100 Greatest Non-Hall of Famers: #40-21

By now, you've probably noticed that a lot of the players on this list are either 19th-century stars who slipped through the cracks or modern stars with several All-Star seasons and about 2,000 hits to their credit. And you've probably seen enough familiar names to have a guess at who's left. But we haven't quite reached the group of legends whose misdeeds are all that kept them from Cooperstown's hallowed hall. This segment is the intersection of those two groups - there may be some surprise names but you're going to see some stars with legitimate cases for enshrinement. It might be my favorite segment of all.

The Collector's Countdown of the 100 Greatest players not enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame continues with a look at players #40-21:

#40 - RF Bobby Bonds

The first player in major league history to accumulate 300 career home runs and 300 stolen bases, Bobby Bonds was nearly the first 40-40 man after a brilliant 1973 season in which he smacked 39 homers, stole 43 bags, and led the majors in runs scored and total bases. He was also honored with his second (of three) Gold Gloves and second (of three) All-Star selections. Bobby's 57.8 career WAR ties him with Hall of Famer Enos Slaughter for 23rd all-time among right fielders, and he ranks fifth all-time among all players in power/speed metric. Out of all the players on this list with under 2,000 hits and a lifetime average under .270, Bobby Bonds may have had had the most overall talent.

Cooperstown comparable: Dave Winfield
Highest HOF Vote Total: 1993 BBWAA - 45 votes (10.6%)

#39 - C Thurman Munson

Thurman Munson compiled the fewest career hits of anyone in my top 100 and never led the league in any offensive category, but his leadership and presence behind the plate for the 1970s Yankees was unforgettable. Munson won AL Rookie of the Year honors in 1970, was named the league's MVP in '76, and earned three Gold Gloves to go with his seven All-Star selections. He batted over .300 in five seasons and posted three consecutive 100-RBI seasons. In the playoffs, the two-time World Series champion was "Captain Clutch" long before Derek Jeter, batting .375 with three homers and 22 RBI in 30 postseason contests. If you believe Buster Posey should be a Hall of Famer, compare his career to Munson's.

Cooperstown comparable: a slower Buck Ewing
Highest HOF Vote Total: 1981 BBWAA - 62 votes (15.5%)*

*The five-year waiting period was waived for Munson after his tragic death in 1979. He stayed on the ballot for the full 15 years, but never received even 10% of the vote again.

#38 - RF Mike Tiernan

Mike Tiernan slots in between Juan Gonzalez and Babe Herman among right fielders with a 43.5 career offensive WAR. Herman is a close comp; both played about 1,500 games and collected about 1,800 hits. At first glance, Herman has the advantage in power - though he never led the league in home runs, doubles, total bases, or slugging%. That said, Tiernan was the NL's home run king two consecutive years, led the NL in slugging and total bases in 1890, and paced the senior circuit in OPS twice. "Silent Mike" was among the top power hitters of his day and stole over 400 bases and ranked top-3 in fielding percentage three times, which is why he ranks among the top corner outfielders on this list.

Cooperstown comparable: "King" Kelly
Highest HOF Vote Total: N/A

#37 - LF Sherry Magee

When I was a very young collector, I knew that Sherry Magee was featured on one of the most valuable error cards of all time. What I didn't know was that Magee was an excellent outfielder. Four times, Sherry led his league in RBI including a monster year in 1910 when he led the majors in runs scored and runs driven in, to go with his NL-leading slash line of .331/.445/.507. For his career, the Phillies great totaled 2,169 hits, 441 stolen bases, a 137 OPS+, and a career WAR of 59.4 - the highest total among non-Hall left fielders who aren't tainted by PEDs or gambling scandals. Magee was the beneficiary of a gambling fix, ending his career with the 1919 World Champion Reds.

Cooperstown comparable: Joe Kelley
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2009 VC - 3 votes (25%)

#36 - OF Reggie Smith

What was I saying about players with several All-Star seasons and about 2,000 career hits? Reggie Smith is a quintessential "Hall of Very Good" representative, with his 2,020 career base knocks, seven appearances in the midsummer classic, 314 career home runs, and 1,092 career RBI. Smith's slash line of .287/.366/.489 straddles the line between "good" and "great", though all-encompassing statistics that factor in his era indicate he should have received much more consideration for Cooperstown. Only one right fielder outside the Hall has accumulated more WAR than Smith's 64.5, and his OPS of .855 ranks ahead of such legends as Tony Gwynn, Roberto Clemente, and Reggie Jackson.

