Kuzul

When even the most adherent fan scans over the list of this year’s National Baseball Hall of Fame candidates, they will see the usual big names: Roberto Alomar, a surefire candidate who missed induction by one vote last year; Bert Blyleven, fifth all-time in strikeouts, who finished five votes away from Cooperstown last year; Jeff Bagwell, a surefire eventual candidate trying to get in on his first year on the ballot.

Yet no name on the ballot may have more significance or wonder connected to it than Rafael Palmeiro.

On the surface, Palmeiro, with 569 homers, 1,839 runs batted in, and 3,020 hits, is the type of player who should coast into the Hall.

But this year, with the addition of Palmeiro to the ballot, what has been speculated and debated for nearly six years will finally bubble to the surface, and baseball will finally stare its demons in the face.

For those who do not know, on March 17, 2005, an adamant Palmeiro famously appeared in front of Congress, stabbed his finger in the air, and defiantly stated, with the trademark confidence that he showed at the plate throughout his career, “Let me start by telling you this: I have never used steroids, period. I don’t know how to say it any more clearly than that. Never.”

Less than three months later, Palmeiro was handed a ten-game suspension for testing positive for what the Washington Post called a “serious” performance-enhancing drug. To this day, Palmeiro remains dumbfounded as to how he became the highest-profile player ever to be suspended for PEDs.

Now, Palmeiro will again be the dubious groundbreaker, as he becomes the first steroid user to take the ballot with what are viewed as sure-fire numbers.

Now, many will say that the voters have expressed their views towards steroids by keeping Mark McGwire, the Cardinals hitting coach and former slugger who hit over 500 long balls and once held the single-season record, far from induction to baseball’s most hallowed hall.

Since being admitted to the ballot in 2005, McGwire has fallen well short of the 75 percent needed for induction, with 23.5, 23.6, 21.9 and 23.7 percent.

However, there’s no guarantee that McGwire has the numbers for induction anyway. His 1,626 hits would be the third fewest among Hall of Famers.

Palmeiro, on the other hand, is a member of the elusive 500-3,000 club, whose other three members, Willie Mays (94.7), Hank Aaron (97.8), and Eddie Murray (85.3), all soared over the competition in their first year on the ballot.

Interestingly, Palmeiro never really held the characteristics of steroid user. He was consistent, piling up 11 seasons with 37-plus homers, 10 seasons with 100-plus RBI, and 11 seasons with 30-plus doubles. He showed a characteristic level-headedness, on and off the field, and he never had the ballooned physique associated with steroids.

So when he, perhaps the least juicer-like juicer ever, stands in front of the Hall of Fame selection committee, he will be poked, prodded, and poked again. His candidacy will be viewed and reviewed more times than any other in history, because it will not only decide whether or not Palmeiro gets in, but also the fates of several other men.

Because if Palmeiro gets in, how can we keep Barry Bonds out? How can we keep out Roger Clemens? Manny Ramirez?

Or, conversely, if we keep Palmeiro out, who has all the statistics of an all-time great, how can we let these other convicted rule-breakers in?

With Rafael Palmeiro, the problems that baseball has pushed aside will finally reach the surface. Here and now, the floodgates to the Hall of Fame may either be opened wide for a rush of players in the future, or locked for good, shut tight.

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Making a Hall of Fame case for the legendary player, manager and world series champion

By Howard G. Ruben

For most hardcore Dodgers fans, the ongoing melodrama between Jamie and Frank McCourt has more than frayed our collective nerves, worn our patience and bored us to tears. 

While the battling ex-Bostonians met recently with L.A. Superior Court Judge Peter Lichtman about a proposal to settle the case of who owns the team, I had a rare serendipitous opportunity to meet former manager Joe Torre who was sitting outside a local food court waiting for his wife. 

The five minute conversation that ensued more than made up for the endless stories about who did what to whom and who deserves to own one of sport’s most hallowed franchises.

Joe Torre is not only a future lock for the Hall of Fame as a manager; he’s a hell of a nice guy and one of the classiest in sports that I’ve ever met.  He took the time to tell me about his immediate plans (“we’ll decide at the end of the year but would love to stay in L.A.  I am done with managing but would like to be around the game in some capacity.”); showed me the gorgeous World Series ring I admired on his finger (his 1996 world title ring while manager of the Yankees.  “It means the most to me because it was my first”); and to told me how much he enjoyed his all too brief stint managing the Dodgers (“it’s been a lot of fun.  We love it here.”).

