2014 Baseball Hall of Fame

[KABrother88]

The 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame elections will be revealed today at 1 PM. Former Astros Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell look to be rightfully enshrined in Cooperstown along with the greats of the game. After last years debacle where no single player was elected this year should be a lot different. Players like Greg Maddox, Tom Glavine, and Frank Thomas headline the list of players on the ballot for the first time...Maddox plaque has probably already been made and rightfully so. With the voting process Glavine and Thomas may have to wait a year but they will eventually be in Cooperstown if they don't make it this season. Biggio lead all players last year with 68% and only needs 7% more (39 votes according to last years voting) to reach the 75% required to be elected. It still amazes me that people undervalue what he did in the game. He reached the 3,000 hit plateau and finished his career with 3,060. What voters who don't think he's HOF worthy point to is his .281 career average (second worst of 3,000 club members). I could throw number our all day like he's the only player to collect 3,000 hits, 600 doubles, 250 HRs, and 400 steals. His 668 doubles are 5th all time and the most by a right handed batter. Holds the NL record for leadoff HRs, and the modern day record for HBP with 285 and only trails the leader by 2. Then for funsies he did this playing Catcher, then 2nd base, then CF, then LF, and then back to 2nd...he was an All-Star Catcher and 2nd baseman (7 total) and a 4 time gold glover at 2nd.

Now to Bagwell...he has much more ground to make up to reach 75% (58 last year) but to me he's still a guy that should be there. Everyone who played in his era is linked to PED purely by guilty by association at least. Bagwell has never been more than that. His 449 HRs would be alot more had he not played in the Astrodome and had his career not been cut short due to his shoulder. The man was a machine in his hay day. For 6 straight seasons (1996-2001) he posted at least 30 HRs, 100 RBI, 100 Runs, and 100 Walks...he came up 2 RBI short in 2002 of making that 7 straight. He also had 202 career steals and was the first time 1st baseman to go 30-30. He was a very good base runner and one thing I always remember was a comment by Larry Dierker (I believe) that said Bagwell could circle the bases in the same amount of time Biggio could even though he didn't have the same straight line speed Biggio had.

Hopefully the BBWAA will elect Biggio at least today but Bagwell shouldn't have to wait much longer...but after last year I have almost lost all faith in what they do

[KABrother88]

I think I'm gonna be sick. 3 players have been elected to the Hall of Fame...Greg Maddox, Tom Glavine, and Frank Thomas...it's being reported Biggio missed it by .2%...again .2%...Bagwell fell to 54% possible from a crowded ballot but this is still sickening

[eagle eye]

[quote author=KABrother88 link=topic=38853.msg56227#msg56227 date=1389208105]
I think I'm gonna be sick. 3 players have been elected to the Hall of Fame...Greg Maddox, Tom Glavine, and Frank Thomas...it's being reported Biggio missed it by .2%...again .2%...Bagwell fell to 54% possible from a crowded ballot but this is still sickening
[/quote]

I agree whole heartedly. .2% may be just one vote difference. What's disconcerting is the election of Thomas on the first ballot when Bagwell put up comparable numbers. Thomas became known as the "Big Hurt" because he was a power hitting first baseman in an American league that had really only him and Ken Griffey Jr. During the ninties the vast majority of power hitters were in the National League. Bagwell could've won more MVPs if he didn't have to contend with Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds and a host of other prominant power hitters in the senior circuit. No player in MLB history put up numbers for the 5 year period Bagwell did combining 30+ home runs, 100+ RBIs, 100+ walks, 100+ runs scored and hitting .300 or better. Along with the stats KABrother88 gave in an earlier post how about these highlights from Wiki,

The best year in Bagwell's professional career was the strike-shortened 1994 season when he was unanimously named National League Most Valuable Player after batting .368 with 39 home runs, 116 runs batted in and 104 runs scored, in 400 at-bats. He set the record for the fewest plate appearances in a season with at least 100 runs and RBIs. Bagwell became the first National Leaguer to finish first or second in batting average, home runs, RBI, and runs scored since Willie Mays in 1955.[4] His .750 slugging percentage in 1994 ranks as the 11th best single-season mark in Major League history and was the highest by a National Leaguer since Rogers Hornsby in 1925. Bagwell's hand was broken by a pitch on August 10, but he became the fourth player in National League history to be unanimously voted the award. Bagwell was also the runner-up for the 1999 MVP, and was third in 1997.

Bagwell was also an All Star for 4 seasons which is a amazing since he had to contend with McGwire or he would have had more of the honors. In comparison with Frank Thomas whose career and Bagwell's were in parallel Bagwell's numbers were as good if not better until injuries slowed Bagwell down. Also, consider Thomas is 6'5" and 275 lbs and Bagwell was listed as 6'0" but that's generous and weighed 215. Baseball can't tell the story of Thomas without Bagwell. It's also a fact that Bagwell was a better base runner, a better base stealer and a better fielder. Nobody was better at turning the 3-6-3 double play. He was also the first player I ever saw who was right in the face of a batter squared to lay down a sac bunt. Bagwell was undoubtedly the more complete player but Houston can't get any love from the voters for the HOF.