Biggest HOF Snub

[gingi79]

I think we all have a favorite who belongs in the Hall but won't get in. For me, it's Dale Murphy.

Look at his career stats and it's a no brainer. He Does NOT have the numbers to qualify. But if all we are using is pure stats than the HOF will soon become the "Hall of very Good Players who Hung on too long to get to 3000 hits or 500 Hrs."

I know I will get flamed for this but Biggio is NOT a HOF player. He wasn't the best player at his position any year he played (He had 3 different positions too if I'm not mistaken) No pitcher ever worried about pitching to him. He wasn't feared in the field or at bat. I like Biggio, but he was a good player, not a HOF player.

He'll make the Hall though, because he is a stat compiler. He was gifted with talent and lucky enough that his genes were good enough to play at the top level for years without major injury. He wasn't ever up for MVP or in the top 10 in HRs, RBIs, etc. In short, he is ONLY making the HOF because people like him and he played long enough to get 3000 hits.

Murph was arguably the BEST player in the Major Leagues for 5 years. He won Back to Back NL MVP's playing for a terrible Braves team. He was feared as a hitter and as a fielder. He just doesn't have the numbers because he wasn't able to sustain his great seasons for 3 more years and he stopped playing 5 years before he would have compiled the stats to look better for the ballot.

Those old timers will understand why I say Murph belongs in under the same reasons that Sandy Koufax belongs in. Koufax was awful for the first 5 seasons of his career but then had 5 seasons of being the best pitcher in baseball. 5 great seasons got him in. Transpose that type of thinking to a non-steroid era hitter and Murph should be in.

Oh and Jim Rice is not in the HOF because he was an a-hole as a player , especially to the sportswriters and enough of them are still on the voting committee to keep him out. He was an amazing hitter for years but being obnoxious won't endear you to the people resonsible for letting you into the HOF.

[ahuff]

gingi79,

I believe you might be mistaken. If you take a look at this site, you will see that Biggio was the best at his position for several years.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/biggicr01.shtml

It indicates he was a 7 time all star, won 4 gold gloves, 5 silver slugger awards (at both C and 2B), and still compiled over 3,000 hits. His batting average did dip at the end of his career, but his doubles and homers seemed to maintain a steady pace.

[loumud]

gingi79,

I believe you might be mistaken. If you take a look at this site, you will see that Biggio was the best at his position for several years.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/biggicr01.shtml

It indicates he was a 7 time all star, won 4 gold gloves, 5 silver slugger awards (at both C and 2B), and still compiled over 3,000 hits. His batting average did dip at the end of his career, but his doubles and homers seemed to maintain a steady pace.

To resurrect an old thread, I also think Biggio epitomizes how everyone thinks players in baseball should be, and represents the romantic notion of the way the game used to be played in the good 'ole days. He stuck with one team through thick and thin instead of chasing dollars with other teams, switched positions several times to make room for other players the team needed (and didn't complain about it in public on Sportscenter), and he kept himself in great shape enough to stay healthy for all those 19 years! I think his stamina and hard work on and off the field speak volumes on the type of person he is. Plus, he has key numbers to back his inevitable entrance into the Hall. If there was ever a player to look up to in the history of the game, it is Craig Biggio! For that reason alone, he deserves to make it!

[cohibasmoker]

How about Curt Flood?

-He was a three-time All-Star
-seven-time Gold Glove winner;
-hit over .300 six times in 15 years

And when he challenged the "reserve clause" in baseball, he was probably the premier centerfielder in baseball at that time. He ultimately and forever changed the game of baseball.

Jim

[earlywynnfan]

How about Curt Flood?

Yes!!!!


Here's my thought for the HOF, and I'm ready for all sorts of abuse:

NO MORE YANKEES!!!!

I don't know if I'm the only one, but I sure get sick and tired of New York being the center of the universe. To all of you who live there, guess what: there's a whole country out there! Go experience it.

But no, the rest of us have to put up with Catfish and Gomez and other marginal HOFers. Seriously, would anyone be crying about Mattingly not being in the HOF if he was a Royal or an Angel? Joe D. the greatest of all time? PLEASE!!


And Red Sox Nation, the rest of us are getting a little tired of you, too!

Ken

(Well, Jeter does seem like a class act and a true star, so we'll let him in.)

[Swoboda4]

by far RIGGS STEPHENSON
lifetime batting average(14 seasons):.336
http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/stephri01.shtml