Cooperstown comparable: Kirby Puckett

Highest HOF Vote Total: 1988 BBWAA - 3 votes (0.7%)

#35 - 1B/DH Jason Giambi

Jason Giambi checks in with 2,010 career hits and five All-Star selections, though the rest of his resume stands out among players we've seen so far on this countdown. The American League MVP in 2000 crushed 440 home runs and compiled 1,441 RBI in his 20-year career, but never led the league in either category. The archetype of Oakland's "Moneyball" era, Giambi led the league in walks four times, on-base percentage three times, and OPS+ twice. Unsurprisingly, he left the small-market A's and signed with the Yankees as a free agent in 2002. His 3,753 total bases are an incredible amount for a player with zero speed, and he might have a case for inclusion in Cooperstown if he'd accomplished all of this without using PEDs.

Cooperstown comparable: Jeff Bagwell
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2020 BBWAA - 6 votes (1.5%)

 

#34 - SP Kevin Brown

Kevin Brown was baseball's first $100-million man after signing a seven-year deal with the Dodgers before the 1999 season. In the ten seasons prior, Brown had proven himself as a durable ace as he led the league in starts three times, ERA twice, and WHIP twice. He earned six All-Star selections and finished top-3 in Cy Young voting twice, including a second-place finish in 1997 when he won a World Series with the Marlins. Brown's 68.2 WAR ranks 36th all-time among pitchers and fourth among qualifying hurlers without a plaque in Cooperstown. It's unlikely he'll get one, mostly due to poor postseason performances and presumed PED use.

Cooperstown comparable: Don Drysdale
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2011 BBWAA - 12 votes (2.1%)

#33 - RF Bobby Abreu

Not many baseball fans thought of Bobby Abreu as a potential Hall of Famer even at his peak. A two-time All-Star, Abreu won one Gold Glove and one Silver Slugger award in his nine years with the Phillies. His quiet consistency continued in New York and Anaheim, resulting in a career slash line of .291/.395/.471 boosted by his impeccable plate discipline. Abreu posted eight seasons with 100 or more walks, eight seasons with 100 or more RBI, and nine seasons with 20 or more home runs. He also led right fielders in assists twice and stole 30 or more bases in six seasons. Hall of Fame voters are slowly starting to take notice.

Cooperstown comparable: Harry Hooper
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2023 BBWAA - 60 votes (15.4%)

 

#32 - SP Bret Saberhagen

Bret Saberhagen was among the best pitchers in baseball when healthy, especially in odd-numbered years. The three-time All-Star posted four 5-WAR seasons in Kansas City: 1985, when he was named World Series MVP and a Cy Young winner at age 21; 1987, when he earned his first All-Star selection in the midst of an 8 WAR, 18-win season; 1989, when "Sabes" was a Cy Young winner for the second time after leading the majors in ERA, wins, WHIP, and innings pitched, and 1991. He had another excellent season in 1994 with the Mets, but injuries took their toll throughout his thirties. While he was less durable than David Cone or Kevin Brown, I'm ranking Saberhagen higher due to his advantage in strikeout-to-walk ratio and historically low walk rate.
 

Cooperstown comparable: Dazzy Vance
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2007 BBWAA - 7 votes (1.3%)

 

 

#31 - 2B Bobby Grich

You've seen plenty of players with a career WAR total in the 60s on this countdown; now meet the first 70-WAR player. Bobby Grich ranks ninth all-time among second basemen with his 71.1 score, excelling at bat and in the field. A six-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner, Grich led the league in several fielding metrics from 1973-75 while contributing four straight seasons of over 5 WAR on offense. His 1,833 career hits and .266 batting average are more in line with lower-ranked players, but he gets a big boost for defensive value and home run power. Grich led all American Leaguers in home runs during the strike-shortened 1981 season and retired as the fourth-leading home run hitter among second basemen five years later.

Cooperstown comparable: Bobby Doerr
Highest HOF Vote Total: 1992 BBWAA - 11 votes (2.6%)

 

#30 - RP Billy Wagner

Hall of Fame voters have never elected a pitcher with less than 1,000 career innings under his belt. That could change soon as Billy Wagner is knocking on the door. The seven-time All-Star and 1999 NL Reliever of the Year pitched 903 innings (fewer than all eight HOF closers) and made 853 appearances (fewer than all but Bruce Sutter). In that brief amount of work, Wagner recorded 422 saves (sixth all-time) and 1,196 strikeouts - more than Mariano Rivera in far fewer innings. His 2.31 career ERA is tied for second lowest all-time among qualifying relievers with the still-active Craig Kimbrel. This is the first player on the countdown who almost certainly will be enshrined in Cooperstown.

