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The Most Underrated Baseball Hall of Fame Cases

1/22/2020

Baseball fans, people who cover the game, as well as those associated with the game all have their takes on the sport's annual Hall of Fame discussion. The problem is, the three other major sports acknowledge who the best players were to ever play their respective games and honor those players accordingly in their respective Hall of Fame. Baseball is the only major sport that has the equivalent of their all time hits leader, all time home run leader, the player with the most MVP's, most Cy Young Awards, the players with the third and fourth highest cumulative batting average of all time, and the four players who hit the most home runs in single season history all NOT in its respective Hall of Fame.
I promised I would not talk about Barry Bonds, Pete Rose, Roger Clemens, Joe Jackson, or any of the other players included in my rant from last paragraph. Those wrongs should be corrected before the Baseball Hall of Fame expects to take itself seriously. There are other deserving players who are left out of the Hall of Fame that legitimate cases could be made for. Let me make a couple of those cases today.
1. Fred McGriff
McGriff was not the most flashy player of his time. Nor was he the most dominant. But you put together his finish line totals and it is hard to explain why he is not a Hall of Famer. The 493 home runs he hit in his career is the exact total Lou Gehrig finished with. For the decade of the 1990's, McGriff averaged 30 home runs a season, hit .291 and had slugging percentage of over .500. His 135 OPS+ for that decade was just a point higher than the number for his career. His career had a real parallel to that of Willie Stargell, except Pops did it with a lot more flare and got a lot more attention.
2. Gil Hodges
Hodges was the best all around first baseman in the National League in the decade of the 1950's. Unfortunately, he gets compared to the best first baseman of all time. The likes of Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx are often brought up when any comparison to Hodges comes out. Hodges could never shine either of their shoes, but there was not a better power hitting first baseman during Gil's playing career. For the decade of the 1950's, Hodges was good for 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in during a time when runs batted in mattered. When the National League started giving out Gold Gloves, Hodges won the award the first three years. Stargell would be a decent comp, but I see a combination of Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew and the first five seasons of Don Mattingly's career. Hodges' role on the 1950's Dodgers team was very important and without him, the team would likely not won two World Series and a total of five National League Pennants.
3. Dan Quisenberry
Dan Quisenberry is a name that is pretty easy to forget, especially with Lee Smith getting his Hall of Fame due in 2019. Much respect is due to the multiple inning closer. Baseball has done a lot to make sure those elite pitchers of yesteryear are put in. Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage, and Bruce Sutter have all gotten the call. From the years of 1980 to 1985, it hard to make a case that even Gossage and Fingers were more dominant (or any six year period for that matter). And Quisenberry was Sutter- prove to me otherwise.
4. Al Oliver
Al Oliver's case revolves around one's opinion on whether 3000 hits is the magic number to get into the Hall of Fame. Because if it is, Oliver got cheated by major league baseball. Collusion was running rampant during the mid to late 1980's and owners had control over what team free agents were playing for. Also, what free agents were able to play baseball at all. Oliver helped the 1985 Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS as a designated hitter, getting 3 hits and driving in three runs. Oliver was planning to play in 1986. The owners colluded him out of a job and his career was over. A fair free agent market would have likely secured Oliver a two year contract as a DH. All he needed was 129 hits each season and he would have his 3000 hits. There is not a restricted player in MLB history who has not been put in the Hall of Fame with 3000 hits.
5. Jim Kaat
Kaat makes a similar case when it comes to 300 wins. This also looks like a free ride into the Hall of Fame; there is not a pitcher with 300 wins that is missing from the Hall of Fame. (Outside of Clemens which we know is not being held out because he did not finish with enough wins.) Kaat was sold to the New York Yankees early in 1979 after the Phillies no longer had a spot in their rotation for him. Kaat was instantly put into the bullpen, something he had not done before. Because he was a true professional, he did it. And he did it well. Well enough that after the St. Louis Cardinals acquired Kaat to use as a starter the following season, it was easy to put him in the bullpen when Whitey Herzog had a chance to. Kaat pitched effectively, predominantly as a reliever from 1979 to 1982, clearly showing he had a lot left. Had he four more seasons as a number five starting pitcher left, he could have clearly averaged 10 wins a season from 1979 to 1982. If he had remained a starter, he would have had over 300 wins.

