Good/great forgotten players of yesteryear

[navamind]

Alvin Davis aka "Mr. Mariner". Had a fairly short career (only 9 years and 1206 games), but he was a very good hitter (.280/.380/.450 and 127 OPS+). Had an outstanding rookie campaign in 1984 hitting .284/.391/.497 with a 147 OPS+, 116 RBIs and finished in the top 10 in the AL in WAR. He easily won AL RoY with 25 first places votes. His power numbers fluctuated but he was very steady at getting on base, finishing in the top 10 in OBP five times and had an OBP of .370 or higher in his first seven seasons. 1989 may have been his best offensive season, hitting .305/.424/.496 with a 156 OPS+ (2nd in the AL behind only McGriff).

 

[Cedrique]

Alvin Davis aka "Mr. Mariner". Had a fairly short career (only 9 years and 1206 games), but he was a very good hitter (.280/.380/.450 and 127 OPS+). Had an outstanding rookie campaign in 1984 hitting .284/.391/.497 with a 147 OPS+, 116 RBIs and finished in the top 10 in the AL in WAR. He easily won AL RoY with 25 first places votes. His power numbers fluctuated but he was very steady at getting on base, finishing in the top 10 in OBP five times and had an OBP of .370 or higher in his first seven seasons. 1989 may have been his best offensive season, hitting .305/.424/.496 with a 156 OPS+ (2nd in the AL behind only McGriff).

Wow, he was a solid hitter. I didn't realize he was that good. It's weird how he kind of fell off a cliff at age 30.

 

[mrwallace2ku]

 

[rsw626]

Bob Horner, Atlanta Braves:

In his ten-year Major League career, Horner batted .277 with 218 home runs, 685 RBIs, 560 runs, 1,047 hits, 169 doubles, 8 triples, 14 stolen bases, a .340 on-base percentage, and a .499 slugging average in 1,020 games. Defensively, in 684 games at third base, he compiled a .946 fielding percentage, and in 330 games at first base, he posted a .994 fielding percentage. Overall, his career fielding percentage was .977.

Horner became a free agent in 1987, after his first season of more than 500 at bats. Although Horner was still near his peak, the Major League clubs were then colluding to drive down salaries, so no offers were made to Horner, who consequently signed a one-year contract with the Yakult Swallows of the Japanese League.

 

[Cedrique]

Bob Horner, Atlanta Braves:

In his ten-year Major League career, Horner batted .277 with 218 home runs, 685 RBIs, 560 runs, 1,047 hits, 169 doubles, 8 triples, 14 stolen bases, a .340 on-base percentage, and a .499 slugging average in 1,020 games. Defensively, in 684 games at third base, he compiled a .946 fielding percentage, and in 330 games at first base, he posted a .994 fielding percentage. Overall, his career fielding percentage was .977.

Horner became a free agent in 1987, after his first season of more than 500 at bats. Although Horner was still near his peak, the Major League clubs were then colluding to drive down salaries, so no offers were made to Horner, who consequently signed a one-year contract with the Yakult Swallows of the Japanese League.

I could be wrong but I think he might be one of the 30 or so guys who hit 4 homeruns in a game too.

 

[obxyankeefan]

I could be wrong but I think he might be one of the 30 or so guys who hit 4 homeruns in a game too.

And then got fined by the Braves Kangaroo Court for hitting four home runs in a game but not doing enough to win the game.

 

[California Creme Puffs]

Wow, he was a solid hitter. I didn't realize he was that good. It's weird how he kind of fell off a cliff at age 30.

Yeah, pretty surprising. Kind of reminds me of your mom.

 

[Cedrique]

Yeah, pretty surprising. Kind of reminds me of your mom.

Screw you man, she was pushed off a cliff and someday I'll prove it.

 

[California Creme Puffs]

Hal McRae

Won a World Series in '85 with the Royals, who he played for from '73-'87. Finished with a .290/.351/.454. Among players who played in his career span ('68-'87), he was 96th out of 784 qualified hitters in WAR, and 88th out of 784 hitters in wRC+.

He was selected a three-time All-Star, he hit over .300 six times for the Royals and was named Designated Hitter of the Year three times both by The Sporting News and the Associated Press.

In 1976 McRae was on top of the AL batting title race going into the final game of the season, in which his teammate George Brett went 2-for-4 to clinch the title over McRae by a margin of less than .001; McRae finished second.

Certainly not a Hall of Famer, but a good player. He won his second World Series ring as the hitting coach for the 2006 Cardinals.

 

[California Creme Puffs]

Screw you man, she was pushed off a cliff and someday I'll prove it.

