Best Players at Each Position Not in the Hall of Fame

[catman]

The best non-Hall of Famer at every position

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America has elected the newest Hall of Famer, with third baseman Scott Rolen officially getting the call on Tuesday and joining Fred McGriff -- previously elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee -- in the Class of 2023. Still, many big...

www.mlb.com

C: Bill Freehan
1B: Rafael Palmeiro
2B: Lou Whitaker
3B: Dick Allen
SS: Omar Vizquel
LF: Barry Bonds
CF: Kenny Lofton
RF: Shoeless Joe Jackson
DH: Hal McRae
---
R-H SP: Roger Clemens
L-H SP: Johan Santana
R-H RP: Dan Quisenberry
L-H RP: Billy Wagner

Comments?

 

[Pure Steel]

I never looked at Dick Allen as a third baseman......I know he started there, but always think of him at 1st base......

 

[Center Ice]

The best non-Hall of Famer at every position

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America has elected the newest Hall of Famer, with third baseman Scott Rolen officially getting the call on Tuesday and joining Fred McGriff -- previously elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee -- in the Class of 2023. Still, many big...

www.mlb.com

C: Bill Freehan
1B: Rafael Palmeiro
2B: Lou Whitaker
3B: Dick Allen
SS: Omar Vizquel
LF: Barry Bonds
CF: Kenny Lofton
RF: Shoeless Joe Jackson
DH: Hal McRae
---
R-H SP: Roger Clemens
L-H SP: Johan Santana
R-H RP: Dan Quisenberry
L-H RP: Billy Wagner

Comments?

Bonds and Clemens.....no.

Shoeless Joe, yes because there was no definitive proof that he cheated.

 

[obxyankeefan]

C Joe Mauer
1B Albert Pujols
2B Lou Whitaker
3B Adrian Beltre
SS Jack Glasscock
RF Dwight Evans
CF Mike Trout
LF Barry Bonds

SP Roger Clemens
SP Clayton Kershaw
RP Sparky Lyle
RP Joe Nathan

Yes Kershaw, Pujols, and Trout are still playing, but they have both already had better careers then anybody not in at their position.

Whitaker should have been in a long time ago.
Mauer I doubt gets in, but there are not many catchers deserving of it.
Beltre and Bonds will be or have been hurt by the steriods era. You can add Clemens to this.
Evans is hall of very good, but I would have liked to see him go over Rice from those Boston outfields.
Glasscock is probably the third best SS not in behind Arod and Dahlin, but I am a 50 year old juvenile and like throwing his name out there.
Lyle and Nathan are just there because the OP had relievers.

 

[catman]

Beltre should have no problem getting in the Hall. He was never associated with steroids. Same with Kershaw. Mauer is an interesting candidate. Did he play catcher long enough to to be considered a catcher for voting purposes? He certainly won't go in as a 1B. I can honestly say that I had never heard of Jack Glasscock. He looks like a legitimate candidate for the Hall.
As to the steroid guys, they should go in posthumously. Their on-field exploits should be honored and their choices should be listed on their plaques.
I agree about Whitaker. Nathan and Lyle are possibilities, but RPs are not looked at favorably.

 

[Cedrique]

The best non-Hall of Famer at every position

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America has elected the newest Hall of Famer, with third baseman Scott Rolen officially getting the call on Tuesday and joining Fred McGriff -- previously elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee -- in the Class of 2023. Still, many big...

www.mlb.com

C: Bill Freehan
1B: Rafael Palmeiro
2B: Lou Whitaker
3B: Dick Allen
SS: Omar Vizquel
LF: Barry Bonds
CF: Kenny Lofton
RF: Shoeless Joe Jackson
DH: Hal McRae
---
R-H SP: Roger Clemens
L-H SP: Johan Santana
R-H RP: Dan Quisenberry
L-H RP: Billy Wagner

Comments?

Looks like a pretty good list, but come on man you can't even put Pete in as a utility player? He's almost 80 years old, give him this.

 

[Cedrique]

I never looked at Dick Allen as a third baseman......I know he started there, but always think of him at 1st base......

Yeah the 3rd baseman was Richie Allen.

 

[broncosmitty]

Yeah the 3rd baseman was Richie Allen.

I always think of Dick Allen at third tbh.

He also was retired before I was born.

And Miguel Cabrera isn’t a first baseman to me either. Guys get old and move there.

 

[Cedrique]

I always think of Dick Allen at third tbh.

He also was retired before I was born.

And Miguel Cabrera isn’t a first baseman to me either. Guys get old and move there.

Yeah Ernie Banks was retired before I was born or at least before I can remember and I always thought of him as a shortstop. Then I looked at the stats one day and he really didn't play there that much after his first few years. But with Allen I go by his baseball cards. He was Richie the 3b on the early ones but then he came back to the Phillies for a short stint in the 70's as Dick the 1b.

 

[catman]

He always preferred to be called "Dick" as opposed to "Richie" -- sort of like Roberto Clemente as opposed to "Bobby".
And, by the way, I agree that Pete Rose should be on the list.

 

[Cedrique]

He always preferred to be called "Dick" as opposed to "Richie" -- sort of like Roberto Clemente as opposed to "Bobby".
And, by the way, I agree that Pete Rose should be on the list.

Yeah, I guess the thing that keeps Rose off some of these lists is he didn't seem to care what position he played as long as he got to bat at the top of the order.

 

[catman]

By the way, Pete is a nice guy. He made my wife take a 2nd picture because he didn't like my expression on the first one. Here is the one that we kept:

 

[Pure Steel]

By the way, Pete is a nice guy. He made my wife take a 2nd picture because he didn't like my expression on the first one. Here is the one that we kept:
View attachment 261369

Pete used to gamble a table away from us at the Palm Beach Kennel Club back in the early 90's....Was there every day after his radio show in Boca.....He bet horses with two hands.......

 

[obxyankeefan]

Yeah, I guess the thing that keeps Rose off some of these lists is he didn't seem to care what position he played as long as he got to bat at the top of the order.

This was my issue with putting Pete on my list. where do you place him?

 

[navamind]

you could swap Whitaker for Grich. Both should be in IMO.

 

[Cedrique]

This was my issue with putting Pete on my list. where do you place him?

Yeah you have a point.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

I was never a huge Jorge Posada guy, but you stack his career against HOF catchers, it was a joke he was off the ballot after one year

 

[navamind]

I was never a huge Jorge Posada guy, but you stack his career against HOF catchers, it was a joke he was off the ballot after one year

Higher OPS+ than Simmons and Fisk (granted they both had 2500+ more PA), within 5 points of OPS+ of Bench/Yogi/Hartnett/Bresnahan/Lombardi/Campanella. Even if he isn't a HOFer, I think he's one of the best catchers outside it, even if he was hardly a catcher.

 

[catman]

One problem Posada had was that he was overshadowed by too many players on the Yankees' teams. He was good at everything, but did not really excel at anything.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Bonds and Clemens.....no.

Shoeless Joe, yes because there was no definitive proof that he cheated.

He did take the money (and said nothing) either way. I think that Shoeless Joe really is lionized way more than he should be,

Fall 1999: Shoeless Joe Jackson: From "Tragedy" to Farce (sabr.org)

August 1999 Boston Baseball: Sorry, Ted: Shoeless Joe Got What He Deserved (sabr.org)