Hall Of Fame: Yes Or No?

[econoodle]

Posada, Edgar down.
anyone else got another name to bandy around?

[Tomahawk]

If you think Edgar Martinez is should make the HOF then what about Harold Baines? If Baines wouldn't have had several seasons interrupted by strikes he probably would have finished with over 400 homers and 3,000 hits.

[Coug00]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tomahawk

If you think Edgar Martinez is should make the HOF then what about Harold Baines? If Baines wouldn't have had several seasons interrupted by strikes he probably would have finished with over 400 homers and 3,000 hits.

That's the problem with the HOF. Players are based on lifetime achievements and not necessarily how quality they are when they played. Baines isn't even in Edgar's class, IMO. He has better accumulated stats like hits and HR's because he had nearly 2,500 more plate appearances.

If you look at the numbers that measure how good they were while active and not necessarily lifetime achievement numbers, this is what you get...

Edgar Martinez
.312 Avg, .933 OPS, 1.07 BB/K ratio

Harold Baines
.289 Avg, .820 OPS, 0.74 BB/K ratio

If Edgar is borderline, Baines shouldn't be in.

[SPTO]

The thing with Baines is that he was SOLID. He didn't have years that went far above his career numbers and he didn't have years that were total train wrecks either. He was just consistent to the point that you look at his numbers and they don't seem like much but he was VERY good at certain times when his teams needed him.

I guess he's the poster child for the Hall of Very Good but to me he gets my vote for the HOF.

[snepp]

A DH who barely breaks the .800 OPS barrier? Not a HoF'er.

Jim Thome's career OPS+ is better than Baines' best individual seasons.

[DrJones]

Frank Thomas will get in easily. Edgar's borderline. Baines won't make it in a million years.

It'll be interesting in about a decade when Ortiz becomes eligible. Rest assured the Boston media (including half of ESPN) will pushing HARD for Big Papi. After all, he's one of the only two clutch hitters in baseball history.

[TheLetterZ]

Quote: Originally Posted by DrJones

Frank Thomas will get in easily. Edgar's borderline. Baines won't make it in a million years. It'll be interesting in about a decade when Ortiz becomes eligible. Rest assured the Boston media (including half of ESPN) will pushing HARD for Big Papi. After all, he's one of the only two clutch hitters in baseball history.

My first impulse was to say that Ortiz will get in without a doubt.

But then I noticed he only has 1458 career hits. With his career on a swift decline, now I'm not so sure.

[snepp]

Quote: Originally Posted by DrJones

After all, he's one of the only two clutch hitters in baseball history.

That's a winner.