Looking Ahead to the Class of 2014

Since it appears that the BBWAA is sticking to its guns and not voting in players who have been linked to steroids, the Hall of Fame Class of 2014 looks to be one of most heralded classes ever.

And, yeah, that's with or without all those worthy holdovers from this year's ballot.

Either way, the Hall of Fame Class of 2014 looks to be one of most heralded classes ever.  Ever.  Not since 2001, has Cooperstown welcomed three or more first-timers through its doors. 2014 could (and should if you ask me) add four.

Here are the players that will be appearing on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2014.

IN.

Greg Maddux.
What can be said about Maddux that everyone doesn’t already know? 355 wins compared to 227 losses, a career 3.16 ERA and 3371 strikeouts. Add to that four straight Cy Young Awards, 18 straight Gold Gloves, eight All-Star Games, having his number retired by two teams…and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
 

Frank Thomas.

"The Big Hurt” hung up his spikes with a career batting average of .301, 521 home runs, 1704 RBI and close to 2500 base hits. Did you know…the two-time MVP is the only player in baseball history to have seven consecutive seasons of a .300 average, 100 runs, 100 RBI, 20 home runs and at least 100 walks?

Tom Glavine.
Only in a year where Greg Maddux is up for induction would Glavine be the second-best pitcher on the ballot. With a 305-203 record...dude is easily one of the best lefties over the last 25 years. Five years with 20-plus wins and two Cy Young Awards (four other seasons in the top five voting) stack up nicely alongside his ten All-Star appearances and one World Series ring.

Jeff Kent.
The "Survivor" contestant and his lip curtain have a long road ahead of them. Is his legendary prickliness toward the media enough to keep him on the bubble…or do his numbers as one of the best second basemen ever win out? The 2000 National League MVP amassed 2461 hits, 377 home runs and a .290 batting average.


OUT (in random order).

Kenny Rogers.
Since it has been close to 20 years since “The Gambler” tossed his perfect game (July 28, 1994), it is only appropriate he gets brought up as a 2014 Hall candidate. Unfortunately, he’s going to be watching from home like the rest of us. The guy was a wizard on the bump…five Gold Gloves, 219 wins and close to 2000 strikeouts, but what is most impressive is that he is the all-time leader in pickoffs with 93.

Moises Alou.
Alou had a much better career than a lot of people realize, but just because he is underrated...he doesn’t deserve a plaque in Cooperstown. Over his 17-year career, Alou boasted a .303 career batting average, just under 2200 career hits and 332 home runs. Considering he finally got his crack at the bigs at age 25…it’s hard to imagine what kind of numbers he would have had if he broke in five years prior.

Armando Benitez, Sean Casey, Jose Cruz Jr., Ray Durham, Damion Easley, Keith Foulke, Eric Gagne, Scott Hatteberg, Jacque Jones, Todd Jones, Jon Lieber, Esteban Loaiza, Paul Lo Duca, Matt Morris, Trot Nixon, Jay Payton, Richie Sexson, J.T. Snow, Shannon Stewart, Mike Timlin, Steve Trachsel and Jose Vidro.

ON THE BUBBLE.

Mike Mussina.
To me, Mussina is an interesting case. On paper, you see a HUGE winning percentage (.638), a brilliant 270 and 153 record and 2813 Ks. His career ERA is 3.68 and one could argue that had he not toiled for more than half of his career in Baltimore…he would be as much of a Hall candidate as Tom Glavine. However, Glavine had five seasons with more than 20 wins. Mussina, while he’s hit double digits in wins seventeen straight years, only his 20 once. The Cy Young award has eluded Mussina as well. Unfortunately, six top five finishes and no hardware doesn’t make for the best Hall of Fame case.  Although I admit it...I am coming around on "Moose".


Luis Gonzalez.
In 2001, “Gonzo” hit .325 with 57 home runs and 142 RBI and led the Diamondbacks to a World Series title. Dude finished up with 354 home runs, 2591 hits and 1439 RBI.  There are only four players that are Hall-eligible (Rafael Palmeiro, Harold Baines, Fred McGriff and Jeff Bagwell) that have more RBI and have yet to be enshrined in Cooperstown. There are no Hall-eligible players with more doubles than “Gonzo” that have yet to get called to the Hall.


