WHY I THINK STEVE SAX SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK STEVE SAX SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

By- Damien 

Steve Sax had a bad reputation as a fielder. In 1983, he committed 30 errors, the most among NL second basemen, as a result of the “yips.” He was very good at fielding batted balls, but he didn’t throw very well early in his career. Fans sometimes wore helmets in the stands to make fun of him. Despite his bad reputation, Sax really was a solid defender and a very good offensive second baseman as well, topping the .300 mark three times. He was also one of the best base thieves of the 1980’s and early 1990’s, as he stole at least 40 bases in a season six times. Steve Sax started his career with the Dodgers in 1981, hitting .277 in 31 games and winning his first World Series ring. He batted .282 and stole 49 bases in 1982 en route to winning the NL Rookie of the Year Award. He established himself as one of the best overall second basemen of the 1980’s, batting .332 with 43 doubles in 1986, which earned him a Silver Slugger award. Sax was an important player on the Dodgers’ World Champion team in 1988, tallying 175 hits in the regular season, eight in the NLCS, and six in the World Series. In the offseason, he signed with the Yankees, and batted over .300 in two of three years in New York. In 1989, Sax seemed to be cured of the yips, as he led AL second basemen in games, double plays, and fielding percentage. In 1992, he was traded to the White Sox and stole 30 bases, but he soon started to decline. After a tough 1993 season, he played his last game in 1994 with the A’s. Steve Sax was a great base thief, an occasional postseason hero, a fine hitter, and a decent fielder whose reputation does him no justice on the way to the Hall of Fame. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,769 season high: 160 in 1988 

At Bats career: 6,940 season high: 652 in 1991 led NL: 632 in 1988 led AL: 651 in 1989 

Hits career: 1,949 season high: 210 in 1986 

Doubles career: 278 season high: 43 in 1986 

Triples career: 47 season high: 7 in 1982 and 1987 

Home Runs career: 54 season high: 10 in 1991 

Runs career: 913 season high: 94 in 1983 

Runs Batted In career: 550 season high: 63 in 1989 

Stolen Bases career: 444 season high: 56 in 1983 

Walks career: 556 season high: 59 in 1986 

Strikeouts career: 584 season high: 73 in 1983 

Batting Average career: .281 season high: .332 in 1986 

On Base Percentage career: .335 season high: .390 in 1986 

Slugging Percentage career: .358 season high: .441 in 1986 

Total Bases career: 2,483 season high: 279 in 1986 

Sacrifice Hits career: 75 season high: 12 in 1992 

Fielding Percentage career: .978 season high: .987 in 1989, 1990, and 1991 led AL 2B: .987 in 1989 

Double Plays career: 998 season high: 117 in 1989 led AL 2B: 117 in 1989 

Putouts career: 3,617 season high: 367 in 1986 led NL 2B: 367 in 1986 

Assists career: 4,817 season high: 460 in 1989 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-brother of Dave Sax 

-nicknamed “Saxie” 

-finished 13th in the NL MVP Award voting in 1986 and 18th in 1988 

-finished 21st in the AL MVP Award voting in 1989 

-batted .429 with three stolen bases in five all-star games

-was second in the NL batting race in 1986, two points behind Hall of Famer Tim Raines  

-led the NL in plate appearances (704) in 1986 

-batted .276 in 24 career postseason games, including .300 in the 1988 World Series, with seven career thefts 

-was the NL Player of the Month in September 1986 

-led the NL in singles in 1986 (157) and 1988 (147) and led the AL in 1989 (171), setting the Yankees’ single season record 

-was the hardest batter in the AL to strike out in 1991 

-led NL second basemen in games in 1986 and 1988 

-among MLB second basemen, ranks 30th in career games and putouts and 29th in double plays and assists 

-also played seven games at third base, 33 in the outfield, 26 as a DH, 33 as a pinch hitter, and 22 as a pinch runner