Ethics is a very big issue when it comes to baseball and its history. And even if it is right to leave out players who used performance enhancing drugs from its Hall of Fame, baseball has excluded a lot of its top talent. As hard as one may want to be on Pete Rose and Joe Jackson, the Hall is still missing legitimate cases. Hopefully over time the Veterans Committee can get some of the deserved players in the Hall of Fame where they belong. Which players from baseball's past do you want to see in Baseball's Hall of Fame?

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1919 Cincinnati Reds- MLB's most disrespected team of all time

12/30/2018

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The Cincinnati Reds of 1919... "the World Series Champions." There is a chance one may have never heard that statement before. The reason makes perfect sense. The history books (and today's internet) reminds everybody that the Chicago White Sox should have been World Series Champions of 1919. They just chose not to win. The team (obviously not every player on the roster, but a solid enough configuration of most of the best players on the team) decided that it was more lucrative and better suited for them if they just lost the World Series. For those in on the fix, it was better that they lost the World Series. No matter how many times and what way it is told to you, the White Sox lost the World Series. Few will ever tell you the Cincinnati Reds won.
It is a shame. In any competitive sport, no matter what happens during the action, it takes a team effort to seize the victory. And that just applies to an individual game. World Series are generally a best of seven series (1903, 1919, 1920, 1921 were a best of eight), so even if players on the other team are trying to throw a World Series, the team on the other side still has to finish each game. Remember, not all players on the 1919 White Sox were in on the fix. Second baseman Eddie Collins, Catcher Ray Schalk, and Pitcher Dickey Kerr were all trying their best to help the White Sox win. In fact, a fix may not have been possible had Red Faber been healthy enough to pitch. In addition, two alleged players to have not been playing "on a level," Joe Jackson and Buck Weaver, performed very well in the series.
The most respectful way to describe what the Reds had going for them is to state the Reds had a couple extra teammates for that World Series. Eddie Cicotte, Lefty Williams, Chick Gandil, Swede Risberg, and Happy Felsch may as well have worn Cincinnati uniforms for those games. Their allegiance was clearly for the NL club, the one that odds makers had said was a long shot to win the World Series. From a talent perspective, the White Sox had the advantage. But with the above mentioned White Sox players essentially playing for the Reds, the Reds were given a boast. One that might be equated to an acquisition of five really good players- just for the World Series.
My issue is this: The Reds still had to win those games. Most of the games came down to a play or two, but the Reds still had to finish the game. The Reds had to make their own plays in the field. The Reds had to get the White Sox batters out to complete the game, especially those not in on the fix. Yes, the White Sox were throwing the World Series, but the Reds had to take and accept the gift. In hindsight, it can be seen that they did. It should have not been a given.
Reds manager Pat Moran really did a stellar job managing the Reds to a NL Pennant on short notice. Moran, the manager of the 1915 Philadelphia Phillies NL Pennant winning team, took over for Christy Mathewson- who had enlisted in the US Army during World War I. Outfielders Edd Roush and Greasy Neale, and third baseman Heinie Groh led the Reds offense. Pitchers Slim Salee, Hod Eller, and Dutch Reuther won a total of 59 games for the Reds, a team that won the NL Pennant by nine games over the New York Giants. The Reds won 96 games and had a run differential of +176.
I have contested the validity of the miracle Boston Braves of 1914. In the history of sports, there may not have been a bigger upset in a championship setting, certainly in the history of the World Series. Would you consider the miracle Braves, "The Miracle Braves," if more evidence pointed to a fix? Of course you would not. But more credit would be given to them now. Certainly more credit than has been given to the Reds of 1919. 2019 will be the 100 year anniversary of the Reds winning the World Series. It will also be 100 years since the infamous Black Sox scandal, also known as the White Sox throwing the World Series. I hope Cincinnati takes time to honor that team again. Regardless of the back story, the Reds were still the World Series Champions. The 1919 World Series Championship was the first of the five the team has. Yet, the history books want to spend more time discussing how the White Sox lost as opposed to how the Reds won.