Hideo Nomo.
Ask anyone what they think of Nomo and his Hall chances and they’ll likely laugh in your face. However, he is the guy who is credited with paving the way for Japanese players to make their way to the Majors. After a brief, yet successful, career in Japan, Nomo hit the states and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1995. He’s the only Japanese player to have thrown a no-hitter (he threw two…one in each league) and finished his abbreviated MLB career with four seasons with more than 200 strikeouts and a 123-109 record. But…without Nomo, there would be no Ichiro. Let’s not forget how he took the league by storm in 1995 and made it okay for Major League teams to take a chance on Asian players.

Jeff Kent Booted from "Survivor"

When it was initially leaked that former big leaguer Jeff Kent was going to be competing on "Survivor" Philippines", conventional wisdom was that there would be no way any of the other 17 contestants would let the millionaire take home the million dollar prize.

But, fortunately for the 2000 National League MVP, his team was winning challenges and dude was becoming a major player in the game.

Heck, he became such a force that Katie Hanson, whom he helped vote out of the game complimented him during her exit interview.

　

"Jeff Kent was playing the game from the get go. He knew the right people he wanted to align with," the former Miss Delaware told Hall contributor Gordon Holmes. "He was, in my opinion, the dominant male force on our tribe."

Even friend of The Hall Albert Destrade, who placed third two seasons ago had an opinion.

　

"Jeff Kent's stubborn inflexible "returner's can't win" agenda was ultimately his undoing. If he aligns with Skupin and RC the previous week, he probably wins the season," the former college baseball player said. "A perfect example if why you only make decisions if they inherently improve your chances of winning."

Then, well, during Wednesday night's episode, the future Hall of Famer was sent packing...and if the Twittersphere is any indication, fans of the show weren't really upset to see him go.

 

Fittingly, Kent, who no doubt voted Republican on Tuesday, left with some harsh words toward no, not his fellow castaways...but Barack Obama.

"It's not even a freakin' million bucks, it's only about 600,000 after Obama takes it all," Kent said.  "This just sucks."

I guess when you've already got several million (he claims $60 million) in the bank, it's alright to be a little red-assed...especially when you finish tenth.

Here's Jeff Kent getting the boot. 

 

Five Baseball Players Who Should Have Their Own Reality Show

After dozens of athletes from the NBA, NFL, auto racing, the Olympics and the like making the rounds on primetime reality programming, it's about time Major League Baseball (and someone NOT named Jose Canseco) got some play in the reality show genre.

As you know by now, when the latest installment of "Survivor" premieres on CBS Wednesday night, former National League MVP Jeff Kent will be in the fold.

His involvement has been covered enough (HERE and HERE for example), so, now that the door has been opened to the baseball world...why not specualte as to who else might make a great addition to a reality show.  And who better to do it than friend of The Hall (and one of TV's greatest reality show villains), Jonny Fairplay?

 

 

Fairplay on John Kruk:  "He's not as big as he was, but he's not that small either."

 

Fairplay on Roger Clemens:  "I'm still not buying it and I know LIARS!"

 

 

Fairplay on Goose Gossage:  "What are they going to do with that mustache?"

 

 

Fairplay on Doc Gooden:  "Nevermind. Been there, done that."

 

 

Fairplay on Dale Murphy:  "The most famous Mormon baseball player and my personal favorite player ever. Do all Mormons get multiple wives? If so, sign me up!"

 

Who do you think should have a show?  Let us know in the comments below!  And feel free to follow all the antics and exploits of two-time "Survivor" contestant Jonny Fairplay on Twitter at @jonnyfairplay.

Talking "Survivor" with Jeff Kent

As you might have read here a while back, former big leaguer Jeff Kent hit the wilderness of the Philippines as one of the contestants on the latest season of "Survivor".

