2022 Early Baseball and Golden Days Era Committee Results

 

Tony Oliva and Jim Kaat, 1966. 55 years later, they'll be entering the Baseball Hall of Fame together.

On Sunday, the Baseball Hall of Fame added 6 new members: Bud Fowler, Buck O’Neil, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso, and Tony Oliva. In my most recent blog post, I went through the ballots for the Early Baseball and Golden Days Eras. The Early Baseball Committee elected Bud Fowler and Buck O’Neil, two Negro Leagues stars. I will admit I don’t know much about Bud Fowler, but I’m thrilled that Buck O’Neil got in.

The Golden Days Era Committee elected four players: Gil Hodges, Minnie Minoso, Jim Kaat, and Tony Oliva. When this committee last met in 2014, they pitched a shutout and elected no one. Electing Hodges, Minoso, Kaat, and Oliva is huge. This committee just elected 4 of the best players who weren’t in the Hall of Fame. All 4 have compelling cases for induction, and I’m very glad they got in.

I’m glad Gil Hodges finally got in, after so many years. Hodges received 50% or more of the vote in 11 of the 15 years he was on the BBWAA ballot, so it’s very odd that it took him so long to get in. Minoso was one of the best players in the American League during the 1950’s, and baseball’s first Cuban star.

While Hodges died in 1972, and Minoso passed away in 2015, the Golden Days Era Committee wisely decided to vote in 2 players who are thankfully still alive: Jim Kaat and Tony Oliva. I’m a Twins fan, so I’ve wanted Kaat and Oliva to get in for a long time. The knock on Kaat was that he was merely a “compiler,” not a truly dominant starting pitcher. And Jim Kaat would agree with you on that. But he stuck around for 25 seasons and won 283 games. If there had been 2 Cy Young Awards handed out in 1966, instead of just one, Kaat surely would have won in the AL award, as he led the league with 25 wins. Kaat also lead the AL in starts, complete games, and innings pitched. But since there was only one Cy Young Award in 1966, it inevitably went to the masterful Sandy Koufax, in his final season. Kaat’s longtime teammate on the Minnesota Twins, Tony Oliva, finally received the call this year. Like Minoso, Oliva was also from Cuba. Oliva was a superstar from 1964-1971, until a knee injury basically ended his career. Had it not been for the adoption of the DH in 1973, Oliva most likely would have retired. He was still a good hitter, but not quite the same dangerous one he had been in his prime. And in his prime Tony O was very good indeed. Oliva led the AL in hits 5 times, doubles 4 times, led in slugging and total bases once each, and won 3 batting titles. Had he not been injured, Oliva most likely would have reached the 3,000 hit milestone. As it turned out, Oliva didn’t even reach 2,000 hits. From 1964 through 1971, Oliva finished in the top 3 in batting average every year except for 1967, when he finished 8^th. That’s an impressive run. Despite the fact that Oliva basically only appeared in the top ten of AL statistics from 1964-1971, his run was so impressive that he still outperforms the average Hall of Famer in “Black Ink” (when a player leads the league in a category) and “Gray Ink” (when a player finishes in the top ten of the league in a category). Oliva’s Black Ink score is 41. The average Hall of Famer is 27. Oliva’s Gray Ink score is 146. The average Hall of Famer is 144. An impressive career indeed.

Once again, just like in 2014, Dick Allen fell one vote short of getting inducted. It’s too bad that Allen didn’t get elected this time, but I’m very happy that Hodges, Kaat, Minoso, and Oliva are all getting in.

2022 Early Baseball and Golden Days Era Hall of Fame Ballots

 

Jim Kaat, 16-time Gold Glove winner.

Tony Oliva, 3-time batting champion.

Minnie Minoso, 9-time All-Star, 3-time Gold Glove winner.

The Baseball Hall of Fame recently released the ballots for the Early Baseball Era and the Golden Days Era. It’s the first time since 2006 that players from the Negro Leagues have been considered for the Hall of Fame. The Early Baseball Era considers players whose primary contributions to the game were before 1950, while the Golden Days Era examines players whose primary contributions were between 1950-1969.

I do not know enough about the history of the Negro Leagues to judge the players on the Early Baseball Era ballot, so I won’t say anything about John Donaldson, Bud Fowler, Vic Harris, Grant “Home Run” Johnson, Buck O’Neil, Dick “Cannonball” Reading, and George “Tubby” Scales. I do think Buck O’Neil should be elected. The Hall had a chance to elect O’Neil in 2006, when he was still alive, and they failed to do so, which was a shame.

Here are my thoughts on the other players on the Early Baseball Era ballot:

Bill Dahlen: Dahlen has been mentioned for years as one of the best players not in the Hall of Fame. His career lasted from 1891-1911, and he put up some excellent career stats: 2,461 hits, 1,590 runs scored, 1,234 RBI’s, and 548 stolen bases. Baseball-Reference credits Dahlen with 62.5 oWAR and 28.5 dWAR, for a total of 75.2 WAR. I have no idea how you calculate defensive WAR for someone who started playing baseball 130 years ago, but whatever. Dahlen was a shortstop, and Jay Jaffe’s JAWS score ranks him as the 11^th best shortstop in baseball history, ahead of Hall of Famers like Barry Larkin, Derek Jeter, Lou Boudreau, Pee Wee Reese, and Joe Cronin. I think Dahlen should be elected, it’s surprising with his numbers that he was never elected by the Veterans’ Committee.

Lefty O’Doul: It would be nice if the Hall of Fame had a kind of “lifetime achievement” award they could give people to honor their overall contributions to baseball. Lefty O’Doul is the perfect type of person to receive this award, rather than having him being voted into the Hall of Fame as a player. O’Doul only played in 970 major league games over 11 seasons. That’s a super short career for someone whose career wasn’t shortened by military service, the color barrier, or a career-ending injury.

