VEB Historical Hall of Fame: Part Fifteen
10/31/2024 08:00 AM
Stan Musial finally goes on the ballot!
Okay, I'm going to make this intro short and sweet. This is, for now, the last ballot of the 1st round of voting. It has taken 15 separate ballots, but we have gone through every conceivable player who played past 1900. If I post any more historical ballots, it will be either a second chance or players in the 1800s. Let's get on with the post.
Here's a refresher in case you don't remember from the last time or maybe this is your first time here. I wrote a primer here. In case you don't want to read that, I said I would give the averages of the current Hall of Fame standards for context, though that is simply there to give you some sort of basis for how good something is. Here is the average Hall of Famer by position (PP = position players except catcher)
SP: 71 bWAR, 67 fWAR (3.8 bWAR per 200 IPs, 3.3 fWAR per 200 IP)
RP: 33.5 bWAR (1.6 WAR per 65 IP), 25.5 fWAR (1.3 WAR per 65 IP)
C: 53.7 WAR (3.9 WAR per 550 PAs)
PP: 68 WAR (4.4 WAR per 600 PAs)
Baseball-Reference and Fangraphs evaluate pitchers differently. There was not an appreciable difference in how they evaluated hitters, at least not on a macro scale. Individually, sure we will see some differences. But they had virtually identical career WAR and WAR per 600 PAs figures. Next, the average Hall of Fame peak by their seven best seasons and their JAWS, which factors in peak with career total.
SP: 40.7 bWAR Peak, 61.4 JAWS
RP: 23.4 bWAR Peak, 29.7 JAWS
C: 34.7 bWAR Peak, 44.2 JAWS
PP: 43.1 bWAR Peak, 55.8 JAWS
Yeah trying to figure out the fWAR peaks was... way too much work. And for position players and catchers, it would probably be the same. Just mentally downgrade a couple WAR for Fangraphs pitching and it'll probably be right. So that's... pretty much all the information and context you'll need. Now the players.
Mark Belanger (SS)
Career: 41 bWAR, 34.9 fWAR, 36.5 JAWS (per 600 PAs: 3.7 bWAR, 3.2 fWAR)
Peak: 32 bWAR, 28 fWAR
Acc: 1-time All-Star, 8-time Gold Glover
4-WAR seasons: 5 by bWAR, 3 by fWAR
One notable stat: Honestly, I'm going to share a negative stat, and that's because knowing the negative stat will help inform you how good his defense was: he had a career 71 wRC+. He accumulated all that WAR entirely from defense (and some baserunning)
Profile: Belanger was born in Massachusetts and played baseball and basketball in high school, becoming his high school's first ever 1,000 point scorer (he scored 1,455 points). He was signed by the Orioles in 1962 out of high school and took three seasons to make the MLB, although in his first two years of appearances, it was nothing more than a handful of games. In 1967, he took over from Luis Aparicio late in the season, and was the starting SS for the Orioles for over a decade. Appropriately enough, he won his first Gold Glove in 1969 when he was 25 because he batted .287 that year, his career high. He missed it the next season when he had a 61 wRC+, but he won his second when he had a 99 wRC+. Hmm weird coincidence. But his fielding talent was undeniable enough that despite a poor bat, he won six consecutive Gold Gloves starting in 1973. He made his only All-Star team when he was an above average hitter for the only time in his career. But his bat was never close to that again. His playing time slowly dwindled until he reached free agency after his age 37 season. He signed with the Dodgers as a bench player for one last season, retiring after that. He received few votes on his only Hall of Fame ballot.
George Burns (1B)
Career: 35 bWAR, 31.1 fWAR, 30.4 JAWS (per 600 PAs: 2.9 bWAR, 2.6 fWAR)
Peak: 25.8 bWAR, 23.2 fWAR
Acc: MVP (no other awards existed during his playing career)
4-WAR seasons: 3 by bWAR, 2 by fWAR
One notable stat: Tied for the MLB record for most doubles in a season with 64. His 1,671 games at 1B was a record for the time in the American League and still ranks 3rd all-time in AL history.
Profile: George Burns was born Ohio, but grew up in Tioga, Pennslyvania and later Philadelphia. He was nicknamed Tioga, because there was another George Burns in baseball at the time, a player who has found his way on a ballot for this feature. Burns dropped out of high school to play pro ball, playing for various minor league teams until his contract was purchased by the Tigers. At 21 in 1914, he became the everyday 1B. After alternating good seasons and bad with the Tigers, plus a rocky relationship with the manager, Burns was traded to his hometown Athletics, where he had a career year with the last place team. Philly fans were fickle back then too, and after a slow start to 1920 and a lot of heckling which seemed to affect his play, he was traded to Cleveland. He was a pinch hitter en route to the first World Series title for the city. He remained a backup in 1921, so he was traded to the Red Sox in 1922. Tris Speaker realized he made a bad swap when he traded Burns, so he traded to get him back in 1924. In his last two years, he was a bench player and won a World Series with both the Yankees and Athletics. He retired at 36. He never appeared on a Hall of Fame ballot.
