Just a quick broadcast from our newly inducted hall of famer Rich "Goose" Gossage. Oh how I wish for the class from last years inductees. WARNING GRAPHIC LANGUAGE IS SPOKEN IN THE FOLLOWING VIDEO.
This is a well deserved honor for Goose Gossage. He was ahead of his time. Closing many games out by getting 6-7 outs. My favorite Gossage moment is still Game 5 1984 World Series when Kirk Gibson took him deep. A little bit of baseball trivia for everyone: Who is the only person to hit a home run in his last two (2) World Series at bats? You guessed it: Michigan's own Kirk Gibson.
Speaking of Kirk Gibson, here is the 1984 World Series at bat versus The Goose:
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16 comments:
Yes, Gossage is very deserving, he was practically unhittable in his prime.
But what's wrong here:
Jim Rice 392 votes, 72.2%
Andre Dawson 358 votes, 65.9%
Bert Blyleven 336 votes, 61.9%
Lee Smith 235 votes, 43.3%
Jack Morris 233 votes, 42.9%
Tommy John 158 votes, 29.1%
Tim Raines 132 votes, 24.3%
Mark McGwire 128 votes, 23.6%
Alan Trammell 99 votes, 18.2%
If the weak hitting Ozzie Smith made it, then Trammel is a first vote Hall of Fame shortstop. And that isn't just a homer opinion. Look at the stats.
Jim Rice was a good ballplayer, but not great. He had a couple of monster years, but he isn't a Ted Williams. Even McGuire may not be qualified - if adjustments are made for the steroid home run totals. He was somewhat mediocre other than the H.R.'s.
I am currently working on something regarding Mark McGwire. Other than that, I completely agree with Alan Trammell. The big travesty in my opinion is Jack Morris. The winningest pitcher in the '80's, and who could forget his 10-inning performance in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series.
For the Goose: Swearing is a device for making ignorance audible.
No way is Goose Gossage a hall of famer. The Hall of Fame should be reserved for the best of all time, not the best of their time.
Goose was a good closer for a few years, but he was no Mariano Rivera or Dennis Eckersley, arguably the two greatest closers of all time.
Sorry, but Alan Trammell was a solid ballplayer, but he was no hall of famer. Where would you rank among the all time greats at Shortstop? Certainly not in the top Ten....he wasn't even the best SS in the AL when he played...that was Cal Ripken.
I really have to disagree with on Tram. Having a quick look at his stats compared to the 22 HoF'ers that have been inducted he ranks like this:
BA - Tied for 11th with Robin Yount
HR - 5th
RBI - 10th
BB - 11th
H - 11th
SB - 9th
SLG - Tied for 9th with Lou Boudreau
OBP - 11th
So as you can see, in the most important categories, he ranks in the upper 1/2 of the past inductees. That to me tells me he should be in the Hall of Fame.
If the Hall of Fame voting doesn't indicate an East Coast bias, well, then, I'm an old fart!
I agree with Christian, if you stack up the stats at the shortstop position with the past inductees, Trammel is in. Yes, he played in the Ripkin era, but his stats say he is deserving. (and by the way, I take Dawson any day over Rice....but once again, Rice played in Boston).
Christian, you're dead-on regarding both Tram and Morris. Why does Tram belong in? Because he was this slugging shortstop we saw before the age of slugging shortstops (that somehow cropped up in the Steroids Era). He ushered the era of Jeter, A-Rod, Nomar and Cabrera in the 1980s. He's a HOFer.
Morris is a gimme and a travesty that he's not in.
As for Goose, he relieved before this era of the one-inning closer and the specialists that Rivera or K-Rod are in. Did you see the graphic they put up on ESPN? The majority of his saves were for two innings.
Without knowing off-hand who's eligible next year, but I believe Blyleven will be the next old-timer to get in. Then again, if he or Morris hadn't treated the writers poorly, they probably would be in there already.
Trammell is a lot like Bert Blyleven....he was a real good ball player who was fortunate to play a lot of years in the majors.
Look at Sandy Koufax's career numbers....when matched against the career wins total of Blyleven, Koufax isn't close. But we all know who the hall of fame caliber pitcher was between the two.
Trammell never was a league MVP...he never won a league batting title....he never won a league HR or RBI title....did he ever even win the Gold Glove?
