In the Hall, but Not Beyond CompareA...

In the Hall, but Not Beyond Compare

A look at some players who have been passed over for the Hall of Fame, despite similar statistics to players that are enshrined. The player not in the Hall is listed first.

*--* DON MATTINGLY vs. KIRBY PUCKETT

*--*

*--* Play G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI Avg OB% Slg% er Matt 1,785 7,003 1,007 2,153 442 20 222 1,099 307 363 471 ingl y Puck 1,783 7,244 1,071 2,304 414 57 207 1,085 318 363 477 ett

*--*

* Comment: Mattingly hit .300 or better seven times, Puckett eight times. Mattingly had 30 or more homers three times and 100 or more RBIs five times, compared to one and three for Puckett. Mattingly won nine Gold Gloves, Puckett six. Puckett supporters will note he was on two World Series winners, but so was Gary Gaetti. Puckett drew a lot of sympathy votes because his career was cut short when he got hit in the eye with a pitch. However, Mattingly’s career was also cut short by a back injury. Puckett was inducted in his first year of eligibility with 82% of the vote. Mattingly has been on the ballot four times and drew the most support in 2001, when he was named on 28% of the ballots.

*--* JIM RICE vs. ORLANDO CEPEDA

*--*

*--* Player G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI Avg OB% Slg% Rice 2,089 8,225 1,249 2,452 373 79 382 1,451 298 352 502 Cepeda 2,124 7,927 1,131 2,351 417 27 379 1,365 297 350 499

*--*

* Comment: Cepeda won one MVP award and finished in the top five one other time. Rice won one MVP award and finished in the top five five other times. Cepeda led the league in homers once and RBIs twice. Rice led in homers three times and RBIs twice. Cepeda was a seven-time All-Star, Rice was an All-Star eight times. After he retired, Cepeda was sentenced to five years in jail after trying to pick up 160 pounds of marijuana at an airport. In his best year on the ballot, Cepeda was seven votes short of election, before being elected by the veterans’ committee in 1999. Rice, who was unpopular with the media, received almost 58% support in 2001, his best year on the ballot so far.

*--* RYNE SANDBERG vs. BILL MAZEROSKI

*--*

*--* Play G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI Avg OB% Slg% er Sand 2,164 8,385 1,318 2,386 403 76 282 1,061 285 344 452 berg Maze 2,163 7,755 769 2,016 294 62 138 853 260 299 367 rosk i

*--*

* Comment: Mazeroski, who won eight Gold Gloves, was one of the best defensive second basemen of all time, but would he have made the Hall without hitting the Series-winning homer for the Pirates against the Yankees in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series? And should that be enough to get a player in? Sandberg was NL MVP in 1984 and won nine Gold Gloves. Besides, he was vastly superior to Mazeroski as a hitter. Mazeroski, who never received more than 42.3% of votes on the ballot, was elected by the veterans’ committee in 2001. Sandberg received 49% on the ballot in 2003, his first year of eligibility and 61.1% of the vote this year.

*--* GIL HODGES vs. TONY PEREZ

*--*

*--* Player G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI Avg OB% Slg% Hodges 2,071 7,030 1,105 1,921 295 48 370 1,274 273 359 487 Perez 2,777 9,778 1,272 2,732 505 79 379 1,652 279 341 463

*--*

* Comment: Perez never led the league in any major offensive category and never won any major awards. He was a seven-time All-Star. Hodges also never led in any major offensive category, but he won three Gold Gloves, and probably would have won several more if the award had been given before 1957. He was an eight-time All-Star and the manager of the 1969 Miracle Mets. Perez was elected in 2000, his ninth year on the ballot. Hodges received support on 63.3% of the ballots in 1983, his last year on the ballot.

*--* BRUCE SUTTER vs. ROLLIE FINGERS

*--*

*--* Player G IP H ER HR BB SO W-L ERA Saves Sutter 661 1,042.1 879 328 77 309 861 68-71 2.83 300 Fingers 944 1,701.1 1,474 549 123 492 1,299 114-118 2.90 341

*--*

* Comment: Sutter led the league in saves five times, won the NL Cy Young Award in 1979, and finished in the top five three other times. He also finished in the top 10 in MVP voting five times. He was a six-time All-Star. Fingers led the league in saves three times, won the AL Cy Young Award and MVP award in the strike-shortened 1981 season. He finished in the top five in Cy Young voting one other time, and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting one other time. Sutter was also the innovator of the split-fingered fastball, and contributions to the game is one of the criteria for election to the Hall of Fame. Fingers was elected in his second year of eligibility. Sutter received support on 53.6% of the ballots in 2003, his 10th year on the ballot and on 59.4% of the ballot this year.

*--* BERT BLYLEVEN vs. ROBIN ROBERTS

*--*

*--* Player G IP H ER HR BB SO W-L ERA Blyleven 685 4,970 4,632 1,830 430 1,322 3,701 287-250 3.31 Roberts 609 4,688.2 4,582 1,774 505 902 2,357 286-245 3.41

*--*

* Comment: Roberts won 20 games six times and led the league in strikeouts twice. He finished in the top 10 in ERA nine times. Blyleven won 20 games once, led in strikeouts once and finished in the top 10 in ERA 10 times. Blyleven is fifth on the all-time strikeout list (Roberts is 36th) and is ninth on the shutout list with 60 (Roberts is 29th with 45). Roberts was elected with 86.9% of the vote in 1976. Blyleven was on 29.2% of the ballots in 2003, his sixth year on the ballot. He received 35.4% of the vote this year. -- Houston Mitchell