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Will former MLB outfielder Benny Kauff ever get a pardon?

10/31/2017

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The MLB 2020 free agent class has the potential to include Jose Altuve, Chris Sale, Madison Bumgarner, and Paul Goldschmidt, among others. Other top pitchers, such as Sonny Gray, Cole Hamels, Dellin Betances, and Jake Odorizzi, as well as position players like Xander Bogaerts, Adam Eaton, and Anthony Rendon, are all likely to be highly sought after if they choose to test free agency. However, what would any of those players do or think if they were told they could no longer play Major League Baseball?
In the off season of 1920, 100 years before this upcoming date, there was no free agency. Players were the property of their teams, as their parent clubs reserved the rights to their services. Each player had their contract presented to them and there was no negotiation. In fact, many players were expected to simply be happy they were being given a contract to play baseball that season. The 1920 season likely saw the most eerie time in the history of the sport, coming off the ruling of the players involved in throwing the 1919 World Series. Gambling had been involved in the game for years, and it seemed as if the trust in the game had been lost. The fact that players took money from gamblers to intentionally lose a World Series could have very well destroyed the sport forever.
The hiring of Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis provided the game with the credibility it needed. It needed a final voice, one that was independent of player and owner interest. One that would get to the bottom of what happened in the World Series and one that would rid the game of untrustworthy players, coaches, managers, and executives. The fans of the game had every right to not trust whether the game was being played on a level.
Much has been written about the players who were banned for life for their involvement in the throwing of the 1919 World Series. Joe Jackson may not have understood what he was getting into, he might have even been bullied by his teammates or by the gamblers. Buck Weaver likely did not even participate in the fix. It is a fact that he did not receive any money. Eight players total received lifetime bans by Landis and were made an example to the rest of the players, managers, coaches, and executives. Jackson, Weaver, Eddie Cicotte, Lefty Williams, Happy Felsch, Chick Gandil, Swede Risberg, and Fred McMullin had no choice to accept the penalties issued by the first ever Commissioner of Baseball.
In addition to the Black Sox Scandal, Landis decided it was time to remove shady characters from the game. He banned Hal Chase and Lee Magee, two of the most pronounced game- influencers, for life based off of evidence he had that both fixed games, or had a hand in games being fixed.
One of the characters was an outfielder by the name of Benny Kauff. In his early years, Kauff was compared to Ty Cobb based off the way he played the game. But few, Cobb included, were as narcissistic and egotistic as Kauff was. In other words, if you wanted to know how good Kauff was, all you had to do is ask him.
Kauff started his big league career with the New York HIghlanders in 1912. He had gotten just a cup of coffee with the Highlanders after spending most of the season in the minor leagues. After spending the entire 1913 season playing for the Hartford Senators of the "B" League, he jumped to the newly formed Federal League and instantly became a star. Playing for the Indianapolis Hoosiers, Kauff hit .370 with an on base percentage of .447 and a slugging percentage of .534, finishing the season with 120 runs scored, 211 hits, 44 doubles, 13 triples, eight home runs, 95 runs batted in and a league leading 75 stolen bases. Playing in just 136 games the next season for the Federal League's Brooklyn Tip Tops, Kauff hit .342, .446, .579 with 92 runs scored, 165 hits, 23 2B, 11 3B, 12 HR, 83 RBI, and 55 stolen bases.
When the Federal League folded after the 1915 season, it was expected that Kauff would continue to be a star in the National League. Though he stole 40 bases in his first season with the New York Giants in 1916, Kauff failed to perform at the same level as he did in the Federal League. That being said, it is not like he performed poorly. He was considered an important part of the Giants team that made it to the 1917 World Series against the Chicago White Sox. He played the majority of the next four seasons in New York, before having his contact traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the American Association in 1920. At this point, he was a good player, no longer a great player.
In the off season of 1919, Kauff gained attention when he sold a car which was later found out to be stolen. Kauff testified that he had no knowledge that the car was stolen. When it went to trial in the 1921, Kauff was already suspended pending the results of the trial. Though he was acquitted, Commissioner Landis continued to ban Kauff for life, a sentence that was never changed before Landis' death in 1944, nor Kauff's in 1961.
I understand the Commissioner trying to make an example out of anybody he could at that time. Kauff's case, whether he was like-able or not, seems to be unfair given the circumstances. The other players were accused of throwing baseball games, Kauff was not. And whether Landis agreed with the verdict or not, the man was found not guilty in a court of law.
Many give the Commissioner a lot of credit for saving baseball. I am not denying that. But there was nothing ever granted to him that allowed for his decisions to be more powerful than the ones made by other judges. He was never the "supreme judge." In fact, after two years of being the Commissioner of Baseball, he gave up being a judge altogether. Even as a judge, he was out of his jurisdiction to ban for life a player who was not convicted in a court of law. Sure he had the right to suspend him. What he did was over the top and uncalled for. Because of that, Benny Kauff will forever be remembered for being the only player banned for life for going to trial (and found not guilty) for selling a stolen car.

