gold star for USAHOF

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2024 revision of our top 50 New York Yankees.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball, we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Please note that our algorithm has changed, which yielded minor changes throughout the baseball lists.

Last year, the Yankees returned to the World Series, on the strength of an epic campaign by Aaron Judge.  They were bested by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Fall Classic, but it was a hell of a ride. 

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes.

1. Babe Ruth

2. Lou Gehrig

3. Mickey Mantle

4. Joe DiMaggio

5. Derek Jeter

You can find the entire list here.

The only change is MVP Aaron Judge, who moves from #17 to #11.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022 revision of our top New York Yankees.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, New York made it to the American League Championship Series, but fell to the eventual World Series Champion, Houston.  On a team as celebrated as the Yankees, it is very hard to make this list, but one player vaulted over 20 spots.  We bet you know who!

As always, we present our top five, which was not affected by the last season:

1. Babe Ruth

2. Lou Gehrig

3. Mickey Mantle

4. Joe DiMaggio

5. Derek Jeter

You can find the entire list here.

The only change was Aaron Judge, won the 2022 MVP and set the new single season Yankee Home Run record with 62.  He vaults from #49 to #26.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity. As such, we are very happy to present our pre-2021 revision of our top 50 New York Yankees of all-time.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League. 

3. Playoff accomplishments.

4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

There are two new additions on our Top 50, but nothing affecting our top five.  As always, we announce them here.

They are:

1. Babe Ruth

2. Lou Gehrig

3. Mickey Mantle

4. Joe DiMaggio

5. Derek Jeter

The two new additions were reflective of the advanced metric changes from Baseball Reference.  This has pushed up five-time World Series infielder, Red Rolfe to #46 and seven-time World Series Outfielder,Hank Bauer enters at #50.  They replace Dave Righetti and Roger Peckinpaugh.  Other minor tinkering took place that altered the overall list, but nothing major.

The only active player on the list is Brett Gardner, who moved up two spots to #36.  Aaron Judge, is on his way up, but has not yet made our top fifty.

We welcome your input and commentsand as always, we thank you for your support.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present the first revision of our top 50 New York Yankees of all-time.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League. 

This is the first revision since we put up this list in 2017.

The complete list can be found herebut as always we announce our top five in this article.  They are:

1. Babe Ruth

 

2. Lou Gehrig

 

3. Mickey Mantle

 

4. Joe DiMaggio

 

5. Derek Jeter

With a team as storied and as old as the Yankees, very little has changed overall, and the top five remain the same.  Actually, there beyond minor tinkering, there is only one significant addition.  That is Gil McDougald, who we incorrectly omitted. The 1951 Rookie of the Year, and five-time World Series Champion is ranked at #29.

We are certainly keeping our eyes on Aaron Judge, who could enter this list shortly.

We welcome your input and commentsand as always, we thank you for your support.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com thought it would be fun to take a look at the major awards in North American team sports and see how it translates into Hall of Fame potential.

Needless to say, different awards in different sports yield hall of fame potential.  In basketball, the team sport with the least number of players on a roster, the dividend for greatness much higher.  In baseball, it is not as much as a great individual season does not have the same impact.

Last time, we looked at the Bert Bell Award.  This time we went back to baseball, and the World Series MVP.

The World Series was first played in 1903, but they did not award an MVP of the Fall Classic until 1955.  It goes without saying only a great team can win a World Series, but in a seven-game series any player can get on a hot streak.

So how many World Series MVPs have made the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Let’s find out!

The following are the past players who have won the World Series MVP who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and have been enshrined.

Whitey Ford, New York Yankees, Pitcher (1961)             

Based on who won the World Series MVP from 1955 to 1960, we think it safe to day that Whitey Ford will forever be the first chronological World Series MVP to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Ford was a career-Yankee who would help the Bronx Bombers win six World Series Titles.  In 1961, Ford won the Cy Young Award with a 25-4 record, and in the World Series he won both starts.  Ford pitched 14 Innings without allowing a single run, and the Yankees would defeat the Cincinnati Reds in five games.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974.

Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pitcher (1963)        

Sandy Koufax was on year two of his second-half of brilliance, and in the regular season he would win the first of five consecutive ERA Titles.  In the World Series, his Dodgers were paired against the New York Yankees, and Koufax won both starts.  He would throw for 18 Innings with a 1.50 ERA.  Los Angeles would sweep New York.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals, Pitcher (1964)              

Bob Gibson would do well in 1964 with a 19-12 record, but he was still not yet a superstar.  The World Series would change that.  He led the St. Louis Cardinals to a win over the New York Yankees where he went 2-1 with 27 Innings and 31 Strikeouts.  Gibson would go to the All-Star Game annually from 1965 to 1970 but had plenty left to offer. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pitcher (2)(1965)   

Koufax became the first player to repeat as the World Series MVP, and doesn’t it seem appropriate?  In between his World Series MVPs, Koufax won the Cy Young and MVP.  This year, Los Angeles faced the Minnesota Twins and Koufax went 2-1 with a 0.38 ERA.  He played two more seasons, winning the Cy Young in both of them.  Koufax retired after that with a record of 165-87 and 2,396 Strikeouts.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

Frank Robinson, Baltimore Orioles, Outfield (1966)       

The Cincinnati Reds made a colossal error when they traded Frank Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles after 1965 season. Robinson proceeded to have the best year of his life, becoming the first player to win the MVP in both leagues. It got even better, as Robinson led the Orioles to their first World Series, and he would have two Home Runs with a 1.217 OPS in Baltimore’s sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982.

Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals, Pitcher (2) (1967)         

Gibson’s star rose since 1964, and in 1967, he had an even better World Series performance than his first.  Gibson pitched three complete games, winning them all, and only allowed three earned runs.  His 1.00 ERA was matched with an equally spectacular WHIP of 0.704.  Gibson would have a phenomenal 1968 in the “Year of the Pitcher” where he led the National League with a 1.12 ERA and a 0.853 WHIP.  He won the Cy Young and MVP that season, and he would play until 1975, ending a career spent entirely with the St. Louis Cardinals.  Gibson had a record of 251-174 with 3,117 Strikeouts.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.

Brooks Robinson, Baltimore Orioles, Third Base(1970)  

Brooks Robinson was already a superstar by this point, as he was already a World Series champion (1966), an MVP (1964), and he was on year 11 of 15 straight All-Star Games.  The 16-time Gold Glove winner batted .429 with two Home Runs in the Orioles five-game victory over the Reds.  Robinson played his entire career with Baltimore and would accumulate 2,848 Hits, 268 Home Runs and 1,357 Runs Batted In.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Roberto Clemente, Pittsburgh Pirates, Outfield(1971)   

A legend with 3,000 career Hits, Clemente was already a World Series Champion (1960), and an MVP (1966).  In 1971, the 15-time All-Star batted .414 with two Home Runs in the Pirates seven-game win over Baltimore.  Clemente only played one more season and died shortly after in a plane crash.  He was delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.  He was fast-tracked to the Baseball Hall of Fame the year after.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973.

