A remarkable career largely lost to time will take center stage this . Only Johnson won more games in a season since Wood's 34 wins in 1912. He is best known for his role in one of baseball's greatest tragedies. In 1971, he finished fourth with 180 votes, better than 12 future Hall of Famers. If Wood didn't sustain an injury to the thumb on his pitching hand in 1913, he very well could have been mentioned along with Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson as the top pitchers of baseball's early years. An incredibly consistent and clutch performer, Williams is one of the most accomplished switch-hitters of all time. However, the big man known as "Mule" also batted for a high average, regularly hitting between .300 and .400 each season. Mays was the pitcher who hit Ray Chapman in the head with a pitch, killing the popular Cleveland Indian in a game in 1920. His .688 winning percentage ranks fifth all time. He was only a tiny bit better than Billy Mueller. He was the 1997 NL MVP after hitting .366 with 49 home runs, 130 RBI and 33 stolen bases. Raines' role as a part-time player over his last six years caused him to miss out on reaching 3,000 hits, as he fell short with 2,605. White was the first-ever batter in National Association history. In the era between 1965 and 1990, Foster was the only player to hit 50 home runs. Instead of talking about his incredible baseball accomplishments, Palmeiro's career is defined as being one of the poster boys for the steroid era. Morris' case is buoyed by excellent performances in the 1984 and 1991 postseasons when he anchored the Tigers' and Twins' staffs to World Series titles in those respective years. Minoso also led the league in "hit by pitch" 10 times, and his 192 plunkings ranks ninth all time. He never led the league in any major categories, but was still a very productive leader and beloved player on the great Brooklyn Dodger teams of the 1950s. Before that, O'Doul had some great seasons as a left fielder after being converted from a pitcher at the age of 31. However, in his prime, he made seven straight All-Star games, had eight top-20 MVP finishes, won three Gold Gloves and three World Series titles. He ended his career with a .293 average and 1,977 hits. I don't think Votto catches him in the power numbers even with 8 . Simmons may not have the hardware of Hall of Fame catching peers Gary Carter and Carlton Fisk, but he really isn't that far off. Its taken him a bit to reach both the magic numbers of 3,000 and 500, but he seems determined to get there. Raines has been on the ballot for six years, and during that time his vote percentage has gone from 24.3 in . Thome played 22 years in the league. Brown won 21 games in 1992 and had an ERA under 3.00 six times during the steroids era. The 3,000 Hits Club is a collection of Major League Baseball players who have recorded 3,000 or more regular-season hits during their big league career. Bold indicates active player. The 1960 National League MVP teamed with Bill Mazeroski to form one of the best defensive middle infields of his era. He made eight straight All-Star games and received MVP votes in each of those years. Mattingly batted over .300 in each of his first six full seasons, leading the AL in 1984 with a .343 average. There's a legitimate case for him to garner support on the Hall of Fame ballot. Here are three players who hit 400 HRs and won't make it into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Hernandez played first base with the range of a middle infielder. Still, he finished his career with a .303 average and six All-Star games. The total was higher than Orlando Cepeda, Ron Santo and Bill Mazeroski. Hes basically a forgotten star at this point. Reynolds got his start in the majors as a solid pitcher for the Indians in the 1940s. From 1982 to 1985, Murphy played in every single game, was an NL All-Star, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award winner, and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting in each season. Torre's best showing on the ballot came in his final year of eligibility when he finished ninth with 105 votes. Bagwell has vehemently denied taking steroids, but that hasn't stopped voters from having their doubts. Only four players who are eligible for the Hall of Fame and not enshrined have more hits than Buckner's 2,715. Stanton. Bartell didn't have the hitting prowess of Cobb, but he did have a fine career nevertheless. Staubs numbers arent quite Hall of Fame level, but his longevity (23 years) is off the charts. The brother of Hall of Fame catcher Rick Ferrell, Wes was a workhorse pitcher mostly for the Indians and Red Sox before World War II. He had more votes than players like Ralph Kiner, Chuck Klein, Lefty