Eli Cash - contributing reporter
Another crowded Hall of Fame ballot. A lot of different ways to go if you feel like voting someone not part of your franchise. Be sure to think about those who are running out of eligible years. And.... VOTE HERE.
No new voters this year, but here feel free to skim past articles; particularly the primer for a detailed explanation of the three scoring system we use. As a quick reminder, a sure thing for a hitter is 60/130/500, for a starter its 60/130/420 and for a reliever (who doesn't use the Test Score) is 130/250.
I'm switching a few things up this year to show things a little differently. Choosing to focus on a few areas outside of just the player's Bill James ratings.
Players grouped by position. If you have a good retired player that I can include, please let me know.
C
Michael Mancuso
Catchers are a hard case for Cobbfather, they will never hit well enough to be voted in on their bat alone but I don't think we end up starting with Mancuso. Though he did turn out 50% of his seasons with an average above .300, with 4 all-star appearances. But comparing him with the likes of Al Samuel, Hecter Ball, and Julia Contreras who have been on the ballot before; he doesn't come close with Test and Monitor Scores. He averaged just 120 hits, and 18 hr a season. Ball on the other hand averaged 35 HR and 103 RBIs a season.
Fritz Butcher
If Mancuso doesn't cut it, Butcher won't either though he did have more all-star appearances and matches how many Benny Franco had in 6 less seasons. Only playing 11 seasons definitely took a toll on The Butcher; had he played another 4 would be talking about him in a different light? Unlike Mancuso though, he averaged nearly 150 hits a season with 22 hr, and pulled down 75 runs/rbi combo.
1B
Birdie Kydd
Birdie Kydd
Yes he hit over 500 home runs, but how did he manage 8 seasons of 40+ HRs which helped he cross the 100 RBI a season 9 times. Compared to other Hall of Fame First Baseman or past eligible ones, does he stack up? That's on you to decide but Eli Cash will pass. One of the lowest OBPs and BB/K rate for any of them. Yes he won 2 Rings but it had a lot to do with the team around him. He was good, don't get me wrong; but does he belong in the Hall? That's for you (well maybe not one of you) to decide. And not that I'd hold it against him, but he was 8-48 in stolen base attempts.
Benny Romano
Nearly the same amount of home runs as Birdie but in one less season. He was able to cross the 1,500 RBI mark in his final season. His OBP ranks in higher than Kydd but still not at the level of other Hall of Fame 1Bs. Romano had an even worse eye did Birdie but still managed 7 seasons of hitting over .300, had two less seasons of 40 HRs and didn't quite have the team behind him to help carry him to a Ring. Last season he had 3 votes, well short of the 17 required.
Benny Romano
Nearly the same amount of home runs as Birdie but in one less season. He was able to cross the 1,500 RBI mark in his final season. His OBP ranks in higher than Kydd but still not at the level of other Hall of Fame 1Bs. Romano had an even worse eye did Birdie but still managed 7 seasons of hitting over .300, had two less seasons of 40 HRs and didn't quite have the team behind him to help carry him to a Ring. Last season he had 3 votes, well short of the 17 required.
2B
George Dubler
Dubler was a glove first guy who won a Gold Glove in 50% of the seasons he played in (12 total). At the plate he rounded up a .359 OBP, and a 20/20 season with 2 seasons scoring over 100 runs and 8 All-Star appearances. The only two other 2Bs we have in the Hall were bat first types, but I'll leave it to you to decide if he should be in or not.
SS
Terrance Ricarrdi
There are no Shortstops in the Cobbfather Hall of Fame, but surely a few are deserving, but is Ricarrdi the right one to start with? 2 Gold Gloves, a .307 OBP, though he did have 2 of his 13 seasons with 40+ HR. He averaged 120 hits, 34 home runs, with 80 runs and 85 rbi a season. Two +/- seasons and he would have gotten to 500 home runs. 9 All-Star appearances behind the plate.
3B
Willie Tejeda
Third basemen aren't known for their ability to take a walk, but Tejeda wasn't able to cross any of the career thresholds some of his counterparts did. He did however make it to 5 All-star games, won 1 Gold Glove, once had a season with 200 hits, and knocked in over 100 RBIs for 3 seasons.