• Torre is the only major league manager to win at least 2,000 games and have 2,000 hits as a player.  His 2,326 wins rank him fifth all-time for Major League Baseball managers.  He has a .538 winning percentage after managing in 4,329 games.  

• Only three other managers in major league history have won more World Series than Torre—Casey Stengel, Yankees (seven), Joe McCarthy, Yankees (seven) and Connie Mack, Athletics (five).  Torre and Walter Alston (Dodgers) are tied with four.  That’s more than Sparky Anderson, Miller Huggins or John McGraw, all of whom won three.

• Torre’s early managerial career with the Braves, Mets and Cardinals was mediocre, mostly because he was handed inferior teams.  When he came to the Yankees in 1996, city scribes referred to him as “Clueless Joe.”  He silenced the critics right away, winning a World Series in his first year there.  Torre managed the Yankees from 1996-2007.

• Under Torre, the Bronx Bombers reached the post season each year and won 10 American League East Division titles, six American League pennants, four World Series titles, and overall compiled a .605 winning percentage.  So much for “Clueless.”

• Managers Leo Durocher (24 years, three Pennants, one World Series), Earl Weaver (17 seasons, four Pennants, one World Series), Tom Lasorda (20 seasons,  four Pennants, two World Series) and Al Lopez (two Pennants) all are in the Hall of Fame and none of them accomplished what Torre did.

• Torre was overlooked for the Hall as a player, probably because he played a number of positions and never won a World Championship or made the playoffs with his teams.  The statistics, however, are Hall of Fame numbers: nine-time All Star, .297 career batting average, 252 homeruns, 1,185 runs batted in; drove in 100 runs and hit over .300 five times in his career. 

• In 1971, he delivered one of the best seasons in major league history, leading the league with a .363 batting average, 230 hits and 137 RBI, and running away with the Most Valuable Player Award.

Judged separately, Joe Torre was a great player and a great manager.  His combined career, spanning 50 years as player and manager, is utterly remarkable.  The criteria to make it into the Hall as a player is based on: “the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship and character.  Contributions to the teams he played on are also considered.”

Forget the statistics for a moment, even though they warrant induction.  Consider integrity, sportsmanship and character.  Joe Torre should be inducted on those merits alone.  While his former employers fight and bicker in court over control of a baseball team, Joe Torre can rightfully lay claim to ownership of a baseball career that is above the fray, of championship caliber and filled with the grace of a true gentleman.

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The Baseball Hall of Fame’s Veteran’s Committee will vote on Dec. 5 to select any players, executives or other baseball personnel who have contributed sufficiently to the game since 1973 to merit induction. As it happens, 1973 was the year George Steinbrenner bought the New York Yankees. Though Steinbrenner died in July, his son Hal remains chairman of the Yankees today.

Steinbrenner thus seems well-situated to become the 13th person in history elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame principally as an owner. His Yankee teams won seven World Series titles and Steinbrenner notably did whatever he could (and often more) to push for ever greater success.

Yet, many note also that Steinbrenner’s transgressions begin to balance out his positive contributions. Twice, he was forced out of MLB altogether, only to find his way back in. Steinbrenner is one of the most polarizing figures of the last 50 years in Major League Baseball, but as far as owners go, few have ever had such an impact or been so visible.

Here are the top 25 owners in MLB history, ranked according to a proprietary system explained in detail on the next slide.

Begin Slideshow

Last week, Doug Glanville of ESPN.com posted a piece about Barry Bonds new opportunity to be an ambassador for Major League Baseball. 

Glanville basically discusses the idea that with the Giants having won the World Series, the stage is set for Bonds, to rise to the spot light. The man who holds the two most notable baseball records—home runs in a season and career home runs—could now use his presence to do good things.

The problem is that Barry Bonds is positioned about as well to be an ambassador for baseball as Don Imus is to be the spokesperson for NOW.

Here are five reasons why the canonization of Barry Bonds won’t happen:

1. The league doesn’t like Barry Bonds

There are two ways to define “the league”.  There is the franchises that make up Major League Baseball.  Then there is that face and voice of the league as a business entity; Bud Selig.  Whichever you use, the truth is the same—Barry Bonds is not well liked.

The league basically ignored him the season after he left San Francisco. He was a free agent with not just a big bat, but the biggest bat ever, who got zero job offers.  Even from an AL team who could have used him as a DH.