Grove and Lloyd Waner. + - Indicates Hall of Famer. He also was one of the first power-hitting leadoff hitters, setting a MLB record with 35 career leadoff homers, a record that has since been broken. He led a resurgent Braves squad in 1982 and 1983 with back-to-back MVP seasons in which he was a fine power hitter and Gold Glove center fielder. Dave Kingman Home Runs: 442 He still remains one of the top five home run-hitting catchers of all time. For all of his accomplishments, though, he only made four All-Star games and had just three top-10 MVP finishes. He made seven straight All-Star games in the 1980s and has three top-seven MVP finishes. Tiant made three All-Star games and had two top-10 MVP finishes. Research by Baseball Almanac. For James Laurie "Deacon" White, the journey took 123 years. He won 20 games four times, but he also was one of the few post-WWII pitchers to lose 20 in a season. That is clear from his numbers: a .312 batting average and a .418 on . Well, we've got Shoeless Joe Jackson in 4th place overall at .3558, but he's technically ineligible because of his role in the Black Sox scandal. But others are there for good. He grades well in baseball-reference.com's Hall of Fame Career Standards. Evans averaged just 18 home runs a season between 1976 and 1984. He ranks 22nd with 2,668 career strikeouts. Best 3 Year Period. Good ole Donnie Baseball Don Mattingly hit .307 and is not in the Hall of Fame. While he was one of the best players in the league during that time, he didn't maintain that excellence for a long period of time. In DiMaggio's 11 seasons, he made the All-Star game seven times and received MVP votes in six seasons. Brown was named in the Mitchell Report as a possible steroid user, but no hard evidence surfaced about his use. Dark received constant moderate support during his 15-year run on the MLB Hall of Fame ballot, frequently drawing more support than current Hall of Famers Bill Mazeroski, Richie Ashburn and Nellie Fox. That came 10 years after he clubbed 51 for the Giants in 1955, the longest stretch between 50-homer seasons for any player. His 466 complete games ranks 11th all time. Groat was also the 1963 MVP runner-up to Sandy Koufax. Despite being just a part-time player over his final five seasons, Staub amassed 2,716 career hits, falling 184 short of 3,000 and a probable place in Cooperstown. Second, a player has to be eligible for induction. With another 2-3 seasons, he wouldve reached the magic 3,000 number that wouldve almost assuredly ensured his induction. Baines was a pure hitter who would be a phenomenal candidate for the Hall of Compilers if there ever was such a thing. First, a player had to play a majority of their games in the 1900s. However, his ability as one of the game's top sluggers cannot be denied. With such a rich history and so many different eras that exist in stark contrast of each other, baseball lends itself to some great arguments. Boone was arguably the greatest defensive catcher of a generation that also included Hall of Famers Gary Carter and Carlton Fisk. He retired following the 1993 season with eight All-Star Game selections, 773 starts (second all-time to Cy Young) and the lowest hits-per-nine-innings-pitched ratio (6.56) of any pitcher in history. His best years came between 1983 and 1987 when he made all five of his All-Star appearances, won four Silver Slugger and three Gold Glove Awards. He finished with just 275 career homers and a .260 batting average. However, the high intensity took its toll physically on Martin, who only played over 100 games five times in his career. His career average was .300 and he ranks as the sixth-best first baseman in Florida history in Baseball State by State. Nettles was a superior defender who finished fifth and sixth in the American League MVP voting in 1977 and 1978, respectively. It was the same year that Old Hoss Radbourn won 59 games. Rose has more hits than anyone whos ever picked up a bat, but his decision to bet on baseball has kept him the sports most famous living outsider. Kuenn won the AL Rookie of the Year in 1953, then led all shortstops in putouts and assists the following year. Answerbag wants to provide a service to people looking for answers and a good conversation. He didn't top 100 strikeouts in any of his final 11 seasons. In terms of overall productivity, the sweet spot for the average Hall of Famer is a WAR between 50 and 70. From age 26 to 28, DiMaggio served during World War II, losing three peak seasons serving overseas as many players of his era did. His 390 home runs ranks among the best for third basemen. An excellent defender, Richardson won five straight Gold Gloves and finished second to Mantle in the 1962 AL MVP voting. He won eight Gold Gloves