Who are the best (retired) players who are one tier below HOF caliber?

RonBurgundy

Thought it might be fun to list players you can think of who are not HOF caliber, but were very good players in their day. Guys that with just a little more talent - or a few more seasons - could've been HOF'ers but just weren't great enough. Very, very good, but not great.


Here's two to start off:


Vada Pinson

Harold Baines




Stay classy.


Ron

Stingray

Jeff Bagwell

TomGshotput

we could probably come up with close to 1 000 names

A few of my favories:

Dom DiMaggio
Curt Flood
Dan Quisenberry
Jose Canseco

RonBurgundy

Frank Howard

Treetop

Thurmon Munson and Dan Mattingly

dontippet

Dale Murphy
Roger Maris

Wondo

Bunch of Tigers:

Lolich 200+ wins, 25 win season, 300k season, 3 wins in a WS
Freehan 8 time all star,5 gold glove
Trammell 6 time all star, 4 gold gloves
Whitaker ROY, All star,
Cash .361, 377 HR, high HR%
Staub Long career, 2700+ hits

All good - multiple all-stars, but just below HOF

markj111

Dwight Evans
Darrell Evans
Bobby Grich
Ted Simmons
Jack Morris
Jim Rice

The first four were tremendous ballplayers who never had much support. The bottom two, of course, might still get in.

markj111

Bagwell will get in.

rube26105

goooen and strawberry possibly if they didnt screw thier lives up with coke

MantleMarisFordBerra

Fred McGriff, Ted Simmons, Dale Murphy, Rocky Covilato, Jim Bunning, Bert Byleven, Doc Gooden, Dave Kingman, Darrell Evans, Dwight Evans, Jim Rice, Dave Parker, Rubean Sierra, Bob Friend, Tommy Henrich, Tim Raines, Harold Baines, Andres Gallaraga, Jose Canseco, Ron Santo, Tony Oliva, Mark Grace, Dave Concepion, Louis Tiant, Keith Hernandez, Boog Powell, Frank Howard, Lou Whitaker, Alan Trammell, Fred Lynn...lots of 'em.

I still holdout hope for Roger Maris, Jack Morris, Don Mattingly, Andre Dawson, Thurmon Munson...we'll see.

markj111

<< <i>Fred McGriff, Ted Simmons, Dale Murphy, Rocky Covilato, Jim Bunning, Bert Byleven, Doc Gooden, Dave Kingman, Darrell Evans, Dwight Evans, Jim Rice, Dave Parker, Rubean Sierra, Bob Friend, Tommy Henrich, Tim Raines, Harold Baines, Andres Gallaraga, Jose Canseco, Ron Santo, Tony Oliva, Mark Grace, Dave Concepion, Louis Tiant, Keith Hernandez, Boog Powell, Frank Howard, Fed Lynn...lots of 'em.

I still holdout hope for Roger Maris, Jack Morris, Don Mattingly, Andre Dawson, Thurmon Munson...we'll see. >>




Raines and Blyleven are far more qualified than the five you have hope for; Bunning is already in. The Dutchman is apparently not going to make it, we shall see about the Rock. I am surprised to see Sierra's name on your list. I better go check out his stats.

Santo and both Evans are also more qualified than your five.

PSASAP

I think the correct term is "streak" of tigers. :-)Text

yankeeno7

Gil Hodges, Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, Graig Nettles, and David Wells

Of course I think mostly of Yanks.

RonBurgundy

Jim Bunning is a HOF'er. Gil Hodges should be in.

Ted Kluzewski.


Ron

yankeeno7

Possibly Tony Oliva

Piman58

Orel Hershiser, Buddy Bell, Mel Harder

Connecticoin

Burt Blyleven

BobaFett72

Bert should already be enshrined.

some of my favorite guys from the 80's to mid 90's...classy guys, good team players, solid and consistent:

Dale Murphy: easily one of the players of the Decade

Joe Carter: an RBI machine on some bad Cleveland teams and ultimate W.S. hero.

Fred McGriff: consistent power and RBI's for a several teams.

coinkat

great thread so far...

CowboyDad

Andre Dawson ?

alnavman

I agree with PIMAN on Mel Harder....I commented on a previous thread that I thought he belonged in the Hall.

Bosox1976

Who do you think gets my vote ?