WHY I THINK LANCE PARRISH SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK LANCE PARRISH SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Lance Parrish was one of the very best catchers of all time. The only catcher who played more than his 19 seasons in the Majors and hit more than his 324 homers is Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk (fellow Hall of Famer Gary Carter also played 19 seasons and hit exactly 324 homers). Parrish was an eight time all-star, a six time Silver Slugger, and a three time Gold Glove award winner who was the best player on one of the greatest teams of all time, the 1984 Tigers. Lance Parrish started his career with the Tigers in 1977, belting three home runs in 12 games. He was the Tigers’ regular catcher by 1979, batting .276, and was an all-star for the first time in 1980 with a .286 mark and 24 homers. The strike year came and went in 1981, as Parrish struggled to ten homers, but averaged 30 per season over the next four years. He was instrumental in the Tigers’ World Championship in 1984, clubbing 33 homers with 98 RBI’s in the regular season and hitting two more homers in the postseason. He also had two doubles and two sacrifice flies. Parrish remained a perennial all-star until 1987, his first year with the Phillies. He would make two more all-star teams, 1988 with the Phils and 1990 with the Angels. In 1990, he had a particularly good year, as he hit .268 with 24 homers. He followed up with 19 more in 1991 at the age of 35, but then his career began to slide. He hit a dozen homers in 1992, but he was essentially used as a backup catcher and a pinch hitter. He played his last game in 1995 as a member of the Blue Jays. Lance Parrish was a great power hitter, a fine defensive catcher, and one of the greatest of all time at the most wearisome defensive position. A catcher who hit as well as Parrish should always be a Hall of Famer, and that’s stated without considering his solid defense. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,988 season high: 155 in 1983 

At Bats career: 7,067 season high: 605 in 1983 

Hits career: 1,782 season high: 163 in 1983 

Doubles career: 305 season high: 42 in 1983 

Triples career: 27 season high: 6 in 1980 

Home Runs career: 324 season high: 33 in 1984 

Runs career: 856 season high: 80 in 1983 

Runs Batted In career: 1,070 season high: 114 in 1983 

Stolen Bases career: 28 season high: 6 in 1979 and 1980 

Walks career: 612 season high: 49 in 1979 

Strikeouts career: 1,527 season high: 120 in 1984 

Batting Average career: .252 season high: .286 in 1980 

On Base Percentage career: .313 season high: .343 in 1979 

Slugging Percentage career: .440 season high: .529 in 1982 

Total Bases career: 3,113 season high: 292 in 1983 

Sacrifice Hits career: 23 season high: 6 in 1995 

Fielding Percentage career: .991 season high: .997 in 1991 

Double Plays career: 156 season high: 21 in 1990 led AL C: 11 in 1984 and 1988, 15 in 1990 

Putouts career: 9,840 season high: 794 in 1990 

Assists career: 986 season high: 90 in 1990 led AL C: 88 in 1990 

Caught Stealing Percentage career: .386 season high: .486 in 1983 led AL C: .486 in 1983 

Pickoffs career: 27 season high: 6 in 1982 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-nicknamed “Big Wheel” 

-finished ninth in the AL MVP Award voting in 1983, 13th in 1982, and 16th in 1984 

-led the AL with 13 sacrifice flies in 1983 

-hit over 20 home runs in a season seven times (hitting 20 homers in the 1980’s was as highly regarded as hitting 30 today) 

-set the AL record for home runs by a catcher in 1982 and beat it again in 1984 

-caught Jack Morris’s no-hitter on April 7, 1984 

-was 1-for-1 in stolen base attempts in the postseason (the theft coming in the 1984 World Series) 

-won two career AL Player of the Week awards 

-led AL catchers in runners thrown out attempting to steal in 1983 (54) and 1990 (55) 

-among MLB catchers, ranks 13th in career games caught, 24th in double plays, 19th in putouts, and 41st in caught stealing 

-also played 30 games at first base, six in the outfield, 121 as a DH, 66 as a pinch hitter, and one as a pinch runner

2022 Hall of Fame Ballot

2022 Hall of Fame Ballot 

    The following players are on the Hall of Fame ballot for 2022. After I tell you who they are, I will tell you who I would vote for if given the chance. Let's start with the new names, and then go in alphabetical order among the holdovers from last year's ballot.