Roberto Clemente (OF)
Career: 94.9 bWAR, 80.6 fWAR, 74.7 JAWS (per 600 PAs: 5.6 bWAR, 4.7 fWAR)
Peak: 54.5 bWAR, 47.1 fWAR
Acc: MVP, 15-time All-Star (3 years had two ASGs), 12-time Gold Glover, 4-time batting title
4-WAR seasons: 13 by bWAR, 11 by fWAR
One notable stat: Roberto Clemente was the first player from the Caribbean and Latin America to win an MVP award, to win a World Series as a starting position player, to receive a World Series MVP, and to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Profile: Clemente was born in Puerto Rico. Clemente was a track and field star when he was a kid, but decided to turn his full attention to baseball. He was signed to play in the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League at 18, and attracted the attention of the Dodgers, who signed him for $10,000. Since his bonus exceeded $4,000, the Dodgers lost him when they didn't put him in the majors immediately. The Pirates drafted him after the 1954 season and he debuted in 1955 at the age of 20. His defense carried him in his early years, but in 1960 at 25, he made his first All-Star team. Well first two All-Star teams, since there were two games that year. He kind of defied the aging curve, getting better and better with age. He won his MVP award in 1966, but actually had a better year the next year, and nearly equaled that year an additional three times. When he died in a plane crash following the 1972 season at 38-years-old, he had made an All-Star game in 12 of the previous 13 seasons. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame by a special election in 1973 after he died unexpectedly in a plane crash in 1971.
Wilbur Cooper (SP)
Career: 53.4 bWAR, 44.2 fWAR, 47.4 JAWS (per his 273 IP avg: 3.8 bWAR, 3.5 fWAR)
Peak: 42 bWAR, 32.9 fWAR
Acc: None (Played from 1912 to 1926, so no major awards)
4-WAR seasons: 7 by bWAR, 6 by fWAR
One notable stat: Cooper's career ERA of 2.89 is the lowest of any left-handed pitcher with at least 3,000 innings in the National League.
Profile: Cooper was born in West Virginia, but grew up in Ohio. He first played for semi-pro teams in 1911 at the age of 19. The Pirates picked him up the next season and he made his MLB debut at 20. The next year, he spent mostly in the bullpen, but he became a full-time member of the rotation in 1914. He struggled in 1915, but for the next 9 seasons, he threw at least 250 innings. He was traded to the Cubs before the 1925 season and picked up off waivers by the Tigers in the middle of 1926. His career was done at 34 after that season. He was on nine Hall of Fame ballots, but never more than 5%.
Red Faber (SP)
Career: 67.4 bWAR, 53.9 fWAR, 52.3 JAWS (per his 218 IP avg: 3.6 bWAR, 2.9 fWAR)
Peak: 40.8 bWAR, 31.2 fWAR
Acc: 2-time ERA title (no Cy Young or All-Star game existed in his playing career)
4-WAR seasons: 4 by bWAR, 5 by fWAR
One notable stat: Faber and fellow Hall of Famer Ray Schalk started 306 games as a battery, which ranks 4th all-time, but at the time of his retirement, they had the most games started as a battery all-time.
Profile: Faber was born on a farm near Cascade, Iowa. His father ran a hotel and a tavern and was one of the wealthiest citizens of Cascade, so Faber attended college prep academies. He pitched a season for St. Joseph's College, and signed a deal with a Class B minor league team in 1909. In 1911, the Pirates bought his contract, but hadn't used him by mid-May and sold him back to a minor league team. He injured his arm and got taught a spitball by a teammate. He spent a couple years in the minors, refining the spitball and at the end of the 1913 season, the White Sox bought his contract. He missed most of 1918 to serving in World War I, though he never left the country. Faber struggled through illness most of 1919 and missed the entire World Series of the famous Black Sox. Faber stayed in the rotation until 1931, when he started half the games and spent half of the in the bullpen. He was in the bullpen full-time the next two years. At 44, Faber intended to keep playing, but was insulted by a low contract offer, so he asked for his release. But no other team wanted to sign him so his career was done. He was on 15 Hall of Fame ballots receiving a high of 30%, but the Veteran's Committee inducted him in 1964.
Steve Finley (OF)
Career: 44.2 bWAR, 40.4 fWAR, 38.1 JAWS (per 600 PAs: 2.5 bWAR, 2.3 fWAR)
Peak: 32 bWAR, 30.8 fWAR
Acc: 2-time All-Star, 5-time Gold Glover
4-WAR seasons: 4 by bWAR, 5 by fWAR
One notable stat: He is one of three players to have 2,500 hits and win 5 Gold Gloves. The other two are Ken Griffey Jr and Willie Mays. I'd share this stat with everyone I know if I were Steve Finley.
Profile: Finley was born in Tennessee, but grew up in Paducah, Kentucky. He attended Southern Illinois University, where he was a two-time All-MVC performer and third-team All-American. He made the SIU Baseball Hall of Fame. He was drafted by the Braves in the 11th round, but stayed another year at SIU. He signed with the Orioles when they drafted him in the 13th round in 1987. He made the team out of spring training in 1989, but was a fourth outfielder. After an underwhelming sophomore campaign, he was paired with Curt Schilling and Pete Harnisch for Glenn Davis, which might be one of the worst trades in MLB history. Finley was 26 at this point, so it looked like he'd be nothing, but he broke out completely with the Astros. He was traded after four seasons to the Padres, where in his first season, he won his first Gold Glove. At 32, he finally made his first All-Star game, although he actually had a better case the year before. He signed as a free agent with the Diamondbacks before the 1999 season. At the 2004 deadline, he was traded to the Dodgers. He signed with the Angels in 2005 but they traded him to the Giants the next offseason. He signed with the Rockies for one last season, but he was so bad they released him in June. He was on one Hall of Fame ballot with little support.