Cooperstown comparable: Mariano Rivera
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2023 BBWAA - 265 votes (68.1%)

 

#29 - 1B Carlos Delgado

Carlos Delgado ranks in the top-20 all-time among first basemen in doubles, home runs, RBI, OPS, and walks. Only one non-Hall of Famer at his position has a higher slugging percentage that Carlos's career .546 mark. His 1,512 RBI rank 55th all-time among all players and his 473 long balls rank 34th on the all-time list -- two below Willie Stargell, in 370 fewer plate appearances. Delgado earned more Silver Slugger awards (three) than All-Star selections (two), perhaps because his peak years were played in Toronto during the Steroid Era. It should be noted that he has never been linked to performance-enhancing drug use or any other off-the-field incident that would exclude him from Cooperstown. It baffles me how his career output was worth a mere 44.4 WAR or a handful of Hall of Fame votes.

Cooperstown comparable: Willie Stargell
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2015 BBWAA - 21 votes (3.8%)

#28 - LF Albert Belle

Now here's an all-time great slugger with character issues. Albert Belle played just ten full seasons, including the strike-shortened 1994 campaign. In that time, Belle blasted 381 home runs, 389 doubles, collected 3,300 total bases and 1,239 RBI while earning five All-Star selections and five Silver Slugger awards. He led the majors with 52 doubles, 50 home runs, a .690 slugging percentage, and 377 total bases in 1995 - and finished second in AL MVP voting. Albert's off-the-field antics did him no favors with fans or voters, and a hip injury that ended his career after just 1,539 games made it much easier to keep him out of Cooperstown. I've ranked him here based on his 144 OPS+, and because only one player in major league history has hit more home runs than Belle in fewer at-bats.

Cooperstown comparable: Ralph Kiner
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2006 BBWAA - 40 votes (7.7%)

 

 

#27 - CF Andruw Jones

Andruw Jones has a confounding Cooperstown case. His 62.7 WAR ranks 14th all-time among center fielders, boosted by 24.4 dWAR that ranks him first at his position and 22nd all-time among all players. Jones has ten Gold Gloves; only two outfielders (Clemente and Mays) have more. Only five center fielders have more home runs than Andruw, and two of them (Dawson and Beltran) have just a couple more - in over 2,000 more at-bats. Before the age of 30, he had already posted five 30-home run seasons, a 40-homer season and a 50-homer season. After age 30... yikes. Jones lumbered through a half-decade as a part-timer with four different teams and sunk his career slash line to .254/.337/.486. He didn't even reach 2,000 career hits. Regardless, his Hall of Fame vote totals are trending toward enshrinement. 

Cooperstown comparable: Andre Dawson
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2023 BBWAA - 226 (58.1%)

#26 - 1B Keith Hernandez

Keith Hernandez had fewer home runs, RBI, and doubles than the first base triumvirate of Mattingly, Olerud, and Clark, though his batting average and OBP would blend right in. The five-time All-Star vaults over them and every other first baseman revealed so far with 60.3 WAR, boosted by his legendary defense. An eleven-time Gold Glove honoree, Hernandez led the NL in fielding percentage two straight seasons from 1985-86. He shared NL MVP honors with Willie Stargell in 1979, finished second in 1984, and placed fourth in 1986 when he anchored a motley crew of Mets to the title. A lack of home run power, counting stats that fall just short, and his cocaine use in the early 1980s, contributed to keeping him out of Cooperstown, but.... he's Keith Hernandez.

Cooperstown comparable: Joe Cronin
Highest HOF Vote Total: 1998 BBWAA - 51 votes (10.8%)*

*Hernandez received 52 votes in the 2000 election, but there were 26 more ballots and his percentage decreased to 10.4% as a result.

#25 - 3B Ken Boyer

Ken Boyer has nearly the same amount of hits as Keith Hernandez, though the first baseman ranks 38th all-time at his position, whereas Boyer is 20th among players who manned the "hot corner". Boyer was a great defender in his own right, earning five Gold Gloves while ranking top-3 at his position in fielding percentage five times. He finished his first decade in the big leagues with his best season, earning NL MVP honors in 1964 after leading the majors with 119 RBI and leading the Cardinals to a World Series victory over the Yankees. Boyer earned eleven All-Star selections, the last of which came in the middle of the '64 season. He struggled mightily in the five seasons that followed - but that hasn't shut the door on Andruw Jones' Cooperstown chances.

Cooperstown comparable: Scott Rolen
Highest HOF Vote Total: 1988 BBWAA - 108 votes (25.3%)

#24 - OF/1B Harry Stovey

Harry Stovey is perhaps the most accomplished 19th-century position player not in the Hall of Fame. In just 1,489 career games, the speedy Stovey scored 1,495 runs and rapped 1,775 hits, with a good chunk of them going for extra bases. He ranks 21st all-time with 176 triples, leading his league in the category four times. Stovey finished a season with double-digit home runs six times, which doesn't sound like much to us 21st-century folk, but it was good enough to lead the league on five occasions. Harry led the league in stolen bases twice and totaled at least 509 swipes - probably a lot more, but stolen base data from the 1880s is incomplete. It's likely that his .288 lifetime average and comparatively low hit total were the main reason why generations of Hall voters passed over Stovey.

