He was the Cy Young award runner-up twice and had two other top-eight finishes. Ferrell pitched 85 complete games over a three-year span in the mid-1930s. Hes never been close to being considered a bona fide Hall of Fame candidate, though. Magee was one of 10 pre-1943 players who came under consideration for enshrinement in 2008, but he fell short. He hit 136 homers over his final five seasons after hitting just 159 the previous 10 seasons. Raines' role as a part-time player over his last six years caused him to miss out on reaching 3,000 hits, as he fell short with 2,605. At the time of his retirement, he held the major league record for games played and was in the top 10 in RBI, doubles and extra-base hits. Pinson's career is somewhat overshadowed by the contemporaries he played against as an outfielder in the 1960s and 1970s. Bartell received MVP votes in six seasons, finishing as high as sixth in 1937. Parker falls short of the magic numbers needed for induction, though. McGwire's at-bats were must-watch TV for nearly a decade, and he fully captivated the nation for a summer in 1998. He received more votes than six eventual Hall of Famers. Over his 12-year career, his 162-game average season was 40 home runs, 130 RBI and a .295 average. He also didn't thrive in the postseason, going 0-2 with an 8.44 ERA in four games. During his time with the White Sox, Minoso was a seven-time All-Star who finished fourth in the MVP voting on four different occasions. Allen was a feared slugger and clutch hitter whose .534 slugging percentage was the best of any non-Hall of Fame member until Albert Belle came along. He also didn't have a great batting average. And replacing him with Jose Abreu, who just posted a 137 wRC+ and is a career .292/.354/.506 hitter is an unbelievable win for this front office. Bonds was a two-time Gold Glove winner and had two top-five finishes in MVP voting. He batted .298 for his career and won multiple Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards. Ryne Sandberg : in his first year of eligibility in 2003 received 49.2% of the vote and gets enshrined in 2005 in his third year on the ballot receiving 76.2 . 2,000 on Monday night. Lopat was a mainstay in the rotation of the great New York Yankee teams of the 1950s. Walker batted .357 between 1997 and 2001, leading the National League in batting three of the four years in which he was eligible. Allen played during the pitching-dominated 1960s and 1970s and still managed to top a 1.000 OPS three times. The highest batting average for an ELIGIBLE player is Lefty O'Doul, 6th place overall, at .3493. He has finished no worse than eighth in Hall of Fame voting in his three years on the ballot, topping 32 percent each time. In 1952 he made history by becoming the first African-American coach in the major leagues when he joined the Cubs coaching staff. Pierce is a tremendously underrated pitcher who hurled mostly for the White Sox over an 18-year, post-WWII career. 500. Uh, let me try to explain. McGriff has been on the Hall of Fame ballot for three seasons and saw decent support in 2012, garnering 23.9 percent of the vote, his highest total. The fact that Carter and Fisk were elected and Simmons lasted just one year on the ballot is just wrong. Starting Pitcher: Roger Clemens Roger Clemens hurls a pitch in his rookie year with the Red Sox in 1984. He received 55 votes in the 2012 Hall of Fame voting, his first year on the ballot. He ended his career with a .293 average and 1,977 hits. It is hard to argue that Beltran's resume is not Hall of Fame-worthy. His Hall of Fame candidacy peaked in 1995, his third year on the ballot. Palmeiros steroid use led to everyone discounting his monstrous numbers. This is the first story in a three-part series about . Maris was considered a power show more content In the era between 1965 and 1990, Foster was the only player to hit 50 home runs. Morris' case is buoyed by excellent performances in the 1984 and 1991 postseasons when he anchored the Tigers' and Twins' staffs to World Series titles in those respective years. Galarraga transformed himself from a high-average, Gold Glove first baseman to a power-hitting masher after eight seasons in the league with a move to the Colorado Rockies. Franco holds the record for most game pitched in the National League with 1,119 over his 21-year career. From 1984 to 1989 "Donnie Baseball" was the most prolific hitter in baseball. He went 208-126 with a 2.92 ERA and twice led the league in complete games, shutouts and saves. In DiMaggio's 11 seasons, he made the All-Star game seven times and received MVP votes in six seasons. He was a key piece in four World Series titles for the Yankees, delivering numerous clutch hits along the way. He only