Good friend of this site, Gordon Holmes, had a chance to sit down with each of the castaways for this, the 25th season of the hit CBS reality show and got the 2000 National League MVP's thoughts on trying to stay incognito while in the Philippines, what makes a good "Survivor" player and, well, that mustache of his.

HOLMES:  Are you going to let people know about your career in Major League Baseball?

KENT:  I don’t plan on it. If people catch who I am I’m going to have to come clean. Hopefully they won’t know as much about me as you do and have me on their fantasy team.

HOLMES:  You made a few seasons and another time you broke my heart.

KENT:  (Laughs) I’ll downplay it as best I can, if they know. But now I’m a motorcycle dealer, I have a family with four kids. I have a working ranch. That’s kind of how I’m playing this thing. Hopefully that will be enough.

HOLMES:  Something that I think may work in your favor is; baseball players always have a hat or a helmet on. I’d definitely recognize the name Jeff Kent, but as a baseball fan, I only really recognize players from my own team.

KENT:  Well, there weren’t many white guys with mustaches walking around. I was known as one of the only guys in baseball to still have the porn-stache of the ‘80s who was still playing in the ‘90s. There is one kid here who’s wearing a whole lot of New York Yankees get-up, so hopefully he won’t catch on.

HOLMES:  Ever thought of losing the porn-stache?

KENT:  I’ve only shaved it off one time, and that was in the World Series in 2002 and we ended up losing. I was so bitter I went home and shaved my mustache. The next day I looked in the mirror and
thought, “What an ugly bastard you are.” So, I let it grow back. I haven’t shaved it since.

HOLMES:  Let me get your opinion on this, my friends at The Hall of Very Good asked me; which St. Louis Cardinal would you like to see on “Survivor”? I picked catcher Yadier Molina because I thought a catcher is perfectly suited for the game. Because he’s a catcher, he’s got to be tough, he’s used to being uncomfortable. He knows how to manage the egos of a pitching staff.

KENT:  I would say a catcher would fare well because he’s in control of the game. He’s got to control his pitcher, but he’s got to control the defense and the hitter too. Yadier’s changed over the years. He’s a pretty good kid, he was soft spoken, but now he’s more of a leader and more of a strength for that pitching staff. He’s a guy that would fare well here, but he could snap. More than me, even. I think he’s still a little immature. That’s where I’ve got him. I’ve got skills with manipulating my teammates. Because there have been plenty of teammates that you play with that you don’t like. But you’ve still got to go out there and play the game.

HOLMES:  But you have something in common with a locker room of Major League Baseball players. You’re all professional athletes who’ve made it to the pinnacle of the sport. There’s no telling who’s going to be on your tribe.

KENT:  I’m going to have to deal with different personalities, different age groups. At the end of my career, I was one of the older players. You’ve got 20-year-old players and I’ve got to communicate and deal with these guys. That’s going to be a big asset of mine to communicate with all these people with different personalities, make-ups, and egos. And with my reputation, I don’t step down, I might put my foot in my mouth.

Feel free to check out Holmes' entire interview with Kent over at Xfinity.com.  If you're a "Survivor" fan, baseball fan or both...it's pretty awesome.  Oh, and you can find out which former teammate once called Kent racist!

"Survivor: Philippines" starts Wednesday, September 26.  Below is Kent's interview with CBS.com.

 

Countdown to Cooperstown: Class of 2014

So, let's re-cap.

This weekend, regardless of the crowd size, we're looking at a pretty sub-standard Hall of Fame induction.  Then, in 2013, either the biggest class of first ballot guys gets in...or the most exciting crop of first ballot guys gets snubbed.

Either way, the Hall of Fame Class of 2014 looks to be one of most heralded classes ever.  Ever.  Not since 2001, has Cooperstown welcomed three or more first-timers through its doors. 2014 could (and should) add four.

Here are the players that will be appearing on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2014.

IN.

Greg Maddux.
What can be said about Maddux that everyone doesn’t already know? 355 wins compared to 227 losses, a career 3.16 ERA and 3371 strikeouts. Add to that four straight Cy Young Awards, 18 straight Gold Gloves, eight All-Star Games, having his number retired by two teams…and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

Frank Thomas.