Selig has looked upon bonds the way Ford Frick looked upon Roger Maris, only Selig had much better arguments.  Selig despised the idea that Bonds was the one to beat the career home run record of Hank Aaron, a man that Selig is close to. 

Also, whether deserved or not, Bonds represent the steroid era more succinctly than perhaps any player other than Mark McGuire.  Baseball should and will pick its own ambassadors and Selig won’t pick Barry Bonds.

2. Bonds has a court case looming

Whether innocent or guilty, Bonds is about to be embroiled in a federal perjury trial, the outcome of which could require jail time. 

Bonds’ testimony in 2007 regarding BALCO is in question and a guilty verdict will not only cement Bonds’ reputation as a juicer, but also define him legally and practically as a liar.

Perhaps if he comes out on the other end of the court case with a verdict of innocent there might be a chance of his personal marketability, but certainly not before.

3. Barry Bonds and the press don’t get along

Over the time that Bonds was a Major League baseball player, he developed a relationship with the press that was tense at best, venomous and vitriolic at worse.  Barry treated the press like the villains in his romantic biography, a group of liars and connivers whose only goal was to destroy Bonds.

It would be safe to assume that a baseball ambassador would not only have to open himself up to the press, but actually embrace them as a tool to accomplish… well, whatever he wished to accomplish as the poster boy.

4. No Hall of Fame, no ambassador status

For the man holds the career home run record, if you are not in the hall of fame, if you are still only a visitor when you show up, you are not the spokesperson you want to be.  Now, if after his obligatory five years, if Bonds is inducted, it will be a different story.

The idea is not that you must be a HOF member to be a face for the sport.  The issue is more that Barry Bonds should be in the HOF, based on his on-the-field exploits. More than that, if you only look at his play, he should be a first ballot hall-of-famer.  The fact is he will not get in on his first ballot. Perhaps because of his off-the-field exploits, he’ll never get in at all. It’s a sticking point standing in the way of his public relations standing.

5. Barry Bonds is the ultimate anti-spokesperson

Take away the steroid allegations.  Pretend for a moment that there is no such thing as “The Clear” or BALCO, and that there is no upcoming perjury trial as a result.

Without that large elephant in the room, you still do not have a persona worthy of what Glanville suggests. 

Bonds has a history of distrust with the media.  He has been accused of tax fraud.  There have been stories of his having been an adulterer.  For as big a star as he was at one point, he never did things to bring his fans closer (One example being his disallowing use of his name in any video games that the players association endorsed.)

Once Bonds focused on statistics and stopped just being a great player, his play suffered.  There were no allegations of slackening play early in his career, but in the late years in San Francisco, Bonds was one of the new group of prima donna players who didn’t need to run hard to first if they didn’t feel like it.

If you think of all these things like pieces of a collage, it’s hard to imagine an arrangement that would look appealing to the world at large—especially one that is skeptical of Major League Baseball.  Isn’t that, after all, why the game might need an ambassador in the first place.

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Going to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York is a place where you can dig your mind into a gold mine of artifacts and have an amazing day in one of the greatest sports-related places in the world. I have gone to the Hall of Fame multiple times, and diehard baseball fans can never leave Cooperstown without new chunks of baseball knowledge.

The man that runs sports’ most storied Hall of Fame, Jeff Idelson, has been its President  since April 2008 and has been in baseball for almost 25 years. Here’s my interview with Mr. Prez:

Brad Wolff: How did you get your first job in Major League Baseball?  

Jeff Idelson: My first job in baseball was being a vendor at Fenway Park in Boston.  I was a vendor in junior high school, high school and part of college.  My first internship was with the Red Sox in 1986 after I graduated from college.  I produced Red Sox home radio broadcasts in 1987-88 for WPLM Radio and my first full time paid job was as the assistant director of media relations and publicity with the New York Yankees, starting in 1989.  

BW: Who are some of the greatest people you have gotten to meet through your job? 

JI: There have been many.  From Johnny Unitas to Tip O’Neill to Tom Hanks and Robert Redford to Colin Powell to President Bush to Crosby, Stills and Nash, Bob Dylan, John Fogerty, Sadaharu Oh, Doris Kearnes Goodwin…it’s a long list! 

BW: What do you daily for the Hall of Fame? 