Reggie Jackson, Oakland Athletics, Outfield (1973)       

Reggie Jackson won the American League MVP this year, and would win the first of what would be four Home Run Titles.  In the seven-game win over the New York Mets, Jackson batted .315 with a Home Run, in what was Oakland’s second of three straight World Series Championships.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

Rollie Fingers, Oakland Athletics, Pitcher (1974)           

This was the last of three straight Oakland World Series titles, and the future Hall of Fame closer was in the beginning of his turn as an elite closer.  In this World Series, Fingers appeared in four Games, won one of them, had two Saves with an ERA of 1.93.  Fingers would later win the Cy Young and MVP in 1983 when he was with the Milwaukee Brewers. He would play until 1985 and accumulate 341 Saves over his 17-year career.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992.

Johnny Bench, Cincinnati Reds, Catcher (1976)             

The Catcher of the “Big Red Machine”, was a two-time MVP by this point and had already won two Home Run Titles.  In this year’s World Series, Bench batted .533, a 1.667 OPS with two Home Runs and six Runs Batted In.  The 14-time All-Star played his entire career with Cincinnati and would collect 2,048 Hits, 389 Home Runs and 1,376 RBIs.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.

Reggie Jackson, New York Yankees, Outfield (2)(1977)  

This was the first of two straight World Series Championships for the New York Yankees, and it was this year where Reggie Jackson became “Mr. October”.   In Game Six of the 1977 World Series, Jackson belted three Home Runs on three first pitches against Dodger hurlers, and that was the clinching game.  He would bat .450 with an OPS of 1.792 with five taters.  Jackson played until 1987, and would retire with 2,584 Hits, 563 Home Runs, 1,702 RBIs. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh Pirates, First Base (1979)       

Winning the MVP this year (though he probably should not have), Willie Stargell did earn both NLCS and World Series MVP.  The career-Pirate helped his team defeat Baltimore in seven games with a .400 Batting Average with three Home Runs and seven RBIs.  He played 21 seasons and retired in 1982 with 2,232 Hits, 475 Home Runs and 1,540 RBIs. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988.

Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies, Third Base (1980)  

This season, Mike Schmidt won the first of what would be three MVPs and it was also the year he set career-highs (also league-leading) in Home Runs (48) and Runs Batted In (121).  Schmidt also finished first in Slugging Percentage (.624) and OPS (1.004).  The Phillies would win his first World Series this year as Schmidt batted .381 with a two Home Runs and seven RBIs.  Philadelphia would beat Kansas City in six games.  Schmidt played his entire career with the Phils and would retire in 1989. Overall, he would appear in twelve All-Star Games, win six Silver Sluggers, ten Gold Gloves and had 2,234 Hits with 548 Home Runs and 1,595 RBIs.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.

Alan Trammell, Detroit Tigers, Shortstop (1984)            

This year, Alan Trammell was on his second of what would be six All-Star Games and the Detroit Tigers were an unstoppable team in 1984.  In this World Series, Detroit took out the San Diego Padres in five games with Trammell batting .450 with two Home Runs, six RBIs and a 1.300 OPS.  He would play his entire career with the Tigers, retiring in 1996 with 2,365 Hits, 185 Home Runs, four Silver Sluggers and three Gold Gloves.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

Jack Morris, Minnesota Twins, Pitcher (1991)                

Jack Morris already won a World Series title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers, but this title was especially sweet.  In the 1991 World Series, Morris pitched in three games, winning two games with a 1.17 ERA.  In Game 7, Morris pitched a ten-inning shutout to win the Fall Classic for the Twins.  Morris went on to win two more World Series Rings with the Toronto Blue Jays.  He retired in 1994 with a record of 254 Wins against 186 Losses with 2,478 Strikeouts.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

Paul Molitor, Toronto Blue Jays, Third Base and Designated Hitter (1993)   

Paul Molitor was with the Milwaukee Brewers for 15 years before joining the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993, who were the defending World Series Champions.  That year, Molitor would go to his fifth All-Star Game, and led the American League in Hits (211) and would bat .332.  The Blue Jays returned to the World Series, and in their successful title defense, Molitor batted .500 with two Home Runs, eight RBIs and a 1.571 OPS.  Moltor played until 1998, and retired with 3,319 Hits, 234 Home Runs, 1,307 RBIs with a Batting Average of .303.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.

Tom Glavine, Atlanta Braves, Pitcher (1995)                  

The Atlanta Braves were one of the most loaded teams of the 1990s, but it only translated into one World Series win. That was in 1995, and the World Series MVP went to one of the big three, Tom Glavine.  He would win the 1991 Cy Young, and later the 1998 Cy Young, and this season was a nice 16-7 year, a 3.08 ERA, and a third place finish in the Cy Young vote.  In the World Series, Glavine won both starts and had an ERA of 1.29, a WHIP of 0.714 and 11 Strikeouts.  He retired in 2008 with a 305-203 record and 2,607 Strikeouts.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees, Pitcher (1999)         

Considered to be the greatest Relief Pitcher of all-time, Mariano Rivera would win five World Series Rings, and was a 13-time All-Star. In the 1999 World Series, Rivera appeared in three games, winning one, saving two, and he did not allow a run. Rivera’s overall post-season record was 8-1, 42 Saves, 0.70 ERA, 0.759 WHIP over 141 Innings.  Let that sink in!   When Rivera retired, he was the all-time leader in Saves (652), Games Finished (952) and a career WHIP of 1.000.  Rivera became the first player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame with a unanimous vote.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019.

Derek Jeter, New York Yankees, Shortstop (2000)          

Playing his entire career with the New York Yankees, Derek Jeter was not only the leader of the team, but was the most popular player and recognizable player of his day.  In the 2000 World Series, he batted .409 with two Home Runs, two RBIs and an OPS of 1.344.  Jeter would overall go to 14 All-Star Games, and was a five-time Silver Slugger and five-time Gold Glove winner.  He retired in 2014 with 3,465 Hits, 260 Home Runs, 1,311 RBIs and a Batting Average of .310. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.

Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks, Pitcher (co-winner) (2001)    

Sharing the World Series MVP with Curt Schilling, Randy Johnson was on the third of four straight Cy Young Awards, one of the most incredible runs of any pitcher in the history of the game.  With the Arizona Diamondbacks, Johnson took the team that was still under ten years old to the World Series, and he won three World Series Games with a 1.04 ERA against the Yankees.  He also had a WHIP of 0.692 with 19 Strikeouts.  Johnson played until 2009, and retired with a record of 202-166 with 4,875 Strikeouts.  Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

 

The following are the players who have won the World Series MVP who are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame and have not been selected:

Johnny Podres, Brooklyn Dodgers, Pitcher (1955)

The winner of the first World Series MVP, coincided with the only championship that the Dodgers would win in Brooklyn.  This was Podres third year in baseball, and he had been an average starter at best.  He would win both his starts, including a shutout in Game 7.  Over 18 Innings, he had a 1.00 ERA with 10 Strikeouts. Podres would play until 1969, mostly with the Dodgers and he retired with a record of 141-116 with 1,435 Strikeouts. He won two more World Series Rings with the Dodgers after they relocated to Los Angeles.  Eligible Since 1975.  Podres was on the ballot for three years and finished as high as 0.8% in both 1975 and 1978. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com

Don Larsen, New York Yankees, Pitcher (1956)

After only lasting 1.2 Innings in Game 2 (though all four runs were unearned due to errors), Larsen came back to throw a perfect game, the only time that this happened in the history of the World Series.  The Yankees beat the Dodgers in seven games, and Larsen’s Game 5 meant you could not possibly give the World Series MVP to anyone else.  Aside from the most spectacular pitching performance ever, Larsen was an average pitcher at best.  The 11 regular season Wins that he had in this regular season, was the most he had, and Larsen would only post 81 Wins against 91 Losses.  Eligible Since 1973.  Larsen was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 12.3% in 1979. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com

Lew Burdette, Milwaukee Braves, Pitcher (1957)

This was the only World Series that the Braves would win while competing in Milwaukee.  Burdette, who was an All-Star this year, had a 17-9 regular season record, would win all three of his World Series starts, throwing for 27 Innings with a 0.67 ERA.  Burdette would go to a second All-Star Game two years later and would retire in 1967 with a 203-144 record.  179 of those wins were with the Braves.  Eligible Since 1973.  Burdette was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 24.1% in 1984. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com

Bob Turley, New York Yankees, Pitcher (1958)

This was the best season of Bob Turley’s career as he was an All-Star for the third (and final) time, and he would have a career-high 21 Wins.  For the regular season, he won the Cy Young, and was the runner-up for the MVP.  In the World Series, he lost his first start, but won the next two, aiding the Yankees in their seven-game win over the Milwaukee Braves.  In the process, the Yanks became the second team to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series.  It was all downhill for Turley, as he never had another 10 Win season again, and he retired with 101 Wins against 85 Losses.  Eligible Since 1969.  Although he was eligible, he was not on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Larry Sherry, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pitcher (1959)

1959 was Sherry’s second year of an 11-year journeyman career.  In the six-game series win over the Chicago White Sox, he appeared in four games, pitched in 12.2 Innings and had a 2-0 record with 2 Saves.  He had a 0.71 ERA and a 0.789 WHIP over the Fall Classic. Sherry would have a record of 53-44 with 82 Saves.  Eligible Since 1974.  Although he was eligible, he was not on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bobby Richardson, New York Yankees, Second Base (1960)

The sixth World Series MVP finally went to a position player, and while it is not a Hall of Famer, it is of course a New York Yankee!  Bobby Richardson was already a two-time All-Star, and he would go to five more over his career.  Historically speaking, this was also the first, and to date, only player to win the World Series as the member of the losing team.  Richardson would bat .367 with 11 Hits in the Series.  While the Yanks lost this one, Richardson would win three rings with the team.  He retired in 1966 with 1,432 career Hits.  Eligible Since 1972.  Richardson was on the ballot for three years and finished as high as 2.0% in 1972.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ralph Terry, New York Yankees, Pitcher (1962)

Ralph Terry would only go to one All-Star Game in his career, which would be 1962.  That season, he led the American League in Wins (23) and Innings Pitched (298.2) and was 14thin MVP voting.  Terry was on the World Series Title the year before with New York, and in this championship, he went 2-1 with an ERA of 1.80 and WHIP of 0.766.  This was the best year he had, and he played until 1967, retiring with a record of 78-59.  Eligible Since 1973.  Although he was eligible, he was not on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Mickey Lolich, Detroit Tigers, Pitcher (1968)

Mickey Lolich had an up and down 1968, and was overshadowed by Denny McClain, who was a 30-Game winner that year.  However, in the 1968 World Series, it was Lolich who was the star, winning all three starts with a 1.67 ERA.  He would later go to three All-Star Games, and finished his career with a 217-191 record and 2,832 Strikeouts.  Eligible Since 1985.  Lolich was on the ballot for fifteen years and finished as high as 25.5% in 1988. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Donn Clendenon, New York Mets, First Base (1969) 

A very unlikely winner of the World Series MVP, Donn Clendenon was traded midway through the 1969 season from the Montreal Expos and he would platoon at First Base with Ed Kranepool.  Clendendon did not even play on the NLCS, but played in four of the five World Series Games where he batted .367 with three Home Runs and four RBIs.  He played until 197 and had 1,273 Hits with 159 Home Runs.  Eligible Since 1978.  Although he was eligible, he was not on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Gene Tenace, Oakland Athletics, Catcher (1972)

It was in the 1972 post-season where Gene Tenace finally won the starting Catcher’s job, and in what was the first of three straight World Series wins by Oakland, Tenace was on fire.  He would bat .348 with four Home Runs and nine RBIs. He would play until 1983, winning a fourth World Series win with the Cardinals in 1982.  Eligible Since 1989.  Tenace was on the ballot for one year and finished with 0.2% of the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Pete Rose, Cincinnati Reds, Third Base (1975)

Pete Rose was at the heart of Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine, and he was already an MVP.  In this World Series, Rose and the Reds beat Boston and had a .370 Batting Average with 10 hits with five Walks.  Rose would help the Reds win another World Series in 1976, and the first for Philadelphia in 1980.   He played until 1986 and would retire as the all-time leader in Hits with 4,256.  Eligible Since 1992.  Rose was declared ineligible by the Baseball Hall of Fame due to gambling on baseball. Ranked #1A on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bucky Dent, New York Yankees, Shortstop (1978)

