The five-time Gold Glove shortstop was the glue that held the Big Red Machine's infield together. At times, Tiant was one of the great clutch pitchers of his generation. That is clear from his numbers: a .312 batting average and a .418 on . Paul Konerko A sold-out crowd cheers for Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox as he is honored during a pre-game ceremony. The three-time All-Star went 217-191 for his career. Dunn finished his career with a lowly .234 batting average. After his playing career ended Buck became a scout for the Cubs, signing Lou Brock for the team. McInnis received eight votes for the Hall of Fame in the 1949 balloting, more than 23 other players that year who were eventually elected to the Hall. Coombs, however, didn't have the longevity of his teammates and faded fast. He's 30 hits short of 2,500, 12 homers short of 300, nine points short of a career .300 batting average (he was above the mark until 2009), five points short of a .400 on-base percentage (he. Evans was an outstanding all-around right fielder who possessed one of the game's greatest throwing arms. Second, a player has to be eligible for induction. His 288 home runs ranked eighth in MLB history at the time of his retirement. The two-time AL batting champ made seven All-Star games and won five Silver Slugger awards. He also was one of the first power-hitting leadoff hitters, setting a MLB record with 35 career leadoff homers, a record that has since been broken. Glasscock got his start during baseball's infancy in 1879 as a shortstop for the Cleveland Blues. A remarkable career largely lost to time will take center stage this . His 2,139 hits as a Cub were second only to 19th century legend Cap Anson on the Cubs' all-time list. That can happen when you play during the same time as Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Duke Snider, Roberto Clemente and Frank Robinson. McCarthy had 170 Win Shares but only 14.6 WAR, for a Hall of Fame Value of 228.4. Parker was not only a feared hitter who won two batting titles, but he was also one of the top defensive outfielders in the game. 18 Apr. Baseballs collusion case in the mid-80s brought an early end to his career. now in the modern age batting average is deemed pretty meaningless by Saber metrics. Playing during a time when second basemen weren't asked to even think about home runs, Grich hit with the power of a corner infielder while playing Gold Glove-caliber second base for the Orioles and Angels. McGwire was a 12-time All-Star, finished in the top seven in MVP voting seven times and was the 1987 Rookie of the Year after belting 49 home runs, an MLB-record for rookies. Yost was also prolific at drawing walks, leading the American League six times in his career. Ryan was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999. Reulbach led the league in winning percentage for three straight years from 1906 to 1908 when he compiled a record of 60-15 over the three-year period. Oliva was a terrific hitter for the Twins in the 1960s and 1970s. Rose has more hits than anyone whos ever picked up a bat, but his decision to bet on baseball has kept him the sports most famous living outsider. "Indian Bob" is one of the great underrated players of the 1930s and 1940s, lost in the shuffle of playing at the same time as Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott, Lou Gehrig and Hank Greenberg. Magee was one of 10 pre-1943 players who came under consideration for enshrinement in 2008, but he fell short. He didn't get his start until he was 26 and lasted just 12 years in the bigs, compiling a 166-112 record. Vaughn middled around during the first six years of his career before winning 21 games for the Cubs in 1914. Hernandez played first base with the range of a middle infielder. George Kell was a 10-time All-Star and hit more than .300 nine times. Garvey was even better in the postseason, holding a .338 average and 11 home runs in 55 games. An excellent defender, Richardson won five straight Gold Gloves and finished second to Mantle in the 1962 AL MVP voting. Johnson's career numbers were hurt by a late start, as he didn't make his debut until he was 27 years old. Adams won 194 games during the dead-ball era for the Pirates and was an early master of WHIP. Derringer went on to make six All-Star games for the Reds and had two top-four finishes in NL MVP voting. There's a legitimate case for him to garner support on the Hall of Fame ballot. From 1984 to 1989 "Donnie Baseball" was the most prolific hitter in baseball. The best argument Trammell supporters have in their quest for his enshrinement is that many people feel Trammell was superior to Ozzie Smith, a contemporary of his who waltzed into Cooperstown on the first ballot with 91.7 percent of the vote. He was the 1972 MVP and a seven-time All-Star. In the nine years prior to World War II, Travis had compiled a .327 average, topping .300 in eight of the nine seasons he played. Pujols will obviously make the Hall of Fame one day, but right now the biggest question is if he reached the top 10 for most hits ever. His 385 career home runs are the 10th-highest total for any American League right-handed batter. For medical advice, always consult your medical doctor. a . Smith's case is based on being very good and compiling stats over an 18-year career. Through the 1988 season, it looked like Hershiser was on his way to a truly elite pitching career. That came 10 years after he clubbed 51 for the Giants in 1955, the longest stretch between 50-homer seasons for any player. Answerbag wants to provide a service to people looking for answers and a good conversation. Only 40 of those 77 cross over onto . He won the 1994 MVP award and finished in the top 10 in the voting five other times. Those players attract a lot of attention and discussion, which takes away from the examination of a career like Teixeira's. However, the numbers speak for themselves. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. He had four top-four finishes in Cy Young award voting, winning the award unanimously in 1988. There has been a "rule of thumb" in baseball for quite some time that any player who accumulates 3000 hits in his career will be elected to the Hall of Fame. 300 career average used to be an important part of an Hall of fame career. During that time he made the all-star game every year, hit more than .300, and hit more than 35 home . Reynolds helped the Yankees to six World Series titles, racking up a 7-2 record with a 2.79 ERA over 15 World Series games. Below is the list of 254 Major League Baseball players who have reached the 2,000 hit milestone during their career in MLB. He finished with 283 wins, the second-highest total of any modern pitcher not elected to the Hall of Fame who is eligible. The Hall of Fame case for Keith Hernandez starts with his brilliant glove-work at first base. One of the great crimes in modern Hall of Fame balloting is that Bill Freehan received just two votes in 1982, his only year on the ballot. With another 2-3 seasons, he wouldve reached the magic 3,000 number that wouldve almost assuredly ensured his induction. Edgar Martinez, who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, could really hit the baseball. Harder spent 20 seasons hurling for the Indians and was at his best in the mid-1930s. He had more than 300 strikeouts in a . Despite his 119-121 record, Vander Meer consistently received over 20 percent of the votes in Hall of Fame balloting throughout hiseligibility. He received MVP votes in eight seasons, finishing in the top 10 in six of those years. Along with Hank Greenberg, Bridges is the only other Tiger to appear in four World Series. At the time of his retirement, Williams was the National League's all-time home run leader with 251. O'Doul had one of the greatest offensive seasons in major league history in 1929 when he set a National League record with 254 hits. The brother of Hall of Fame catcher Rick Ferrell, Wes was a workhorse pitcher mostly for the Indians and Red Sox before World War II. His career average of .320 ranks fifth. Reynolds made five All-Star games and had two top-three MVP finishes. During that time, Harder made four straight All-Star games. The big draw for Maris' Hall of Fame case is obviously his 61 home runs in 1961. Thomas was the designated hitter in only 56.42 percent of the games he played in, while Molitor's percentage was even lower at 43.76. He finished fourth in the MVP voting in 1977 and 1978 and received MVP votes in five other seasons. While he never reached those heights again, Guidry had four top-five Cy Young finishes, made four All-Star games and won five straight Gold Gloves in the 1980s. But not many . NL in hits in 1999 with 206. More about data coverage Share & Export Groat won the 1960 batting title with a .325 average and was a five-time All-Star. During his time with the White Sox, Minoso was a seven-time All-Star who finished fourth in the MVP voting on four different occasions. Beltre put up amazing numbers before retiring after the 2018 season. Bonds wouldve reached the 3,000 hit mark had a club offered him a contract for the 2008 season or if he hadnt walked a MLB-record 2,558 times. Mays was a sidearming spitball pitcher who pitched for four teams in the early 20th century. He batted over .300 seven times and was known for having fantastic range at shortstop. His wins total is among the highest of anybody not elected to the Hall of Fame. He batted .370 in 1993 and hit an NL-best 47 homers and 150 RBI in 1996. Bold indicates active player. He led the National League in hits in both 1961 and 1963. He won eight Gold Gloves and finished his career with a .313 average and 383 home runs. Also of note here, because this is the era in which we live, the steroids issue must be addressed. Reynolds got his start in the majors as a solid pitcher for the Indians in the 1940s. Brown won 21 games in 1992 and had an ERA under 3.00 six times during the steroids era. Usually when you finish your career as the all-time leader in a major category, you are a lock for the Hall of Fame. A. His vote total was better than 12 players who eventually would be enshrined, including legendary players like Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, Lefty Grove and Gabby Hartnett. All other pitchers in that category who are eligible are in the Hall of Fame as well. Over his final seven seasons, he topped 130 games played just once. He was up for Hall of Fame consideration in 2008, but he fell short of enshrinement once again. He had enough support to stay on the Hall of Fame ballot for the maximum of 15 years, garnering 88 votes in 2008, his final year. According to not in WC! Cross was a deadball era standout from 1887 to 1907, who played most of his career in Philadelphia. The highest number of games he played in after the age of 29 was 109 in 1951. Martin was a key member of the Gashouse Gang Cardinals and was known as one of the team's spark plugs thanks to his raucous play on the diamond. Uh, let me try to explain. 500. While he was one of the best players in the league during that time, he didn't maintain that excellence for a long period of time. Maris' lifetime numbers simply don't stack up, as he tailed off dramatically after the age of 29. You won't find Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe or Eddie Cicotte on this list. Arguably the greatest fielding pitcher of all time, Kaat won 16 Gold Gloves, the most at any position until he was topped by Greg Maddux, who won 18. Parker falls short of the magic numbers needed for induction, though. Buffinton authored one of the most incomprehensible statistical seasons in baseball history in 1884. By Jim McLennan @AZSnakepit Apr 11, 2012, 11:00pm EDT. The year before he left, Travis led the AL with 218 hits and batted .359, two points higher than Joe DiMaggio in his year of "The Streak." When he was good, he was excellent, but in the end Tiant was too inconsistent to merit serious Hall of Fame consideration. The 1978 AL Rookie of the Year played all 19 years of his career with the Tigers. Simmons may not have the hardware of Hall of Fame catching peers Gary Carter and Carlton Fisk, but he really isn't that far off. In 2012, his second year, Bagwell received 56 percent of the vote to finish in third place. From 1982 to 1985, Murphy played in every single game, was an NL All-Star, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award winner, and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting in each season. Although he was overshadowed by the big home run hitters of the era, Kuenn held his own as a terrific all-around player. One of the more underrated hitters of the 1970s and 1980s, Oliver batted over .300 11 times, finishing with a career average of .303. Sain received support for the Hall of Fame in 1975 when he received 123 votes in his final year on the ballot. The tragedy of Munson is well-known, and his stature as the unquestioned leader of the Yankees made it even more difficult to take. Before a fine career as a manager, Kuenn was one of the top hitters in the majors during the 1950s and 1960s. He won the National League pitching triple crown in 1918 and finished with a career record of 178-137. Wood received 29 votes in the 1947 Hall of Fame voting, the most of any player who still hasn't been elected. 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