-Carl Crawford

-Prince Fielder

-Ryan Howard

-Tim Lincecum

-Justin Morneau

-Joe Nathan

-David Ortiz

-Jonathan Papelbon

-Jake Peavy

-A.J. Pierzynski

-Alex Rodriguez

-Mark Teixeira

-Jimmy Rollins

-Bobby Abreu  

-Barry Bonds 

-Mark Buehrle  

-Roger Clemens 

-Todd Helton 

-Tim Hudson 

-Torii Hunter 

-Andruw Jones 

-Jeff Kent 

-Andy Pettitte 

-Manny Ramirez 

-Scott Rolen 

-Curt Schilling 

-Gary Sheffield 

-Sammy Sosa 

-Omar Vizquel 

-Billy Wagner 

Each Hall of Fame voter can choose up to ten candidates who they believe to be Hall of Fame worthy. I personally would choose Bobby Abreu, Tim Hudson, Torii Hunter, Jeff Kent, Scott Rolen, Curt Schilling, Omar Vizquel, Billy Wagner, Joe Nathan, and Jonathan Papelbon. 

Abreu was a fine combination of consistency (.291 lifetime batting average), power (288 home runs), and speed (400 stolen bases). The two time all-star also collected 1,476 walks and was a Gold Glove award winner in the outfield in 2005. 

Hudson had a terrific 222-133 (.625) lifetime record. He led the AL in wins and winning percentage in 2000 and was a two time league shutout champion. Wielding a fastball and four different breaking balls, Hudson recorded a 3.49 ERA, 2,080 strikeouts, and four all-star selections. 

Hunter was a nine time Gold Glove award winner in the outfield, a five time all-star, and a .277 lifetime hitter. As one of the greatest all around talents in all of baseball during his heyday, he collected 2,452 hits, including 353 homers and 498 doubles. 

Kent is the all time leader in home runs for a second baseman, totaling 377 for his career. The five time all-star was a .290 career hitter with 1,518 RBI’s and 2,461 hits across seventeen seasons, winning four Silver Slugger awards and the 2000 NL MVP Award. 

Rolen was an eight time Gold Glove award winner at third base and the 1997 NL Rookie of the Year. A seven time all-star, he provided power (316 homers) and consistency (.281 lifetime batting mark) with stellar baserunning skills. 

Schilling should have been an automatic Hall of Famer with his 3,116 strikeouts. Schilling led his league in wins, innings pitched, starts, complete games, WHIP, strikeouts, and strikeouts per nine innings at least twice each. The six time all-star won 216 regular season games but is best remembered for his postseason performances. He went 11-2 with a 2.23 ERA in postseason play, earning three World Series rings, a World Series MVP Award, and a NLCS MVP Award. 

Vizquel was an eleven time Gold Glove award winner at shortstop and a three time all-star. He holds the career record for the highest fielding percentage at short, a remarkable seven points above Ozzie Smith's. Along with his nearly 3,000 career hits, Vizquel scored 1,445 runs, hit 456 doubles, stole 404 bases, and collected 256 sacrifice hits, leading the league in sacrifices four times. 

Wagner ranks sixth in baseball history with 422 saves. He also had a 2.31 ERA and a 47-40 record in 853 games. The seven time all-star struck out an average of 11.9 batters per nine innings across his 16 MLB seasons.

Nathan was a top relief pitcher with 63 wins, 377 saves, and a 2.87 ERA. He was a six time all-star and he won Rolaids Relief in 2009. Today is also his birthday, but that has nothing to do with it.