Bucky Dent was never known for his hitting, but the three-time All-Star came to life in the 1978 World Series.  Prior to that, he hit the Home Run tin the tie-breaker where the Yankees beat the Red Sox to win the AL East.  He batted .417 with seven RBIs in the World Series, earning him his second ring, as he was with the Yanks the year before.  Dent played until 1984 and retired with 1,114 Hits.  Eligible Since 1990.  Dent was on the ballot for one year and finished with 0.7% of the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ron Cey, Los Angeles Dodgers, Third Base (co-winner) (1981)

For the first and only time in World Series MVP history, there were three co-winners.  Prior to this win, Ron Cey was a six-time All-Star, and had already appeared in three World Series for the Dodgers, albeit in losing efforts.  This year, he batted .350 with a Home Run and six RBIs.  He played until 1987, and had 1,868 Hits and 316 Home Runs when he retired.  Eligible Since 1993.  Cey was on the ballot for one year and finished with 1.9% of the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Pedro Guerrero, Los Angeles Dodgers, First Base (co-winner) (1981)

For the first and only time in World Series MVP history, there were three co-winners.  This season would see the first of five All-Star years for Pedro Guerrero, and in the World Series, he batted .333 with two Home Runs, seven RBIs and an OPS of 1.179.  Eligible Since 1998.  Guerrero was on the ballot for one year and finished with 1.3% of the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Steve Yeager, Los Angeles Dodgers, Catcher (co-winner) (1981)

For the first and only time in World Series MVP history, there were three co-winners.  A light hitting Catcher but well-respected handler of pitchers, Steve Yeager had two key Home Runs with a ,286 Batting Average in the World Series. Eligible Since 1998.  Yeager was on the ballot for one year and finished with 0.5% of the ballot. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Darrell Porter, St. Louis Cardinals, Catcher (1982)

Darrell Porter had been a four-time All-Star prior to this World Series, and in this season’s Fall Classic, the Catcher batted .286 with one Home Run and five RBIs.  Notable, he batted .556 in the NLCS, and won the NLCS MVP that season. He played until 1987, and retired with 1,369 Hits and 188 Home Runs.  Eligible Since 1993.  Porter was on the ballot for one year but did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Rick Dempsey, Baltimore Orioles, Catcher (1983)

For the third year in a row, a Catcher won the World Series MVP.  Dempsey, who was never known for being a great hitter delivered on this stage with a .385 Batting Average and a Home Run in Baltimore’s five-game Series win over Philadelphia.  Dempsey would later win a second World Series Ring with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988. He played until 1992.  Eligible Since 1998.  Dempsey was on the ballot for one year and finished with 0.2% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bret Saberhagen, Kansas City Royals, Pitcher (1985)

In his second year in the Majors, Bret Saberhagen won the Cy Young with a 20-6 record and a league-leading 1.056 WHIP. In the World Series win over the Cardinals, he would win both starts and have a stellar 0.50 ERA and 0.667 WHIP. Saberhagen would win his second Cy Young in 1989.  The hurler would play until 2001 and retire with a record of 167-117 and 1,715 Strikeouts. Eligible Since 2007.  Saberhagen was on the ballot for one year and finished with 1.3% of the vote.  Ranked #65 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ray Knight, New York Mets, Third Base (1986)

While it could be joked that the World Series MVP was really Bill Buckner, Ray Knight had an incredible World Series.  He would bat .391 with an OPS of 1.005 with one Home Run and five RBIs.  Knight was an All-Star twice and he played until 1988 with 1,311 Hits.  Eligible Since 1994.  Knight was on the ballot for one year and finished with 0.2% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Frank Viola, Minnesota Twins, Pitcher (1987)

Finishing sixth in Cy Young voting this year, Frank Viola ascended to the ace of the Twins pitching staff.  In the seven-game World Series win over the St. Louis Cardinals, Viola started three of them and went 2-1 over 19.1 Innings with an ERA of 3.72 and 16 Strikeouts.  Viola would win the Cy Young the following season, and he played until 1996, retiring with a record of 176-150.  Eligible Since 2002.  Viola was on the ballot for one year and finished with 0.4% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Orel Hershiser, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pitcher (1988)

Before 1988, Orel Hershiser was already the ace of the Dodgers pitching staff, but he was about to embark on the best season of his career.  This year, Hershiser won the Cy Young while leading the National League in Wins (23) and posting an ERA of 2.26 with 178 Strikeouts.  Hershiser would win the NLCS MVP, appearing in four games, winning one, and earning an ERA of 1.09.  In that World Series, he won both starts against the Oakland A’s winning both games with an ERA of 1.00 and a WHIP of 0.722.  Hershiser played until 2000 and would have a record of 204-150 with 2,014 Strikeouts.  Eligible Since 2006.  Hershiser was on the ballot for two years and finished as high as 11.2% in 2006.  Ranked #71 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Dave Stewart, Oakland Athletics, Pitcher (1989)

From 1987 to 1990, Dave Stewart finished in the top four in Cy Young voting, and was the ace of the Oakland staff that went to three straight World Series (1988-90).  1989 was the only one of the three that the A’s would win, and in this year, he would win both starts against the San Francisco Giants with a 1.69 ERA and 14 Strikeouts.  Stewart played until 1995, retiring with a 168-129 record and 1,741 Strikeouts.  Eligible Since 2002.  Stewart was on the ballot for two years and finished as high as 7.4% in 2001. Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jose Rijo, Cincinnati Reds, Pitcher (1990)

Jose Rijo and the Cincinnati Reds would shock Oakland in a four-game sweep in the World Series, and Rijo won both starts, with a phenomenal 0.59 ERA and 14 Strikeouts.  The Puerto Rican played until 1995, and after a five-year layoff due to injury, he returned for two years before retiring for good in 2002. He would have a record of 116-91. Eligible Since 2008.  Rijo was on the 2001 ballot and received 0.2% of the ballot, and appeared again in 2008, but had no votes that year.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Pat Borders, Toronto Blue Jays, Catcher (1992)

An unlikely World Series MVP, Pat Borders never had a season where he hat over 125 Hits and only had two 100 Hit plus years. Regardless, his bat was on fire in the 1992 World Series where he batted .450 with nine Hits, one Home Run and three RBIs.  This would be the first World Series win for the Toronto Blue Jays, and he would help them win it again in 1993.  He played until 2006.  Eligible Since 2011.  Although Borders was Hall of Fame eligible, he was never on the ballot.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com. 

