11. Roberto Alomar
With all due respect to Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez, two incredible players, the acquisition that sent them for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter was the transaction that made Toronto.
Carter was the one who hit the most famous Home Run in Blue Jays history, but Alomar was the true gem of the deal. In the five seasons that Alomar was with Toronto, there was no doubt that he was the top Second Baseball in the American League, both with his bat and glove. Alomar went to the All-Star Game and won the Gold Glove in all of his Jays campaigns, and was the engine that led Toronto to back-to-back World Series wins in 1992 and 1993.
Alomar was an excellent hitter when he played for Toronto. He batted over .300 in four of his five years, with the other year seeing the Second Baseman bat .295. He had a patient eye, walked often, and when he was on base, he was always a threat to steal, swiping over 50 bases twice and 206 in total in Toronto.
As good as Alomar was, he grew impatient with the Blue Jays management when they went into rebuilding mode, and he signed with Baltimore after the 1995 Season as a Free Agent. He batted. 307 with 832 Hits for Toronto, and would enter the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011 and is also a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall. The team also retired his #12, and inducted him into their Level of Excellence, though neither are no longer displayed following sexual misconduct allegations when he worked for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
37. Roberto Alomar
The Hall of Fame career of Roberto Alomar began in 1988 with the San Diego Padres, and he did not take long to prove he was a star on the rise.
Alomar was fifth in Rookie of the Year voting, batting .266 with 145 Hits. Improving that to 184 Hits and a .295 Average, Alomar swiped 42 bases, his high as a Padre. A good defensive player, Alomar did not win a Gold Glove but was worthy of consideration during his stay in San Diego. Alomar went to his first All-Star Game in 1990, again batting over .280, but this was his last year in Southern California.
Alomar was traded to Toronto after the 1991 Season, and would achieve greater success, winning two World Series Rings and multiple All-Stars. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011.
Roberto Alomar banned from baseball
Roberto Alomar has been placed on Major League Baseball’s ineligible list following an investigation of a sexual misconduct incident in 2014.
Alomar, who had been working as a consultant with MLB and was also a special assistant with the Toronto Blue Jays was immediately terminated from both roles. The Jays, whom he won two World Series Titles with, announced that they will sever all ties with their former Second Baseman. This includes removing a banner that honors his retired #12, and also his name from their ring of honor.
The Baseball Hall of Fame, who inducted Alomar in 2011, will not be removing him. He also will not be expelled by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, but they did state that they would not be inviting him to future events, nor will they do any work with his foundation.
Alomar played 17 seasons in a career spent with San Diego, Toronto, Baltimore, Cleveland, New York (NL), Chicago (AL) and Arizona.
Awards = HOF? Part Twenty-Five: Gold Glove Second Base
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.
Awards = HOF? Part Seven: The Silver Slugger (Second Base) (MLB)
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.