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Recent MLB players to steal 2nd, 3rd and home in the same inning

7/26/2014

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24 years ago today, Milwaukee Brewers infielder/ DH Paul Molitor stole 2nd base, 3rd and home in the same inning. While the feat itself is not considered uncommon, it is still not something that is seen too often in the game today. Though steals of home happen more often than they get credit for, players seldom attempt the straight steal of home. Because of that, I thought 1987 could have been the last time a player stole three straight bases in the same inning. (Willie Mays Hayes stole three straight bases in the movie Major League which was recorded in 1994.)
Thanks to Baseball Almanac, I found the list of every player to have accomplished the feat. Not surprised to see that Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb each did it 4 times. Only two other players, Max Carey and Jackie Tavener, had done it more than once. Overall, there have been 50 occasions where a player has stolen three bases in a single inning. Just twice was it recorded in a year prior to 1900. In fact, it has been done twice in the American League and 24 times in the National League. Some greats to have done it include Rod Carew, Pete Rose, Rogers Hornsby, Eddie Collins and Joe Jackson. As expected, of the 50 times the feat had been accomplished, 39 of them were recorded in the year of 1928 or earlier.
The most interesting fact I noticed about this feat is that out of the 11 times it has happened since 1928, 5 of the instances were AFTER Molitor did it on the date in 1987. So, that means it happened 39 times from 1899-1928, 6 times from 1929-1987 and 5 times from 1988-now. The longest amount of time that passed between such an occurrence was from the years of 1941 (Don Kolloway) and 1969 (Carew).
Since Molitor on July 26, 1987, here are the more recent players to have stolen 2nd, 3rd and home in the same inning:
9/9/1989- Devon White, Toronto Blue Jays
5/12/1996- Chris Stynes, Kansas City Royals
6/30/1996- Eric Young Sr, Colorado Rockies
5/12/2009- Jayson Werth, Philadelphia Phillies
7/1/2011- Dee Gordon, Los Angeles Dodgers
Of course, not all players to steal three bases in an inning did it the conventional way of three conventional steals. Some of the occurrences are on double steals of both 3B and home which some can say does not count the same way. But, in the books, it is still recorded the same way.

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Two men who make the Black Sox and Pete Rose look honest