Papelbon was the best reliever of all time behind Mariano Rivera, Dennis Eckersley, and Wagner (yes, he was even better than Trevor Hoffman). Despite making his MLB debut at 24, he collected 41 wins and 368 saves. His 2.44 career ERA includes a 2.33 mark in 396 games with the Red Sox, who play in the most hitter friendly ballpark in the league. He was also 2-1 with seven saves and an ERA of 1.00 in 27 career postseason innings. He's another easy choice.

    Seeing as how only ten candidates are allowed on each ballot, I left Gary Sheffield off this year. You can read about him in last year's post. Sheff's case is complicated; I may go deeper into it if I need to advocate for him in the future. I would also probably vote for A.J. Pierzynski, and seeing as how this is Schilling's final ballot, I'll get to include him next year. Lincecum is a personal favorite of mine and a tempting choice, but there's no way that he's a Hall of Famer. This is a particularly strong Hall of Fame ballot, so picking ten guys could be a little tricky.

Lucky Hall Of Famer Number 40 - Jim Bottomley

    Jim Bottomley was a first baseman active from 1922 through 1937 with the Cardinals, Reds, and Browns. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974 through the Veterans Committee, when they were inducting a lot of unworthy candidates, and his case is highly controversial. 

    Bottomley hailed from a highly offensive era at an easy defensive position. That said, his 219 career home runs weren't so impressive. His batting average (.310) was quite good, but he backed it up with only 664 walks in almost 2,000 games for an on base percentage of .369 (again, a good number, but nothing spectacular). 

    There were also a lot of little things working against Bottomley as well. He won the NL MVP Award in 1928, but it probably should have gone to Rogers Hornsby. He won two World Series rings, but hit just .186 in World Series play. He was not a good defensive first baseman (four times led NL first basemen in errors), wasn't a fast runner, and had a short peak. 

    Overall, Jim Bottomley was a very good player, one of the better VC picks of the 1970's, and maybe the top player in the Lucky Hall of Famers section on this blog, but he simply didn't do enough to merit induction. Fellow Hall of Fame first baseman Bill Terry outhit him by 97 points in 1930, to pick just one example; Bottomley just didn't measure up to the other Hall of Fame first basemen of his era. 

My opinion: Jim Bottomley is not a Hall of Famer. 

WHY I THINK JACK GLASSCOCK SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK JACK GLASSCOCK SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Jack Glasscock was one of the top shortstops in MLB history and one of the best overall players of the 19th century. A lifetime .290 hitter with over 2,000 career hits, Glasscock also had a career fielding percentage an incredible 27 points above the league average and won six fielding titles. Jack Glasscock started his career with the Cleveland Blues in 1879, but batted only .209 in 80 games. However, Glasscock matured quickly and improved greatly in each of the next five seasons, eventually establishing himself as one of the best hitting shortstops of the era. He batted .313 in 1884 and .325 in 1886. He had his best season in 1889, batting .352 with 57 stolen bases and 205 hits, the most in the Majors. He followed up with a Batting Title in 1890, again leading the NL in hits. After a disappointing 1891 season (.241 in 97 games; resulting from a hand injury) and a decent 1892, Glasscock’s best years seemed to be behind him. Instead, he had one of his best seasons in 1893 with a .320 mark and 100 RBI’s. He hit .281 with 65 RBI’s in 87 games in 1894, and last played in 1895, when he batted .276 in 43 games for two teams. Three times had he been the hardest batter in the NL to strike out, and he led NL shortstops in assists six times. Jack Glasscock was a fine hitter, a top notch base thief, and the Ozzie Smith of his generation. For all of his skills and especially considering how dominant he was in the field without a glove, Jack Glasscock would get my vote for the Hall of Fame. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,737 season high: 139 in 1892 led NL: 85 in 1881 

At Bats career: 7,033 season high: 566 in 1892 

Hits career: 2,041 season high: 205 in 1889 led NL: 205 in 1889, 172 in 1890 

Doubles career: 313 season high: 40 in 1889 

Triples career: 98 season high: 12 in 1893 

Home Runs career: 27 season high: 7 in 1889 

Runs career: 1,164 season high: 128 in 1889 

Runs Batted In career: 827 season high: 100 in 1893 (Glasscock’s RBI information from his time in the Union Association in 1884 is unavailable) 