"The Big Hurt” hung up his spikes with a career batting average of .301, 521 home runs, 1704 RBI and close to 2500 base hits. Did you know…the two-time MVP is the only player in baseball history to have seven consecutive seasons of a .300 average, 100 runs, 100 RBI, 20 home runs and at least 100 walks? Yup, the guy was Albert Pujols before Albert Pujols was.

Tom Glavine.
Only in a year where Greg Maddux is up for induction would Glavine be the second-best pitcher on the ballot. With a 305-203 record...dude is easily one of the best lefties over the last 25 years. Five years with 20-plus wins and two Cy Young Awards (four other seasons in the top five voting) stack up nicely alongside his ten All-Star appearances and one World Series ring. Not bad for a guy who, alledgedly, is a far better hockey player than a baseball player.

Jeff Kent.
Kent and his lip curtain have a long road ahead of them. Is his legendary prickliness toward the media enough to keep him on the bubble…or do his numbers as one of the best second basemen ever win out? The 2000 National League MVP amassed 2461 hits, 377 home runs and a .290 batting average. Four times a Silver Slugger, five times an All-Star and for six years…playing in that long shadow of Barry Bonds. I put him in, not because of the womb broom…but because he is just THAT much better than Ryne Sandberg and Joe Morgan.

OUT (in random order).

Kenny Rogers.
Since it has been close to 17 years since “The Gambler” tossed his perfect game (July 28, 1994), it is only appropriate he gets brought up as a 2014 Hall candidate. Unfortunately, he’s going to be watching from home like the rest of us. The guy was a wizard on the bump…five Gold Gloves, 219 wins and close to 2000 strikeouts, but what is most impressive is that he is the all-time leader in pickoffs with 93.

Moises Alou.
Alou had a much better career than a lot of people realize, but just because he is underrated...he doesn’t deserve a plaque in Cooperstown. Over his 17-year career, Alou boasted a .303 career batting average, just under 2200 career hits and 332 home runs. Considering he finally got his crack at the bigs at age 25…it’s hard to imagine what kind of numbers he would have had if he broke in five years prior.

Armando Benitez, Sean Casey, Jose Cruz Jr., Ray Durham, Damion Easley, Keith Foulke, Eric Gagne, Scott Hatteberg, Jacque Jones, Todd Jones, Jon Lieber, Esteban Loaiza, Paul Lo Duca, Matt Morris, Trot Nixon, Jay Payton, Richie Sexson, J.T. Snow, Shannon Stewart, Mike Timlin, Steve Trachsel and Jose Vidro.

ON THE BUBBLE.

Mike Mussina.
To me, Mussina is an interesting case. On paper, you see a HUGE winning percentage (.638), a brilliant 270 and 153 record and 2813 Ks. His career ERA is 3.68 and one could argue that had he not toiled for more than half of his career in Baltimore…he would be as much of a Hall candidate as Tom Glavine. However, Glavine had five seasons with more than 20 wins. Mussina, while he’s hit double digits in wins seventeen straight years, only his 20 once. The Cy Young award has eluded Mussina as well. Unfortunately, six top five finishes and no hardware doesn’t make for the best Hall of Fame case.  Although I admit it...I am coming around on "Moose".


Luis Gonzalez.
In 2001, “Gonzo” hit .325 with 57 home runs and 142 RBI and led the Diamondbacks to a World Series title. Dude finished up with 354 home runs, 2591 hits and 1439 RBI.  There are only four players that are Hall-eligible (Rafael Palmeiro, Harold Baines, Fred McGriff and Jeff Bagwell) that have more RBI and have yet to be enshrined in Cooperstown. There are no Hall-eligible players with more doubles than “Gonzo” that have yet to get called to the Hall.