JI: I oversee a 100-person staff and the oldest and best-known sports history museum in the nation.  From fundraising to public speaking to artifact acquisition to building sponsorships to staying connected to our Hall of Famers and the baseball community at large are all parts of my daily responsibility.

BW: What new ideas do you have to make the Hall more fun and interactive? 

JI: We recently opened our first ever bilingual exhibit, Viva Baseball, which explores baseball in Caribbean-basin countries and their impact in Cooperstown.  Next year we will open a cool exhibit on baseball records.  Both are very interactive.  We also have a ton of cool programs where you can meet and talk with Hall of Famers and other stars connected to our great game.  

BW: What advice would you have for somebody trying to get into the MLB as an executive? 

JI: Work hard in school and learn how to write and learn how to listen well.  It does not matter what major you pick, as long as you can leave college knowing how to read, write and think on your feet.  Stay connected to the game any way you can.  Internships are very important, either within the game or connected to the game. Most of all, be patient.  It is a very competitive industry.  It took me three full years to find a full time job after graduating. 

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Mr. Darcy Fournier

The debate about Pete Rose and his eligibility for placement in the Hall of Fame is well documented, with passionate arguments for and against his induction.

I am not a “fan” of Pete Rose. However, I am not oblivious to his contributions to the game, and the poor choices he made along the way.

I am equally not oblivious to the political football this has become, and how poorly this has been handled by just about everyone, Rose included.

The points of contention are as follows…

The Major Argument for his Induction: Rose is the all-time baseball hits leader. In fact, Rose holds 17 major league records, and seven National League records. He was a switch hitting machine that batted over .300 for his career, appeared in 17 All-Star games, and was a major part of three World Series championship teams.

He is a former MVP and a former Rookie of the Year. He was a switch hitter that could play anywhere in the field. He hustled on every play, and one would be hard-pressed to find his equal in the history of the game.

The major argument against his induction: He violated one of baseball’s rules by betting on baseball as a player and a manager. He lied about it for decades before admitting to the charges.

He agreed to a permanent ban, but did so because he was told that he could apply for reinstatement a year later. Rose had no clue that offer was just window dressing. The MLB never had any intention of letting Rose back into the game.

That’s the first reason to file suit.

There are of course other arguments that have nothing to do with what the man did on the field that others raise against Rose being allowed back into the game or elected into the Hall.

He evaded taxes. He is, according to some, of dubious character. His detractors will tell you he was selfish, and played too long in his quest to break the all-time hits record.  As a player-manager in his final years, some say he put himself in the lineup at the expense of younger players such as Eric Davis in his selfish pursuit of the record.

Those arguing these points conveniently forget that there was an organization behind him that allowed him to do just that.

He eats cornflakes without milk and knows where the weapons of mass destruction are. Okay, sorry about that…but hey, might as well argue that too, as it makes about as much sense as any other argument.

He appeared at such events that some appear to be “beneath” the game. Events like Wrestlemania, in which he dressed himself as the San Diego Chicken, and was pile-driven onto his head and into oblivion by a behemoth named “Kane”.

Can anyone picture DiMaggio doing something like that? Of course not, everyone knows that being known as “Mr. Coffee” is of the highest class.

It has been proven that Rose bet on baseball. That is clear. He violated the rules. It was proven by an independant investigation and by his own admission. He clearly violated the rules of the game. We get it.  

The only difference between Pete Rose and those in the Hall is that he got caught. What are the chances that some, many or all of those in the Hall violated rules of the game?

I would be willing to bet the odds are pretty high. I wonder if Pete would give me action on those odds. Sorry Pete, my bad.

The one thing that stands out like a sore thumb in the sad saga of Pete Rose is the fact that it was never proven that he bet against his own team. If this could be proven then a ban would be justified. It has not been thus far and therefore the ban seems political and petty.

When some argue that it was never proven he bet on his team to lose, it is often countered with the argument that it does not matter because in betting on his team to win he might be tempted to manage to the tune of his bets and not to the integrity of the game or the safety of his players.

Every manager in the game does everything they can to win. Ask any manager if they would bet on their team to win and all would say yes. Rose actually did. He believed in his team. 

It seems that the real sticking point, and the real reason why Rose has been denied, is the dark cloud over that question. Did he bet on his team to lose? He denies he ever bet on his team to lose, and there has been, to date, no proof to believe otherwise.

It seems that the MLB operates on the “I think they did, so therefore they must have” rule of thumb. Screw the Constitution, we’re Major League Baseball.