Stolen Bases career: 372 season high: 62 in 1887 (Glasscock’s stolen base information from before 1886 is unavailable) 

Walks career: 440 season high: 44 in 1892 

Strikeouts career: 212 season high: 24 in 1879 (Glasscock’s strikeout information from his time in the Union Association in 1884 is unavailable) 

Batting Average career: .290 season high: .352 in 1889 led NL: .336 in 1890 

On Base Percentage career: .337 season high: .395 in 1890 

Slugging Percentage career: .374 season high: .467 in 1889 

Total Bases career: 2,631 season high: 272 in 1889 

Sacrifice Hits career: 17 season high: 13 in 1894 (Glasscock’s sacrifice hit information from before 1894 is unavailable) 

Fielding Percentage career .911 season high: .923 in 1893 led NL SS: .911 in 1881, .922 in 1883, .917 in 1885, .906 in 1886, .901 in 1888, .915 in 1889 

Double Plays career: 656 season high: 61 in 1889 led NL SS: 40 in 1882, 43 in 1886, 58 in 1887, 60 in 1889 

Putouts career: 3,165 season high: 280 in 1892 led NL SS: 105 in 1881, 246 in 1889 

Assists career: 5,951 season high: 493 in 1887 led NL SS: 274 in 1881, 311 in 1882, 397 in 1885, 392 in 1886, 493 in 1887, 478 in 1889 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-nicknamed “Pebbly Jack” for his habit of removing pebbles on the infield dirt to limit the number of bad hops on the left side of the infield 

-was the scout who discovered and signed Hall of Fame pitcher Amos Rusie 

-was the team captain of the St. Louis Maroons 

-had a career managerial record of 35-35-1 in parts of two seasons 

-hit for the cycle on August 8, 1889 

-went 6-for-6 on September 27, 1890 

-was second in the NL in batting average in 1889, behind Hall of Famer Dan Brouthers 

-pitched in five games in four different seasons, striking out three in seven career innings 

-led the NL in singles once and in assists at any position four times 

-led NL shortstops in games twice 

-hit two home runs each off of Hall of Famers Mickey Welch and John Clarkson and one each off of Cy Young, Kid Nichols, Jim McCormick, Tim Keefe, Charlie Buffinton, and Tommy McCarthy 

-his six times leading NL shortstops in assists was the league record until the 1980’s, when none other than the Wizard of Oz himself surpassed it 

-his 40 double plays at shortstop in 1882 tied Sadie Houck’s MLB record 

-ranks 16th in career at bats per strikeout and 46th in assists 

-among MLB shortstops, ranks 47th in career games and 35th in assists 

-also played five games at first base, 86 at second base, 15 at third base, and one in rightfield