Cooperstown comparable: Bid McPhee
Highest HOF Vote Total: Appeared on multiple Veterans' Committee ballots.

 

#23 - SP Tommy Bond

Tommy Bond pitched primarily in the 1870s, barely qualifying for this countdown with ten pro seasons including two where he made five total appearances. In his seven full seasons from 1874-80, Bond led his league in strikeout-walk ratio four times, shutouts three times, strikeouts twice, and ERA twice while winning 40 or more games in three consecutive campaigns. His career strikeout total of 972 looks a lot more impressive against just 193 walks, for a 5.04 ratio. With a career ERA of 2.14 and a WHIP of 1.091 over 3,628 innings, it didn't take long for Tommy to accumulate 60.9 WAR - a total that tops all but sixty starters in the history of the game.

Cooperstown comparable: Rube Waddell
Highest HOF Vote Total: 1936 VC - 1 vote (1.3%)

Have you drawn a line in your mind yet? Have you seen the player that makes you think "this guy should be in, so everyone ahead of him should be in, too"? If you ask me, that line could be drawn between Bret Saberhagen and Bobby Grich. Maybe Andruw Jones is the line. But from a purely statistical point of view, I would draw the line here.

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 Absent any impropriety, every player ahead has a very compelling case for Hall of Fame induction. 

#22 - CF Kenny Lofton

Kenny Lofton was a prototypical lead-off hitter: he walked almost as much as he struck out, and he never struck out more than 84 times in a season. He made consistent contact, leading the AL in hits in 1994 and setting a career high with 210 two years later. And he stole a ton of bases, pacing the league five consecutive seasons from 1992 to 1996. Lofton's 622 career steals are the third-most of any center fielder in the modern era and 15th all-time among all players in all eras. The six-time All-Star was also a top-notch defender, earning four Gold Gloves while leading the AL in assists from center field four times. His 68.4 career WAR is tied with Edgar Martinez for 78th all-time among all position players, and just one point behind Tim Raines - who played four more seasons than Lofton.

Cooperstown comparable: Tim Raines
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2013 BBWAA - 18 votes (3.2%)

#21 - 2B Jeff Kent

Jeff Kent is the all-time leader among second basemen with 377 home runs and ranks top-5 at his position in several other categories including doubles (5th), RBI (3rd), and slugging percentage (2nd). The 2000 NL MVP earned four Silver Slugger awards and five All-Star selections while accumulating 2,461 hits and 4,246 total bases. Kent wasn't a great defender but he was passable. His career on-base percentage of .356 is about average for this countdown. He never led the league in any single category, didn't have much speed, and his comportment during and after his career was prickly at best. After falling off the ballot, Kent made a whiny anti-media comment that echoed another surly star, but the BBWAA has a legitimate case to pass on a player whose 55.4 career WAR ranks lower than Robin Ventura.

Cooperstown comparable: Ryne Sandberg
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2023 BBWAA - 181 votes (46.5%)

How many of these players make your Hall of Fame? Were you surprised by any players in this segment?

 

The Top 100 Countdown concludes next week with a look at players #20-1. Hope to see you then.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

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Flipping Repack Pulls

My latest COMC order is scheduled to arrive next week, so I should probably recap some recent TCDB trades and clear out the "to be posted" folder while I wait. 

This 1980 Topps Calton Fisk was one of 14 cards I received in a trade with supergajit. This is the fifth time I've swapped cards with Summer, which makes her the 11th member of my own personal "five timers club". I sent her a handful of Red Sox dupes, along with five cards from my recent baseball repack and four cards from the 2022 Sage pack that was included in a football repack I purchased earlier this year.

Here are the equivalent singles I picked out for my repack pulls. I never seem to get any Packers cards in my football repacks, so it was nice to fill some gaps in my collection.