It was actually Gabe Kapler who pushed her off. I was there and saw the whole thing. I was going to tell you and the police, but Kapler invited me to an extravagant dinner with veal piccata and a nice Chateau Lafite Rothschild to pair with it. By the end of it, I was so wooed, I had forgotten all about your mom being pushed off that cliff and now the statue of limitations has passed and there's nothing I can do

 

[Cedrique]

It was actually Gabe Kapler who pushed her off. I was there and saw the whole thing. I was going to tell you and the police, but Kapler invited me to an extravagant dinner with veal piccata and a nice Chateau Lafite Rothschild to pair with it. By the end of it, I was so wooed, I had forgotten all about your mom being pushed off that cliff and now the statue of limitations has passed and there's nothing I can do

I know it was Kapler. He did it to illustrate the point that a sacrifice bunt is throwing away an out for no reason.
I just can't prove it yet.

And by the way, he had a point but he didn't have to use a person to show everyone. He could have pushed a mannequin off a cliff, or even a statue. (like that statue of limitations for example)

 

[California Creme Puffs]

I know it was Kapler. He did it to illustrate the point that a sacrifice bunt is throwing away an out for no reason.
I just can't prove it yet.

And by the way, he had a point but he didn't have to use a person to show everyone. He could have pushed a mannequin off a cliff, or even a statue. (like that statue of limitations for example)

Wasn't he also behind the kidnapping of Patty Hearst? I heard he was trying to show Middleton that if you hold people in confinement and beat them over the head with the same information over and over again (rob a federal bank, join the Symbionese Liberation Army, swing with a higher launch angle, etc.) eventually they'll cave and buy into your shit.

The guy is ruthless but you have to admit his tactics are effective

 

[Cedrique]

Wasn't he also behind the kidnapping of Patty Hearst? I heard he was trying to show Middleton that if you hold people in confinement and beat them over the head with the same information over and over again (rob a federal bank, join the Symbionese Liberation Army, swing with a higher launch angle, etc.) eventually they'll cave and buy into your shit.

The guy is ruthless but you have to admit his tactics are effective

While the rest of the managers in mlb are playing checkers, Gabe is playing battleship--Electronic Battleship

 

[kburjr]

Missed a 5 HR game by a foot or so as I recall.

He also hit an infield double against the Dodgers. Hit a popup so high he was standing on 2nd base when the ball hit the field.

 

[kburjr]

.356 60 HRs 165 RBIs 29 2B 8 3B
.356 6 HRs 64 RBIs 36 2B 23 3B
.337 8 HRs 108 RBIs 47 2B 9 3B

Top guy Babe Ruth 1927
and the his 2 other OF, Earle Combs and Bob Meusel.

Not a bad outfield

 

[DragonfromTO]

Hal McRae

Won a World Series in '85 with the Royals, who he played for from '73-'87. Finished with a .290/.351/.454. Among players who played in his career span ('68-'87), he was 96th out of 784 qualified hitters in WAR, and 88th out of 784 hitters in wRC+.

He was selected a three-time All-Star, he hit over .300 six times for the Royals and was named Designated Hitter of the Year three times both by The Sporting News and the Associated Press.

In 1976 McRae was on top of the AL batting title race going into the final game of the season, in which his teammate George Brett went 2-for-4 to clinch the title over McRae by a margin of less than .001; McRae finished second.

Certainly not a Hall of Famer, but a good player. He won his second World Series ring as the hitting coach for the 2006 Cardinals.

I don't mean to throw shade on Hal but didn't he also flip out and accuse Gene Mauch of ordering his players to help Brett (I believe Brett had an inside-the-parker that was a misplayed ball) win the batting title because he's white?

And Brett actually went 3 for 4 that day. Hal was 2 for 3 and came up late needing one hit to win. He grounded out and went right after Mauch after being thrown out. No phones were involved but Mauch may have put it in his pipe and smoked it

 

[GNG]

Billy Williams - Chicago Cubs

 

[Pure Steel]

I don't mean to throw shade on Hal but didn't he also flip out and accuse Gene Mauch of ordering his players to help Brett (I believe Brett had an inside-the-parker that was a misplayed ball) win the batting title because he's white?

And Brett actually went 3 for 4 that day. Hal was 2 for 3 and came up late needing one hit to win. He grounded out and went right after Mauch after being thrown out. No phones were involved but Mauch may have put it in his pipe and smoked it

His meltdown with the reporters is classic also.....I think he had a bottle of booze in his hand at the end of the video....

 

[California Creme Puffs]

And Brett actually went 3 for 4 that day. Hal was 2 for 3 and came up late needing one hit to win. He grounded out and went right after Mauch after being thrown out.

Did you watch the game live or remember it happening?

No phones were involved but Mauch may have put it in his pipe and smoked it

Whatever this means, it's going right over my head. I could google "Gene Mauch" + "phone" but I'll let you tell me (if you're so inclined)

 

[DragonfromTO]

Did you watch the game live or remember it happening?

Whatever this means, it's going right over my head. I could google "Gene Mauch" + "phone" but I'll let you tell me (if you're so inclined)

I remembered the story from Whitey Herzog's first autobiography actually, I read it in the hospital as a kid. My long term memory is kind of freaky.

The phone and pipe comments are referencing things that Hal said/did when he went off on the media, he chucked his phone across the room at them and finished off with the pipe/smoke line.