It is here that Rose has yet another reason to sue the MLB.

In the era of steroids, iconic records have fallen to less-than-iconic players that cheated, or appear to have. Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and company have all been accused of using performance enhancing drugs that greatly affected the history and integrity of the game.

They have not been banned from making a living off memorabilia. They have been placed on a silent, not formal, ineligibility list, because those that vote on the process have an ‘opinion” they used PED’S even though it has not been conclusively proven. Yet they have not been asked to sign such an agreement as Rose was.

The Mitchell report, baseball’s joke of an independent investigation into steroid use, names 103 players that had violated baseball’s performance-enhancing drug policy. However, it has been agreed that the 103 names should not be released, because it would hurt the integrity of the game.

The players union would fight and file suit against any attempt to release the names, so hidden they remain. The MLB and the Players Union cover their ass when it is convenient, and Rose’s buttocks are left hanging out to dry.

Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, and David Ortiz, among others, were rumored, admitted to, or have since been leaked as being on the list. Their numbers still stand, and they still make money.

Those 103 players mentioned in the report violated the rules of the game much like Rose, but unlike Rose they damaged the integrity of the sport. They altered outcomes and manipulated stats.

Of all of them, Alex Rodriguez is the only one that gets a pass. He admitted to using, and while he may not have been entirely truthful, he still admitted to it. Therefore, his stats from the years he admitted to using should be stricken, and then he should be judged on his career stats minus those years.

The others on the list should be banned from the game, stats stricken, and exiled.

Rose is a different animal.

He admitted, finally, to gambling. He still denies he did not bet against his team. It has not been proven. Therefore there are no stats to wipe, no integrity violated. Let the man back in.

Doesn’t every manager “bet,” in a sense, on his team to win? What more could Joe Girardi, the Yankees‘ current skipper, do to make his team win that Rose did as a manager? Did Rose inject his players with super juice to make them pitch better? Did his players fly?

The only difference between Joe Girardi, or any other manager, and Pete Rose, is that Rose bet, literally, on his team to win.

Put a plaque up about the player. Induct the player. He was never getting in as a manager, so why worry about it?

Don’t get me wrong, Rose’s actions are not commendable or excusable.  He is not exactly a sympathetic figure. However, since it can’t be proven that he damaged the integrity of the game, he should be allowed to be part of it once again.

He should be in the Hall of fame for his actions on the field, and nothing more.

Pete Rose the man deserves the reputation he has. He earned it. The Hall of Fame does not elect those based on their character…they elect those based on what they did on the field.

Pete Rose, the ballplayer, is getting screwed.

Pete Rose should sue for his right to be back in the game. He should sue for his right to be elected. He should sue for his inability to earn a living from the game.

The Hall of Fame is for performance, not personality. He is not the nicest guy on the bus, but in comparison to Ty Cobb, a Hall of Famer himself, Rose looks like an angel.

There are several in the Hall that don’t belong. There are many that should be in there now and have been overlooked. Rose is at the top of that list, and it’s about time he is rewarded for his contributions to the game as a player, and is inducted into the Hall where he belongs.

Until then, the Hall of Fame is nothing but an elitist club that is a stain on America’s pastime.

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Debating the pros and cons of a player’s Hall of Fame chances is without a doubt one of the most controversial issues in baseball.

For example, how much do stats matter? What about longevity?

And should a player’s attitude, whether positive or negative, have any impact?

Then there’s the all-important question of steroids, and how much they should affect a player’s chances.

Taking all of the above into consideration, I evaluated the careers of fifteen players and ultimately picked a yes or a no for the Hall of Fame.

11 of the players are still playing.

Two are free agents but not yet retired.

And the other two hung up their cleats, and will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in a few years. 

Begin Slideshow

Through history, many players have entered baseball’s most hallowed hall. The list of players is numerous: 54 starting pitchers, 16 catchers, 18 first basemen, 17 second basemen, 10 third basemen, 21 shortstops, and 60 outfielders have plaques in the Hall of Fame. Even nine umpires have gained entrance to Cooperstown.

Some claim third base, or even catcher, is the most underrepresented position in the Hall of Fame.

However, only five relief pitchers have ever been elected: Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Bruce Sutter, Dennis Eckersley, and Goose Gossage.

With reliance on the bullpen growing in modern times, that number appears set to rise in the next 15 years.