George Foster (OF)
Career: 44.1 bWAR, 47.1 fWAR, 40.5 JAWS (per 600 PAs: 3.4 bWAR, 3.6 fWAR)
Peak: 36.8 bWAR, 39 fWAR
Acc: MVP, 5-time All-Star, Silver Slugger
4-WAR seasons: 6 by both bWAR and fWAR
One notable stat: As a part of the Big Red Machine, Foster benefited - and took advantage of - many chances to drive in runs. He led the league in RBIs three separate times and finished in the top 10 seven times.
Profile: Born in Alabama, but grew up in California, Foster attended El Camino College for one year. He was drafted by the Giants in the 3rd round of the 1968 MLB Draft. It only took two seasons for him to debut in 1969, however that season and the next was nothing more than a handful of games. He made the 1971 roster out of spring training, but was traded early in the year to the Reds. With their starting CFer out for the year, he played the rest of the year as a starter, but the next season, he spent on the bench and he was in AAA most of the 1973 season. Foster split the starting role in 1974 and finally became a starting outfielder without a partner at 26 the next season. In 1976, he made his first of four straight All-Star games, also finished 2nd in MVP voting. He won the MVP the next season. Foster wanted a five-year contract with one year left on his deal, so the Reds responded by trading him to the Mets. He then signed a five-year deal with the Mets. During the 1986 Mets season, he was released in August. He finished out that year with the White Sox and couldn't find a team to sign him. His career was over at 37. He was on four Hall of Fame ballots with little support.
Frankie Frisch (2B)
Career: 71.8 bWAR, 74.8 fWAR, 58.3 JAWS (per 600 PAs: 4.3 bWAR, 4.4 fWAR)
Peak: 44.7 bWAR, 47 fWAR
Acc: MVP, 3-time All-Star (All-Star game didn't exist until he was 35)
4-WAR seasons: 9 by bWAR, 11 by fWAR
One notable stat: Frankie Frish holds the record for most World Series hits by a non-Yankees player, with 58. Oddly, he was very good in the postseason for the Giants, very bad for the Cardinals.
Profile: Frisch was born in the Bronx, attending Fordham University and starring in baseball, football, basketball and track. Because of his speed, he was nicknamed the Fordham Flash. At 20, he signed with the New York Giants directly out of college, though he struggled in his rookie season. He improved in his second season and became a star by his third. He fell out of favor with John McGraw when McGraw loudly berated him when he missed a sign and Frisch responded by leaving. He was traded for Rogers Hornsby after the 1926 season. With the Cardinals, he oddly won MVP in 1931 despite it being legitimately his 10th best season of his career. He went to four World Series and the Cardinals won two of them in his tenure. His playing career ended in 1937 at the age of 38. In the wild wild west of the early days of voting Frisch ended up on five Hall of Fame ballots, although two were while he was still playing for the first two ever votes.
Tom Glavine (SP)
Career: 80.7 bWAR, 73 fWAR, 62.4 JAWS (per 200 IP: 3.7 bWAR, 3.3 fWAR)
Peak: 44.1 bWAR, 37.2 fWAR
Acc: 2-time Cy Young, 10-time All-Star, 4-time Silver Slugger
4-WAR seasons: 10 by bWAR, 8 by fWAR
One notable stat: Tom Glavine was a good hitter. Well for a pitcher anyway. He added 6.3 fWAR and 6.8 bWAR through his bat and fielding.
Profile: Glavine grew up in Massachusetts, where he was a star hockey and baseball player in high school. He got selected in both the NHL (4th round) and MLB drafts (2nd round) in 1984. He chose baseball. He chose right when he debuted in 1987 at 21-years-old for the Braves. With the Braves, he made eight All-Star teams and won two Cy Youngs. As a 37-year-old, the Mets gave him a four-deal to leave in 2003. He signed an additional year with the Mets, and played a final year with the Braves. He actually attempted to pitch another season, but was released during rehab. Glavine was a first ballot Hall of Famer.
Dick Groat (SS)
Career: 36.8 bWAR, 33.2 fWAR, 33.2 JAWS (per 600 PAs: 2.7 bWAR, 2.4 fWAR)
Peak: 29.6 bWAR, 27.1 fWAR
Acc: MVP, 8-time All-Star, Batting Title (He made six All-Star games in three seasons)
4-WAR seasons: 3 by bWAR, 2 by fWAR
One notable stat: Groat is one of 13 players to play in the both the NBA and MLB. He scored 11.9 points, 2.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game in his only season in the NBA.
Profile: Groat was born in a Pennslyvania town and earned a basketball scholarship to Duke University. He was a two-time All-American, won UPI National Player of the Year, and set a NCAA record 839 points scored. His number was retired and he was put in the College Basketball Hall of Fame. In baseball, he was part of a Blue Devils team that won the College World Series. When he graduated, the Pirates offered him a contract. Groat struggled in his first season, and then enlisted in the US Army for two years for the Korean War. In 1955, he set a record for most at-bats without either a homer or stolen base. In 1959, Groat made his first All-Star team. In the same season that the Pirates shocked the world and beat the Yankees in the World Series, Groat won MVP. Groat was traded after the 1962 season to the Cardinals. He had a career year in his first season and again won a World Series in his second year. He was traded to the Phillies after 1965 and he spent his last year as a defensive replacement. He retired at 36. He was on six HOF ballots, but never got more than 2%.