Got some 2022-23 hockey singles in exchange for the Sage stuff. I'm working on a blog post about one of these teams, which will be published in early March. [hint: it's not the Devils]

Not every card I traded was pulled from a repack box, but they gave me enough to build the foundation for a worthwhile trade. Here are two such swaps, including my first one with nannema:

I shipped out three surplus Topps singles along with six basketball cards that didn't come from repacks in exchange for these three. It wasn't quite a 3-for-1 swap; another Hall of Famer was included but I'm holding that one for a fellow blogger 😉

Another stack of Sage singles plus some 2020 Leaf Draft from an older football repack, were sent to Clyntngrffn in a 2 for 1 deal. Here's what I received:

The Browns lineman is newest Hall of Famer Joe Thomas. McCaffrey was the big prize for me; I'm iffy on continuing my CMC PC now that he's a 49er but I couldn't pass up a Prizm parallel in a trade that offloaded lots of unwanted draft pick stuff. There was one more card involved in the trade:

I was happy with this trade and left positive feedback for Clytn.. but when I scanned Peterson for this post I noticed something:

Frickin' thing's creased. Grrr. Which one of you collects damaged cards? Do you want this one?

These next two deals were much better. My fourth trade with dheim1220 involved a couple cards from the baseball repack, plus six dupes from 2022 Topps, and two more basketball dupes. I received these:

If I'm going to build a set of 1994 Leaf I might have to give up on the idea of buying boxes of each series. Lofton is actually an upgrade from the single I pulled 28+ years ago.

The Panini Pedroia/Doerr was one I'd had on my want list for a while. The DK checklist is from 1992. I'm nearly finished with the '93 Diamond Kings insert set so I decided to try and finish its predecessor.

Perkins is an upgrade as well; a lot of my Fleer singles are off-center. The last two are Connecticut cards.


If you're new to TCDB and you have a lot of overproduction-era singles to unload (or you just bought a repack) you can definitely get some great stuff in exchange. In most cases, users prefer to trade similar era/type, so don't expect to get Panini Prizm or Topps Chrome for your '88 Donruss doubles.

If you're willing to receive "junk wax" you might be able to get extra cards for your newer singles. Here's a swap I recently completed with RDGKDHNC. I sent him five cards from the 2022-23 Upper Deck hockey packs I purchased at my LCS, plus three 2020-21 Upper Deck MVP singles.

Instead of an 8 for 8 trade I received 9 cards:

The last two are from 1991-92, which equated to one newer single. Not a hard and fast rule, but it usually works for me. (I was shocked my wife didn't have that Trevor Linden card already.) You'll probably see one of these cards again when I publish that NHL post.

I also shipped out some repack pulls to Matt for his Time Travel Trading.  That's one of three incoming deals I'll include in my next trade recap.


Thanks for reading!




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100 Greatest Non-Hall of Famers: #60-41

Just as I was finalizing the previous post, Baseball-Reference sent me an email recommending the linker tool, which I used to add traffic to my All-Time Teams series. I considered using it for this project but it didn't work right away and I didn't want to take the time to fight with it, only so some random person could write "How could you rank that guy ahead of player X? Your stupid. This list is invalid."

First of all, people who call other people "stupid" almost always show themselves. Second, I show my work. There's always thought and research behind my selections - even if that means leaving A-Rod off the Mariners and sticking them with Yuniesky Betancourt. (This will be reviewed when I update my All-Time Teams rosters and reveal each card in my All-Time binder this spring.) You can disagree with my analysis -- and please, feel free to do so -- but I always strive for objectivity. My regular readers and blogger friends know that. And it's why I appreciate all of you who have followed this series.

With that, The Collector's Countdown of the 100 Greatest players not enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame marches on.

Let's take a look at players #60-41. Get ready for a run on right fielders...

 

#60 - RF Ken Singleton

Ken Singleton is not a player I envisioned ending up on this list at the start of the project. The three-time All-Star finished second in AL MVP voting in 1979 after leading the pennant-winning Orioles in home runs and RBI. Two years earlier, he finished third in the MVP race after a career-high .328 batting average and .438 OBP. That on-base percentage was higher than his major league-leading .425 mark from the 1973 season. 2,029 career hits and a 132 OPS+ are enough to get Singleton in the door. His patience at the plate (more walks than strikeouts, .388 career OBP) gives him the slight edge over Dave Parker.

Cooperstown comparable: Minnie Minoso
Highest HOF Vote Total: N/A

#59 - RF Babe Herman

Yes, there's a right fielder named Babe who's not in the Hall of Fame. Babe Herman played just 11 full seasons (13 total) and his counting stats are below many other outfielders on this list, including Singleton. Herman is here because he batted above .300 in nine of those eleven full seasons; in 1930 he set career highs with a .393 average, 35 home runs, and 130 RBI. He would likely have won NL MVP honors if the award hadn't been furloughed due to the Depression. Only one non-Hall of Famer at his position accumulated a higher OPS+ over 5,000 major-league at-bats than this Babe, whose 141 mark matches recent inductees Larry Walker and Vladimir Guerrero(Sr.)