Pitcher-------- Win Loss K--- ERA/LgERA
Tiant----------- 229 172 2416 3.30/3.74
Hunter- --------224 166 2012 3.26/3.39
Bunning -------224 184 2855 3.27/3.74
Drysdale-------209 166 2486 2.95/3.57

coinkat

Boog Powell

Norm Cash

ArnyVee

I agree with the Luis Tiant! And, I would agree with Tony Oliva as well. But, you could list hundreds if not thousands of guys.

grote15

Blyleven and Ron Santo.

BobaFett72

Santo isnt one tier below. he SHOULD be in the HOF.

SDSportsFan

Al Oliver and Steve Garvey


Oh, and Tommy John



Steve

ElectricPrune

Here's two nobody else would say:
1) Bill Madlock
2) Vada Pinson

metalmike

I am biased for the Reds so here goes. 1. Joe Nuxhall- announcers wing and the youngest player ever. 2. Barry Larkin the prototype shortstop- between the no hit great field and the Jeter/Arod eras. 3 Davey Concepcion a great cog of THE BIG RED MACHINE second only to Ozzy. 4. Jim Maloney- one of the premier power pitchers of the 60's 5. Don Gullett outstanding and along with Jim Hunter one of the first top tier free agents. Honorable mentions Vida Blue- Louis Tiant- Vada Pinson- Dale Murphy -Don Mattingly-Curt Flood

ElectricPrune

Damnit Mike! I just said nobody would say Vada Pinson, and you list him in the next post!

TheThrill

Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Andre Dawson, Albert Belle, Will Clark, Jeff Bagwell, Fred Mcgriff, Joe Carter, Keith Hernandez.

Jack Morris, Doc Gooden, Bret Saberhagen, Mark Langston, Orel Hershiser.

grote15

Santo isnt one tier below. he SHOULD be in the HOF.

LOL, my bad, I thought we were listing guys who haven't gotten in but should. Blyleven SHOULD be in the HOF, as well.

One tier below?

I'd say Gossage and Dawson, then, maybe Rice.

And don't forget Dallas' guy, Gene Tenace.

rube26105

i never realized roger maris wasnt in the hall-evertthing they did to him to screw him in 1961 should put him in there alonce between the ny press hating him and comish frisk

coinkat

Bill Buckner... I still think he was a terrific hitter

Did Dick Allen get in? I honestly don't remember but I don't think so.

RonBurgundy

Bobby Thomson.



Ron

BuffaloBisonsHockey

Rocky Colavito. Did he sleep in that uniform ?

colebear

Mattingly, Rice, McGriff, Hodges, Maris, and Dawson

clayshooter22

He doesn't qualify as below HOF caliber....


It is a crime that Blyleven is not in yet.

RonBurgundy

Al Rosen.





Ron

Brian48

I would say Blyleven, Rice, and Gossage, but I think these guys will eventually get it in one way or another. That said, Dwight Evans immediately comes to mind. If he had only developed that swing 3-4 years earlier in this career, he would had the numbers that would have commanded attention with the sports writers. His stellar defense would have only been a plus.

Ironmanfan

Lets start a thread about the players that should be removed.....

dallasactuary

By position, the best player who is not in the HOF and does not belong in the HOF:

C: Ted Simmons
1B: Norm Cash
2B: Willie Randolph
SS: Jim Fregosi
3B: Sal Bando
LF: Frank Howard
CF: Vada Pinson
RF: Bobby Murcer
P: Carl Mays

If you think there is someone better at any position, then I either disagree or I think that player belongs in the HOF (you have to guess which is which). I also didn't even consider the players who retired so recently that they have not really had a chance to get voted in yet.

Special mention to Dick Allen who was WAY better than anyone listed above. As a player he was a HOFer, but that's not the reason he's not in; because he was not, in any sense of the word, a second-tier player, I didn't list him either.

One thing that always strikes me when I make lists like this - playing in the 60's or early 70's in a large park obscured many a tremendous career. Bobby Murcer, Ken Singleton, Bobby Bonds, Vada Pinson, Jimmy Wynn, Tony Oliva..... the list of outfielders whose jockstraps Jim Rice is not fit to carry is long indeed, but he's the one who might make the HOF.

{Gene Tenace, just to be clear, is not listed because Ted Simmons was better - not because I think he should be in the HOF.}

coinkat

some excellent players have been identified