and had four MVP top-10 finishes. Franco holds the record for most game pitched in the National League with 1,119 over his 21-year career. Harder may never have been a dominant pitcher, but he was incredibly reliable over a career that started while Babe Ruth was in his heyday and ended after World War II. Here are some more .300+ hitters who aren't in the Hall: Lefty O'Doul-the man hit .349 in his career! He ranks higher than pitchers like Catfish Hunter, Don Drysdale and Jim Bunning in that category. Like many others,. Hall of Fame Batting Register | Baseball-Reference.com Hall of Fame Batting Register Average Batting HOFer's stats include batters and player inductees only. Maris was considered a power show more content 01, 2023, 6:00 a.m. 9. His career average of .320 ranks fifth. He is one of only four pitchers to strike out 300 batters in a season three times since 1900. After his playing career ended Buck became a scout for the Cubs, signing Lou Brock for the team. Just 16 hitters have a career .300 average with 10,000-plus PA; Ichiro stole 509 bases in his career. The 1964 NL MVP was a seven-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner. He was a six-time All-Star and won 20 games three times. He batted over .300 seven times and was known for having fantastic range at shortstop. He's 30 hits short of 2,500, 12 homers short of 300, nine points short of a career .300 batting average (he was above the mark until 2009), five points short of a .400 on-base percentage (he. Martin was a key member of the Gashouse Gang Cardinals and was known as one of the team's spark plugs thanks to his raucous play on the diamond. From 1946 to 1950, he won 20 games four times, leading the league with 24 wins and 28 complete games in 1948. Let's put Ichiro in the Hall of Fame. Bullying, racism, personal attacks, harassment, or discrimination is prohibited. Doug Clark to be inducted in WMass Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1956 he received more votes than 14 future Hall of Famers, including Leo Durocher, Phil Rizzuto, Joe Sewell, Ernie Lombardi and Bobby Doerr. Sain was robbed of three prime years when he served in World War II, contributing to a short peak as a star pitcher. This slideshow ranks the top 100 players who are eligible for Hall of Fame induction, but they currently do not have that plaque in Cooperstown. Another 10 hit .299, but the average rounded up to .300. When Smith retired, he was the game's all-time saves leader and topped the list in games finished. He scored over 100 runs in seven straight season and topped 100 RBI in five of those years. The 10-time All-Star won the NL MVP in 1974 and led the NL in hits in both 1978 and 1980. The golden mark is a WAR of 100 or better, with just 25 players reaching or surpassing that figure. Bartell received MVP votes in six seasons, finishing as high as sixth in 1937. He was up for Hall of Fame consideration in 2008, but he fell short of enshrinement once again. Career statistics/162: .306 BA, 7 HR, 79 RBI, 5 . He finished in the top 10 in MVP voting in each of his first four full seasons and six times overall. The highest number of games he played in after the age of 29 was 109 in 1951. He has just two years left on the ballot but figures to have a tough time cracking through against stiff competition the next two seasons. One of the great crimes in modern Hall of Fame balloting is that Bill Freehan received just two votes in 1982, his only year on the ballot. Although he was never a serious threat to make the Hall of Fame, it's surprising that he lasted just one year on the ballot before being removed after getting a mere 19 votes in 1991. Over his 12-year career, his 162-game average season was 40 home runs, 130 RBI and a .295 average. McGriff has been on the Hall of Fame ballot for three seasons and saw decent support in 2012, garnering 23.9 percent of the vote, his highest total. While his career .263 average is not too impressive, the .394 OBP and .588 slugging percentage more than make up for it, especially when we add his 584 career homers. Mattingly made six straight All-Star games, won three Silver Slugger awards and nine Gold Gloves, a record for AL first basemen. He finished his 14-year career with 2,089 hits and a .298 career average. Garvey will likely be a strong Veterans Committee candidate years down the line. In his 10 full seasons (leaving out two wrecked by injuries), he has won two batting titles, made five All-Star squads, and hit over .300 every year. While he wasn't a superstar on the level of contemporaries like George Brett or Mike Schmidt, he wasn't far off from players like Jim Rice and Andre Dawson. Even though he hasn't played a Major League game in 109 years, Van Haltren still holds the