2/20/2013

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The 1919 Black Sox scandal was the event that caused the stiffer rules that exist in today's game. Rules that have seen the game's all time hit leader banned from life. While the players involved in the 1919 White Sox throwing of the World Series against Cincinnati Reds and Pete Rose get all the attention when it comes to gambling and baseball, in my opinion, two other players were more blatant in their approach and have seldom been discussed. The irony is the fact that they played for the Cincinnati Reds just a year earlier, in 1918.
The Reds as the opponent of that fateful series, where members of the White Sox, led by Eddie Cicotte, Buck Weaver, Lefty Williams and Joe Jackson, took money to lose the World Series intentionally. The White Sox were so heavily favored, one who bet on the Reds would make a fortune if the Reds won. On this date in baseball history, Lee Magee was given his unconditional release from the Chicago Cubs amid suspicion that he was involved with gamblers and may have taken money to lose games during the 1919 season. Magee would then sue the Cubs to recover his lost salary for the 1920 season. Foolishly, he would confess that he conspired to thrown a game while playing for the Cincinnati Reds just ten days earlier. His intention was to admit what he did as a sign of honesty, which would convince NL President John Heydler and Cubs owner William Veeck he did not bet while playing for the Cubs. Of course, his admission forced the forfeiture of his contract with the Cubs and he was later banned for life for what he admitted to.
He was involved with Hal Chase, in my opinion, an even worse man that Magee was. Magee and Chase had each put up a check of $500, before game one of a double header with the Boston Braves in 1918. That payment entitled the two of them to one third of the gamblers winnings as long as the Reds lost the game. During the game, Magee did his part, making two critical errors and another on the base paths. The Reds ended up winning the game, with Magee forced to score the winning run. Magee stopped payment on his check, thinking Chase double-crossed him. Magee was dishonest with the game of baseball, his teammates and Chase which made him few allies when he had to address the charges. Magee was always a shady character, playing for five teams in his last five seasons and seven in his nine year career. After the Reds traded him after the 1918 season to Brooklyn, during a road trip in Boston (the same place the ill fated game was played), he was served with papers for non-payment of his debt to the gambler. This forced the trade to the Cubs, who instantly wanted nothing to do with the gambling allegations and Magee's baggage.
If Magee's actions seemed devious, Chase was the poster child for illegal betting on baseball. Chase was accused as far back as 1910 of throwing games for the New York Highlanders. Christy Mathewson, his manager in 1917, accused him of throwing games and suspended him. In addition to the incident in 1918, he was suspended by the New York Giants for throwing games in 1919. While he was in the process of being banned from professional baseball for life, he was kicked out of the Pacific Coast League for trying to bride an umpire. In addition, he was alleged to have won $40,000 betting on the Reds to win the 1919 WS.
There is no question that gambling was a big part of the game in the first 20 years of the 20th century in major league baseball. Many games were thrown as gamblers had the advantage of paying the players more money than they would be paid by their respective employers. The whole Black Sox scandal stems from the treatment by owner Charlie Comiskey, and though it was wrong, this was an example of non criminal players being pushed to commit the so called crime. Pete Rose is the all time hit king, with no proof or insinuation that he gambled on baseball while he was a player. However, his choice to gamble on baseball games when he was a manager led to his being banned for life. While the Black Sox or Rose could be considered bad people for what they did, labeling them as criminals, in my opinion, would be a stretch. Magee and Chase were criminals who just happened to play baseball. Hopefully the difference is noted.
I will leave on this one note: Rose broke the all time hits record held by Ty Cobb, who was forced to resign during the 1926 season when there was a report he conspired with Cleveland Indians manager Tris Speaker to determine the outcome of a game. The lack of evidence should not clear Cobb or Speaker as accuser Dutch Leonard produced two documents from pitcher Joe Wood to substantiate his claims. Commissioner Kenishaw Landis dismissed the case after Leonard refused to testify.

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Stan Musial and his place in the all time greatest player discussion

11/21/2012

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Stan Musial is celebrating his 92 birthday today. In my opinion, he is by far the greatest living player representing the game today. The game has had tremendous players who have dominated in all areas and it is fair to say Musial ranks amongst the best to ever play this game.

