WHY I THINK ANDRES GALARRAGA SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK ANDRES GALARRAGA SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Andres Galarraga has a very interesting and unusual Hall of Fame case. On the surface, his statistics do not scream “HALL OF FAME!”, considering (1), the fact that he was a first baseman, (2), his Coors Field days, and (3), his career span (1985 - 2004). However, Galarraga hit 399 home runs, which is an impressive total, but it seems that it is what he is remembered for above anything else. Galarraga, despite his size, was a strong defensive first sacker, adept at turning the 3-6-3 double play and great at scooping up bad throws from the dirt. He also played much of his career with the Montreal Expos, which posed a number of challenges to him and his teammates, and is a forgotten franchise, which may have hurt his notoriety. Plus, in the middle of the steroid era, Galarraga is believed never to have touched the stuff. Finally, Galarraga fought through and beat two bouts of cancer (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma), which probably cost him his 500th home run. He was also an inspiration to many who were suffering from cancer as he rolled with the punches and remained one of the biggest stars in baseball. Andres Galarraga started his career with the Expos in 1985, but wasn’t a regular until 1987, his age 26 season. He batted over .300 that season and followed up with another .300 season in 1988. Galarraga became a home run or strikeout hitter, and struggled with his batting averages until he came over to the Rockies in 1993. With the Coors Field boost, Galarraga batted .370 to lead the Majors. He hit 31 home runs in 103 games in 1994 (the strike season). In 1996 - 1997, Galarraga knocked in 290 runs, leading the NL in each season, and carried his talent over to Atlanta with the Braves in 1998, batting .305 with 44 home runs and 121 RBI’s at the age of 37. He lost the entire 1999 season to cancer treatment, but was an all-star in 2000 with 28 homers and 100 RBI’s. He bounced from team to team in his 40’s, but still produced, batting .301 with 12 homers in 272 at bats for the Giants in 2003. He retired after batting .300 in seven games with the Anaheim Angels in 2004. Andres Galarraga was an excellent hitter, a fine defensive first baseman, and an inspiration to all with cancer. For his heroic battles with the deadliest disease on Earth and for staying productive all the way to the end, Galarraga has proven that he belongs among the other all time greats in the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 2,257 season high: 159 in 1996 

At Bats career: 8,096 season high: 626 in 1996 

Hits career: 2,333 season high: 191 in 1997 led NL: 184 in 1988 

Doubles career: 444 season high: 42 in 1988 led NL: 42 in 1988 

Triples career: 32 season high: 8 in 1988 

Home Runs career: 399 season high: 47 in 1996 led NL: 47 in 1996 

Runs career: 1,195 season high: 120 in 1997 

Runs Batted In career: 1,425 season high: 150 in 1996 led NL: 150 in 1996, 140 in 1997 

Stolen Bases career: 128 season high: 18 in 1996 

Walks career: 583 season high: 63 in 1998 

Strikeouts career: 2,003 season high: 169 in 1990 led NL: 153 in 1988, 158 in 1989, 169 in 1990, 146 in 1995 

Batting Average career: .288 season high: .370 in 1993 led NL: .370 in 1993 

On Base Percentage career: .347 season high: .403 in 1993 

Slugging Percentage career: .499 season high: .602 in 1993 

Total Bases career: 4,038 season high: 376 in 1996 led NL: 329 in 1988 

Sacrifice Hits career: 1 season high: 1 in 1986 

Fielding Percentage career: .991 season high: .995 in 1986 

Double Plays career: 1,648 season high: 176 in 1997 led NL 1B: 129 in 1995, 154 in 1996, 176 in 1997 

Putouts career: 18,244 season high: 1,528 in 1996 led NL 1B: 1,300 in 1987, 1,299 in 1995, 1,528 in 1996, 1,458 in 1997 

Assists career: 1,376 season high: 120 in 1995 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-nicknamed “El Gato” 

-was a five time all-star 

-won two Comeback Player of the Year Awards (1993 and 2000), two Silver Slugger awards, and two Gold Glove awards 

-finished sixth in the NL MVP Award voting in both 1996 and 1998, seventh in both 1988 and 1997, 10th in both 1993 and 1994, and 16th in 1995 

-won two career Player of the Month Awards and five Player of the Week awards 

-hit three home runs in one game on June 25, 1995 

-went 6-for-6 with a double and two home runs on July 3, 1995 

-hit a 524 foot home run off of Kevin Brown on May 31, 1997 

-led the NL twice in hit by pitch and once in extra-base hits 

-batted .278 with a double and two RBI’s in the 1995 NLDS 

-led NL first basemen in games (154) in 1990 

-was the oldest player in the AL in 2004 

-ranks 13th in career hit by pitch (178), sixth in strikeouts, and 21st in putouts 

-among MLB first basemen, ranks 12th in career games and double plays, 21st in putouts, and 15th in assists 

-his 176 double plays turned at first base in 1997 are the fourth most of all time, and his 154 in 1996 rank 33rd

-also played one game at third base, 48 as a DH, 152 as a pinch hitter, and four as a pinch runner

-was inducted into the Latino Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011