John Wetteland, New York Yankees, Pitcher (1996)

John Wetteland played two seasons with the New York Yankees, and this was the second of them.  For the first and only time, the closer would lead the league in Saves (43), and he was an All-Star for what would be the first of three times. Wetteland appeared in five games in the ’96 World Series against the Braves, and he would net four Saves with a 2.08 ERA and six Strikeouts.  He played until 2000, retiring with 330 Saves.  Eligible Since 2006.  Wetteland was on the ballot for one year and received 0.8% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Livan Hernandez, Miami Marlins, Pitcher (1997)

In Florida’s shocking World Series win, Livan Hernandez was a rookie, who was the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year Award. Hernandez was incredible in the post-season, winning the NLCS MVP (2-0), and he won both his starts in the ’97 World Series against the Cleveland Indians, albeit with a 5.27 ERA. Hernandez played until 2012, and was a two-time All-Star.  He finished his career one game over .500, with a record of 178-177.  Eligible Since 2018.  Hernandez was on the ballot for one year and received 0.2% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Scott Brosius, New York Yankees, Third Base (1998)

Scott Brosius became very popular when he arrived in 1998 to New York.  This would be his only All-Star year, and in the World Series he batted .471 with two Home Runs and six RBIs.  Brosius played for three more years, and retired with two more World Series Rings and 1,001 Hits.  Eligible Since 2007.  Brosius was on the ballot for one year and but did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Curt Schilling, Arizona Diamondbacks, Pitcher (co-winner) (2001)

In the regular season, Curt Schilling finished second in Cy Young voting to his teammate, Randy Johnson, which would be the same hurler who he shared the World Series MVP with.  In this World Series, Schilling pitched in three games, winning one with an ERA of 1,69 with 26 Strikeouts.  He would win two more World Series rings with the Boston Red Sox, and he retired in 2007 with a record of 216-146 with 3,116 Strikeouts.  Eligible Since 2013.  Schilling has been on the ballot for eight years and has finished as high as 70.0% in 2020.  Ranked #5 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Troy Glaus, Anaheim Angels, Third Base (2002)

Troy Glaus was a four-time All-Star, two of which happened before 2002, and two after.  In the Angels first World Series win, Glaus batted .385 with an OPS of 1.313. and three Home Runs and eight RBIs.  He would play until 2010 and retired with 320 Home Runs.  Eligible Since 2016.  Glaus was on the ballot for one year and but did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Josh Beckett, Florida Marlins, Pitcher (2003)

We think it can be safely stated that the Marlins are the most unlikely two-time World Series Champions, but that is sports for you!  Their second World Series MVP was Josh Beckett, who was in his third year in the Majors.  In this World Series, he would pitch in two Games, going 1-1 with a 1.10 ERA and 19 Strikeouts.  A future three-time All-Star, Beckett would later help the Red Sox win the 2007 World Series, and he played until 2014, retiring with a 138-106 record.  Eligible Since 2020.  Beckett was on the ballot for one year and but did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Manny Ramirez, Boston Red Sox, Outfield (2004)

One of the huge reasons that the “Curse of the Bambino” was finally eradicated in 2004 was because of Manny Ramirez, who was on year seven of eleven straight All-Star Game appearances.  In the four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, Ramirez batted .412 with a Home Run and four RBIs.  His controversial career came to an end in 2011, and would have 2,574 Hits, 555 Home Runs and 1,831 RBIs.  Eligible Since 2017.  Ramirez has been on the ballot for four years and has finished as high as 28.2% in 2020. Ranked #6 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jermaine Dye, Chicago White Sox, Outfield (2005)

An All-Star in 2000, and later in 2006, Jermaine Dye would win his first and only World Series ring in 2005 with the Chi-Sox. In the White Sox sweep of the Astros, Dye had a Home Run, three Runs Batted In, and a .438 Batting Average. He played until 2009, and would have 1,779 Hits with 325 Home Runs.  Eligible Since 2015.  Dye was on the ballot for one year and but did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

David Eckstein, St. Louis Cardinals, Shortstop(2006)

This was the first of two straight All-Star Game years for David Eckstein, and he had already won a World Series Championship with the Anaheim Angels in 2002.  Eckstein batted .364 with four RBIs in this World Series, and he played until 2010.  Eligible Since 2016.  Eckstein was on the ballot for one year and received 0.5% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Mike Lowell, Boston Red Sox, Third Base (2007)

Mike Lowell finished fifth in MVP voting this year, which would be the highest he would ever finish.  A four-time All-Star, Lowell already had a World Series Ring with the Marlins, and in this World Series sweep over the Colorado Rockies, he would bat .400 with a Home Run with four RBIs.  Lowell played until 2010, and he retired with 1,619 Hits and 223 Home Runs. Eligible Since 2016.  Lowell was on the ballot for one year and but did not receive any votes.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Hideko Matsui, New York Yankees, Outfield (2009)

Hideki Matsui was already a two-time All-Star, and with his MVP in the 2009 World Series, he became the first Japanese to win the award.  In the six-game win over the Philadelphia Phillies, “Godzilla” blasted three Home Runs, had eight RBIs, and had a disgusting Slash Line of .615/.643/1.385, meaning he had an OPS over 2.000.  He played in the Majors until 2012.  Eligible Since 2018.  Matsui was on the ballot for one year and received 0.8% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

Edgar Renteria, San Francisco Giants, Shortstop (2010)

This was the penultimate season of Edgar Renteria, who was a five-time All-Star, who had previously won a World Series Ring in 1997 as a Florida Marlin.  In the 2010 World Series, the Venezuelan Shortstop had two Home Runs, six RBIs and batted .412.  Retiring in 2011, Reneteria had 2,327 Hits with 140 Home Runs.  He was also a three-time Silver Slugger and twice a Gold Glove winner.  Eligible Since 2018.  Matsui was on the ballot for one year and received 0.8% of the vote.  Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com.

 

Let’s update our tally, shall we?

Award in Question

Percentage of recipients who have entered the HOF

Percentage of recipients by year who have entered the HOF.