Ron Guidry (SP)
Career: 47.8 bWAR, 49.3 fWAR, 42.9 JAWS (per 200 IP: 4 bWAR, 4.1 fWAR)
Peak: 38 bWAR, 37.7 fWAR
Acc: Cy Young, 4-time All-Star, 5-time Gold Glover, 2-time ERA title
4-WAR seasons: 6 by bWAR, 5 by fWAR
One notable stat: Guidry got Cy Young votes in six different seasons, including in the top 3 three times.
Profile: Born in Louisiana (and nicknamed Louisiana Lightning), Guidry attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1971 draft by the Yankees. It was a long road to the majors though as he spent five seasons in the minors, though he appeared in a few games in two of them, debuting in 1975 at 24. He became a regular fixture of Yankees' rotations in 1977 and he stayed there until he retired at 37, at least partially due to his career being hampered by injuries in the last couple seasons. He was on 9 Hall of Fame ballots and one Veteran's Committee ballot, but with not a ton of support.
Billy Herman (2B)
Career: 57.4 bWAR, 55.1 fWAR, 47.6 JAWS (per 600 PAs: 4 bWAR, 3.8 fWAR)
Peak: 37.8 bWAR, 36.1 fWAR
Acc: 10-time All-Star
4-WAR seasons: 6 by both bWAR and fWAR
One notable stat: Known for his defense more than his bat, Herman has the 24th best range factor per game at 2B, placing 1st four times and in the top 10 eight times in his career.
Profile: William Jennings Bryan Herman (his real name!) was born in Indiana. He dropped out of high school after his junior season. While playing for a New Covenant Presbyterian team in Louisville, he was noticed by a Class AA GM, who signed him in 1928. He wasn't good and was sent back to Class D, and the GM told the team he wasn't any good because he was playing SS, not 2B. But at the time, Herman had never actually played 2B. He made his way back to the original Class AA team that signed him and got purchased by the Cubs late in the 1931 season. He debuted at 21-years-old and became the starting 2B for the Cubs for the next 9 seasons. Early in the 1941 season, Herman was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers. He spent a couple years there, then served mostly on the Pacific islands in World War II, missing both 1944 and 1945. He returned in 1946 and his position had been taken, so midseason he was traded to the Boston Braves. In 1947 he was traded to the Pirates and he became player-manager, and pretty much stopped playing himself. After a poor season, he resigned and retired. He didn't receive a lot of love from the writers, but the Veteran's Committee put him in the Hall in 1975.
Catfish Hunter (SP)
Career: 40.9 bWAR, 37.2 fWAR, 62.4 JAWS (per his 230 IP: 2.7 bWAR, 2.5 fWAR)
Peak: 34.9 bWAR, 31.4 fWAR
Acc: Cy Young, 8-time All-Star, ERA title
4-WAR seasons: 4 by both bWAR and fWAR
One notable stat: Catfish Hunter is the first big-money free agent in baseball arguably, signing a 5-year contract worth $3.35 million. He had previously agreed to 2 years, $200,000, but Hunter wanted $50,000 to be sent to life insurance of his choosing. When owner Finley found out he was taxed $25,000 for that, he reneged. Arbiter ruled Hunter a free agent.
Profile: Hunter was born in North Carolina, excelling in both football and baseball in high school. When he was a senior, he lost one of his toes in a hunting accident. Nonetheless, Charles Finley signed him, sent him to the Mayo Clinic, and he recovered on Finley's farm. He didn't play that season, but he debuted in 1965 at just 19-years-old. In 1966, he made his first All-Star team although I don't know why, but it was much more deserved in 1967. He had a couple off-years, but was back at the All-Star game in 1970. in his final year in Oakland, he won the Cy Young award. He signed a big money deal with the Yankees over the offseason, narrowly missed repeating as the Cy winner. In the third year of his deal, he was diagnosed with diabetes and arm injuries added to his woes. Due to this, he retired after his age 33 season. He was inducted into the Hall by the writers on his third try.
Walter Johnson (SP)
Career: 166.9 bWAR, 125.9 fWAR, 129 JAWS (per his 282 IP avg: 8 bWAR, 6 fWAR)
Peak: 91 bWAR, 59 fWAR
Acc: 2-time MVP, 3-time Triple Crown, 5-time ERA title
4-WAR seasons: 17 by bWAR, 14 by fWAR
One notable stat: Johnson is the only pitcher in MLB history to record more than 400 wins and strike out more than 3,500 batters.
Profile: Johnson was born in Kansas, but moved to Orange County when he was 14. He attended Fullerton Union High School and later moved to Idaho, working as a telephone company employee and pitching in the Idaho State League. At 19, the Washington Senators signed him in 1907. He had no adjustment period, he was instantly a top pitcher in baseball. During the Deadball era, Johnson had an under 2.00 ERA in 11 of his first 13 seasons. In one of the few seasons when an MVP award existed, he won it in 1913. He won it again later in 1924 at the age of 36 when the early versions of the MVP came back. He retired, a Senator for life, after his age 39 season in 1927. He was a first ballot Hall of Fame on the first ever Hall of Fame ballot.