Cooperstown comparable: Earle Combs
Highest HOF Vote Total: 1956 BBWAA - 11 votes (5.7%)

#58 - RF Brian Giles

Here's another underrated corner outfielder with a knack for getting on base. Brian Giles had fewer career hits than Singleton and only slightly more than Herman. If he'd accumulated a couple hundred more hits and maintained his career slash line of .291/.400/.502, the BBWAA would have had to throw at least a few votes his way. Only six right fielders with over 6,000 at-bats can match his remarkable OBP, and only fourteen such players have slugged higher than Giles. In a four-year stretch from 1999 to 2002, the two-time All-Star averaged 37 home runs, 109 RBI, and 325 total bases per season for Pittsburgh. 

Cooperstown comparable: Chuck Klein
Highest HOF Vote Total: N/A

#57 - CF Bernie Williams

Bernie Williams wasn't officially a member of the Yankees' "core four" but he was as essential to their transformation from laughingstock to legendary as any player in pinstripes. A five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove recipient, Bernie won a batting title and a Silver Slugger along with four World Series rings. He ranks top-20 all-time among center fielders in runs scored, doubles, home runs, runs batted in, and walks. Williams was a quietly consistent run producer on a team loaded with megastars, which may have done more to diminish his Hall of Fame candidacy than any single stat line. 

Cooperstown comparable: Enos Slaughter
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2012 BBWAA - 55 votes (9.6%)

#56 - OF/1B Lance Berkman

Look at all these corner outfielders! Lance Berkman is listed under left fielders on baseball-reference even though he played more games at first base than any single outfield position. Wherever you line him up, Berkman is here because he could rake. The "Big Puma" produced three seasons with an OPS over 1.000 and only four Hall of Fame left fielders can top his 144 OPS+. Berkman made six All-Star teams but never won a Silver Slugger despite leading the league in doubles twice, batting over .300 five times, smacking 30 or more home runs six times, and posting six seasons with 100+ RBI. His lack of accolades, along with sub-par defense and just 1,905 career hits, keeps him out of Cooperstown. 

Cooperstown comparable: Johnny Mize

Highest HOF Vote Total: 2019 BBWAA - 5 votes (1.2%)

#55 - SP Eddie Cicotte

Had Eddie Cicotte been a league-average pitcher, his place in baseball lore would be secure simply for being the first modern major-leaguer to throw a knuckle ball. However he was well above average, particularly after changing Sox from Red to White in 1912. "Knuckles" posted four of his five sub-2.00 ERA seasons in Chicago - including a league-low 1.53 in 1917. He led the league in wins and WHIP that year, and was the majors' leading winner in 1919 when he won 29 (not 30) games. With 209 career wins, an ERA of 2.39, and two World Series titles under his belt, Cicotte would have made a compelling case for Hall of Fame immortality. Unfortunately he was one of the eight "Black Sox" who were banned for life for fixing the 1919 Fall Classic.

Cooperstown comparable: Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown
Highest HOF Vote Total: Not eligible. 

 

#54 - CF Cesar Cedeno

Cecar Cedeno has a lower career WAR than several other center fielders on this countdown including Jim Wynn, Vada Pinson, and Johnny Damon. His slash line of .285/.347/.443 is lower than Bernie Williams. However, this four time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove honoree ranks ahead of the Yanks' star based on his speed, strong arm in center field (seven top-5 finishes in CF assists), and power production in a less offense-friendly environment. Cedeno led the majors in doubles in each of his first two full seasons and ranks top-30 all-time among all players in both stolen bases (550) and power/speed metric.

Cooperstown comparable: Barry Larkin
Highest HOF Vote Total: 1992 BBWAA - 2 votes (0.5%)

#53 - LF Bob Johnson

Bob Johnson didn't crack the Athletics' lineup until his age 27 season in 1933, after Connie Mack sold off his championship squad. If he hadn't been blocked by Hall of Famer Al Simmons, Johnson could possibly have followed him to Cooperstown. Over his decade with the rebuilding A's, "Indian Bob" slashed .298/.395/.520, averaging 25 home runs and 104 RBI per season. The eight-time All-Star had little support in the Philadelphia lineup, as the team finished at or near the bottom of the standings throughout  most of his career. While his offensive production closely resembles Brian Giles, Johnson was superior on defense, leading all left fielders in fielding percentage four times and pacing all outfielders in assists twice.

Cooperstown comparable: Joe Medwick
Highest HOF Vote Total: 1948 BBWAA - 1 vote (0.8%)

 

#52 - OF/DH Jose Canseco

Jose Canseco was created in a lab. The 1986 AL Rookie of the Year was league MVP two years later after leading the majors in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, and OPS+. No player had ever hit 40 home runs and stolen 40 bases in a season until Canseco decided to do it (he was caught stealing 16 times that season.) A slugger in every sense of the word, Jose struck out nearly 2,000 times over his career while bashing 462 home runs - including a career high 46 in 1998 when he whiffed a league-leading 159 times. He was unapologetically juiced and often unplayable on defense. But, for about half a decade, he was the biggest star in baseball.