NBA MVP

100%

100%

NHL Norris

90.5%

96.4%

NBA All Star Game MVP

89.5%

91.7%

NHL Conn Smythe

74.2%

85.4%

NFL Bert Bell Award

73.7%

71.4%

NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year

73.1%

79.4%

NFL AP MVP

68.3%

74.0%

NHL Lady Byng

63.8%

76.0%

NFL Defensive Player of the Year

60.8%

71.1%

NFL Super Bowl MVP

60.6%

64.9%

NBA Defensive Player of the Year

58.3%

56.5%

NHL Vezina

57.1%

66.3%

NBA Rookie of the Year

56.5%

56.5%

MLB MVP

55.0%

60.2%

NFL Pro Bowl MVP

52.3%

54.8%

MLB Lou Gehrig Award

51.9%

51.9%

MLB Roberto Clemente Award

47.4%

47.4%

MLB/NL/AL Cy Young Award

44.4%

55.4%

MLB Babe Ruth Award

37.0%

39.3%

NHL Frank J. Selke Trophy

33.3%

36.7%

MLB World Series MVP

33.3%

36.8%

MLB Hutch Award

33.1%

33.1%

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

28.6%

28.6%

NHL Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy

27.9%

27.9%

MLB Edgar Martinez Award

26.7%

17.2%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Designated Hitter)

25.0%

30.8%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Shortstop)

23.5%

52.6%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove

21.7%

36.8%

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year

20.6%

20.6%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Catcher)

20.0%

22.5%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Second Base)

18.8%

39.8%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Shortstop)

18.2%

35.1%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Pitcher)

18.2%

20.1%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Second Base)

16.7%

32.7%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Outfield)

16.7%

30.1%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Outfield)

15.7%

25.2%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Third Base)

14.3%

14.3%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (Third Base)

13.6%

14.3%

MLB (NL/AL) Silver Slugger (First Base)

13.6%

13.3%

MLB (NL/AL) Rookie of the Year

13.3%

13.3%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (Catcher)

10.3%

15.2%

NBA Most Improved Player of the Year

5.3%

3.2%

MLB (NL/AL) Gold Glove (First Base)

3.8%

3.2%

NFL AP Comeback Player of the Year

0.0%

0.0%

So, who is up next?

The following are the players who have won the World Series MVP in the NFL who have retired but have not met the mandatory years out of the game to qualify for the Baseball Hall of Fame:

David Freese, St. Louis Cardinals, Third Base (2011)

David Freese will mostly be remembered over his career for his 2011 playoffs, where he won both the NLCS MVP and World Series MVP. In Game 6 of the World Series, Freese tied the game to send it into extra innings.  In the 11thinning, he homered to win it, and force a Game 7, which the Redbirds won.  Overall, in the World Series, he had seven RBIs, the aforementioned Home Run, and a .348 Batting Average.  He played until 2019, and had 1,041 Hits.  Eligible in 2025.

David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox, Designated Hitter and First Base (2013)

This season would be the ninth of ten of All-Star seasons, for David Ortiz, which would also see him earn his third and final World Series Ring.  In the 2013 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Ortiz had the following Slash Line: .688/.760/1.188.  Incredible right?  He played until 2016, and would end his career with 2,472 Hits, 541 Home Runs, and 1,768 RBIs.  Eligible in 2022.

Ben Zobrist, Chicago Cubs, Second Base (2016)

In what Ben Zobrist’s first of four years in Chicago, the Cubs finally broke their curse and won their first World Series in well over a century.  In the regular season, Zobrist was an All-Star for the third and final time, and he would win the World Series for the second straight year, as he was with the Royals in 2015.  In this World Series, he batted .357 with 10 Hits and two RBIs.  He played until 2019 and retired with 1,566 Hits and 167 Home Runs. Eligible in 2025.

Steve Pearce, Boston Red Sox, Outfield (2018)

This was the penultimate year for Steve Pearce, who over 13 years would never have a 100 Hit season.  In the 2018 World Series, his bat was on fire with a three Home Run, eight RBI performance with a .333 Batting Average.  He would only have 572 Hits over his career.  Eligible in 2025.

The following are the players who have won the World Series MVP who are still active.

Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies, Pitcher (2008)

Cole Hamels led the National League in WHIP this year and in the World Series, he pitched two games, going 1-0 with an ERA of 2.77.  Hamels also won the NLCS MVP.  35 Years Old, Playing for the Atlanta Braves.

Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants, First Base (2012)

Exceptionally popular, Pablo Sandoval would bat .500 in the four-game sweep over the Detroit Tigers and the “Panda” would have three Home Runs and four RBIs.  33 Years Old, Playing for the San Francisco Giants.

Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants, Pitcher(2014)

Bumgarner was on year two of a four-year run of All-Star Game years, and he would finish fourth in Cy Young voting.  In the 2014 playoffs, Bumgarner was on fire winning both the NLCS MVP and the World Series MVP.  In the latter, he went 2-0 with a 0.43 ERA, and earned a save in the deciding Game 7 over the Kansas City Royals.  30 Years Old, Playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals, Catcher (2015)

An All-Star for the third straight year, Salvador Perez batted .364 in Kansas City’s five-game World Series win over the New York Mets.  He would also have two Doubles and two RBIs.  30 Years Old, Playing for the Kansas City Royals.

George Springer, Houston Astros, Outfield (2017)

This was the breakout year for George Springer, and the breakout for the Houston Astros, who won their first World Series this year. In the seven-game series over the Los Angeles Dodgers, Springer blasted five Home Runs, with seven RBIs, with a .379 Batting Average and an even 1.000 OPS.  30 Years Old, Playing for the Houston Astros.

Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals, Pitcher(2018)

In the regular season, Stephen Strasburg led the National League in Wins (18), and was fifth in Cy Young voting.  In the World Series, he pitched twice, winning both games with 14 Strikeouts and a 2.51 ERA.  31 Years Old, Playing for the Washington Nationals.

You can’t win the World Series MVP, without making the World Series, and winning teams have stars, average players, and those who seize the moment.  The World Series MVP reflects all of those players.

So, what is up next?

We are going to return to the ice, and look at the Art Ross Trophy, which is awarded annually to the player who has the most Points in a season.

As always, we thank you for your support, and look for that soon.

It wasn’t that long ago that we wondered who was the baseball writer was who did not vote for Derek Jeter. It looks like we will never know.

The Baseball Writers Association of America released the 315 of the 397 votes that were made public, and the one who omitted Jeter chose not to reveal himself or herself. 

The writers are under no obligation to release their selections, but this will only catapult the desire to make the process more transparent.

Frankly, if we were the person who did not put the “x” behind the name of Derek Jeter, we would hide too.

Baseball fans talk about this every day, and we now know who will comprise the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2020.

Let’s take a deep dive look into those chosen, those left off, and those who are off the ballot completely.

To the surprise of nobody, former New York Yankee infielder, Derek Jeter enters Cooperstown on his first year of eligibility.  Jeter entered on ___ of the ballot, and he joins his fellow career-Yankee, Mariano Rivera, as back-to-back first ballot Hall of famers.  Jeter would win five World Series Rings, was a 14-time All-Star, a five-time Silver Slugger, and he would accumulate 3,465 Hits, 260 Home Runs and a .310 Batting Average. Jeter was denied a unanimous vote as one voter elected not to put the x by his name.