I'm pickier when it comes to the Hall....there have been a lot of questionable picks over the last few years....and there is definitely an 'east coast bias' (how else can you explain Phil Rizzuto getting in as a SS). So if Rizzuto is in, why not Trammell?
The guy from the '84 Tigers who really deserves to be in is Lou Whitaker. Look at his career stats compared to the second baseman who are in....Whitaker earned it.
Found this on-line--
In 2001, Trammell was rated as the 9th best shortstop of all time in "The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract," rating him higher than fourteen Hall of Fame shortstops. Of the fourteen Hall of Fame shortstops rated lower than Trammell, twelve of them played either all of some of their career in the two biggest markets of New York and Chicago: Pee Wee Reese (played in New York), Luke Appling (played in Chicago), Luis Aparicio (played in Chicago), George Davis (played in New York and Chicago), Phil Rizzuto (played in New York), Hughie Jennings (played in New York), Joe Sewell (played in New York), Dave Bancroft (played in New York), Joe Tinker (played in Chicago), Monte Ward (played in New York), Rabbit Maranville (played in New York and Chicago), and Travis Jackson (played in New York).
Despite compiling career statistics that compare favorably with, or exceed, fourteen Hall of Fame shortstops, Trammell played his entire career in a small-market city and has not been enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame as of 2007. In his first six years of eligiblity, he has received the following % of votes: 2002 - 15.68%, 2003 - 14.11%, 2004 - 13.83%, 2005 - 16.9%, 2006 - 17.7% and 2007 - 13.4%. In 2008, Trammell received his highest percentage of votes so far - 18.2%.
Trammell's name will appear on the ballot again in 2009.
On top of Tram's 4 Gold Gloves (1980-1984), he also won 3 Silver Slugger awards, MVP runner-up in 1987, 1984 World Series MVP, and was a 6-time All Star.
Using the same categories I used for Tram (comparing against current HoF'ers) I still think Tram is more deserving that Sweet Lou. Out of the 20 2Bs in the HoF here is how Whitaker ranks:
BA - 15th
HR - 4th
RBI - 10th
BB - 3rd
H - 13th
SB - 15th
SLG - 13th
OBP - 12th
So as you can see, Tram has much better numbers compared to current HoF'ers with regards to Whitaker.
Whitaker does have 1 extra Silver Slugger, 1 less All Star appearance, and 1 less Gold Glove. Lou also has a Rookie of the Year Award.
All in all, Tram is still more deserving.
Didn't Gossage have someting like120+ saves where he pitched 2+ innings? Whereas Rivera has only 11. He deserves the HoF.
Their numbers are pretty much even....Lou hit .276...Tram hit .285.
Lou had more RBIs (1,084 to 1,003) more HRs (244 to 185) scored more runs had more hits, more 2Bs, more career triples...and Lou was rated as the third best second basemen of all time by the same Bill James publication that rated Tram as the ninth best SS.
Whitaker's all star nominations were five straight years (83-87) and he won three straight Gold Gloves (83-85). For that five year span, there is no doubt that Lou Whitaker was THE BEST all around second baseman in the major leagues.
That's the rub in a nutshell Andrew. Both Trammell and Whitaker have been extremely under rated by "baseball experts". Just based on longentivity they should be in the Hall. But when you consider the great infield stats, they should be shoe-ins.
You can't compare the stats side-by-side. You have to compare stats against current HoF'ers at same position. Granted OMG, I think both deserve induction. Just Tram deserves it more.
What also hurts Tram and Whitaker is they've always been thought of collectively as a spectacular double play combination and not so much on their individual merits.
Even when faced with individual merits, people then seem to get that glazed look in their eyes when it comes to actually thinking about what they could do in the field, too.
I know I'm a little late to this conversation, but here's my take.
It's the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Above Average, or the Hall of Really Good. It's reserved for the best players to ever play the game.
When I think of players like Morris, Trammell, Jim Rice and others, I remember them as really good players, but not the best of all time.
Here's what I go on, if there's a doubt in your mind if they player deserves your vote or not, he doesn't.
I think of guys like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams to name a few and there's not doubt they belong in the Hall of Fame.
I look at a player like Gary Garter or Goose Gossage and I just don't see it. Gossage was elected because it was a weak year in terms of candidates. For me, if I had a vote, I wouldn't just vote for a player because it's a down year.
Just my two cents.
Gossage in the HOF? I hold about as much stock in the baseball HOF as I do the rock and roll HOF. Both are jokes.
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