Cooperstown comparable: Harmon Killebrew
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2007 BBWAA - 6 votes (1.1%)

 

 

#51 - 3B Sal Bando

Our third straight Athletics star on this countdown, Sal Bando ranks 16th all-time among third basemen with 61.5 WAR. There are 16 third basemen in the Hall of Fame. Why isn't Bando one of them? His lifetime .254 average and 1,790 hits in 2,019 career games are lower than several third basemen on (and off) this list. Why does he rank this high? Bando's batting average (which is higher than Graig Nettles and Darrell Evans) is about as relevant as Jimmy Wynn's; the four-time All-Star and three-time World Series champ walked more than he struck out, hit 242 home runs, finished top-4 in AL MVP voting three times, and compiled an oWAR of 58.3 - higher than all but two non-Hall hot corner stars.

Cooperstown comparable: Joe Gordon
Highest HOF Vote Total: 1987 BBWAA - 3 votes (0.7%)

 

#50 - SP Charlie Buffinton

Charlie Buffinton compiled a similar won-lost record, ERA, and strikeout-walk total to Hall of Fame hurler Carl Hubbell over roughly 200 fewer innings. While the career stats may look similar, Hubbell is in the Hall for consistently leading the league in several categories, whereas an inordinate amount of Buffinton's totals were packed into an insane 1884 season in which he won 48 games, struck out 417 batters over 587 innings, and earned 15 WAR. He totaled 23.4 WAR over a two-year stretch from 1888-89 and led the majors in winning percentage and WHIP in 1891, his age-30 season. Less than a year later, his career was over.

Cooperstown comparable: Carl Hubbell
Highest HOF Vote Total: Appeared on multiple Veterans Committee ballots.

 

#49 - RF Juan Gonzalez

It is hard for me to fathom that Juan Gonzalez does not rank in the top 60 at his position in total WAR, or that his offensive output ranks lower than that of Tim Salmon, or that he has nearly as many MVP awards (two) as All-Star appearances (three). "Juan Gone" was a beast in the 1990s, smacking over 40 home runs in five seasons and leading the majors in long balls two consecutive campaigns from 1992-93. The six-time Silver Slugger winner separates himself from the cluster of corner outfielders (Canseco in particular) with a career slugging percentage of .561 - bested only by three right fielders in history. A truncated career and accusations of PED use (by Canseco) closed the door on Gonzalez's chances for entering the Hall.

Cooperstown comparable: Chuck Klein
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2011 BBWAA - 30 votes (5.2%)

#48 - SP Johan Santana

Johan Santana accumulated the fewest innings of any starting pitcher on this list, barely qualifying with 2,0252/3. Few hurlers in history - in or out of the Hall - had a five-year peak as dominant as Minnesota's 'supernatural' ace: two Cy Young awards, three All-Star nods, three ERA titles, three strikeout crowns, four consecutive seasons with the AL's lowest WHIP, three seasons with MVP votes, one Gold Glove, and zero missed starts. After two sterling seasons with the Mets, one mediocre season, and one long-overdue no-hitter, Santana's shoulder finally gave out at age 33. He wasn't quite Sandy Koufax, but he was closer than you might think.

Cooperstown comparable: "Dizzy" Dean
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2018 BBWAA - 10 votes (2.4%)

 

#47 - 3B Ron Cey

Similar to Sal Bando, Ron Cey finished his career with less than 2,000 hits (1,868 to be exact), an underwhelming lifetime average (.261), and an on-base percentage in the .350s. Where the "Penguin" wins the PvP battle of 1970s third basemen is in the power category: Cey bests Bando in slugging percentage, total bases, and home runs - over a near-equal amount of plate appearances. The six-time All-Star's 316 long balls are tied for 16th all-time among third basemen with Class of 2023 HOFer Scott Rolen. [For more on the career of Ron Cey, please visit Night Owl Cards.]

Cooperstown comparable: Scott Rolen
Highest HOF Vote Total: 1993 BBWAA - 8 votes (1.9%)

#46 - SP Luis Tiant

At the start of the 1970s, Luis Tiant looked more like a one-year wonder than a near-Hall of Famer. After a dominant 1968 season in which he led all AL starters in ERA (1.60), shutouts (9), and WAR (8.5), Tiant led the majors in three categories the following season: losses, home runs allowed, and walks allowed. Following two injury-riddled seasons, the Red Sox turned Tiant from a long reliever back to a starter in 1972 and he thrived through the remainder of the decade. "El Tiante" ended his career with nearly as many wins as Charlie Buffinton in roughly the same amount of innings. He ranks higher than the 19th century ace based on a superior WAR and strikeout total, along with a lower WHIP and a slight strikeout-to-walk advantage.

