That's right. There are nine other hitters that, in my opinion, deserve Hall of Fame representation in Cooperstown. This is Part Two of a list that was so long, there was no way it could fit into one article. If you missed Part One, no worries! Click on this link to catch up on what you missed!
The same evaluation methods from Part One will be applied to Part Two, as we look back at nine other offensive legends who should have their place in the Hall of Fame. This list has a strong emphasis on nostalgia, as I went in the way-way back machine to compil this list. Without further ado, let's dive in.
Gil Hodges (1943, 1947-1963)
A member of the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1943 to 1961, Hodges was one of the preeminent offensive and power-hitting threats at first base in the 1950's. Amongst qualified first basemen in the decade, his ISO mark of 0.234 ranks 2nd (only Stan Musial was better at 0.238). He was one of the home run threats of the 50's, smacking 310 moonshots, which is the most by at his position in that timeframe.
Amongst all qualified offensive players in the 1950's, Hodges ranks 4th in wRC (1,015), 16th in wOBA (0.392) and T-14th in wRC+ (130). The nine-time All Star and two-time World Series champion was one of the more productive bats in the decade. My focus on Hodges is not centered on proving he is a Hall of Fame player, but showing why he was overlooked.
When looking at the composition of the rosters he was on, Hodges was playing with elite level talents in his time with the Dodgers. Their lineups most notably featured Jackie Robinson (HOFer), Duke Snider (HOFer), Roy Campanella (HOFer) and Pee Wee Reese (HOFer). So, there is a risk of him not receiving the credit that he deserved for his contributions. Looking more broadly at the league in that era, immortals such as Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron drew the attention of fans, showing that Hodges was, in some respects, the odd man out.
Helping the franchise reach the Fall Classic five times in the 1950's (1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1959) and winning two trophies (1955, 1959), I believe that Gil Hodges should have a plaque honoring the achievements of his playing career.
Minnie Minoso (1949, 1951-1964, 1976, 1980)
The career of Minnie Minoso is a fascinating one. He is one of the few players in MLB history to take an at-bat in their age 50 season or later (he did so in 1976 and 1980 at ages 50 and 54 respectfully). He also took at least one recorded at-bat in five separate decades, as he did so in the 1940's, 1950's, 1960's, 1970's and 1980's. For the purposes of this section, I want to focus on the apex of his career which was, like Hodges, in the 1950's.
Minoso was one of the better baserunners of the decade amongst qualified offensive players, as he ranks 2nd in stolen bags (167) and T-6th in runs scored (898). Amongst advanced metrics, relative to other leftfielders (where he spent most of his playing time), the Cuban Comet was an upper-echelon player. While Minoso ranked 4th and 3rd in wOBA (0.395) and wRC+ (140) respectfully, I want to focus on the fact that he ranked 1st in wRC. Why? Because his mark of 983 was better than that of Ted Williams output of 942. Needless to say, there are not a lot of players that ranked better statistically then the greatest hitter who ever lived. Minoso does, which should immediately place him in the Hall of Fame conversation.
The nine-time All-Star's dominance is severely underrated and is on a level that is similar to that of pantheon players. So, why is he not in the Hall of Fame? He never spent an elongated period of time with a franchise throughout his playing tenure. He had five separate stints with the Chicago White Sox and was traded three times in the 1950's. Also, similar to that of Hodges, he played in a decade with the immortals of the sport, so being overlooked as a talent is given.
Minnie Minoso belongs in Cooperstown, as an homage to his stellar playing career and elite level production at his position.
Ken Boyer (1955-1969)
Ken Boyer is an interesting case. Before I dive into the numbers, I believe that he is not represented in Cooperstown because he played on great Cardinals teams that included players such as Stan Musial, Curt Flood and Red Schoendienst. But when a player is on a roster with Musial in particular, you're production is bound to be ignored.
Now, let's breakdown Boyer's career as is. I want to focus on the prime of his MLB tenure, which spanned a decade from when he came into the league in 1955, to 1964. In that time, he compiled 11 All-Star nods and five Gold Gloves. 1964 in particular was his masterpiece, as we won NL MVP honors, Major League Player of the Year and helped St. Louis to a World Series victory over the New York Yankees.
In this timeframe, Boyer was one of the more productive third basemen at the plate. Amongst qualified players at that position in this ten-year span, he ranked 2nd in BABIP (0.306), 3rd in wOBA (0.369) and 4th in wRC+ (121). He was by all accounts, one of the top offensive players of his era and should garner Hall of Fame consideration, based on his accolades and statistical accomplishments.
Dick Allen (1963-1977)
Winning the AL MVP award in 1972, Dick Allen was nothing short of a featured power-bat. Leading the league in slugging and OPS three and four times respectfully, Allen was highly productive, even in the latter stages of his career.
A seven-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year award winner, he was a versatile defender, registering 2,000 innings or more in leftfield, first base and third base. With his most productive years coming from 1965 to 1974, he was arguably one of the better players in baseball at that time. If one is going by wOBA as the sole measure of total offensive contributions, Allen is T-2nd at 0.411. The player that he is tied with his Hank Aaron and only Willie McCovey had a better mark. What is even more eye opening is that he ranks 1st in wRC+ at 163, meaning that he was 63% better than a majority of offensive players in this defined timeframe and had more impact at the plate through hitting.
Dick Allen should have a plaque in Cooperstown. His production, relative to his peers, is highly impressive. Not to mention his accolades and volume output.
