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HOF: The easiest – by G. Scott Thomas

May 20, 2023

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Sure, I admit it. There was a destructive forged to my Hall of Fame items the previous few Fridays.

I defined — logically and unemotionally, I hope — why a number of of the corridor’s inductees don’t actually belong in Cooperstown. My targets in latest weeks included Tommy McCarthy,Freddie Lindstrom,four managers,Catfish Hunter,a trio of catchers, and Bill Mazeroski.

There are others on my hit record, however let’s put them apart for a future Friday. It’s time for a constructive respite, a rundown of essentially the most deserving members of the Corridor of Fame.

I picked 12 stars for this record (the highest 10, plus ties) through the use of the identical measuring stick that so clearly enumerated the deficiencies of McCarthy, Lindstrom, et al. It’s the quality score (QS), which is plotted on a 100-point scale.

Anyone with a QS of 60 factors or increased is a digital lock to make it to Cooperstown. The Corridor of Famers on at this time’s record soared far above that threshold, as you’ll be able to see:

1. Honus Wagner, 98
2. Rogers Hornsby, 96
2. Walter Johnson, 96
4. Willie Mays, 95
5. Mike Schmidt, 91
6. Ty Cobb, 90
6. Lefty Grove, 90
6. Nap Lajoie, 90
6. Babe Ruth, 90
10. Randy Johnson, 89
10. Mariano Rivera, 89
10. Ted Williams, 89

Solely two gamers in big-league historical past have amassed high quality scores on this elite neighborhood (89 factors or increased) with out being admitted to Cooperstown’s plaque gallery. You realize their names — Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens — and you understand why they’ve been excluded. We’ll speak about them another time.

At present’s focus is on the dozen all-time greats who convey the best honor to the Corridor of Fame. There’s no must say a lot about them — I’m positive you’re conversant in all 12 — or to parse the slight variations of their high quality scores.

I make an exception just for the participant on the very prime of the standings. A lot of it’s possible you’ll be stunned to see Honus Wagner main the pack, not Babe Ruth or Ty Cobb.

Wagner was chosen as one of many Corridor of Fame’s 5 constitution members, although he didn’t obtain essentially the most votes within the 1936 election. That honor went to Cobb, a lot to the displeasure of a few of his contemporaries.

“Cobb! An amazing hitter, a sensational baserunner, and a dynamic persona on the diamond, sure,” stated Jack Meyers, a catcher within the Nationwide League from 1909 to 1917. “However he was a poor outfielder, didn’t possess arm, and was by no means often called a staff participant.”

And who did Meyers think about the best participant within the 65-year historical past of major-league baseball? “Previous Honus was a ballplayer’s participant,” Meyers stated in 1936. “He did every little thing properly. We used to marvel at his all-round capacity. We thought of him an artist, slightly than only a participant.”

Wagner was unsurpassed in Meyers’s estimation, and he retains that distinction in at this time’s QS standings, holding a two-point lead over his closest rivals.

Scroll under to see a capsule report on every of the 12 Corridor of Fame superstars, together with his main place, profession stats, high quality rating, 12 months of choice, and proportion of votes from the Baseball Writers’ Affiliation of America. (The edge for induction, in fact, is 75 %.) Gamers are listed so as of their election years.

Learn in regards to the Corridor of Fame’s checkered historical past (and unsure future)

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