Chuck Klein (OF)
Career: 46.6 bWAR, 42.8 fWAR, 42.8 JAWS (per 600 PAs: 3.9 bWAR, 3.6 fWAR)
Peak: 39 bWAR, 37 fWAR
Acc: MVP, Triple Crown, 2-time All-Star, Batting Title (ASG didn't exist until his sixth season)
4-WAR seasons: 5 by both bWAR and fWAR
One notable stat: Klein led the NL in HRs four times, which was four of his first five full seasons in baseball. Klein is also the first player to make an All-Star game in both leagues.
Profile: Klein was born in Indianapolis in 1904. He did not go to college due to poor grades, playing for a semi-pro teams for a few seasons. A Cardinals scout noticed him and signed him to a minor league contract. He made his way up to Fort Wayne and was all set to be called up, but Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis discovered the Cardinals owned two teams in the Central League, and forced the Cards to sell their players in Fort Wayne. So Klein was sold to the Phillies and made his MLB debut in the middle of 1928. Klein won the MVP in 1932 when he hit for the Triple Crown. After six seasons as a Phillie, Klein was traded to the Cubs late in his seventh season with the Cubs. He was reacquired by the Phillies in 1936, and also became the first player to hit four homers in a game. After a down year and slow start, he was released by the Phillies in 1939. He was picked up by the Pirates and rediscovered his stroke. He signed with the Phillies again in 1940, which was his last full year, but he continued appearing in games until 1944. He was on 12 Hall of Fame ballots, but needed a Veterans Committee to get in the Hall in 1980.
Dutch Leonard (SP)
Career: 51.7 bWAR, 51.8 fWAR, 40.8 JAWS (per 200 IP: 3.2 bWAR and fWAR)
Peak: 32.7 bWAR, 33.9 fWAR
Acc: 4-time All-Star (no Cy Young existed during his career, though he wouldn't win one)
4-WAR seasons: 5 by bWAR, 7 by fWAR
One notable stat: In 1945, Leonard was part of a four-man rotation of entirely knuckleballers, likely the only time in MLB history. He had a career low 2.13 ERA with a 17-7 record.
Profile: Dutch Leonard was born in Illinois and got his nickname from a different Dutch Leonard - unrelated - who pitched during the Deadball era. Incidentally, neither of them were Dutch. Playing football and basketball in high school (which had no baseball team), Leonard injured his shoulder when he was knocked into a brick wall. His fastball was never the same. He began his pro career after he led one of Chicago's top industrial teams to a city championship. That led to a signing by a minor league team and he played for eight teams in four seasons. He got a 10-day trial from the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1933. He impressed enough for them to keep him. Over the next few seasons, he couldn't find a catcher who was comfortable catching the knuckleball and he ended up getting sold back to a minor league team in 1936. The Senators picked up Leonard after he spent all of 1937 in the minors, confident Rick Farrell could catch the knuckler. He became a starter in 1938 at 29 for essentially the first time instead of a spot starter and bullpen pitcher. His run of success was interrupted not by the war, but by an ankle injury in 1942 that knocked him out of all but 5 starts. After shoulder and back problems impacted his 1946, he was sold to the Phillies. After two good years, Philly went with a youth movement and sold him to the Cubs. He had one year in the rotation and spent his last four in the bullpen, retiring at 44. He was on seven ballots but never got more than 2%.
Dolf Luque (SP)
Career: 48.2 bWAR, 41.4 fWAR, 42.5 JAWS (per his 214 IP avg: 3.2 bWAR, 2.6 fWAR)
Peak: 36.8 bWAR, 30.6 fWAR
Acc: 2-time ERA title (ASG didn't exist until he was 42, no Cy Young ever)
4-WAR seasons: 4 by bWAR, 2 by fWAR
One notable stat: Luque was the first Latin American pitcher in the majors, the first to earn a World Series win, and the first to lead the majors in shutouts and ERA.
Profile: Luque was born in Havana, Cuba in 1890. In 1911, he made his Cuban League debut in an exhibition game against the Phillies. A Cuban entrepreneur named Dr. Hernandez Henriquez, who operated the Long Branch franchise in the New York-New Jersey State League, recruited Luque to his team. He spent winters in the Cuban League and summers in New Jersey. In an exhibition game in 1914, he impressed the Boston Braves manager, who signed him, but he threw only a few games in 1914 and 1915. He returned to the minors for the next two seasons, but got picked up by Cincinnati in 1918. He spent those two years as a spot starter, but in 1920, he became a part of the regular rotation. At 32, Luque had a career year with a 1.93 ERA. He stayed with the Reds until the 1930 season, when he was entering his age 39 season, and got traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers. He spent two seasons with them, and his last four with the New York Giants in the bullpen. He retired at 44 in 1935. He was on 9 Hall of Fame ballots, but only cracked 5% once.
Dale Murphy (OF)
Career: 46.5 bWAR, 44.3 fWAR, 43.8 JAWS (per 600 PAs: 3.1 bWAR, 2.9 fWAR)
Peak: 41.2 bWAR, 38.6 fWAR
Acc: 2-time MVP, 7-time All-Star, 5-time Gold Glover, 4-time Silver Slugger
4-WAR seasons: 6 by both bWAR and fWAR
One notable stat: Murphy's prime seasons perfectly occurred at the right time for him to lead the NL in games, ABs, runs, hits, extra base hits, RBIs, total bases, and plate appearances during the decade of the 1980s. Only Mike Schmidt hit more homers.
