Earle Combs was the centerfielder and leadoff hitter for the Yankees' famous Murderer's Row lineup in the 1920's. While he was a solid contributor to the most dominant team in history, he was probably overrated. Combs was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1970 by the Veterans Committee, a selection that is not without its critics. Let's look a bit deeper into his case.
On the surface, Combs looks like a pretty good candidate. He batted .325 for his career and scored over 110 runs eight seasons in a row. He helped the Yankees to four World Series (three championships), hitting .350 in World Series play. However, while Combs's .325 average is flashy, he never finished higher than sixth in the AL batting race. Likewise, his other gaudy-looking stats are degraded by the high offense era in which he played, as he was rarely among the league leaders in offense. Sure Combs scored a ton of runs, but they are largely the product of hitting leadoff for the Yankees back then, as the lineup had a ton of guys who could knock him in with one swing. It's not too hard to score when you have Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and company hitting behind you. Finally, Combs's career was too short - only twelve seasons (1,455 games). Anyone with a career that short needs something special to offset his lack of longevity. Combs, with his good but not great offense, is found lacking.
"I thought the Hall of Fame was for superstars, not just average players like me." - Earle Combs
My opinion: Earle Combs is not a Hall of Famer.
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