    Musial finished his 22 year career (from 1941-1963, missed 1945 due to millitary service) with a .331 average, 475 career HRs and 1951 RBIs. His 3630 career hits ranks him 4th all time behind Pete Rose, Ty Cobb and Hank Aaron. He managed 6134 total bases, for which in baseball history, only Aaron had more. His 1377 career extra base hits trail only Aaron and Barry Bonds. He also had 725 2Bs, where only Tris Speaker and Rose had more.
    In addition to those all time stats, Musial managed 177 3Bs and scored 1949 runs, and finished with a .417 OBP and .559 SLG to total a .976 career OPS. His OPS ranks him 13th all time. He won the NL MVP 3 times (1943, 1946, 1948) and played for 3 World Series winning teams (1942, 1944, 1946). He was also part of the 1943 NL Pennant winning team that lost to the Yankees in the World Series. As expected, he was an All Star just about every season he played.
    The hardest thing to do is quantify who the greatest player is to ever play this game. It is impossible to compare both hitters and pitchers; I am 100% in favor of splitting wins above replacement into batter and pitcher catagories. When you factor in the different eras of the game and different advantages and disadvantages players of different times had or have, many opinions will differ. However, few thought out opinions would be considered wrong. You also have to but into account what a fair judgement of players who used steroids (Bonds, Alex Rodriguez) and players who have been expelled from the game (Rose, Joe Jackson). I chose in my analysis to include all players, for the expection of current players, who have no completed their book yet.
    The three players I initially said could be the greatest of all time were Babe Ruth, Cobb and Ted Williams. My secondary group consisted of Musial, Aaron, Willie Mays, Speaker, Honus Wagner and Bonds. I had stated that Ruth, Cobb and Williams could each make their own case of being the best player ever. Musial makes the best case in the second group because of what he accomplished all around.
    Based on what Musial accomplished, I find it most amazing that he only got 93.2% of the Hall of Fame vote in 1969. I understand that writers did not vote for guys such as Ruth and Cobb in their first year of eligibility and Williams got 93.4% the vote. But, think about this. Since Musial and Williams, only Aaron and Mays have been eligible for the vote afterwards. Mays got 94.7% of the vote in 1979. Aaron, though, got 97.8% of the vote in 1982. In my opinion, Williams and Musial were better players than Mays and Aaron. I know we are comparing the greatest against the greatest, but Williams and Musial hit for a higher average (.331, .347 respectively). Perhaps a critic can state that Mays and Aaron hit more HRs, but like I said before, Musial only trailed Aaron when it came to total bases and just Aaron and Bonds in extra base hits. Let the discusion continue...

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Charles Comiskey's reputation destroyed because of Black Sox scandal

10/26/2012

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    Former Chicago White Sox owner Charles Comiskey was painted as either a victim or an enabler when it came to the unfortunate scandal that resulted in eight players being banned from baseball for life. Some look at Comiskey as a penny pinching owner that forced his players to turn on him. Baseball reference and wikipedia say that he forced the players to pay their own cleaning bills. Even if this was a revolution, it is a shame that his image was tarnished over this incident.
    Comiskey being posthumously inducted in baseball's Hall of Fame in 1939 after passing away October 25th, 1931 was a sign that MLB respected his accomplishments. He was a revolutionary player in the late 1800s and became player manager as a 25 year old with the St Louis Browns of the American Association. He was a decent player, but a better manager. After three separate stints as manager of the Browns, he managed in Cincinnati with the Reds and for the St Paul Saints/ Chicago White Sox teams of 1895-1900.
    It was what he did after he became owner. He built a competitive team from 1905-1908 and after being in the middle of the pack for the next 6 seasons, he built a very good team after that. Players like Ed Cicotte, Buck Weaver, Eddie Collins and Ray Schalk made the team as good as anybody in the game. Happy Felch and Shoeless Joe Jackson were the final pieces as the team finished 3rd in 1915 (despite 93 wins), 2nd in 1916 and then won the World Series in 1917. The war in 1918 messed up things for a lot teams, particularly the White Sox. It was a down year, but they were back on top in 1919, winning the AL Pennant making them heavily favorited to win the World Series that season.
    Of course, we all know what happened before and during that series. Players like Collins and Schalk were protected by their multiyear contracts, separating them from the other players. Comiskey did as many owners did back then, reduced salaries of several players to their dismay. This led the faction, led by Cicotte and Lefty Williams, to take the gamblers money to throw the World Series. Jackson was involved, taking money despite having a very good series. Schalk was frustrated, getting ejected from game five, as he seen something was up when Cicotte and Williams kept shaking off his signs during the first two games of the series. Schalk reportedly attacked Williams after game two accusing him of not trying.
    The issue the White Sox players had with Comiskey should have no way enticed them to do what they did. Granted, the players were not getting paid very much to begin with, so it is understandable how devistated the players must have felt after having their salaries reduced before the 1919 season. Many deserved a raise, not a deduction. But, in Comiskey's defense, he was not the only owner to do such things. Connie Mack was known to do that to well known players all the time and those players were either traded or wound up playing somewhere else. Thats why Cicotte, Williams, Jackson and the others should have done.
    Comiskey made the HOF for what he did as a player, manager and owner after the incident of 1919. The White Sox stadium, "Comiskey Park" was in his name and lasted from 1910-1990, well after his passing. Yes, it is understood that anybody around the 1919 White Sox deserved to have their image tarnished. But, though Comiskey had his role by upsetting the players, he was not responsible for the team throwing the series. Some have said he tried to cover it up, but he hired a private investigator and his demise after the players were banned showed the thing really effected him. A perfectly healthy man died about 10 years after the decisions were handed down. Comiskey also choose not to replace the players he lost after the bans were given out. Charlie Comiskey should be remembered for what he did as a player, manager, player-manager and owner and not what his players chose to do when they nearly destroyed MLB in 1919.

