Lucky Hall Of Famer Number 35 - Travis Jackson

    Travis Jackson was one of the best shortstops in the NL for a while, but he didn't last very long and was through by the time he was 32. For that kind of candidate to merit a Hall of Fame induction, he'd better have a pretty darn good peak. Jackson didn't have much of a peak, which makes his selection a bit of a mystery to me. 

    Jackson debuted in 1922 with the Giants at the tender young age of 18, going 0-for-8 in three games. He played 96 games in 1923 and for the next ten years he established himself as one of the better shortstops in the league. His batting statistics look impressive for a shortstop, but are inflated from the high scoring 1920's and 1930's, and the fact that he played in the Polo Grounds for his entire career. In 1932, when he was only 28, Jackson's batting average fell from .310 to .256, and he played a combined total of 105 games in 1932 and 1933. Although he had a good season in 1934 (16 home runs, 101 RBI's), his skills started to desert him. His defense fell precipitously, and after one last decent season at the plate, Jackson's bat left him, too. In 1936, Jackson, only 32, slashed .230/.260/.297 in 126 games, and was released in the offseason, never again to play in the Big Leagues. 

    Don't get me wrong - Jackson was a good player. He was a shade above average defensively and a pretty good hitter for a shortstop. Still, we're talking about the Hall of Fame, and Jackson simply doesn't cut it. 

My opinion: Travis Jackson is not a Hall of Famer.