led the league in saves four times in his 18-year career, and his 3.03 career ERA isn't sparkling for a closer. Stephens led the AL in RBI twice and home runs once, but his production fell off considerably after the age of 29. I don't think Votto catches him in the power numbers even with 8 . The righty went 48-16 and struck out 417 batters in 587 innings. Bridges was a fine pitcher for the Tigers starting in 1930 and running right up until he was called into service for World War II in 1944. Whitaker was a solid all-around player for the Tigers, but never really excelled in any one area on an elite level. Even though he hasn't played a Major League game in 109 years, Van Haltren still holds the National League record for reaching base in 60 straight games, accomplishing the feat in 1893. As a result, his final career numbers don't match up with the great pitchers of his generation. Parrish was considered one of the top all-around catchers of the 1980s along with Gary Carter, Carlton Fisk and Ted Simmons. Arguably the best designated hitter of all time, Martinez was very similar to Baines but with a little bit more hardware. Playing in the infield with Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez and Johnny Bench, Concepcion was a nine-time All-Star who also won two Silver Slugger awards. He finished first or second in fielding percentage for 13 of his 19 major league seasons. Belle may have been a jerk and got caught with a corked bat, but the fact that he had just two meek representations on the Hall of Fame ballot before being dropped is a crime. For the kind of player Raines was, that should not keep him out of the Hall of Fame. He never led the league in any major categories, but was still a very productive leader and beloved player on the great Brooklyn Dodger teams of the 1950s. His career average of .320 ranks fifth. Belle finished his career on a run of nine straight seasons of 100 RBI. With Clark in the fold, it's easy to think that another World Series flag, or two, would be flying at Kauffman. Be respectful even if you disagree. He topped 30 home runs eight years in a row, peaking at 50 in 1995. He is still in the top 50 for career strikeouts and was the author of one of baseball's all-time greatest pitching seasons in 1985. Please seek professional guidance. He won three Gold Glove awards and is known for having one of the great outfield arms of all time. McGriff was remarkably consistent, belting 30 home runs in a season 10 times during the steroid era without a whisper of accusation about him. Raines has been on the ballot for six years, and during that time his vote percentage has gone from 24.3 in . For all of his accomplishments, though, he only made four All-Star games and had just three top-10 MVP finishes. He consistently finished in the top 10 for Hall of Fame voting, but he never cracked the 30 percent barrier. Staub was an excellent player early in his career, and by the age of 27, he was already a five-time All-Star. He was only a tiny bit better than Billy Mueller. He is also one of the few multiple MVP winners who has been left out of Cooperstown. !rogermaris.com, Maris' career batting average was .260, which is minuscule compared to other greats like Hank Aaron and Ted Williams who both surpassed .300, that number being considered to be the gold standard for a hitter. Adams won 194 games during the dead-ball era for the Pirates and was an early master of WHIP. The 3,000 Hits Club is a collection of Major League Baseball players who have recorded 3,000 or more regular-season hits during their big league career. Mullane won 30 games five times. Hernandez was the 1979 MVP for the Cardinals and finished in the top 10 of MVP voting three straight years for the Mets. Brown has a better winning percentage than Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton and Don Drysdale, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio is better than Ton Seaver, Warren Spahn, Nolan Ryan, Gibson and Carlton. If in doubt, leave it out. Hall of Fame Batting Register | Baseball-Reference.com Hall of Fame Batting Register Average Batting HOFer's stats include batters and player inductees only. Bonds . Sain received support for the Hall of Fame in 1975 when he received 123 votes in his final year on the ballot. One of the great clutch hitters of his era, Martinez finished with a .312 career average and topped 500 doubles and 300 homers in his 18-year career. One of the more underrated hitters of the 1970s and 1980s, Oliver batted over .300 11 times, finishing with a career average of .303. Marty Dobrow | Special to MassLive. Oliver accumulated 2,743 hits in his career. "Indian Bob" is one of the great underrated players of the 1930s and 1940s, lost in the