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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