Profile: Murphy was born in Portland, Oregon. At high school, he had a .465 average playing catcher in his senior season. Murphy committed to Arizona State, but was selected 5th overall by the Atlanta Braves in 1974. He signed with the Braves. He debuted in the majors at 20 just two years later, but that year and the next year were just cup of coffees. He had an issue with throwing, and entering the 1978 season, he was moved to 1B. In 1978, Murphy struggled with defense at 1B and strikeouts. The next year, he was limited to 104 games due to a cartilage damage in his knee. At 24, things finally came together for Murphy with a move to CF. In 1982 and 1983, he won back-to-back MVPs. In this stretch, he also made six straight All-Star games. His bat fell off in 1988 and never really came back. At the deadline in 1990, the Braves traded him to the Phillies. He missed nearly all of 1992, and signed with the Rockies for his last year. After 49 plate appearances in mostly a pinch-hitting role, he retired in the middle of the season. He was on all 15 Hall of Fame ballots, but never got more than a quarter of the vote. He's been on three Veterans Committee ballots.
Stan Musial (1B/OF)
Career: 128.5 bWAR, 126.4 fWAR, 96.5 JAWS (per 600 PAs: 6.1 bWAR, 6 fWAR)
Peak: 64.5 bWAR, 64.3 fWAR
Acc: 3-time MVP, 24-time All-Star, 7-time Batting title (Few seasons had multiple ASG)
4-WAR seasons: 16 by bWAR, 17 by fWAR
One notable stat: Musial has 1,815 hits at home, and 1,815 hits on the road.
Profile: Again, you all know him. No profile needed. He was a first ballot Hall of Famer in 1969 with 93.2% of the vote.
Deacon Phillippe (SP)
Career: 36 bWAR, 42.4 fWAR, 33.9 JAWS (per his 218 IP avg: 3 bWAR, 3.5 fWAR)
Peak: 32.2 bWAR, 32.5 fWAR
Acc: None (No major awards existed in his career)
4-WAR seasons: 5 by bWAR, 4 by fWAR
One notable stat: Phillippe was a control artist who walked just 363 batters in 2,607 innings pitched. He has the lowest BB/9 since 1893 when the pitching mound was moved to 60 feet, 6 inches.
Profile: Phillippe was born in Virginia but his family moved to what is now South Dakota (wasn't a state when they moved) just a few years after he was born. Phillippe pitched semi-pro ball for a few years in South Dakota and later Minnesota. After the 1898 season, he was drafted by Louisville Colonels. By 1899, he was already 27-years-old and he threw a no-hitter in just his seventh ever game. When the NL contracted to eight teams, he moved to Pittsburgh. He became the Pirates' star pitcher and in the 1903 World Series, started five games and threw 44 innings of 3.07 ERA ball. An illness that settled in his eyes caused him to miss half of the 1904 season and in 1906, he began to experience chronic arm problems. He only threw 12 innings total in 1908. He rebounded the next year but only made 12 starts. He pitched until the 1911 season, and his MLB career was over at 39.
Jim Rice (OF)
Career: 47.7 bWAR, 50.8 fWAR, 42.1 JAWS (per 600 PAs: 3.2 bWAR, 3.4 fWAR)
Peak: 36.4 bWAR, 37.2 fWAR
Acc: MVP, 8-time All-Star, 2-time Silver Slugger
4-WAR seasons: 5 by both bWAR and fWAR
One notable stat: Rice, along with Ty Cobb, is one of two players in AL history to lead the league in total bases three consecutive seasons.
Profile: Rice was born in South Carolina and in his senior season, integration became mandated and he joined a previously all-white high school baseball team. He was an all-state football player in addition to baseball. He was drafted 15th overall in the 1971 draft and chose baseball over football scholarships when he was offered $45,000. He spent four years in the minors before debuting at 21 in 1974 late in the season. At 22, he was 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting and 3rd in MVP voting, with his teammate Fred Lynn winning both. He made his first of four straight All-Star games in 1977. In his MVP season, he led the league in hits, triples, homers, RBIs, slugging, OPS, and OPS+. He stayed a Red Sox through the end of his career, when his bat fell off a cliff at 36-years-old. It took him 15 tries, but the writer's elected him in 2009.
Brooks Robinson (3B)
Career: 78.5 bWAR, 80.2 fWAR, 62.2 JAWS (per 600 PAs: 4 bWAR, 4.1 fWAR)
Peak: 45.8 bWAR, 45.1 fWAR
Acc: MVP, 18-time All-Star, 16-time Gold Glover (3 seasons had two All-Star games)
4-WAR seasons: 10 by bWAR, 11 by fWAR
One notable stat: Brooks Robinson is 1st all-time in games played at 3B, assists at 3B, Total Zone Runs at 3B, double plays turned at 3B, and putouts at 3B. His 2,870 career games at 3B is the most at one position at any position.
