Examining the Credentials of the Current and Future Candidates for the Hall of Fame
If you’re a baseball fan over the age of 50, Mark Buehrle was a pitcher who would remind you of baseball in the 1970s. He didn’t throw over 95 miles per hour. Even at 6’2″ and 240 pounds (per Baseball-Reference), Buehrle could be described as a “crafty” lefthander, one who mixed a curve, slider, cutter, […]
Omar Vizquel played more games at shortstop than any other man in the history of baseball. His career spanned four decades and 24 seasons, over which he won 11 Gold Gloves. Vizquel is on the Hall of Fame ballot for the ninth time right now and has seen his chances at the Hall of Fame […]
Billy Wagner, the hard-throwing left-handed reliever, will be inducted on Sunday into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. This January, in his tenth and final turn on the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America) ballot. Wagner received 82.5% of the vote from the 394 members who cast ballots, putting him easily over the […]
For 17 years, Todd Helton was a mainstay at first base for the Colorado Rockies. The left-handed-hitting Helton was a consistent force with both the bat and the glove during his 17 years playing in the Mile High City. A former quarterback at the University of Tennessee, Helton had an exceptionally strong and accurate throwing […]
This Sunday, Scott Rolen, one of the greatest defensive third basemen in the history of baseball, will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. This January, the 389 voting members of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) elected Rolen to the Hall with 76.3% of the […]
For five years (1998-2002), Sammy Sosa was one of baseball’s greatest superstars. His Home Run Chase with Mark McGwire in 1998 captivated the nation’s imagination and aided in the sport’s continued healing from the ’94 strike that canceled the World Series. Both players eclipsed the single-season home run mark of 61 (by Roger Maris in […]
Tim Hudson, who won 222 games in his 17 years pitching Major League Baseball, is on the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) Hall of Fame ballot for the second time this month. Earlier this year, in his first turn on the ballot, Hudson got 5.2% of the vote, barely above the 5% minimum required […]
It seemed as if Omar Vizquel played forever and, sort of, he did, for parts of 24 MLB seasons. He debuted in 1989 with Seattle Mariners a few weeks before his 22nd birthday and continued to play until he was 45 years old, finishing his career in 2012 with the Toronto Blue Jays. He is […]
(Photo: Phillie Phanatics) It will be an interesting case come this December when Scott Rolen appears on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot for the first time. Rolen was a solid hitter and outstanding defender at third base while manning the hot corner for the Phillies, Cardinals, Blue Jays and Reds during a highly productive 17-year […]
He is one of the greatest post-season pitchers in the history of baseball. His career 80.8 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) is 6th best of any pitcher to debut in the last 40 years. His career strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.38 is the best for any pitcher with a minimum of 1,500 innings thrown since the 19th […]
(Photo: The Sporting News) As it is with fellow first-time Hall of Fame candidates Scott Rolen and Omar Vizquel, the case for Andruw Jones rests primarily with his glove. According to multiple websites that track advanced defensive metrics, the pride of Willemstad, Curacao is the best defensive outfielder in the history of baseball, better than […]