shuffle of playing at the same time as Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott, Lou Gehrig and Hank Greenberg. From the time he broke into the league in 1986, Clark was one of the top hitters in the National League. He also was one of the first power-hitting leadoff hitters, setting a MLB record with 35 career leadoff homers, a record that has since been broken. He scored over 100 runs in seven straight season and topped 100 RBI in five of those years. In fact, when Grich led the American League in home runs in 1981, he became the first second basemen to do so since Nap Lajoie in 1901. Boone was arguably the greatest defensive catcher of a generation that also included Hall of Famers Gary Carter and Carlton Fisk. When Smith retired, he was the game's all-time saves leader and topped the list in games finished. Stephens was one of the top hitting shortstops of the 1940s and received MVP votes for nine straight seasons from 1942 to 1951. + - Indicates Hall of Famer. Claim to fame: One of the first longtime designated hitters to build some support for Cooperstown, Baines hit .289 lifetime with 2,866 hits and 384 home runs. Garvey was even better in the postseason, holding a .338 average and 11 home runs in 55 games. He had four top-four finishes in Cy Young award voting, winning the award unanimously in 1988. HR Rank All Time. The 1945 NL MVP, Cavarretta played more seasons with the Cubs than anybody in the 20th century. He finished in the top 10 in MVP voting in each of his first four full seasons and six times overall. Buckner won the 1980 NL batting title as a member of the Chicago Cubs and had two seasons of 200+ hits. The revolutionary surgery that now bears his name was only supposed to provide John with a normal life without pain, not a return to Major League Baseball. Best 3 Year Period. Parrish was one of the keys to the Tigers' 1984 World Series team, finishing third in the AL with 33 home runs that year. Only four players who are eligible for the Hall of Fame and not enshrined have more hits than Buckner's 2,715. Trammell was selected by baseball historian Bill James as the ninth-best shortstop of all time (h/t MLB.com), ahead of 14 players enshrined in Cooperstown. George Kell was a 10-time All-Star and hit more than .300 nine times. Reynolds helped the Yankees to six World Series titles, racking up a 7-2 record with a 2.79 ERA over 15 World Series games. All other pitchers in that category who are eligible are in the Hall of Fame as well. Kuenn won the AL Rookie of the Year in 1953, then led all shortstops in putouts and assists the following year. Bagwell has been on the Hall of Fame ballot for two years and if trends hold up, he should find himself in Cooperstown one day. For medical advice, always consult your medical doctor. Rose has more hits than anyone whos ever picked up a bat, but his decision to bet on baseball has kept him the sports most famous living outsider. Wood received 29 votes in the 1947 Hall of Fame voting, the most of any player who still hasn't been elected. NL in hits in 1999 with 206. This slideshow ranks the top 100 players who are eligible for Hall of Fame induction, but they currently do not have that plaque in Cooperstown. Playing during a time when second basemen weren't asked to even think about home runs, Grich hit with the power of a corner infielder while playing Gold Glove-caliber second base for the Orioles and Angels. He made eight straight All-Star games and received MVP votes in each of those years. However, the high intensity took its toll physically on Martin, who only played over 100 games five times in his career. However, the big man known as "Mule" also batted for a high average, regularly hitting between .300 and .400 each season. With such a rich history and so many different eras that exist in stark contrast of each other, baseball lends itself to some great arguments. He eclipsed 240 innings pitched in seven of his nine full seasons and had a career record of 187-111. Published: Mar. The highest number of games he played in after the age of 29 was 109 in 1951. The 1978 AL Rookie of the Year played all 19 years of his career with the Tigers. Tiant twice led the league with ERAs under 2.00, but he also had five years with an ERA over 4.00. It was the same year that Old Hoss Radbourn won 59 games. At the end of his career, he ranked in the top five for American League right-handed batters in career RBI, runs, total bases, slugging and walks. His 385 career home runs are the 10th-highest total for any American League right-handed batter. He finished his 14-year career with 2,089 hits and a .298 career average. Everybody concentrates on Gooden's squandered talent, and rightly so. He will earn a salary of $32 million