Categorizing the Candidates

    A few of my picks for this blog need a bit of an explanation. If one doesn't have a decent understanding of baseball history, but merely knows how to read statistics, then advocating for guys like Bobby Thomson, Roger Maris, Jack Taylor, or Ray Chapman would seem ridiculous. In preparation for my book, I will sort out a few players who will be included into specific categories explaining why I've chosen them. Let's start with my four examples, and work our way down. NOTE: This post is actually rather long, so be prepared to take your time. 

Bobby Thomson was a good hitter (.270 lifetime with 264 home runs), but not a Hall of Famer if he hadn't taken the biggest swing in baseball history. On August 11, 1951, the Brooklyn Dodgers had a 13.5 game lead over the second place New York Giants, and looked like they were going to run away with the pennant. However, the Giants caught fire, winning 37 of their last 44 games, including 16 in a row, while the Dodgers somewhat flopped. The pennant race was tied on the last day of the season, when a three game tie-breaker series was played. The teams split the first two games, forcing a game 3. In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Dodgers held a 4-2 lead with two outs and two men on when Thomson strode to the plate. Manager Leo Durocher told him as he was coming up, "Bobby, if you ever hit one, hit one now!" Well, he did. I wonder how many people would have been able to hit the Shot Heard 'Round the World. Thomson, a pretty chill guy, obviously could, but rookie Willie Mays, who was on deck, probably would have succumbed to the pressure of the moment. It's something to think about. 

Roger Maris hit 61 home runs in 1961, breaking Babe Ruth's single season record of 60, set in 1927. Maris was sent death threats and all kinds of hateful words, as this player was never going to become Babe Ruth, but occupied his position on his team, which played in the "House that Ruth Built." The pressures caused his hair to fall out, but Maris sucked it up and became the record breaker. Again, I don't know if Duke Snider, for example, would have been able to take the pressure. If he had hit 58 home runs, he would not be included, but he would have had a very good career nonetheless. 

Jack Taylor pitched an all time record 188 consecutive complete games, a record that will stand until the end of time. A testament of remarkable durability, it's a wonder that somebody like Cy Young didn't do it, but as it stands, the record belongs to Taylor. Again, Taylor had a good career otherwise, as he won 152 games and an ERA Title in 1902. 

Ray Chapman was on his way to the Hall of Fame when he was beaned on August 16, 1920, and died the next day. I picked him for what he could have / would have done had he avoided the fatal pitch. 

Jack Clark was a very good hitter, hitting 340 homers to go along with 1,262 walks. While he wasn't quite a Hall of Fame player, Clark was (and is) one of the most outspoken players against the evils of PED use in baseball. 

Bill Doak was a fine pitcher, winning two NL ERA Titles. He's here on account of his innovation of the fielder's mitt, making it a useful tool to use on defense rather than just a hand protector. 

Lefty O'Doul was a great player in his day, batting .349/.413/.532 lifetime but in only 970 games. He makes the cut for his role in establishing baseball in Japan. 

Jim Abbott was a successful pitcher for a decade despite pitching with only one hand. 

Moe Berg was an okay player for a little while in the 1920's and 1930's, but made history because he was the spy who figured out that Germany didn't have an atomic bomb in WWII. This was the most significant contribution to humanity from any baseball player in history, as it provided information crucial to the Allies' strategy. I'm not even going to mention what would have happened if the Nazis had won the war. 

Fred Tenney invented the 3-6-3 double play, using it to great success during his playing career. The play is now routine, and wouldn't even exist if not for Tenney. He was also a good hitter, collecting 2,231 hits in the Big Leagues. 

Joe Start was the initial first baseman ever to play off the bag when the bases were empty. Can you imagine what a game today would look like if he hadn't? 

Bill White was a power hitting first baseman for the Cardinals in the 1960's who also won seven Gold Glove awards. He also called Yankee games for 18 years (1971-1988) and served as the NL President from 1989 through 1994. 

Bill Dinneen was a good pitcher, winning 170 games with a 3.01 ERA, but gets my vote for his long career as an umpire, one of the finest in history. 

Ken Singleton was one of the best overall hitters of the 1970's and early 1980's, but probably falls short just as a player. He backed up a successful playing career by becoming a famous broadcaster. 

Arlie Latham was the first ever contracted base coach, pushing the envelope with every game he worked, taunting and distracting opposing players, often for the benefit of his team. He was also a very good player during his career, collecting close to 2,000 hits and stealing well over 700 bases. 

Andres Galarraga would be a marginal Hall of Famer based solely on his on-field performance (probably a hair short), but he would have been so much more had he not suffered from two bouts of cancer during his playing career. He was also inspirational because he was a cancer conqueror, having won a battle that is so often lost. 

Dickey Pearce completely revolutionized the shortstop position. Before he came along, the shortstop was a kind of fourth outfielder. Pearce was the man who made shortstop the position it is today.