Jeter is joined by Larry Walker, who was in his last year of eligibility.  It is an incredible story, as Walker debuted on the ballot in 2011 with only 20.3% of the ballot.  He dropped as low as 10.2% in 2014, and only crept back to 21.9% in 2017.  He shot up to 34.1% in 2018, and rocketed to 54.6% last year. The momentum was rocketing for Walker, and he becomes the second Canadian to enter the Hall.

So, what changed?  Part of it is a re-evaluation of the Coors Field effect.  Another part is that the backlog of players has cleared. Perhaps, the biggest part is the recognition that regardless of what diamond he played on, that this is a former MVP who was a bona fide five-tool player.  That is rarified air.  He received 76.6% of the vote.

The former player who came closest is Curt Schilling who garnered 70% of the vote, who bluntly should have been in years ago based on his statistical accomplishments.  With a bWAR of 79.5, 3,116 Strikeouts and three World Series Rings, Schilling was a clutch performer who was at his best when the lights were at his brightest.  In Schilling’s fourth year of eligibility, he received 52.3% of the ballot, but comments against the media and other right-wing charged diatribes rubbed voters the wrong way, and he dropped o 45.0% in 2017.  Last year, he climbed to 60.9%.

Forgive us, as we are going to lump Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds together.  How can we not?  Clemens was the best Pitcher and Bonds was the best hitter without debate, but both are associated with PEDs (though neither was ever caught during their playing days), and both have finished their eighth year on the ballot.  They both had minimal gains this year, Clemens from 59.5% to 61.0% and Bonds from 59.1% to 60.7% but there is still a long way to go.   

Can they get there?

We think so, as three things work in their favor. The first is that Bonds and Clemens were at a different level than everyone else and you can argue (easily) that they would have been Hall of Famers without it.  The second is that Mike Piazza got in (as well as Jeff Bagwell), and there were more than one PED whisper about those two.  The third, and the most damming in our eyes is that Bud Selig is in, and the PED era happened under his watch, and he did not react until pressure forced him to.  Selig was not an ostrich, his head was not in the sand, and he knew what players were doing. He had too, and there have been voters who have said as much.

Former Shortstop, Omar Vizquel, is trending in the right direction.  This is his third year, and he moved from 42.8% to 52.6%.  Vizquel is considered to be one of the best defensive Shortstops of all-time, and he has 11 Gold Gloves to prove it.  While he was not considered to be a great hitter, he had 2,877 Hits to silence those critics.  That is a great number even if he played until he was 45!

Another infielder, Scott Rolen, is also climbing upwards.  With a healthy bWAR of 70.2, the Third Baseman has eight Gold Gloves, seven All-Star appearances and a World Series Ring (St. Louis, 2006) on his resume.  He moved from 17.2% to 35.3%

The best closer on the ballot, Billy Wagner, moved from 16.7% to 31.7%   He had 422 Saves over his career, with an ERA of 2.31 and WHIP of 0.998.

Gary Sheffield also received a jump on his sixth year of eligibility.  The former slugger who blasted 509 Home Runs, went from 13.6% to 30.5% This is a good sign for Sheffield as he was one of the guys was treading water for a long time, and while the odds still remain long, they are much better than they were yesterday.

Todd Helton is on his second year of eligibility, and he holds a very good career Slash Line of .316/.414/.539.  Helton moved from 16.5% to 29.2%

Manny Ramirez left baseball with 555 Home Runs and a Slash Line of .312/.411/.585.  That is a Hall of Fame number, but unlike Bonds and Clemens, Ramirez WAS suspended for PED use as an active player.  This is a huge distinction, as Ramirez did break an agreed upon rule agreed upon by the Players Union.  He moved from 22.8% to 28.2%.

Former MVP, Jeff Kent, finally climbs over 20% for the first time with 27.5%.  This is his seventh year on the ballot.

Andruw Jones remains on the ballot.  The former Braves’ Outfielder is on his third ballot and he went from 7.5% to 19.4%, a huge jump.

Sammy Sosa is entrenched in Hall of Fame purgatory. Sosa is like Clemens and Bonds, in that he was not caught as a player, but he is as associated with PEDs as much as they are.  Detractors are pointing to his fake media persona and lack of clutch hitting, and he is dead in the Hall of Fame water.  He had 8.5% last year, and hits 13.9% this year, his highest ever.

Andy Pettitte had 9.9% in his first year of eligibility.  In his second year, he moved to 11.3%.

Bobby Abreu barely made the 5.0% threshold to remain on the ballot for a second year.  He received 5.5%.

Paul Konerko, Jason Giambi, Eric Chavez, Cliff Lee, Brad Penny and J.J. Putz all received at least one vote.

Raul Ibanez, Rafael Furcal, Josh Beckett, Jose Valverde, Heath Bell, Chone Figgins, Carlos Pena, Brian Roberts, Alfonso Soriano and Adam Dunn did not receive any votes.

Jeter and Walker join Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller, who were chosen by the Veteran’s Committee.  Boston sportswriter, Nick Carfado, will also enter via the J.G. Taylor Spink Award.   It is a posthumous induction as he passed away last year.  The ceremony will take place on July 26.

We will be redoing our Notinhalloffame.com Baseball List in late February, which will see us remove those who were chosen, and we will add those now eligible.  Rankings will also be altered based on your votes and comments.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Derek Jeter     for being chosen for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

With the announcement of the Modern Era candidates for the Baseball Hall of Fame, it is now time for us to look at the upcoming ballot for the Baseball Writers, who will be voting for the Class of 2020.

What we know so far, is that there is no way that this will be an empty class.  We have a sure-fire first ballot inductee in Derek Jeter, who with his 3,465 career Hits, a career Batting Average of .310 and five-time World Series Champion could become the second former player following Mariano Rivera, to receive a unanimous vote.  Should that happen, it will mark a back-to-back of two former New York Yankees teammates earning that distinction.

Last year, Curt Schilling received 60.9% of the vote last year in a very strong field (especially for pitchers) says Paruk from SportsBettingDime.com.  Less tainted by PEDS than the likes of Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, Schilling should crack 75% if the outspoken Trump supporter doesn’t rub writers the wrong way in the next couple months.

As for Bonds and Clemens, they are both entering their eighth year of eligibility.  What once was thought as an impossible mountain to climb, the two stars both approached 60% last year.  While enshrinement this year seems unlikely, a continued rise could bode well for them in the next two years.

As for us, the one we are looking at the most is Larry Walker.  The Canadian slugger seemed to have no chance for Cooperstown a year ago, but he rocketed from 34.1% to 54.6% last year, and with him facing his final year of eligibility, we could see the first player inducted with a Colorado Rockies cap.