Profile: Robinson was born in Little Rock, and grew up a Cardinals fan. He was a good enough basketball player to get a scholarship opportunity to the University of Arkansas, but he wanted to play baseball. Three teams tried to sign Robinson, and he chose the Orioles who had shown the most interest. He actually debuted the same year he signed in 1955, but spent most of his first two years in the minors. He in 1957, the 20-year-old was an understudy of Hall of Famer George Kell. The next season, he got the starting job at 3B though his bat was well behind his glove. In 1960, he made his first All-Star game (well two) and his first Gold Glove. He proceeded to make the All-Star team and win a Gold Glove 15 straight years. He won a 16th straight Gold Glove, but failed to make an All-Star team in 1975 at 38. That year, his bat completely fell off. The next year, he was more of a bench player and in his last year, he was more of a pure pinch-hitter/defensive replacement. He retired at 40 and was a first ball Hall of Famer.
Bob Rush (SP)
Career: 36.5 bWAR, 43.6 fWAR, 32.5 JAWS (per 200 IP: 3 bWAR, 3.6 fWAR)
Peak: 29 bWAR, 31.8 fWAR
Acc: 2-time All-Star
4-WAR seasons: 4 by bWAR, 5 by fWAR
One notable stat: When Rush faced Warren Spahn in a 1950, each pitcher stole a base on the other. That didn't happen again until Greg Maddux and Jason Marquis repeated the feat in 2004.
Profile: Rush was born in Michigan, but went to high school in Indiana. Right out of high school, he served in the Army during World War II, seeing action in Germany. He began his pro career when he was signed by the Cubs in 1947. The next season, he debuted at 22-years-old. In nine of the next 10 seasons, Rush threw 200+ innings for the Cubs. He was traded to the Braves after the 1958 season, spent one year in the rotation in the only year he made the World Series, and then an additional year in the bullpen and as a spot starter. In 1960, he was purchased by the White Sox in June and released in August. That was the end of his career at just 34. He was never on a Hall of Fame ballot.
Ryne Sandberg (2B)
Career: 67.9 bWAR, 60.9 fWAR, 57.5 JAWS (per 600 PAs: 4.4 bWAR, 3.9 fWAR)
Peak: 47.1 bWAR, 43.9 fWAR
Acc: MVP, 10-time All-Star, 7-time Silver Slugger, 9-time Gold Glover
4-WAR seasons: 7 by both bWAR and fWAR
One notable stat: Sandberg holds the major league record for most Silver Sluggers as a 2B with seven. His fielding percentage of .9894 was also an MLB record when he retired, though 9 players have exceeded that since.
Profile: Sandberg was born and raised in Spokane, Washington. He was a three-sport star at high school, being named one of the eight High School All-American quarterbacks by Parade magazine. He signed a letter of intent to play QB with Washington State, but when the Phillies drafted him in the 20th round in the 1978 draft, he signed with them instead. He spent his minor league years at SS, making his way up and debuting late in the 1981 season. Phillies wanted a successor to Larry Bowa at SS, and concluded Sandberg was not that guy. When contract negotiations between Bowa and the Phillies broke down, the Phillies traded Bowa and Sandberg to the Cubs. Originally intending him to play CF, Sandberg played 3B in his rookie season and moved to 2B when the Cubs got Ron Cey the next year. He won his first of 9 straight Gold Gloves in 1983 and in 1984, he won his only MVP. In 1992, Sandberg became the highest paid player in the game. After a slow start to his 1994 season, Sandberg abruptly retired in the middle of the season, but came back in 1996 and played one more year in 1997. Then he retired for good at 37. Sandberg was elected on his third attempt by the writers.
Duke Snider (OF)
Career: 65.9 bWAR, 63.5 fWAR, 57.7 JAWS (per 600 PAs: 4.8 bWAR, 4.6 fWAR)
Peak: 49.5 bWAR, 48 fWAR
Acc: 8-time All-Star
4-WAR seasons: 8 by both bWAR and fWAR
One notable stat: Snider is the Dodgers's career leader in home runs (389), RBIs (1,271), and extra base hits (814). He also hit 19 homers off Robin Roberts, the most home runs off a single pitcher by anybody.
Profile: Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider was born and grew up in Los Angeles, playing football, basketball and baseball in high school. A Dodgers scout signed him out of high school in 1942. His minor league career was interrupted by serving in the US Navy in 1945 and 1946. He started the 1947 season in the majors, but was sent back down in the middle of the year. In 1948, he started the year in the minors, but played the last two months of the year in the majors. He played well enough to be the starting CFer the next season and stayed there until the year they moved to Los Angeles. He had injury problems that kept him in a part-time role the rest of his tenure. He 36, he changed organizations for the first time, returning to New York, but with the Mets. He saw his most playing time in four years, but wanted to be traded to a contender, getting traded to the Giants. He retired at the end of the year. It took the writers 11 tries to vote him in the Hall.
Frank Tanana (SP)
Career: 57.1 bWAR, 58.5 fWAR, 47.6 JAWS (per 200 IP: 2.7 bWAR, 2.8 fWAR)
Peak: 38.1 bWAR, 33.4 fWAR
Acc: 3-time All-Star, ERA title
4-WAR seasons: 5 by bWAR, 4 by fWAR
One notable stat: Frank Tanana has the second most wins of all time (240) from a pitcher who never won 20 games. He also has the distinction of being one of two pitchers to give up a homer to both Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds.