But by how much? And who is deserving of mention among the all-time greats?

After all, there’s a reason only four such players have been elected.

IN

Mariano Rivera

The first reliever who deserves mention is the only one who seems to be an absolute lock for Cooperstown.

Since becoming the full-time closer in 1996, the Panamanian righty has dominated hitters consistently. His 206 ERA+ is the all-time record, and his 2.21 ERA and 1.002 WHIP are tops among active pitchers. Mariano is an 11-time All-Star, five-time World Series champ, and has placed in the top three of Cy Young Award voting three times.

By throwing his cutter almost exclusively, Mariano has blown away hitters to the tune of 553 saves, good for second all time.

In conclusion, Mariano Rivera has all the qualifications for a Hall of Fame reliever: a devastating pitch, an extended period of dominance, and solid playoff performance.

He has a very strong case for greatest reliever of all time, and he has a spot in Cooperstown already waiting for him.

Trevor Hoffman

The other relief pitcher who has a good chance at the hall is Trevor Hoffman. Being the all-time leader in saves and games finished helps.

However, Hoffman isn’t the lock for Cooperstown that Mariano is. Despite sitting on the precipice of 600 saves, Hoffman has Rivera breathing down his neck. By the time he is eligible for Cooperstown, Hoffman could have very well fallen to second on the all-time list.

Unlike Rivera, Hoffman does not have a career long record of dominance – rather, he has two shorter stretches, from 1994-02, and from 2004-09. And Hoffman has never been as dominant as Rivera. He’s only posted an ERA under 2.00 once, while Rivera is on his way to his tenth such season. Hoffman has also only posted a WHIP under 1.000 six times, while Rivera is on his way to an eighth.

I’m not saying Hoffman will be kept out of the Hall, but Lee Smith, known for having been the all-time saves leader before Hoffman, has been kept out.

Hoffman also doesn’t have the playoff success of Rivera. In 12 postseason games, Hoffman has an ERA of 3.46, and a WHIP of 1.231.

Billy Wagner

When talking about active closers, the conversation often ends at Rivera and Hoffman.

However, Billy Wagner, who may be the greatest left-handed reliever of all time, doesn’t get the credit he deserves.

Wagner has two of the three qualifications: a long dominant stretch, from 1999-05, and has a sizzling fastball that has reached 100 mph.

Perhaps the reason Wagner is so underrated is because he is so humble. Recently, after breaking Jesse Orosco’s record for strikeouts by a left-handed reliever, Wagner called the record “stupid”.

“I said ‘We’re getting our (butts) kicked, it’s raining, let’s go,’ ” Wagner said . “It’s stupid. Who in their right mind makes a big deal out of doing something they’re supposed to do in the first place? I’m out there pitching in a (bad) game; we’re getting our butt kicked. It’s not worth it to make a big deal out of that. That’s embarrassing.”

Perhaps it’s his small stature. Despite being listed as 5’11”, Wagner still intimidates opposing hitters when he comes out to the tune of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”.

During his most dominant stretch from 1999-05, Wagner had just one full season with a WHIP higher than 1.000, and he led the league in games finished twice. Over that span, he had an ERA+ of 196, culminating in a 293 ERA+ in 2005.

OUT (for now)

Joe Nathan

Just six months ago, I would have told you that Joe Nathan was paving his way to a spot in Cooperstown.

Since then, he’s gone down for the season, and has gone from possibly the best closer in baseball to someone who started too late. After starting his career as a starter for the Giants, Nathan came to Minnesota by trade and started his career as a closer at age 29, far later than any closer in Cooperstown.

Since then, Nathan has been a rock, being as lights out as anyone in the game. His 2008 season is one of the best ever, as evidenced by his 316 ERA+, and WHIP of .901. If he had enough innings to qualify, Nathan would be second in ERA, ERA+, and third in WHIP, behind only Rivera and Hoffman.

However, after his season-ending injury, we have to wonder if Nathan will get those innings, or if he will come back as good as before. At his best, Nathan is one of the top closers of the last 15 years. If he can come back from injury like Trevor Hoffman did in 2004, his outlook looks good.

Jonathan Papelbon

At the young age of 29, Jonathan Papelbon has put together what may be one of the greatest five year stretches in baseball history.

It started with what may be the most underrated rookie season ever. In 2006, Papelbon blew away hitters, to the tune of a 0.92 ERA and .776 WHIP, giving him a simply unreal 517 ERA+. He gave up 0.4 HR/9. Despite this, he finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting, behind Justin Verlander.