Hideo Nomo.
Ask anyone what they think of Nomo and his Hall chances and they’ll likely laugh in your face. However, he is the guy who is credited with paving the way for Japanese players to make their way to the Majors. After a brief, yet successful, career in Japan, Nomo hit the states and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1995. He’s the only Japanese player to have thrown a no-hitter (he threw two…one in each league) and finished his abbreviated MLB career with four seasons with more than 200 strikeouts and a 123-109 record. But…without Nomo, there would be no Ichiro. Let’s not forget how he took the league by storm in 1995 and made it okay for Major League teams to take a chance on Asian players.

You can check out re-hashes of the first-timers on the 2013 ballot.  Friday...it's your first look at 2017.

Jeff Kent Rumored to Star on Reality Show

I admit it, gang, I'm still a fan of the show "Survivor."

So when I read the news recently that former big leaguer (and future Hall of Famer?) Jeff Kent is rumored to be a cast member this upcoming season, I was excited.  Naturally, I reached out to my normal coterie of "Survivor" experts to get their opinion on the 44-year-old Kent and his chances in the Philippines.

"It's very exciting," two-time castaway Rob Cesternino told me, "but at one point Kimbo Slice and Carrie Prejean were rumored to be on Survivor 24, so I'll wait until it's a bit more concrete."

"I think it's hilarious.  He should be a much more fun character than Jimmy Johnson or Gary Hogeboom ever were," "Survivor" podcaster (and "HOVG Heroes" contributor) Mario Lanza said.  "Wasn't he considered one of the biggest a**holes in recent baseball history?  Now we have a celebrity villain, with an evil villain mustache. I am looking forward to it."

Suffice it to say, I'm looking forward to it as well.

Kent, the National League MVP in 2000, continues the current trend of former collegiate and pro athletes on the popular CBS show. 

In the past few seasons, we've seen Steve Wright and Grant Mattos, who both spent some time in the NFL and Albert Destrade, who played collegiate baseball.

Countdown to Cooperstown: Class of 2014

So, let's re-cap.

I think we can all agree that no first ballot guys are going into The Hall of Fame a year from now and the cat with the best shot of being enshrined is Barry Larkin.

Then, in 2013, either the biggest class of first ballot guys gets in...or the biggest crop of first ballot guys gets snubbed.

Either way, the Hall of Fame Class of 2014 looks to be one of most heralded classes ever.  Not since 2001, has Cooperstown welcomed three or more first-timers through its doors. 2014 could (and should) add four.

IN.

Greg Maddux.
What can be said about Maddux that everyone doesn’t already know? 355 wins compared to 227 losses, a career 3.16 ERA and 3371 strikeouts. Add to that four straight Cy Young Awards, 18 straight Gold Gloves, eight All-Star Games, having his number retired by two teams…and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

Frank Thomas.

"The Big Hurt” hung up his spikes with a career batting average of .301, 521 home runs, 1704 RBI and close to 2500 base hits. Did you know…the two-time American League MVP is the only player in baseball history to have seven consecutive seasons of a .300 average, 100 runs, 100 RBI, 20 home runs and at least 100 walks? Yup, the guy was Albert Pujols before Albert Pujols was.

Tom Glavine.
Only in a year where Greg Maddux is up for induction would Glavine be the second-best pitcher on the ballot. With a 305-203 record...dude is easily one of the best lefties over the last 25 years. Five years with 20-plus wins and two Cy Young Awards (four other seasons in the top five voting) stack up nicely alongside his ten All-Star appearances and one World Series ring. Not bad for a guy who, alledgedly, is a far better hockey player than a baseball player.

Jeff Kent.
Kent and his lip curtain have a long road ahead of them. Is his legendary prickliness toward the media enough to keep him on the bubble…or do his numbers as one of the best second basemen ever win out? The 2000 National League MVP amassed 2461 hits, 377 home runs and a .290 batting average. Four times a Silver Slugger, five times an All-Star and for six years…playing in that long shadow of Barry Bonds. I put him in, not because of the womb broom…but because he is just THAT much better than Ryne Sandberg and Joe Morgan.

OUT (in random order).