Profile: Born and raised in Detroit, Tanana excelled in both basketball and baseball in high school. In his senior season, he injured his shoulder when he threw sidearm to a hitter. He pitched through the pain until he had to leave a game in the 4th inning of a championship game. He got drafted in the 1st round by the California Angels in 1971, but didn't pitch the rest of that year. He debuted and started 4 games late in the 1973 season as a 19-year-old, and the next year, made 35 starts and threw 268 innings as a rookie. He didn't even get votes for Rookie of the Year. He made his first of three straight All-Star games from 22 to 24 years of age, but never again. Injuries limited him in 1979 and 1980 would prove to be his last year as an Angel. He was traded to Boston after the season. After a subpar season with them, he reached free agency and signed with the Texas Rangers. In the middle of the 1985 season, Tanana was traded to the Tigers. He stayed with his hometown Tigers until 1992, and he spent a final season with the Mets, who traded him to the Yankees late in the year. He retired at 39. He didn't receive a vote on his only Hall of Fame ballot.
Fernando Valenzuela (SP)
Career: 41.5 bWAR, 40.9 fWAR, 37.5 JAWS (per 200 IP: 2.8 bWAR and fWAR)
Peak: 33.5 bWAR, 34.3 fWAR
Acc: Cy Young, 6-time All-Star, Rookie of the Year, Gold Glove, 2-time Silver Slugger
4-WAR seasons: 6 by both bWAR and fWAR
One notable stat: Valenzuela is the only player ever to win both the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young in the same season in 1981. He led the league in games started, complete games, shutouts, innings pitched, and strikeouts.
Profile: Valeunzuela was born in Mexico, the youngest of 12 children. He played in the Mexican Pacific League starting in 1977 at the age of 16. In 1979, the league he was pitching in morphed to join the Mexican League, which was AAA level. Also in that year, he signed with the Dodgers, who found him when they were scouting somebody else. Before the 1980 season, the Dodgers sent Bobby Castillo to teach him an off-speed pitch, which turned out to be a screwball. It worked. He debuted in September of 1980 and didn't allow a run in 10 appearances in the bullpen. The next year he won both Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young. He made an All-Star game in his first six tries, all before the age of 26. Unfortunately, injuries got in the way of the rest of his career. He had a bit of a down year by his standards in 1987 and was limited by injuries in 1988. He did make 30 starts in both 1989 and 1990, although at considerably lower inning totals than earlier in his career. After a poor spring training in 1991, he was released by the Dodgers. He made just 2 starts for the Angels and didn't pitch in the majors in 1992. He played one year with the Orioles, where he was healthy, and got signed late in the strike-shortened 1994 with the Phillies. He played three seasons in San Diego, including starting the first ever game in Mexico. In the third, he was traded to the Cardinals. He was done with the MLB at 36. He was on two HOF ballots without getting voted in.
Devon White (OF)
Career: 47.3 bWAR, 41.8 fWAR, 41.4 JAWS (per 600 PAs: 3.5 bWAR, 3.1 fWAR)
Peak: 35.5 bWAR, 32.7 fWAR
Acc: 3-time All-Star, 7-time Gold Glover
4-WAR seasons: 5 by bWAR, 4 by fWAR
One notable stat: White was an elite defender during his career. He ranks 6th all-time in Total Zone among CFers with 112 runs saved. He was 1st in the league four times.
Profile: White was born in Kingston, Jamaica, but emigrated to the US when he was 9. He was a basketball player in high school, playing in Manhattan, and started playing baseball when he watched Mets and Yankees games with his dad. He received a scholarship offer to play both baseball and basketball by Oklahoma State, but he signed with the Angels when they drafted him in the 6th round of the 1981 draft. It took him four years to make his MLB debut and an additional two to crack a starting lineup. He was 4th in Rookie of the Year voting in 1987 and won his first Gold Glove the next season. He made his first All-Star game the year after that. He was traded to the Blue Jays after the 1990 season and he was a part of back-to-back World Series wins with them. He signed with the Marlins after the 1995 season and won a World Series with them in 1997. He was traded to the Diamondbacks for a season in 1998 and signed with the Dodgers before 1999. Injuries limited him in 2000 and he was traded to the Brewers to finish out his career in 2001. He retired at 38. He received no votes on his ballot.
Barry Zito (SP)
Career: 33.1 bWAR, 30.2 fWAR, 31.3 JAWS (per 600 PAs: 2.6 bWAR, 2.3 fWAR)
Peak: 30.6 bWAR, 26.2 fWAR
Acc: Cy Young, 3-time All-Star
4-WAR seasons: 4 by bWAR, 3 by fWAR
One notable stat: With a career 4.04 ERA, Zito stepped it up in the playoffs, unfortunately. He was 6-3 with a 2.83 ERA in 10 postseasn starts.
Profile: Barry Zito is an asshole.
Vote for the players on this ballot on the link below, which I'm pretty sure will show up this time.
And not to be too confusing, but I'm going to share a link from Monday's ballot, in case you missed it. You have until roughly 10 pm Sunday, though most people don't end up voting if you haven't voted by then. But that's about when I'll be writing up the results.
So again, the following link is Part Fourteen's ballot.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScwiuD7l3MaQkTtIc45udCJcHD9c2T_8W7IbD8v-sLcPInKpQ/viewform