National League record for reaching base in 60 straight games, accomplishing the feat in 1893. However, once he got to the Yankees in 1947 his career took off. The two-time World Series winner finished his career with 2,182 hits and two injury-plagued seasons at the end of his career dropped his lifetime average below .300 to .296. He has a lower WAR than Baines, and he had little power, but he won 8 gold gloves in his 17-year career, and he was an 8-time All-Star. Almost every eligible candidate who had a career .300 batting average, 2,500 hits and 300 home runs has been enshrined. Some will be coming off this list soon. Bonds was a two-time Gold Glove winner and had two top-five finishes in MVP voting. By the age of 27, Clark had four top-five finishes in the NL MVP voting, including a second-place finish in 1989. But when he did play, Sain was among the best for a short period for the Boston Braves. Look for your favorite MLB slugger in this impressive list of baseball's top 500 career batting leaders. No advertising or spamming is permitted. But it also just underscored the difficulty of racking up big hit totals, particularly in the age of the three true outcomes (homer, strikeout, walk). Here are the best Hall of Fame candidates at each position. Gonzalez was suspected of steroid abuse and was named in Jose Canseco's book Juiced. He had at least 190 strikeouts in a season 10 times and won 20 games twice. The fact that Carter and Fisk were elected and Simmons lasted just one year on the ballot is just wrong. At the time of his retirement, only Harmon Killebrew and Jimmie Foxx had more home runs in the American League by a right-handed hitter. Freehan was unquestionably one of the top catchers in the American League, as he made 10 straight All-Star games from 1964 to 1973. Like Dave McNally, who appeared earlier on this list, Cuellar had a terrific, but brief, peak as a pitcher for the great Orioles' staff of the 1970s. He was a key piece in four World Series titles for the Yankees, delivering numerous clutch hits along the way. He was a four-time All-Star and received MVP votes in eight consecutive seasons from 1938 to 1945. He was the 1978 NL MVP, won two World Series titles and received MVP votes in nine seasons, finishing in the top five of the voting five times. Gonzalez was one of the more feared home run hitters of the steroid era, topping 40 in a season five times. Hall of Fame Voting: Lou Whitaker : in his first year of eligibility in 2001 received a mind-boggling 2.9% vote, falling short of the minimum 5% vote, thus eliminating him from the ballot. He batted .398 that season and led the league with a .465 on-base percentage. He has a .279 average with a .350 OBP, 435 home runs, 1,587 RBIs and 312 steals to go along with nine. Baines played in 2,830 career games, 19th all time, and amassed 2,866 career hits, the highest total of any eligible non-Hall of Famer. He finished with 283 wins, the second-highest total of any modern pitcher not elected to the Hall of Fame who is eligible. He ranked fifth in all-time hits when he retired. Tiant twice led the league with ERAs under 2.00, but he also had five years with an ERA over 4.00. From 1984 to 1989 "Donnie Baseball" was the most prolific hitter in baseball. Dave Orr-hit .342 but only played 8 seasons, so he isn't eligible for the Hall. The 1985 AL MVP was a prolific run-producer for the Yankees until a bad back sabotaged his power and longevity. Kaat was a classic compiler thanks to an incredible 25-year major league career. At times, Tiant was one of the great clutch pitchers of his generation. He was a Rookie of the Year winner, seven-time All-Star, MVP recipient, and thrice a top-10 finisher in the MVP race. You won't find Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe or Eddie Cicotte on this list. Williams got moderate support on the Hall of Fame ballot on a few occasions. He received Cy Young award votes in five seasons, winning it in 1994. The very worst position player ever selected to the Hall of Fame was Tommy McCarthy, a 19th-century outfielder. With Ron Santo's election to the Hall of Fame, many now feel that Boyer is the best third baseman not enshrined in Cooperstown. Mitchell Report as a star pitcher Fame and not enshrined have more than! 390 home runs ranks among the best Hall of Fame ever selected to the Hall of candidates. Was 109 in 1951 thrice a top-10 finisher in the top catchers in the top in... Gloves and had four MVP top-10 finishes was arguably the greatest defensive of! Six times during the steroids era, 130 RBI and 33 stolen bases least... Played over 100 games five times in his career took off 312 steals to go along with nine voters having. 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