One thing, we know for sure is that we will be paying attention!a

 

Derek Jeter is eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020 and barring voters forgetting to submit their ballots, the induction of Jeter is a sure thing.  It also looks like there will be two former Baseball Hall of Famers who won’t be in attendance.

In an interview with Bleacher Report during the Hall of Fame weekend, Andre Dawson was asked if he would be in attendance for the 2020 ceremony.  He had this to say:

"I sincerely doubt [that I will attend] at this point.  All indications are likely not. ... I can't speak for Tony. But I don't have a sense or feeling like I want to sit on that stage to hear what [Jeter] has to say."

Dawson was employed with the Miami Marlins as a special assistant and upon Derek Jeter’s group buying the team, he was relieved of his duties.  Jeter did not do the job himself, as he had David Samson, then the President of the team do it.  Dawson wasn’t alone as fellow Hall of Famer and special assistant, Tony Perez was also let go in the same manner.

To add to the perceived insult, both Dawson and Perez were offered their jobs back at a substantially less salary ($85,000 to $25,000) and they would no longer have clubhouse access.

As for Perez, he hasn’t stated whether he will be in attendance.  He did state that if he doesn’t attend, he will be open about why, which could include boycotting because of Jeter.  

The man who swung the ax, Samson, he was let go shortly after.

Again, did we ever say this would be fast?

We here at Notinhalloffame.com have completed our next all-time top 50, this time that of the New York Yankees.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball we look at the following:

  1. Sabremetric tallies while with that team, mostly WAR.
  1. Traditional metrics and how they finished in their respective league overall.
  1. Playoff accomplishment.
  1. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.
Remember, this is ONLY based on what a player does on that particular team and not what he accomplished elsewhere and also note that we have placed an increased importance on the first two categories.

Saying all of that, as.

The complete list can be found here, but as always we announce our top five in our news. They are:

  1. Babe Ruth
  1. Lou Gehrig
  1. Mickey Mantle
  1. Joe DiMaggio
  1. Derek Jeter
One hell of a top five wouldn’t you say?

So which team is up next?

We are sticking with Baseball and it will be five time World Series Champion, the Cincinnati Reds

As always, we here at Notinhalloffame.com thank you for your support.

5. Derek Jeter

Without question, Derek Jeter is the most important New York Yankee in the last thirty years.  He is also one of the few players to retire with over 3,000 Hits for one team. 
We here at Notinhalloffame.com thought it would be fun to take a look at the major awards in North American team sports and see how it translates into Hall of Fame potential.

Needless to say, different awards in different sports yield hall of fame potential. In basketball, the team sport with the least amount of players on a roster, the dividend for greatness much higher. In baseball, it is not as much as a great individual season does not have the same impact.

We are now taking a look at the Gold Glove Award, given annually to the best defensive player in MLB in each respective position.
As we move onward and upward in our slow trudge to naming all of the Top 50 players from the North American “Big Four”, our eventual follow up will be the look at how those organizations honor their former players and executives.

As such it is news to us (somewhat big actually, though completely expected) that the New York Yankees will formally retire the number #2 of their eventual first ballot Hall of Fame infielder, Derek Jeter on May 14, their Mother’s Day home game against the Houston Astros.

Going through the accomplishments of Jeter would be exhausting, but just to recap the tip of his iceberg, he is a member of the 3,000 Hit Club, a five time World Series Champion and a fourteen time All Star

Twenty-one former Yankees have had their number retired, and the retirement of #2 mans that their can never be another New York Yankee who will wear a single digit number as all of the others have been retired.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Derek Jeter for this much deserved honor and the Yankees for doing this is an appropriately timed fashion.  
It is onward and upwards as always for us at Notinhalloffame.com!



We have uploaded another section in Baseball, where the Baseball players who are eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2020 are now up.



This will allow all of you tell us your opinions on these players whose career is already over but are not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame. 



Here are those players:



Adam Dunn, a two time All Star who blasted 462 Home Runs.

Alex Gonzalez, a member of the 2003 World Series Championship Team.

Alfonso Soriano, a three time All Star with four Silver Sluggers and over 2,000 Hits and 400 Home Runs.

Bobby Abreu, the exceptionally patient hitter with a career On Base Percentage of .395 and two All Star appearances. 

Brad Penny, a two time All Star and 2003 World Series Champion with the Florida Marlins.

Brian Roberts, a two time All Star with over 1,500 career Hits.

Bronson Arroyo, a former Gold Glove winner and World Series Champion with the Boston Red Sox in 2004.

Carlos Pena, a one time All Star who once won the Home Run Title. 

Chone Figgins, a one time All Star who was a World Series Champion with the Anaheim Angels in 2002.

Cliff Lee, a four time All Star and the American League Cy Young Winner in 2008.

Derek Jeter, the career New York Yankee who is a five time World Series Champion and fourteen time All Star.  Jeter is considered to be a lock for first ballot induction.

Eric Chavez, a six time Gold Glove recipient.

Heath Bell, a three time All Star and former Saves Champion.

J.J. Putz, a one time All Star and one time Rolaids Reliever of the Year.

Jamey Wright, a Pitcher used primarily in middle relief over his eighteen year career.

Jason Bartlett, a one time All Star Shortstop known for his defense.

Jason Giambi, a five time All Star and the 1996 American League MVP.

Joe Saunders, a one time All Star Pitcher.

Jose Valverde, a three time All Star who led his league three times in Saves.

Josh Beckett, a two time World Series Champion (Florida and Boston) who also was named the World Series MVP in 2003.

Kyle Farnsworth, a sixteen year MLB vet used mostly in middle relief.

Lyle Overbay, who led the NL in doubles in 2004.

Marco Scutaro, a one time All Star who won the World Series and the NLCS MVP with the San Francisco Giants in 2012.

Nate McLouth, a one time All Star and one tome Gold Glove winner.

Paul Konerko, a six time All Star and five time Silver Slugger who was the heart of the Chicago White Sox that won the 2005 World Series.

Rafael Furcal, a three time All Star who was a Rookie of the Year and World Series winner with the Atlanta Braves.

Raul Ibanez, a one time All Star who is a member of both the 2,000 Hit and 300 Home Run Club.

Ryan Ludwick, a one time All Star and one time Silver Slugger winner.



I think you all know what we want you to do!



Check out the new section, and cast your votes and offer us your opinions!

We here at Notinhalloffame.com thought it would be fun to take a look at the major awards in North American team sports and see how it translates into Hall of Fame potential.

Needless to say, different awards in different sports yield hall of fame potential.  In basketball, the team sport with the least amount of players on a roster, the dividend for greatness much higher.  In baseball, it is not as much as a great individual season does not have the same impact.