Kenny Rogers.
Since it has been close to 17 years since “The Gambler” tossed his perfect game (July 28, 1994), it is only appropriate he gets brought up as a 2014 Hall candidate. Unfortunately, he’s going to be watching from home like the rest of us. The guy was a wizard on the bump…five Gold Gloves, 219 wins and close to 2000 strikeouts, but what is most impressive is that he is the all-time leader in pickoffs with 93.

Moises Alou.
Alou had a much better career than a lot of people realize, but just because he is underrated...he doesn’t deserve a plaque in Cooperstown. Over his 17-year career, Alou boasted a .303 career batting average, just under 2200 career hits and 332 home runs. Considering he finally got his crack at the bigs at age 25…it’s hard to imagine what kind of numbers he would have had if he broke in five years prior.

Armando Benitez, Sean Casey, Jose Cruz Jr., Ray Durham, Damion Easley, Keith Foulke, Eric Gagne, Scott Hatteberg, Jacque Jones, Todd Jones, Jon Lieber, Esteban Loaiza, Paul Lo Duca, Matt Morris, Trot Nixon, Jay Payton, Richie Sexson, J.T. Snow, Shannon Stewart, Mike Timlin, Steve Trachsel and Jose Vidro.

ON THE BUBBLE.

Mike Mussina.
To me, “Moose” is an interesting case. On paper, you see a HUGE winning percentage (.638), a brilliant 270 and 153 record and 2813 Ks. His career ERA is 3.68 and one could argue that had he not toiled for more than half of his career in Baltimore…he would be as much of a Hall candidate as Tom Glavine. However, Glavine had five seasons with more than 20 wins. Mussina, while he’s hit double digits in wins seventeen straight years, only his 20 once. The Cy Young award has eluded Mussina as well. Unfortunately, six top five finishes and no hardware doesn’t make for the best Hall of Fame case.

Luis Gonzalez.
In 2001, “Gonzo” hit .325 with 57 home runs and 142 RBI and led the Diamondbacks to a World Series title. Dude finished up with 354 home runs, 2591 hits and 1439 RBI.  There are only four players that are Hall-eligible (Rafael Palmeiro, Harold Baines, Fred McGriff and Jeff Bagwell) that have more RBI and have yet to be enshrined in Cooperstown. There are no Hall-eligible players with more doubles than “Gonzo” that have yet to get called to the Hall.

Hideo Nomo.
Ask anyone what they think of Nomo and his Hall chances and they’ll likely laugh in your face. However, he is the guy who is credited with paving the way for Japanese players to make their way to the Majors. After a brief, yet successful, career in Japan, Nomo hit the states and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1995. He’s the only Japanese player to have thrown a no-hitter (he threw two…one in each league) and finished his abbreviated MLB career with four seasons with more than 200 strikeouts and a 123-109 record. But…without Nomo, there would be no Ichiro. Let’s not forget how he took the league by storm in 1995 and made it okay for Major League teams to take a chance on Asian players.

You can check out re-hashes of the first-timers on the 2012 and 2013 ballots.  Tomorrow brings you 015 and Friday...your first look at 2016.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2014

Provided the BBWAA is still sticking to their guns and not voting in players who have been linked to steroids, the Hall of Fame Class of 2014 looks to be one of most heralded classes ever.

Not since 2001, has Cooperstown welcomed three or more first-timers through its doors. 2014 could (and should) add four.

IN.

Greg Maddux.
What can be said about Maddux that everyone doesn’t already know? 355 wins compared to 227 losses, a career 3.16 ERA and 3371 strikeouts. Add to that four straight Cy Young Awards, 18 straight Gold Gloves, eight All-Star Games, having his number retired by two teams…and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

Frank Thomas.

"The Big Hurt” finally hung up his spikes with a career batting average of .301, 521 home runs, 1704 RBI and close to 2500 base hits. Did you know…the two-time American League MVP is the only player in baseball history to have seven consecutive seasons of a .300 average, 100 runs, 100 RBI, 20 home runs and at least 100 walks? Yup, the guy was Albert Pujols before Albert Pujols was.

Tom Glavine.