Cooperstown comparable: Jim "Catfish" Hunter
Highest HOF Vote Total: 1988 BBWAA - 132 votes (30.9%)*

*Tiant received more votes than Ron Santo, Minnie Minoso, and Joe Torre - but fewer than Harvey Kuenn. He wouldn't receive half this many votes again until 2000, his 13th year on the ballot.

#45 - 1B Don Mattingly

Don Mattingly kicks off a cluster of near-Hall of Fame first basemen. At his peak, "Donnie Baseball" was among the best hitters in baseball. The 1985 AL MVP won three Silver Slugger awards, led the majors in doubles three consecutive seasons, and paced the AL in hits twice. Donnie was equally dominant on defense, earning nine Gold Gloves while leading the league in fielding percentage seven times. Back injuries depleted his power and forced him to retire just before the Yanks' late-'90s dynasty began. Mattingly has augmented his Hall of Fame resume in recent years as a manager, leading the Dodgers to three straight NL West titles and leading the Marlins to as many playoff appearances in his tenure as skipper as the Yankees had during his playing days. 

Cooperstown comparable: Jim Bottomley
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2001 BBWAA - 145 (28.2%)

#44 - SP David Cone

David Cone compiled two 20-win seasons for both New York teams, ten years apart. In between, the five-time All-Star and five-time World Champion won a Cy Young with Kansas City in 1994, leading all AL starters with a 6.9 WAR. A two-time strikeout king, Cone whiffed 2,668 batters in his 17 year-career and held opponents to a .232 average - 31 points under league average for his era. His 62.3 career WAR is tied for 54th all-time with Hall of Famer Mickey Welch and CC Sabathia - both of whom pitched hundreds more innings.

Cooperstown comparable: Tom Glavine
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2009 BBWAA - 21 votes (3.9%)

 

#43 - 1B John Olerud

John Olerud leads our trio of first basemen in career hits, RBI, walks, and on-base percentage. His trophy case isn't as full as Mattingly's though he does own three Gold Gloves, two World Series rings and a batting title. Olerud nearly had as many batting titles as All-Star appearances; as a New York Met in 1998, his .354 average was second only to Colorado's Larry Walker. His career WAR of 58.2 ranks behind only four eligible non-Hall of Fame first basemen - and you'll see them all on this countdown.

Cooperstown comparable: Jim Bottomley
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2011 BBWAA - 4 votes (0.7%)

#42 - SS Nomar Garciaparra

At the turn of the century, Nomar Garciaparra stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. The 1997 AL Rookie of the Year finished second in MVP voting (to Juan Gonzalez) in '98, then won two consecutive batting titles in 1999 and 2000. He won just one Silver Slugger award (in his rookie season) due to the presence of A-Rod in the AL, and he didn't win a Gold Glove despite grading out as a better defender than five-time winner Jeter. Nomar's six All-Star selections and seven seasons with 20 or more home runs, combined with a .313 career batting average and nearly 3,000 total bases are damn good - but it's not enough to overcome several injury-shortened seasons, whispers of PED use, or the image of Jeter diving into the stands for a foul ball during a marathon game Nomar sat out.

Cooperstown comparable: Tony Lazzeri
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2015 BBWAA - 30 votes (5.5%)

#41 - 1B Will Clark

What separates Will Clark from Mattingly, Olerud, and other first basemen on this countdown? The two-time Silver Slugger winner never won a (regular season)MVP award or a batting title, never smacked 50+ doubles in a season or batted above .350, and was awarded just one Gold Glove. In most statistical categories, Will "the Thrill" ranks second between Don and John - except slugging percentage and home runs. Clark is the only player of the three with double-digit home run totals in every single season of his career. He batted .300 or better ten times in fifteen seasons, and his consistent production yielded a 137 OPS+ - higher than any first baseman already revealed on the countdown except Norm Cash.

Cooperstown comparable: How about Jim Bottomley? Okay, fine.. Joe Torre, just for variety.
Highest HOF Vote Total: 2006 BBWAA - 23 votes (4.4%)*

*Clark was one-and-done on the writer's ballot, while Mattingly lasted the full fifteen years. New-York bi-as ::clap clap clap-clap-clap::

Do you see any Hall of Famers yet? Do you have any favorites in this segment? Have you learned anything interesting from this series so far?

 

The Top 100 Countdown keeps rolling next week with a look at players #40-21. Hope to see you then.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

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