Good/great forgotten players of yesteryear

[Omar 382]

Baines is probably a bit overrated (I've seen a fair amount of articles over the years try to talk him up as a HOFer) and while he was a consistent hitter, a 121 OPS+ from a guy that primarily played DH and RF just isn't HOF worthy. He only had four seasons in the top 10 (never finished higher than 5th). His best OPS+ over a full season was 144, which was Lance Berkman's career OPS+. There's just no real peak or excellence, his WAA is only 1.5 and he only had two seasons north of 3 WAR (career high of 4.3).

that being said, impressive career. 22 years of solid production and over 11000 PA is nothing to be ashamed of.

Like @broncosmitty, I too gave this post a rainbow. OPS+, really dude? Everyone knows OPS sucks ass. wRC+ and wOBA are the only ways to go. I assume not using wRC+ is why bronco rainbowed it too

 

[JohnU]

I remember him playing in Detroit ... like you said, not great but solid!!!

To play competitively for 15 or more years ... and he was a middle infielder ... that's hard to do. Of course, his last several years, he was mostly a reserve but he also lived through a very interesting time in the game when the first teams went west to the first expansion to baseball in Canada and of course free agency. What a time to be a player. Sadly he also played on some pretty bad teams.

 

[Cedrique]

Showing my age, but he was one of my favorite players as a kid.


Nate Colbert was just slightly before my time, but I remember in the late 70's or early 80's there was a baseball card commemorating him hitting 5 homeruns and having a million RBIs in a double header. But if you remember Colbert you probably remember the early 70's Oakland teams. I didn't start watching baseball til a couple years later but when you look at those teams it is amazing how much talent they had before the owner started unloading everyone. Just the number of good players they had a all different stages of their careers that ended up playing for like 15-20 years. You had guys just beginning their careers like George Hendrick and Phil Garner. Solid outfielder Joe Rudi. Bert Campaneris, a speedy shortstop who played for like 20 years. Reggie Jackson, one of the best lefthanded power guys ever. Rollie Fingers, Hall of fame reliever, Jim Hunter hall of fame starter, Vida Blue. Gene Tenace, a catcher with some power and always had a high OBP. There's probably even more from that 71-74 period, especially pitchers.

 

[obxyankeefan]

The first MLB game I ever went to was the A's at the Orioles. Reggie Jackson was playing for the Orioles at that time, and I remember Rudi making a catch up against the fence.

 

[Cedrique]

The first MLB game I ever went to was the A's at the Orioles. Reggie Jackson was playing for the Orioles at that time, and I remember Rudi making a catch up against the fence.

Wow, I don't remember Jackson with the Orioles. Was that a one year free agent deal before his big contract with the Yankees?

 

[obxyankeefan]

Wow, I don't remember Jackson with the Orioles. Was that a one year free agent deal before his big contract with the Yankees?

1976 Charlie Finley knew he could not pay all the players so he sold them off. He traded Jackson to Baltimore in the off season, knowing that at the end of the season Reggie was going to be a FA.

 

[obxyankeefan]

If you like Reggie or hate the Yankees go back and watch his 3 HR game in 1977. Howard Cosell goes off on a rant about the Yankees ruining baseball because of the FAs they had signed.

 

[Cedrique]

If you like Reggie or hate the Yankees go back and watch his 3 HR game in 1977. Howard Cosell goes off on a rant about the Yankees ruining baseball because of the FAs they had signed.

lol, Howard Cosell was great. Always made the games seem more important than they are. I'll check it out. I do remember when I was growing up right after that 3 home run game they came out with a candy bar named after him. It was actually good. It was round and way more expensive than a normal candy bar. I wonder if anyone saved some to sell on ebay......

 

[Cedrique]

what was I thinking...of course they did

1978 Reggie Jackson Curtiss Candy Bar Baseball~UNOPEN~RARE~Oddball Sports Item | eBay

 

[obxyankeefan]

what was I thinking...of course they did

1978 Reggie Jackson Curtiss Candy Bar Baseball~UNOPEN~RARE~Oddball Sports Item | eBay

My father was at the opening game of 1978, when they gave out the Reggie bars. He brought home 3 or 4 of them for me. I ate one and threw the rest out, they were nasty.

 

[Cedrique]

My father was at the opening game of 1978, when they gave out the Reggie bars. He brought home 3 or 4 of them for me. I ate one and threw the rest out, they were nasty.

I remembered them as being good, but I'll take your word for it. I'm not going to spend 30 bucks on a candy bar that has been sitting around for 38 years just to prove you wrong.......

 

[JohnU]

Strangely, there were a lot of athletes who had a bar, including Shaq, Mario Andretti, a few football players and hockey players ... here are some baseball bars.

 

[JohnU]

 

[JohnU]

 

[JohnU]

 

[JohnU]

 

[Cedrique]

Strangely, there were a lot of athletes who had a bar, including Shaq, Mario Andretti, a few football players and hockey players ... here are some baseball bars.

View attachment 166398

Milk Chocolate? Way to go out on a limb there, Junior

 

[Cedrique]

I think Magic Johnson had one too. On the wrapper it said "Positively good"
I bet Pete Rose had one at one time.
I like the Steve Carlton bar. The taste speaks for itself.
Wade Boggs was going to have a candy bar but he chickened out at the last minute.
Cookie Rojas had a great idea for a candy bar that ended up being stolen by Twix.

 

[Cedrique]

Most of the Gaylord Perry bars were immediately recalled after the FDA found a foreign substance in them

 

[Cedrique]

Cesar Cedeno had a killer candy bar back in the day. Similar to the OJ bar