Cookie Rodriguez
Cookie has the highest monitor score of all eligible 3Bs this season, and he rounded all four bases 544 times in his 15 year career, but to the tune of a .335 OBP and a .043 B/K rate. For 3Bs his numbers feel soft in comparison to those already in the Hall.
Cap Rivera
If you had to pick one of the three eligible Third basemen, Cap would be the one...no cap. 10 seasons scoring over 100 runs, but very limited ability to get on base; though still above HoF Sean Gosling just no power to match SG.
RF
Yoenis Portillo - received Eli Cash's vote
What's not to like about Portillo? He is the All-Time leader in Cobbfather history for Hits and Runs. He's one of few players to surpass 1,000 extra base hits and leads all HoF members in OBP and BB/K. 12 of his 18 seasons he hit higher than .300, two times topping 200 hits. Has more All-Star appearances than any other HoF position player. To boot he adds in 1 World Series Ring and 2 MVPs. Still not sure how anyone can think this guy doesn't deserve it.
Edinson Hernandez - received Eli Cash's vote
How many final years will this guy get? If he's not elected, he could likely be the only player with more than 1,000 extra base hits to not be in the Hall of Fame. This guy could very well be one of the best 1/2 hitters in the league. When he wasn't hitting doubles, of which he hit more than 35 doubles a season a leading 14 times; he was gaining an extra base on a steal. Hernandez found a way to make sure he was in scoring position for those power hitters behind him came to the plate.
Wiki Unamuno
Wiki Unamuno
I must admit, Eli like Wiki "Leaks" Unamuno when he first appeared on the ballot and I still do, I just think there are other more deserving players. He is the E.Hernandez-lite
Ubaldo Alvarez - received Eli Cash's vote
Looking for a guy who has more than 2,500 hits, 500 home runs, 1,500 runs, 1,500 rbis, and over 1,000 extra base hits? He's your man. The only other player to do so and not be in the Hall of Fame is Kendry Lunar (editors note: I'm not familiar wit this guy, he was before my time). Produced 11 seasons of .300+ ball, where he helped leads his team to 4 World Series Rings, and 7 All-Star appearances. Last year he was but a vote short of his election to the Hall; perhaps he gets there this year.
Omar Berroa
Yet another typical power hitter, 12 seasons of 40+ HR with 13 seasons of 100+ RBI. he ranks up there at the top of Left Fielders, but how does he fair with so many other deserving names, I don't know. he also crossed the 1500 RBI career mark by 9 RBI. (Made up) Rumor has it, he had 10 RBI in his final game of the season.
Yohan Mairena
Gregory Treinen
Yohan Mairena
Yohan falls below HoF Andres Candelaria on the Monitor Score and failed to cross any of the major barriers over the course of his 15 seasons; though he owns a .382 OBP; above both of the current LF HoF members and below players like Swann and Taylor who were not elected to the Hall. But he is also one of few years with 2+ MVPs - that's 4% of Cobbfather history.
Gregory Treinen
I sometimes feel like a broken record, yet another typical power hitter. This one failing to crossing any other milestones and struggled to get on base, but sometimes hard to aruge with someone averages 154 Hits, 44 HR, 87 Runs, and 106 RBI a season with a .261 average. Perhaps after a few other names get in this year, it will open up for his chance.
Graham Wallace
Graham Wallace
So low on the list of LFs on the Monitor Score that he barely makes the screen capture. A few things Graham 'Don't Call Me William' Wallace had going for him was getting on base and taking a walk. He had quite a few very useful seasons but needed to double that for even be considered.
Bryan Foster
Gregory Treinen-lite. Make use of your vote elsewhere.
Bryan Foster
Gregory Treinen-lite. Make use of your vote elsewhere.
CF
Larry Brown
Brown definitely had his uses, winning 3 World Series rings and making 8 All-Star appearances, but not the best glove or bat. Are the Rings enough to get him in? The voters have proved that stolen bases alone won't help.
DH
None
No prime DHs this year on the ballot.
Larry Brown
Brown definitely had his uses, winning 3 World Series rings and making 8 All-Star appearances, but not the best glove or bat. Are the Rings enough to get him in? The voters have proved that stolen bases alone won't help.
DH
None
No prime DHs this year on the ballot.