Players that would have been HOFers if they could have stayed healthy

[Rex Racer]

He was a beast pre-beaning.

Fred Lynn is another one that looked like he was going to be an all time great early on, but injuries took their toll.

Lynn had no regard for his body when he was a youngster. Watching him, Rice, Dwight Evans, Fisk, Rick Burleson, Cecil Cooper etc during my high school years was awesome. Weekday afternoon games too! Man, those were the days.

 

[Rex Racer]

Nah, not an injury.

A deviated septum requires a doctor's care. Just sayin

 

[DragonfromTO]

Nobody made it rain down at the Foxy Lady in Providence like Mo Vaughn.

Legs and Eggs for life!!!!

 

[Rex Racer]

Yeah that is a good one. Those Astros teams were loaded with starting pitching

Who was the manager or pitching coach that they had that was teaching all his pitchers a new fangled pitch called the splitter?

 

[nynasty]

Lynn had no regard for his body when he was a youngster. Watching him, Rice, Dwight Evans, Fisk, Rick Burleson, Cecil Cooper etc during my high school years was awesome. Weekday afternoon games too! Man, those were the days.

Still don't understand how Rice is a HOFer but Evans is not.

One of, if not the best, RF I've ever seen.

 

[Omar 382]

Yeah, Hafner did put up some good numbers. For some reason he didn't start his major league career until he was 25. Texas was loaded with hitters I guess. As a matter of fact, they always seem to be loaded with hitters but usually short on pitching. Maybe it is the way they draft.

Yeah, I remember when he was regarded as one of the premier sluggers in the league. Looking back at his stats now, it makes sense- the guy had ridiculous power. But injuries really fucked him up. From 2007-2012, he had 6 different appearances on the DL.

He was so good that I remember in a post on Fangraphs that he was one of the most "volatile" hitters of all time, meaning he had good seasons followed by bad ones. His only really bad seasons were '08 and '13, which tells you how good a hitter he was otherwise (and when healthy).

The Most Volatile Hitter in Baseball History | FanGraphs Baseball

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

I mean this in no way disrespectful, but Thurman Munson

Corey Lidle?

 

[SlinkyRedfoot]

Corey Lidle?

Sorry. That was just wrong. Lidle was no HOF'er; he might have been a better pilot than a pitcher. . .

 

[soxfan1468927]

Nobody made it rain down at the Foxy Lady in Providence like Mo Vaughn.

The stories of Mo Vaughn at the Foxy Lady are legendary. Would sit next to a trash can so he could eat ribs and chuck the bones in, while at a strip club.

 

[Voltaire26]

Lou Whitaker ... if he wasn't injured early on in his life and was able to do a back flip ... he would have been a Hall of Famer easy

 

[Pure Steel]

Still don't understand how Rice is a HOFer but Evans is not.

One of, if not the best, RF I've ever seen.

His stats are very similar to Rice's and in no way can they be confused defensively.....An absolute weapon in RF.....1st to 3rd eliminated in most cases on a single to him.....He actually got better after 30 offensively.....

 

[Pure Steel]

Lou Whitaker ... if he wasn't injured early on in his life and was able to do a back flip ... he would have been a Hall of Famer easy

No one could flip better than the Oz.....his lifetime 87 OPS+ was just icing on his HOF cake.....

 

[Voltaire26]

Still don't understand how Rice is a HOFer but Evans is not.

One of, if not the best, RF I've ever seen.

It is funny how similar the stats are, but there is no respect for outfield defense greatness ... the guy had a cannon for an arm.

 

[StanMarsh51]

Yeah, I remember when he was regarded as one of the premier sluggers in the league. Looking back at his stats now, it makes sense- the guy had ridiculous power. But injuries really fucked him up. From 2007-2012, he had 6 different appearances on the DL.

He was so good that I remember in a post on Fangraphs that he was one of the most "volatile" hitters of all time, meaning he had good seasons followed by bad ones. His only really bad seasons were '08 and '13, which tells you how good a hitter he was otherwise (and when healthy).

The Most Volatile Hitter in Baseball History | FanGraphs Baseball
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Hafner had a 3 year stretch where he may have been the AL's best hitter....he was either 1st or 2nd in the AL in OPS in 2004, 2005, 2006 led in OPS+ in 2004 and 2006.

 

[Voltaire26]

No one could flip better than the Oz.....his lifetime 87 OPS+ was just icing on his HOF cake.....

Lou Whitaker OPS +117

Ozzie Smith OPS+ 87

 

[Omar 382]

No one could flip better than the Oz.....his lifetime 87 OPS+ was just icing on his HOF cake.....

Yeah, after the flips, all he had to do was stand in the box and maybe take a couple pitches or something and he was first-ballot....

 

[Pure Steel]

Lou Whitaker OPS +117

Ozzie Smith OPS+ 87

Yup, I'd rather have pitcher Ken Brett at the plate....

 

[Rex Racer]

Still don't understand how Rice is a HOFer but Evans is not.

One of, if not the best, RF I've ever seen.

His stats are very similar to Rice's and in no way can they be confused defensively.....An absolute weapon in RF.....1st to 3rd eliminated in most cases on a single to him.....He actually got better after 30 offensively.....

I get why some folks don't think Rice should be in, but for a period of 12 years he was one of the most feared hitters in the game. He got MVP votes in 8 different years, including winning it in 78 as well as an 8 time all star. His career totals are in fact similar to Evan's, but he played 500 fewer games and had more impact at the plate.

Dewey was on of my favorites back then and he did something almost nobody did, namely he got better as he got older, especially in his 30's. He was a 4 time AS and got MVP votes in 4 years to go along with 7 Gold Gloves, however he had a number of seasons where his BA was mediocre at best and that is going to keep him out.

I loved watching Evans' classic "straight over the top" throws from right field and I wish Rice had not been hurt in the 75 playoffs. That WS might have turned out different with an "in his prime" Jim Rice in the line up.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Yup, I'd rather have pitcher Ken Brett at the plate....

While Ken was a very fine hitter for a pitcher I'll still take the extra OBP.

 

[nynasty]

I get why some folks don't think Rice should be in, but for a period of 12 years he was one of the most feared hitters in the game. He got MVP votes in 8 different years, including winning it in 78 as well as an 8 time all star. His career totals are in fact similar to Evan's, but he played 500 fewer games and had more impact at the plate.

Rice was a very good player, I won't argue. The "one of the most feared hitters in the game" is a bit overblown. Even in his MVP season he was 10th in the AL in intentional walks.

And all these years later I still don't get how he was MVP over Guidry that year. Rice's team didn't make the playoffs, and the Yankees finish 10 games out minimum without Guidry's season for the ages.


Yep, still bitter. LOL