Hmm, i wonder why his career ended after 9 years. 1700 in 9 is a pace that would give 3000 in 20 even with some drop off.
I don’t have a strong opinion about whether he should or shouldn’t be in. But his truncated career might deserve some special consideration.
Seems like the possibilities now are Anderson, Smith Shawver, and Elder.
Among those 3 options, I greatly prefer the first 2 over Elder.
Anderson obviously has the playoff experience and was really good there prior to his 2023 TJS. Smith Shawver has a live fastball, but can sometimes get hit hard. Seems like the main pitch outcomes for him are K, hit hard, or walk. He usually has a low BAA, but the hits are bad ones.
How about a special Hall of Shame wing (or actually, I’d prefer a separate building) where we segregate those special entries. We put in Rose, Shoeless Joe, Sammy Sosa, anyone on the 2017 Astros, etc, etc, etc. We recognize both their achievements, as well as the cheating and rulebreaking.
I guess that would be made difficult by many potential entries not admitting what they did.
It won’t be Anderson going today, as he didn’t make the wild card roster.
Smith Shawver and Elder both did
Verlander is off the postseason roster, not surprising based on his stats this year, but still news given his pedigree.
What did Sammy Sosa do that was shameful?
Lost to Mark McGwire
Besides the roids and corked bats?
Corked bat. Singular, not plural.
Sammy never tested positive for steroids. Any assumption that he used steroids is speculative and has never been conclusively proven.
Bonds, McGuire, ARod, Clemons all either tested positive or admitted steroid use. Sammy has done neither.
Adrian Beltre was a suspected steroid user who never tested positive, and he is in the HOF.
George Brett?
oh, wait that was hemorrhoids and a Pine Tar bat
Sammy definitely never admitted it. According to NYT he did test positive.
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/sports/baseball/17doping.html
He got caught once for a corked bat. If you think he tried it one time and was just unlucky, I have some prime real estate I’d like to offer you.
do you count steroid use before and after illegality in baseball the same
I am 100% positive that some user is in the hall, even if I am not 100% sure who
I see distinct groups
Those who were in if they never used (even if retired at that point)
Those who only put up numbers by cheating
Those who cheated and failed a test after MLB ban, regardless of prior stats
all are of course arbitrary. but so is the hall
Not sure if serious, but had Jackson retired after the 1920 season instead of being banned for life, he would have been enshrined in the HOF sometime during the 1940’s.
Yes, 3Rookie, I agree with you. “IF” is the operable word.
However, Pete Rose’s career as a player was complete when he got his ban, so there’s nothing left to wonder about for “unplayed years”.
My point is that “accumulation” stats like total hits or total HR’s are part of what makes a player HOF worthy, and because SJJ was removed from the game while in his prime, he just didn’t get the accumulation stats.
Compare to Dale Murphy, who may have been the best player in the NL for a 5 or 6 year period in the early 1980s (multiple MVPS, 9 Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards, MVP vote getter in non-MVP years). However, his early parts and latter parts of his career were mediocre, so he never got the aggregate stats of a typical HOFer. But for a long period, he was the best in the league.
I think Jackson has something like the 3rd highest batting average and 12th highest OPS+. I think everyone above him in either category either played before 1900, played in the negro leagues or is enshrined in the hall of fame.
I think it’s safe to say without the Black Sox scandal attached to him he would easily have been enshrined in the Hall either by the voters or one of the veterans committee over the years.
Tigers win the first 2024 post season game. Astros facing elimination.
Skubal is a beast
Since the 3 game wild card series started 2 years ago, the team that won the opener has taken all 8 series so far. 7 did it in a 2 game sweep.
I think I saw if you count 2020 and the 4 pre-divisional era 3 game series the team that won game 1 are now 14-2
I’ll be rooting for both AL series to be sweeps.
Is it because you would rather face KC than Baltimore?