[ESPN] 40 current palyers that will be in Hall of Fame

Another reason both Bags and Biggio will make it is they are quality guys and have always been good to the media...which just so happens VOTES for entry into the HOF.

Being a good guy helps....it may hurt Bonds...at least I hope it does.

DD

 

Bonds is a first-ballot hall of famer. He was a sure hall of famer *before* he hit 73, *before* he 'roided up. He may be a Cobb-esque a-hole and a Perry-esque cheater, but he is one of the all-time greats.

 

Even if bonds was a convicted murderer he'd be a first ballot HOFer... the hall is full of horrible people, but great ballplayers. Now, none of them ever cheated the game the way Bonds did... but there is no way a 700HR guy isn't getting in on the first shot unless he just shoots himself in the foot with the media the 5 years after he retires.

 

You're kidding, right? McGwire was far from a one-trick pony - he drew almost as many walks as he had strikeouts. He has a higher career OBP than Tony Gwynn! An almost 0.400 OBP, the 10th best SLG% of all-time, and nearly 600 HR. He should be an easy first-balloter.

 

I agree he is a hall-of-famer, a great chance at first ballot.

But he *was* a one-trick pony. It's just that his one trick was amazing.

OBP in his case is a function of his one trick--lots of walks, due to lots of power. Defense: not really. Speed: no. Arm: nope. Hit for average: ho-hum. Hit for power: WOW. Of the five tools, he is a hall-of-famer in exactly one.

 

I was not aware that 'tools' was part of the criteria for Hall of Fame induction. I thought it was supposed to be performance on the field.

 

Saddly that's true. Over the years there's been so many people in Houston eager to bash Bags and Bidge taking for granted just how great players they are.

 

I believe you misunderstand me. I argued that he most certainly does belong in the Hall.

Have you ever heard the term, "5-tool player"? The "tools" have *everything* to do with "performance on the field"! I was only pointing out that even as a bona fide Hall of Famer, McGwire (I need to look up that spelling) was arguably a one-trick pony: amazing power, and not much else.

 

Umm.. Could we quit talking about baseball players "tools" as HOF qualifications. I have this awful vision of John Holmes and Dirk Diggler being inducted into Cooperstown..

 

Numbers 21-40 today...
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=schoenfield/050729

 

Oswalt made the second 20.

24. Roy Oswalt

Oswalt, 27, is on pace for his second 20-win season, has had an ERA higher than 3.01 just once in his first five seasons, has terrific control and excellent strikeout numbers. Other than proving he can stay healthy for 10 more years and having zero recognition beyond the radar of fantasy players, he looks like a good bet.

Edit: Beat me by a minute.

 

That's why Bagwell is such a lock for the Hall. A solid five-tool player in his prime, he is the complete package.

 

Only if you take the rantings of the typical sports radio caller as indicative of anything other than the general opinion of the type of person who garners his knowledge from a talk radio program.

But I agree in a larger sense - Houston baseball fan has absolutely no idea how lucky they've been the past decade-plus.

 

Ive always felt that if Palmeiro isn't a HOFer, then it would make the case for Bagwell pretty difficult. This writer feels differently.

HMMMMMMM

 

Does anyone have any information on how difficult it was to hit homeruns in the Astrodome during Bagwell's time? What year did they move the fences in? Did they move them in more than once?

 

maybe my browser screwed up something, but is anyone else missing #31 and #33-36 on the 21-40 list?

 

You must be viewing in Firefox.... Firefox is having trouble with all of the tables in the code, happens quite often unfortunately. I love Firefox, but it can't determine code on it's own quite like IE. Firefox isn't closing the table tags just past Kent's stats comparison table.

 

True. Has there been a better 1B/2B combo? I guess you could make some arguments for Greenberg/Gehringer or Gehrig/Lazzeri. Maybe there are some more modern combos that are comparable, but right now I'm stuck in 1935 and can't get out.

 

Then throw on some Bob Wills & enjoy the stay.

 

I also think people under-rate him because of his lackluster playoff performance and hes never made a world series. He's 1-5 in playoff series, and a career .232 hitter in the postseason. He was actually worse than that in 1997-99, when he had his monster regular season years.

Bottom line, you can argue hes the best NL first baseman in the last 40 years. The guy has unbelievable stats in every category. Hes a 40-30 first baseman, thats unheard of these days.