George Foster (1969-1986)
Let's take a step back for a minute and remember the offensive juggernaut that was the Big Red Machine and who was on it. It includes names such as Tony Perez, Johnny Bench, Pete Rose and Joe Morgan. All of whom are in Cooperstown, with the exception of Pete Rose (who really should be, as I discussed in Part One).
Foster's offensive prowess in the 1970's was as impressive as that of the names listed above. Of these five players in the decade, Foster had a better wOBA (0.382) than Pete Rose, a higher wRC+ than Johnny Bench (131) and a better BABIP than Joe Morgan (0.308).
A five-time All-Star and former NL MVP, Foster proved to be one of the more prolific bats in the 70's, relative to other outfielders. With an ISO score of 0.229, along with being one of nine outfielders to hit 200 homers or more in the decade, he was an understated power-hitter in a star studded lineup. Including his championship pedigree, George Foster deserves to be represented in Cooperstown and be recognized as one of the greatest players to wear a Major League uniform.
Dave Parker (1973-1991)
Whether he was in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Oakland, or Milwaukee, Dave Parker was as productive of a hitter as one could find in baseball. His career resume speaks volumes. Spending his first 11 years of his 19 year career with the Pirates, Parker won back-to-back Batting Titles (1977, 1978), NL MVP honors (1978), four All-Star selections, three Gold Gloves and a World Series ring (1979) all in a Pittsburgh uniform. He would go on to to win three Silver Sluggers and garner three more All-Star nods after that.
At the plate, he was a model of offensive consistency. For the first 15 seasons of his Major League tenure (1973-1987), Parker proved to be a top tier player. One of six batters to have over 1,000 wRC (1,165), he finished this timeframe with an impressive wOBA of 0.363 and a wRC+ of 125. Compiling a record of 1,256-1,065 (a win-percentage of 54.1%) as a starter in his career, Parker was a positive addition in the lineups he was apart of. Because of his dynamism and completeness as an offensive player, he should receive recognition as a Hall of Famer.
Don Mattingly (1982-1995)
Current Major League manager Don Mattingly is undoubtedly overlooked as a candidate for Cooperstown. Spending the entirety of his 14-year career with the New York Yankees, he is cited as one of the most talented players to ever play for the Bronx Bombers and never compete in a World Series.
Entering the league in 1982, his offensive output at first base was prolific. Amongst first basemen with at least 500 plate appearances in the 1980's, Mattingly had the 2nd lowest strikeout rate at 5.4% (only Bill Buckner had lower at 4.6%). With a wOBA of 0.383 and a wRC+ of 140, he was a highly valuable bat. His defense at that position was also above average, as he won nine Gold Glove awards, which is 2nd most all-time for first basemen.
The six-time All-Star had his crowning achievement in 1985, winning the AL MVP award and Major League Player of the Year honors, leading the Bronx Bombers to a 97-64 record. To give you an idea of how great he was at the plate, the year before he won MVP, he won a Batting Title. With the statistical achievements, positional dominance and the hardware, why isn't Don Mattingly in the Hall of Fame?
Two reasons. First, the Yankees did not make the postseason in the 1980's and didn't do so until 1995, which was Mattingly's last season in the Majors. He was rather unlucky in this sense, as the year after, the team won the World Series, which started their famed dynasty in the mid-90's and spanned into the early-2000's. Second, his production in the 1990's fell dramatically, as his wOBA and wRC+ was 0.331 and 102, respectfully.
With his offensive production and accolades, I believe that Don Mattingly (the player version), should have a spot in Cooperstown, as he was one of the better players in his time.
Andres Galarraga (1985-1998, 2000-2004)
One of the famed members of Colorado's Blake Street Bombers in the 1990's, Galarraga was simply an efficient masher of the baseball. A 19-year career that spanned seven organizations, a majority of his output came in the 90's, where he collected three of his career five All-Star selections, a Batting Title, a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger.
From a metrics standpoint, Galarraga was highly effective beyond power-hitting. Amongst players in the 1990's who had at least 4,000 plate appearances, he ranked 5th in BABIP (0.333) and built a reputation as a skilled batter. T-14th in ISO (0.231) and 16th in homers (255) for the decade, he secured himself as an upper-echelon power player at a pivotal wing position.
While some will argue that he did not have consecutive years of Hall of Fame caliber play, or lacks the necessary individual and team accolades, Galarraga's contributions is undeniable and should be remembered as one of the better players in MLB lore.
Moises Alou (1990, 1992-1998, 2000-2008)
A 17-year veteran, Moises Alou gets lost in the shuffle as a highly productive player. While his critics will point to some inconsistencies in his career, as he missed the 1991 and 1999 campaigns with injury, he essentially had two productive careers that combined for a legendary one. From 1992 to 1998, he collected three All-Star selections, two Silver Sluggers and a World Series ring in 1997 with the Florida Marlins. In that series in particular, Alou was prolific, as he hit 3 dingers, had an OPS of 1.101 and a WPA of 0.37. His regular season wOBA and wRC+ of 0.373 and 128 respectfully was also notable.
After missing 1999, he came back and was arguably better. Collecting three more All-Star nods, Alou's wOBA and wRC+ between 2000 and 2008 was an impressive 0.383 and 130 respectfully. Everytime he went into the batter's box, a team could always count on him for viable offensive output.
While writing this section, I can hear Chris Russo screaming "Does he have bold, black type next to his name?!" Well no, Moises Alou never led the league in any viable batting statistic. But just because a player never dominates the league doesn't mean he can't be viewed as an all-time talent. In my mind, Alou got close and he should be inducted into the sport's Hall of Fame.
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