The next year, although his ERA doubled to 1.85, Papelbon managed to lower his WHIP, to 0.771. Since then, Papelbon has been lights out. In 2010, he’s posting his highest ERA, at just 2.91, but that doesn’t diminish a career WHIP under 1.000, an ERA of 2.01, and an ERA+ higher than Mariano Rivera’s.

Francisco Rodriguez

Despite being known mainly for breaking the single-season saves record in 2008, Francisco Rodriguez is also one of baseball’s premier closers. 

Although he is just shy of dominant, Rodriguez is very consistent. From 2004-08, his ERA fluctuated around 2.20, and his WHIP hovered near 1.100. Although some people see Rodriguez as overrated for his 2008 season, he should be looked at as a strong, solid closer, who has an outside shot at Cooperstown, especially if he experiences further playoff success. 

Keep An Eye On: Heath Bell, Brian Wilson, Huston Street, Carlos Marmol, Jonathan Broxton

Too Early to Tell: Joakim Soria, Andrew Bailey, Neftali Feliz

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When we think of great hitting catchers, we think of Yogi Berra, Johnny Bench, and Mike Piazza. Two are already in the Hall of Fame, and the other is well on his way.

But when reading the list of Hall of Fame catchers, you’ll see names like Ray Schalk, Roger Bresnahan and Rick Ferrell. For a position that has been pretty underrepresented in Cooperstown, some pretty weak candidates have gained entrance to baseball’s most hallowed hall.

So why has one of the best pure hitters of the 1970’s, who also happened to be one of the better hitting catcher ever, been locked out of Cooperstown?

I’m speaking, of course, about Ted Simmons.

Anyone who hasn’t heard of Simmons needs only to look at his statistics.

Simmons’s best stretch came from 1971-80, when he was simply unstoppable at the plate.

In 1970, Simmons backed up Joe Torre, but took over in ’71 when Torre moved to third base. Simmons immediately produced, posting a line of .304/.347/.424, good for the second-highest batting average among catchers. His 32 doubles were tied for sixth in the league.

For the next nine years, however, Simmons improved to become one of the greatest hitting catchers around. From 1971-80, Simmons caught over 130 games seven times, accounting for nearly 92% of his games played, leading the league in games caught three times. Simmons was clearly not only the best hitting catcher in baseball, but one of the most durable.

Here’s the real kicker, though. In his first ten full years in the bigs, Simmons had an OPS+ of 131, and his single-season mark never fell below 114, the number he posted in his first full season, 1971. To put that into perspective, Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg has a career OPS+ of 114, while Robin Yount and catcher Gary Carter have career marks of 115. Remember, that’s the lowest Simmons went for an entire decade.

Players with a career OPS+ of 131 or lower include Rod Carew (131), Roberto Clemente (130), Carl Yastrzemski, and Eddie Murray (129).

Among Hall of Fame catchers, none can match that mark. Only Mike Piazza, generally regarded as one of the greatest catchers ever, and Gene Tenace, who played just under 60% of his game behind the plate, have a higher OPS+.

However, as strong as Simmons’s 70’s campaigns were, in 1981 his first season with a team other than St. Louis, all of those games behind the dish caught up to him.

In 1981 and 1984, he was well below his usual standard, and even the league standard.

His ’82 and ’83 seasons were above average, but not near the type of numbers he posted in the 70’s.

In fact, after never posting a season with an OPS+ below 114 or fewer than 20 Win Shares in the 70’s, he only posted one such season in the 1980’s, which happened to be the only season in which he got 600 plate appearances.

So with the dust all settled, how does Simmons stack up to catchers who have been deemed worthy to make the Hall of Fame?

Certain catchers, like Bill Dickey, Mickey Cochrane, and Roy Campanella, were in a class of their own. The most comparable to Simmons are Carlton Fisk, Gary Carter, Gabby Hartnett, and Ernie Lombardi.

At the bottom tier of Cooperstown is Roger Bresnahan, who is has the most stolen bases among catchers, and only two seasons with a .300+ batting average. Some speculate that his induction was a knee-jerk reaction to his death from a heart attack, and Bill James considers him the only Cooperstown backstop not worthy of enshrinement.