WHY I THINK ROCKY COLAVITO SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK ROCKY COLAVITO SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Rocky Colavito was one of the top sluggers of the 1950’s and 1960’s. His home run feats include four in one game, 374 in a career, and seven seasons with 30 or more. Colavito was not simply a power hitter, however, as he set the standard for fielding by an outfielder with a perfect 1.000 in 1965, and went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a pair of strikeouts in 5 ⅔ innings across two relief appearances. He first pitched in a game because he threw so hard that he needed a catcher with a padded mitt to warm him up each day. One of his catchers said that he threw harder than anybody, including Herb Score and Ryne Duren. Manager Joe Gordon once said of Colavito, “He’s my rightfielder, period. But I’ll tell you this. As a pitcher, he’d be a 20 game winner. He has the greatest arm I ever saw.” Rocky Colavito started his career with the Cleveland Indians in 1955, batting .444 in five games. He hit 21 home runs in 1956, finishing second in the Rookie of the Year Award voting. He followed up with 25 in 1957 and had one of his best seasons to date in 1958, when he batted .303 with 41 home runs and 113 RBI’s in only 489 at bats and led the Majors in slugging percentage. That big season started a five year stretch in which he averaged exactly 40 home runs per season. When he was traded to the Tigers in 1960, Cleveland fans were infuriated. Their reactions were more enthusiastic than any other, proving that he was one of the most beloved local superstars in MLB history. Further, he was voted the most memorable player in Indians history in 1976. At any rate, he excelled in Detroit, hitting 45 home runs with 140 (!) RBI’s in 163 games in 1961. In 1965, Colavito drove in 100 runs for the sixth time, led the AL for the first time with 108 (his second lowest total among his 100 RBI seasons), and set his fielding record, playing in a Cleveland uniform once more. In 1966, he was named to his ninth all-star team and hit 30 homers for the final time, but after this he quickly declined. He had 16 homers left to split between four teams across his final two seasons, and played his last game in 1968 as a member of the Yankees. Rocky Colavito was a tremendous power hitter, a fine outfielder, a big time gate attraction (providing financial value to his club owners), and even a great pitcher. His batting statistics in the low offense 1960’s give him a decent Hall of Fame case, but the second criterion in the Hall of Fame voting is playing ability. His strong arm, tape measure home runs, and pitching performances are a great testament to how good a baseball player he really was. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,841 season high: 163 in 1961 led AL: 163 in 1961, 162 in 1965 

At Bats career: 6,503 season high: 601 in 1962 

Hits career: 1,730 season high: 170 in 1965 

Doubles career: 283 season high: 31 in 1964 

Triples career: 21 season high: 4 in 1956 

Home Runs career: 374 season high: 45 in 1961 led AL: 42 in 1959 

Runs career: 971 season high: 129 in 1961 

Runs Batted In career: 1,159 season high: 140 in 1961 led AL: 108 in 1965 

Stolen Bases career: 19 season high: 3 in 1959, 1960, 1964, and 1967 

Walks career: 951 season high: 113 in 1961 led AL: 93 in 1965 

Strikeouts career: 880 season high: 89 in 1958 

Batting Average career: .266 season high: .303 in 1958 

On Base Percentage career: .359 season high: .405 in 1958 

Slugging Percentage career: .489 season high: .620 in 1958 led AL: .620 in 1958 

Total Bases career: 3,177 season high: 338 in 1961 led AL: 301 in 1959, 309 in 1962 

Sacrifice Hits career: 16 season high: 4 in 1956 and 1957 

Fielding Percentage career: .979 season high: 1.000 in 1965 led AL LF: .992 in 1962, .993 in 1963 led AL RF: 1.000 in 1965 led AL OF: 1.000 in 1965 

Double Plays career: 31 season high: 6 in 1958 led AL RF: 6 in 1958, 5 in 1960 

Putouts career: 3,407 season high: 359 in 1962 led AL RF: 266 in 1957, 311 in 1959, 272 in 1960 led AL LF: 301 in 1961, 359 in 1962 

Assists career: 124 season high: 16 in 1961 led AL RF: 9 in 1960 led AL LF: 14 in 1961 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-nicknamed “The Rock” 

-finished third in the AL MVP Award voting in 1958, fourth in 1959, fifth in 1965, eighth in 1961, 16th in 1962, and 23rd in 1964 

-was a Sporting News all-star in 1961 

-had three career home runs and eight RBI’s in all-star play 

-had two career three homer games (not including his four homer game) 

-went 7-for-10 in one game on June 24, 1962 

-had eleven consecutive seasons with at least 20 home runs 

-was the first Indian ever to hit more than 40 home runs in back to back seasons 

-homered in his first at bat as a Yankee 

-led the AL five times in games in the outfield, twice in extra-base hits, and once each in plate appearances, times on base, and home run percentage 

-led AL rightfielders in games five times and led AL leftfielders twice 

-among MLB rightfielders, ranks 48th in career games and 50th in putouts 

-among MLB leftfielders, ranks 39th in career fielding percentage 

-also played eleven games at first base and 67 as a pinch hitter 

-was inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame in 2006