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Sam Crawford: One of MLB's underrated greats

9/30/2012

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Joe Jackson in the middle of Sam Crawford and Ty Cobb

On this date in 1917, Sam Crawford, one of the underrated great players in MLB played his last game. After starting his career in 1899 with the Cincinnati Reds, he jumped over to the American League's Detroit Tigers for the 1903 season. That was where he remained for the rest of his career, usually playing along side the great Ty Cobb in the Tiger's OF. As a representative of the "dead ball era", Crawford made the most of his legs, setting an all time MLB record with 309 career triples. He also had 51 inside-the-park homeruns, which is also a MLB record.

    His accomplishments on the field represented more than that, as he always played in the shadow of Cobb, who I said before could arguably be the best player to ever play in this game. But Crawford was sort of Cobb's Robin if Cobb was Batman (or Howard Stern). Though Cobb and Crawford did not get along, they both benefitted from being on the same team. Baseball reference's bullpen says Crawford and Cobb would never speak unless one was calling a flyball that was hit in between them. Similar to Cobb, Crawford had the ability to drive in a lot of runs without hitting homeruns, as he hit 97 for his career, while driving in 1525. Remember, 51 of his 97 HRs were inside the park which is a phemoninal stat.
    He finished his career with a .309 average, which was a model of the consistency he had during his time. Though he hit .378 in 1911, most of his seasons were between .300-.325. He finished off with 2961 hits and 458 2Bs, 1391 runs scored and 367 SB.
    My issue with MLB is why did it take so long for Crawford to be put in Baseball's Hall of Fame? The Veterans Committee finally inducted him in 1957, when he was eligible the first year the Hall was open. He received 0.4% of the vote in 1936, 2.5% in 1937, 4.2% in 1938, 2.2% in 1939, 0.9% in 1942 and 1.6% in 1945. He also received 4.5% in a nominating vote held in 1946. I don't get how it took until 1957 for the guy to get into the HOF. 21 years after the Hall opened? I understand how he could have been left out the first five or so years due to the Hall just opening up and all the greats who stood out a little more. 21 years was too long. He was 77 when he was enshrined; at least he was alive to enjoy the honor.
    Baseball reference has Crawford ranked 54th all time among batters to ever play this game. Most played after he retired in 1917; to me that adds another reason he should have made the hall sooner. His relationship with Cobb had nothing to do with it, as few players- teammates or opponents- got along with Ty. Perhaps it was an oversight, but great to see him finally get in, in 1957.

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The Most Underrated Baseball Hall of Fame Cases

1919 Cincinnati Reds- MLB's most disrespected team of all time

Will former MLB outfielder Benny Kauff ever get a pardon?

Recent MLB players to steal 2nd, 3rd and home in the same inning

Two men who make the Black Sox and Pete Rose look honest

Stan Musial and his place in the all time greatest player discussion

Charles Comiskey's reputation destroyed because of Black Sox scandal

Sam Crawford: One of MLB's underrated greats

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