for the 2023 season, the Tigers will buy out his 2024 option for $8 million, and he will retire. He was an eight-time All-Star, six-time Silver Slugger Award winner and won three Gold Gloves. His Hall of Fame case remains one of the most controversial and hes been bypassed by the Veterans Committee four times. One of the great power and speed combination players of all time, Bonds was just the second player to ever hit 300 home runs and steal 300 bases in a career, joining Willie Mays in that group. He was one of the better fielding second basemen of his time. He still holds a number of Dodgers franchise records, and at the time of his retirement, his .532 slugging percentage was the fourth-best in NL history. By Jim McLennan @AZSnakepit Apr 11, 2012, 11:00pm EDT. Also of note here, because this is the era in which we live, the steroids issue must be addressed. After serving in the military, Boyer made his debut at the age of 24 and instantly became an impact player for the Cardinals. Thome played 22 years in the league. Votto's career .303 batting average and career .932 OPS also is good enough to be a HOF. He won eight Gold Gloves and had four MVP top-10 finishes. Tiant made three All-Star games and had two top-10 MVP finishes. Bold indicates active player. Morris has increased his votes in each of the past five years, peaking in 2012 at 66.7 percent to finish second behind Barry Larkin. But the truth is he ended up having a productive career after all. He won the National League pitching triple crown in 1918 and finished with a career record of 178-137. His .948 OPS ranks 21st all time. An excellent defender, Richardson won five straight Gold Gloves and finished second to Mantle in the 1962 AL MVP voting. He won eight Gold Gloves and finished his career with a .313 average and 383 home runs. He has increased his totals in each of the past three elections and was up to 48.7 percent in 2012. In addition to being a winning pitcher for the Yanks during eight regular seasons, he excelled in the World Series, accumulating a 4-1 record with a 2.60 ERA over seven starts. Let's put Ichiro in the Hall of Fame. The 1969 Cy Young award winner, Cuellar won 20 games four times and finished his career with 185 wins. Thomas was the designated hitter in only 56.42 percent of the games he played in, while Molitor's percentage was even lower at 43.76. Lopat didn't have the longevity to be seriously considered for the Hall of Fame. Minimum of 1000 IP, 3000 PA, 500 games (fielding, 500 IP for Ps), 200 stolen base attempts (catchers) or 80 stolen base attempts (baserunners only since 1951) or 100 decisions for career and active leaderboards for rate statistics. Bold denotes active player Stats through end of the 2008 season. Clark was a six time All Star and borderline Hall of Famer. . While all of those marks were eventually broken, there was no question that at the time of his retirement, he was one of the greatest hitting catchers of all time. Starting in 1953, Pierce made the All-Star game seven out of the next nine years and received MVP votes in five seasons. He had a WHIP under 1.200 an incredible 12 times during his career. Like Dave McNally, who appeared earlier on this list, Cuellar had a terrific, but brief, peak as a pitcher for the great Orioles' staff of the 1970s. When he was good, he was excellent, but in the end Tiant was too inconsistent to merit serious Hall of Fame consideration. He led the league in the category five times, including 1919 and 1920 when he registered WHIPs below 1.000. Garvey was a durable player who played in 160 or more games nine times and won four Gold Glove awards at first base. The two-time AL batting champ made seven All-Star games and won five Silver Slugger awards. Still, he finished his career with a .303 average and six All-Star games. McGriff was a winning player who fell just shy of 500 home runs, finishing his 19-year career with 493. There are not a ton of pitchers in the Hall of Fame - the elections of Glavine and Maddux brings the total to 77 beginning with the inaugural class of 1936. He had at least 190 strikeouts in a season 10 times and won 20 games twice. He finished with 2,445 career hits and a career .303 average. Although he didn't have the quickness of Johnny Bench, Boone was incredibly durable and was the only catcher who consistently placed in the top 10 for defensive WAR for the better part of two decades. Herman's best seasons came in 1929 and 1930 when he combined to hit .387 over the two-year span. Different occasions the League in complete games over a three-year span in postseason! Fielding percentage for 13 of his time with the White Sox, Minoso was a winning player still... 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