Speaking of Bill James, most of his metrics and rankings support Simmons’s case for induction. In the Historical Abstract, James ranks Simmons tenth all-time amongst catchers, well ahead of Ernie Lombardi and Bresnahan. In Win Shares, James’s famed metric for measuring a player’s worth, Simmons is seventh among catchers.

James said this in his Baseball Abstract:

“An exceptional hitter, an underrated defensive catcher. Simmons was on OK catcher his first five years in the league; Bill Deane has studied the records at great length, and demonstrated that Simmons threw out an above-average percentage of opposing base stealers in his prime seasons.

But the Cardinals weren’t a very good team in those years; they spent most of the time fighting about something and criticizing one another for their failures, and then, too, Johnny Bench set an impossible standard for a young catcher…”

Not only is Simba one of baseball’s finest catchers sabermetrically, but the raw numbers also support him. Simmons has scored more runs than all but four Hall of Fame catchers, has more hits or doubles than any of them, more home runs and games caught than three, and more RBIs than all but Yogi Berra.

His fielding and batting averages would rank sixth among Hall of Fame catchers.

And remember that at the time of Simmons’s candidacy, Gary Carter was not yet a Hall of Famer, and Mike Piazza was starting his sophomore season with the Dodgers, so his numbers were even more historically significant.

Among all-time players, Simmons is fifteenth in intentional walks

Yet somehow, Simmons only received 3.7% of the vote, falling off after his first year of eligibility in 1994, yet Carter and Fisk, who have very similar career statistics, made the Hall?

It could be that Simmons was seen as more of a pure hitter and run producer, although not much of a home run threat. In fact, since 1970, there have been fewer than 70 players who have driven in 100 or more runs while hitting 20 or fewer long flies. Of them, only four have done it more than twice, including Simmons, who is the only one to do it in different decades.

There is already a movement within the Veterans’ Committee to help Simmons gain entrance to Cooperstown, but it remains a shock to me that Simmons doesn’t already have a plaque among the greatest ever to play the game.

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The sport of Major League Baseball has seen its share of gambling controversies, most notably, the scandal surrounding the 1919 World Series and the Chicago White Sox, famously known as the Black Sox Scandal.

However, not one scandal gained more notoriety than the allegations levied against Major League Baseball’s all-time hits leader, Pete Rose.

On August 23, 1989, through an agreement reached with then baseball commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti, Pete Rose voluntarily accepted a lifetime suspension from the game of baseball.

Rose, at the time the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, had been reported to have been betting on baseball, and more specifically games in which the Reds were involved.

Rose was questioned in early 1989 by Giamatti, who was president of the National League at the time, and by current commissioner Peter Euberroth.

Later in the year, Euberroth stepped down as commissioner, and Giamatti was unanimously selected by MLB owners to replace him. During this time, lawyer John M. Dowd was retained to investigate the allegations against Rose.

In mid-August, the investigation was completed, and its findings submitted to commissioner Giamatti. In his report, Dowd concluded that Rose indeed had bet on baseball games, and had specifically on at least 50 Reds games in 1987, at a minimum of $10,000 per day.

On August 23rd, after several days of negotiations with commissioner Giamatti, Rose agreed to the lifetime ban. Ironically, eight days after the announcement, Giamatti suddenly died of a heart attack at his summer home in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. He was just 51 years old.

At the time, Rose had vehemently denied that he bet on baseball games. In 2004, fifteen years later, he finally revealed in his book, “My Prison Without Bars”, that he did bet on baseball.

Rose has applied for reinstatement several times, but the ban is still in place today. He has only been allowed back on the baseball field once, in 1999, when he was elected to the All-Century team, and he appeared with the team on the field at the All-Star game at Fenway Park.

Rose has arrogantly displayed his disdain for the decision on several occasions, setting up shop outside the confines of the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York during induction ceremonies, and at autograph signing sessions throughout the country.

Rose had his own radio talk show for years during the 1990’s, and his lifetime suspension was frequent fodder for Rose and his guests.

If Rose could have simply accepted the ban, worked to ingratiate himself positively with baseball owners and executives, and publicly admit his wrongdoings, his suspension likely would have been lifted.

Instead, Rose chose the tact of displaying complete arrogance and constant denials until fifteen years after the fact, and those acts alone have not only kept him out of baseball, but also kept him out of the place where he truly feels he belongs—the Hall of Fame.

Arrogance has never been a successful act of defense. Rose should have chosen the path of humility.

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