Only in a year where Greg Maddux is up for induction will Glavine be the second-best pitcher on the ballot. With a 305-203 record...dude is easily one of the best lefties over the last 25 years. Five years with 20-plus wins and two Cy Young Awards (four other seasons in the top five voting) stack up nicely alongside his ten All-Star appearances and one World Series ring. Not bad for a guy who, alledgedly, is a far better hockey player than a baseball player.

Jeff Kent.
Kent and his lip curtain have a long road ahead of them. Is his legendary prickliness toward the media enough to keep him on the bubble…or do his numbers as one of the best second basemen ever win out? The 2000 National League MVP amassed 2461 hits, 377 home runs and a .290 batting average. Four times a Silver Slugger, five times an All-Star and for six years…playing in that long shadow of Barry Bonds. I put him in, not because of the womb broom…but because he is just THAT much better than Ryne Sandberg and Joe Morgan.

OUT (in random order).

Kenny Rogers.
“The Gambler” tossed his perfect game 15 years ago NEXT Tuesday (July 28, 1994), so it is only appropriate he gets brought up as a 2014 Hall candidate. Unfortunately, he’s going to be watching from home like the rest of us. The guy was a wizard on the bump…five Gold Gloves, 219 wins and close to 2000 strikeouts, but what is most impressive is that he is the all-time leader in pickoffs with 93.

Moises Alou.
Alou had a much better career than a lot of people realize, but just because he is underrated...he doesn’t deserve a plaque in Cooperstown. Over his 17 year career, Alou boasted a .303 career batting average, just under 2200 career hits and 332 home runs. Considering he finally got his crack at the bigs at age 25…it’s hard to imagine what kind of numbers he would have had if he broke in five years prior.

Armando Benitez, Sean Casey, Jose Cruz Jr., Ray Durham, Damion Easley, Keith Foulke, Eric Gagne, Scott Hatteberg, Jacque Jones, Todd Jones, Jon Lieber, Esteban Loaiza, Paul Lo Duca, Matt Morris, Trot Nixon, Jay Payton, Richie Sexson, J.T. Snow, Shannon Stewart, Mike Timlin, Steve Trachsel and Jose Vidro.

ON THE BUBBLE.

Mike Mussina.
To me, “Moose” is an interesting case. On paper, you see a HUGE winning percentage (.638), a brilliant 270 and 153 record and 2813 Ks. His career ERA is 3.68 and one could argue that had he not toiled for more than half of his career in Baltimore…he would be as much of a Hall candidate as Tom Glavine. However, Glavine had five seasons with more than 20 wins. Mussina, while he’s hit double digits in wins seventeen straight years, only his 20 once. The Cy Young award has eluded Mussina as well. Unfortunately, six top five finishes and no hardware doesn’t make for the best Hall of Fame case.

Luis Gonzalez.
In 2001, “Gonzo” hit .325 with 57 home runs and 142 RBI and led the Diamondbacks to a World Series title. Still serviceable last season at 41, Gonzalez was an every day player for the Marlins and is still looking for work. With 354 home runs, it isn’t likely that Gonzalez will get to 400. That being said, he is nine hits from 2600 and 61 RBI from 1500. Only one player that is Hall eligible (Harold Baines) has more than 1500 RBI and has yet to be enshrined in Cooperstown. There are no Hall eligible players with more doubles than “Gonzo” that have yet to get called to the Hall. If he never plays again…Gonzalez is a tough call.

Hideo Nomo.
Ask anyone what they think of Nomo and his Hall chances and they’ll likely laugh in your face. However, he is the guy who is credited with paving the way for Japanese players to make their way to the Majors. After a brief, yet successful, career in Japan, Nomo hit the states and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1995. He’s the only Japanese player to have thrown a no-hitter (he threw two…one in each league) and finished his abbreviated MLB career with four seasons with more than 200 strikeouts and a 123-109 record. But…without Nomo, there would be no Ichiro. Let’s not forget how he took the league by storm in 1995 and made it okay for Major League teams to take a chance on Asian players.

So there you have it...the re-hashes. Tomorrow brings a fresh look at the Class of 2015.

Monday: 2011

Tuesday: 2012

Wednesday: 2013