Johnny Damon is on the cusp of reaching a statistic that almost guarantees entry into the Hall of Fame: 3,000 hits.
Since Damon burst onto the scene in 1995 as a Kansas City Royal, he has developed into one of the most consistent hitters this game has seen since 2004 inductee Paul Molitor.
When I thought about writing this, Molitor was the first person I thought of as a comparison because of his consistency.
Neither was flashy or made as many headlines as their team-mates, but they were both solid hitters who never had years of lacking production.
Below are 162 game average’s for Damon, Molitor and Robin Yount.
Damon
AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG
637 111 183 35 7 15 75 27 7 67 81 .287 .355 .436
Molitor
AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG
654 108 200 37 7 14 79 30 8 66 75 .306 .369 .448
Yount
AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG
624 93 178 33 7 14 80 15 6 55 77 .285 .342 .430
In today’s day and age where every player is deemed guilty of using banned substances when statistics stray from the norm, Damon has never been questioned.
Damon falls into the category of a legitimate two time World Series champion centerfielder that delivers on cue when called upon.
Right now Damon will need to average 142 hits over the next three seasons or 108 over the next four to reach 3,000. In my estimation, he’s in.
Really, what else would he have to do?
He is not your typical power-hitting outfielder—he will not have the big home run numbers, but 3,000 hits insinuates ability, skill, coordination and longevity.
The 27 member club will, barring disaster, add two more members in the next three years (not including Damon), with Derek Jeter due around the All-Star Game, and Alex Rodriguez, a couple years and 328 hits away.
Without a doubt the Hall is in their future, and its time Damon enters the discussion.
Devon is the founder of The GM’s Perspective
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