If he's inducted, I think we can all agree that he would have the best surname, bar none.

If he somehow stayed at C, he'd be a shoo-in. Instead he's a little below the borderline for me as centerrightfielder.

Hmmmmm.... I haven't taken a full look, but to me the problem is too much RF and not enough CF.

Hmmmmm.... I haven't taken a full look, but to me the problem is too much RF and not enough CF.

Andre Dawson says hello, too.

OPS+ starting at age 26

142,150,149,151,120,156 (then) 105,88,98,103

like I said about Robbie Alomar, think Wily Coyote holding an anvil

If he's inducted, I think we can all agree that he would have the best surname, bar none.

My surname will never be inducted. My first name won't be inducted until Mr. Gwynn.

Well, in that case, too bad Manny Trillo doesn't get any votes. But, for first names, I've already got Marichal. Middle names.... is there a chance for Vicente Padilla to get in? :)

my surname has a truly long shot which could begin soon if the Nationals call him up and give him a start. Go Joel! :)

If only he had taken steroids.

My surname will never be inducted. My first name won't be inducted until Mr. Gwynn.

Yeah, well, the waiting line for Hall of Fame/Merit Chaleks isn't exactly filling up.

I feel ya Eric.

Pinch, two things:

1) Are those quotes park-adjusted?

2) About 50-60 "years" ago there was another person who deluged us with wonderful quotes about Wes Ferrell. I think it might have hurt Ferrell's candidacy, at least for a while. While we love baseball information, a "hard sell" campaign might turn off some voters.

Postscript: that other person joined the electorate and was a very interesting contributor for a number of elections. Consider doing that yourself if you have the inclination. The more the merrier.

I have probably long ago lost the photograph but I had taken a picture of him signing autographs before a game. In those pre-electronic days I had to look at his uniform to ensure the photo was correct because he was signing left-handed. Probably practiced it for awhile so he could sign a lot without tiring his right hand.

Hard to believe, but we won't have a David until Winfield.

My surname will never be inducted - no major league players share it. If you break it into two independent pieces, neither half has a chance. My first name is the first name of several very good players, although none them is likely to be inducted. However, my first name is a portion of the seldom-used full first name of one already inducted HoMer, and is the surname of an active player who may have a chance.

All-time CF, approximately, retired only, according to Reputation Monitor.

200 is usually a slam dunk for Cooperstown

1. Cobb 418
2. Mays 411
3. Speaker 376
4. Mantle 368
5. DiMaggio 328
6. Snider 249
7. Puckett 211--this is called the Reputation Monitor, with all the caveats

Lots of 175-199 guys make the HoF too, unless they don't (all generalizations moot for 19C and the modern era)

8. Dawson 196--this list is a few years old, he might slide based on failure to make HoF yet
9. Hamilton 195
10. Browning 187
11. Hines 186
12. Carey 176
13. Wilson 176
14. Gore 175

Most 150-175 guys don't make it unless they do and, well, more CFers do than other positions

15. Doby 173
16. Duffy 170
17. Murphy 168
18. Averill 168--Murphy by a fraction
19. Ashburn 162
20. Berger 155
21. Lynn 154

A sampling of <150 guys: Bad HoFers Combs 120 and L. Waner 91, candidates Pinson 148 and Wynn 133 and GVH 136 and Ryan 126, non-candidates Cedeno 144 and Eric Davis 140 and Willie Davis 111, and there are bunches of guys in and amongst and between there.

Bottom line: All bets are off for the modern era--players active after 1970. Murphy is in an excellent position except that there's this god-awful bias against his kind. He's not gonna make Cooperstown, at least not via the BBWAA. He's a clear candidate in the HoM but not better than Dawson IMO and border-borderline to boot.

(I don't ballot based on RM, just create consideration sets.)

the surname of an active player who may have a chance.

Wow OCF's first name is Matsuzaka! That's wild.

Pffffffthh!

However, my first name is a portion of the seldom-used full first name of one already inducted HoMer, and is the surname of an active player who may have a chance.

Nice to meet you, Kent.

:)

Yeah, the group of Bottenfield, Mercker, Tekulve, and Hrbek seems unlikely to produce any HoMers. But Kenton Lloyd Boyer ...

OCF: My surname will never be inducted

What about Old Hoss Radbourn? ;-)

(non-baseball post)
by the way, you can look at
http://hamrick.com/names/
to find a graphic look at surname distribution in the USA at various points in history

unique surnames (like Eric's) will not show up tho

unique surnames (like Eric's) will not show up tho

Come on there are at least fifty Chaleks in the U.S., this is an outrage!

Well, but at least I'm not named Matsuzaka Chalek....

If you like Win Shares, Murphy has a pretty impressive prime from 1980-87 (adj 1981 for strike):

1980 28
1981 20
1982 32
1983 32
1984 33
1985 31
1986 22
1987 29
ave. 28.4

The above is helped by incredible durability (how long was his games played streak?).

His record is a bit less impressive if you use WS above bench, or above average.

Still, his preak/prime is very nice.

Kent??

I was working on Harold Traynor, but we haven't elected him yet, and wondering whether Albert Spalding is little used, but Jared Burton doesn't yet look like a good candidate.

If anyone here is named Tram Tickets, feel free to make something of Tristram Speaker and Alan Trammell.

--

Oh, yes, Dale Murphy, a fine prime. If he could catch flies with Dwayne he would be "n-b".

The first of four seemingly dissimilar candidates who have impressive and surpisingly similar 6-year peaks hidden in careers with very different amounts of padding. The others are Will Clark, Albert Belle, and Sammy Sosa. I think that Clark is the best of those canidates and Belle the worst, but the similarities are notable.

At one point during the rain delay at the Indy 500 today, Brent Musberger, apropos of nothing, said "According to the Census, Smith is the most popular last name in America. But no one named Smith has ever started in the Indy 500." Then they thankfully went to commercial while I practically fell out of my chair laughing.