in 1913 

Runs Batted In career: 812 season high: 87 in 1903 

Stolen Bases career: 361 season high: 43 in 1907 

Walks career: 820 season high: 79 in 1914 

Strikeouts career: 666 season high: 62 in 1910 

Batting Average career: .269 season high: .303 in 1907 

On Base Percentage career: .340 season high: .391 in 1913 

Slugging Percentage career: .370 season high: .438 in 1903 

Total Bases career: 2,942 season high: 222 in 1903 and 1908 

Sacrifice Hits career: 240 season high: 29 in 1907 

Fielding Percentage career: .934 season high: .980 in 1913 led NL CF: .980 in 1907, .969 in 1909, .990 in 1913*, .968 in 1914 (the league fielding percentage was .931) 

Double Plays career: 168 season high: 18 in 1904 led NL CF: 4 in 1909, 7 in 1912 and 1914 

Putouts career: 4,008 season high: 352 in 1910 led NL 3B: 212 in 1904 led NL CF: 331 in 1909, 352 in 1910, 320 in 1914 

Assists career: 2,460 season high: 371 in 1904 led NL 3B: 316 in 1902, 371 in 1904 

*Leach fielded .727 across two games at third base in 1913, lowering his overall fielding percentage to .980 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-nicknamed “Wee Tommy” because he stood only 5’6” and weighed 150 pounds during his playing days 

-led the NL with 676 plate appearances in 1914 and with a 1.2 home run percentage in 1902 

-was the hardest batter in the NL to strike out in 1906 

-hit more triples than doubles in 1902 (22 and 14), 1903 (17 and 16) and 1905 (14 and 10) 

-led NL third basemen in games in 1904 (146) and NL centerfielders in games in 1910 (131) 

-holds the National League record for inside the park home runs with 49, which are also the third most of all time (behind Hall of Famers Jesse Burkett and Sam Crawford)
-set the world record for the fastest time to run the bases in 1907 (14 ⅕ seconds) 

-had a .310 career batting average in World Series play and hit a record four triples with seven RBI’s in the 1903 Series 

-collected the first ever hit, triple, and run scored in modern World Series history, all coming off of Hall of Famer Cy Young 

-hit nine career home runs off of Hall of Fame pitchers and four more off of Hall of Fame snubs 

-was interviewed by Lawrence Ritter for his book The Glory of Their Times, one of the most famous sports books ever written and a fascinating read 

-also played 14 games at second base, 65 at shortstop, 71 in leftfield, 15 in rightfield, 47 as a pinch hitter and seven as a pinch runner 

-ranks 23rd in career triples and 46th in sacrifice hits 

-ranks 10th in career games and 22nd in assists among MLB centerfielders 

-his 371 assists at third base in 1904 are the 40th most of all time