Josh Hamilton HOF chances?

[sox83cubs84]

I'm not optimistic...Josh is a fantastic player but, with his late start as a MLB regular, I fear that he just won't have a long enough career to make it in via the writers ballot. Maybe he can pull a Ralph Kiner...incredible dominance for a decade or so that he might be considered by the Veterans Committee of the future, as long as it isn't comprised of the narrow-minded elitists that populate it currently.

Dave Miedema

[legaleagle92481]

No chance. He has a few factors working against him.

1. He got a late start for reasons which were solely his fault so his final numbers will not be Hall worthy. A slugging outfielder who hits under 400 career homers is getting nowhere Hall wise. When you factor in the natural decline that age has on all players and his propensity for injuries 400 homers will be hard for him to reach, 350 might even be a streach.

2. He plays in a ballpark that is an offensive hotbed where players put up huge numbers year after year which the voters will take into account.

3. The domiance argument does not work. Pujols and Arod domianted this era. Can anyone really say that Josh is more domiant than Cabera, Ryan Howard or Joe Mauer or some others? Plus he has played four big league seasons. He has had one decent season, two great ones and one poor, injury riddled one. Not quite domiance of an era. Also is he as domiant as a Steve Garvey, Dale Murphy or Don mattingly were in their eras? Those were all MVP winning guys who had some monster years but whose overall numbers fell short of the Hall and who could not get in as domianators. Unlike a Kiner or a Jim Rice he has not domianted the league leaders categories year in and year out for a signifcant time period.

As far as this year I predict he wins MVP. Cano is the fourth best player in his own infield. Cabera has last year's incident still fresh in the writers minds on a team that wont make the playoffs. So I think with the division win and his numbers he wins going away.

[joelsabi]

No chance. He has a few factors working against him.

1. He got a late start for reasons which were solely his fault so his final numbers will not be Hall worthy. A slugging outfielder who hits under 400 career homers is getting nowhere Hall wise. When you factor in the natural decline that age has on all players and his propensity for injuries 400 homers will be hard for him to reach, 350 might even be a streach.

2. He plays in a ballpark that is an offensive hotbed where players put up huge numbers year after year which the voters will take into account.

3. The domiance argument does not work. Pujols and Arod domianted this era. Can anyone really say that Josh is more domiant than Cabera, Ryan Howard or Joe Mauer or some others? Plus he has played four big league seasons. He has had one decent season, two great ones and one poor, injury riddled one. Not quite domiance of an era. Also is he as domiant as a Steve Garvey, Dale Murphy or Don mattingly were in their eras? Those were all MVP winning guys who had some monster years but whose overall numbers fell short of the Hall and who could not get in as domianators. Unlike a Kiner or a Jim Rice he has not domianted the league leaders categories year in and year out for a signifcant time period.

As far as this year I predict he wins MVP. Cano is the fourth best player in his own infield. Cabera has last year's incident still fresh in the writers minds on a team that wont make the playoffs. So I think with the division win and his numbers he wins going away.

I go with the simpleton writers approach which is best player on the best team should be the MVP. Yankees have the best record and Cano is their best player this year. Cano and Gardner carried the Yankees in June while Tex and ARod were ineffective. Cano is a secord half player so he should keep it up.

Cabrera is good. He carried my fantasy baseball team this year.

[suave1477]

I think everyone missed the big picture here which Legal did touch the subject for a bit.

Even if Hamilton was to come close to sniffing the steps of the HALL.

He will not make it in.

People forget just because he didn't take PED'S. He was a drug addict and alcoholic. Which will plague any kind of desicion.

Next to that I will go with I believe it was the second or third posters response. Slim to none.

[joelsabi]

I think everyone missed the big picture here which Legal did touch the subject for a bit.

I think we understood the big picture way before Legal spoke extensively. Read STLHAMMER32.

[suave1477]

Joel I did read STLHammer he didn't mention Hamiltons drug addiction and alcoholism when he started in baseball. Unless I am missing something.

[joelsabi]

Joel I did read STLHammer he didn't mention Hamiltons drug addiction and alcoholism when he started in baseball. Unless I am missing something.

first sentence. "It doesn't look like his career will be long enough to hit the key milestone numbers" , implying way short of the 500 HR milestone which could be applied to him since he has no connection to PED. Its not a big deal to argue about it just that you think everyone missed the big picture when it's obvious.

[STLHAMMER32]

I think everyone missed the big picture here which Legal did touch the subject for a bit.

Even if Hamilton was to come close to sniffing the steps of the HALL.

He will not make it in.

People forget just because he didn't take PED'S. He was a drug addict and alcoholic. Which will plague any kind of desicion.

Next to that I will go with I believe it was the second or third posters response. Slim to none.

I think you are way off on this one....He did not cheat the game, he cheated himself and its that human element that people can relate to and forgive....He is very popular in every city the Rangers visit and always answers questions openly and honestly with media.

While his drug abuse will ultimately prevent him from reaching huge milestone numbers, his story has become not a sad tale of drug abuse and a waste of a life but rather a story of INSPIRATION. His story has offered HOPE to many and has touched the lives of more people than you could possibly imagine. EVERY single player, umpire, writer, voter and fan can relate to drug abuse because it has impacted family or friends in some way.

[cjclong]

Suave, I think that unfortunately Hamilton's drug use will likely keep him out of the HOF, but not for the reason you mention. The drugs kept him out of baseball which may very well keep him from reaching the career numbers he needs. Also, there may be long term effects on his health. People are negative on PED's because the look on it as cheating. Everyone knows that cocaine and other drugs are the oppisite of cheating, they harm your perfromance. It like running a race with a weight tied to your ankle. The sad thing is, we will never know how good Hamilton could have been without the damage he did to himself. But the fact that he has frankly acknowleged it and appears to have overcome it is something that I think accounts for part of his popularity. He was voted into the All Star game by the fans last year when he acknowledged his numbers did not deserve it. If he were able to play long enough and put up good enough numbers I think the HOF voters would look at it as triumphing over adversity. Everyone loves the prodigal son story. But this whole question is way ahead of its time. You can't really talk about any players HOF possibllty when he has only played three and a half years and one of them was a poor one.

[suave1477]

first sentence. "It doesn't look like his career will be long enough to hit the key milestone numbers" , implying way short of the 500 HR milestone which could be applied to him since he has no connection to PED. Its not a big deal to argue about it just that you think everyone missed the big picture when it's obvious.

Ok well in that case your assuming thats what he was implying. I was just bringing it to light. I am not arguing about it I was merely just saying I think people forget about that part since it was some time ago.