O’Doul had a fascinating career. He came up as a relief pitcher with the New York Yankees in 1919. For the first four years of his major league career, he was also used as an occasional pinch hitter. At the end of the 1923 season, O’Doul had 14 hits and a record of 1-1. Not too impressive. But then he went to the Pacific Coast League, became a full-time outfielder, and tore up the league. From 1924-1927 his batting averages in the PCL were: .392, .375, .338, and .378. In 1928 O’Doul was back in the major leagues with the New York Giants and batted .319. He was traded by the Giants to the Phillies after the season. In 1929, O’Doul had an astonishing season, setting a National League record by bashing out 254 hits. (Bill Terry tied this record the next year, and still stands as the NL mark.) To go along with his hits, O’Doul cracked 32 home runs, drove in 122 runs, scored 152 runs, and batted .398. Lefty followed that up with a .383 mark in 1930. 1929 and 1930 were two of the best offensive seasons for batters, as the NL league batting average was .294 in 1929 and .303 in 1930. O’Doul captured another batting title in 1932 when he hit .368 with the Dodgers.

1934 was O’Doul’s last major league season. O’Doul managed in the PCL from 1935-1957, and he was instrumental in popularizing baseball in Japan during several overseas trips. Great player? Yes. Interesting career? For sure. Hall of Famer as an MLB player? Nope. O’Doul only had 6 seasons where he played in more than 100 games. That’s just not enough. There’s no reason to elect someone with such a short career when his career wasn’t shortened by military service, the color barrier, or a career-ending injury. Was O’Doul a great hitter? Yes, absolutely. His MLB batting average is an eye-popping .349. But compare O’Doul to two other short-career Hall of Famers: Hank Greenberg and Ralph Kiner. Look at O’Doul’s baseball-reference page next to Greenberg’s and Kiner’s. O’Doul’s Black Ink score, the times he led the league in a category, is 11. (The average Hall of Famer’s Black Ink score is 27.) For a guy who only played 6 full seasons, 11 is a great score, it’s very impressive. Now look at Greenberg’s Black Ink score: 46. Kiner’s Black Ink score: 52. That’s the kind of dominance you need to have if you want to be elected and had a short career.

I would be in favor of Lefty O’Doul getting my imaginary “lifetime contribution to baseball” award. But there’s no reason for him to be elected to the Hall of Fame as a player.

Allie Reynolds: A flame-throwing right-handed pitcher for the Cleveland Indians and the New York Yankees, Reynolds won 6 World Series during his time with the Yankees. Reynolds was a Native American from Oklahoma, and he was given the nickname “Superchief,” because of his heritage, and also an homage to the train of the same name.

Reynolds fashioned an impressive career over 13 seasons, finishing with a career record of 182-107, an ERA of 3.30, and leading the AL in strikeouts twice. Reynolds was dynamite in the postseason, as he helped the Yankees to 6 World Series titles, going 7-2 with a 2.79 ERA over 15 games.

Reynolds is an interesting choice for the ballot, and he’s a player I haven’t thought of in a long time. He did pretty well on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot, peaking at 33.6% of the vote in 1968. Reynolds was an excellent pitcher who had several great seasons, but I don’t think he needs to be in the Hall of Fame. The most similar pitchers to Reynolds are two Hall of Famers: Lefty Gomez and Bob Lemon. Gomez was another Yankee pitcher with an excellent winning percentage who won fewer than 200 games, and who also excelled in the postseason. Gomez was elected in 1972, almost 50 years ago, and he surely got a few extra points thanks to his collection of humorous quotes. Bob Lemon was another pitcher with a short career, but Lemon won over 200 games, and he won 20 games in a season 7 times-Reynolds only won 20 games in a season once.

More recent pitchers on Reynolds’ top ten most similar list are Dave Stieb, Dwight Gooden, and Adam Wainwright. Good pitchers, but not Hall of Famers. (Well, unless Wainwright keeps reeling off more seasons like his 2021 campaign.) I just don’t see the need to elect a starting pitcher who won fewer than 200 games, unless they have a peak that looks like Sandy Koufax’s.

Now let’s look at the Golden Days Era ballot. This is essentially the same ballot as in 2014, when this group of players was considered, and no one was elected. I wrote about that 2014 ballot here. This ballot is full of a lot of excellent players who had solid careers but are on the cusp of the Hall of Fame. (Which is why they’ve never been elected.)

Dick Allen: Dick Allen had to put up with a lot of racist bullshit during his career. Fans in Philadelphia heckled him mercilessly, to the point where he started wearing a batting helmet while he was fielding, in order to avoid the debris that was thrown at him. That being said, Allen also needlessly put himself at the center of a lot of controversies throughout his career. I highly recommend reading the SABR bio of Allen if you want to know more about this gifted player who had a knack for attracting controversy.

Dick Allen is kind of like Jim Rice. Allen and Rice don’t earn any extra points for baserunning or defense, their cases are based upon a 12-year peak of hitting. Allen was assuredly one of the best hitters in baseball from 1964-74, but his career numbers are low for the Hall of Fame, as he only collected 1,848 hits and 1,119 RBI.

Ken Boyer: One of the best 3^rd basemen of his era, Boyer was a 5-time Gold Glove winner, and the 1964 NL MVP. Jay Jaffe’s JAWS ranks Boyer as the 14^th best third baseman in baseball history, well above Hall of Fame third basemen George Kell and Pie Traynor. Boyer also ranks higher than Dick Allen in JAWS. I don’t know that Boyer needs to be in the Hall of Fame, but he was an excellent player who is underrated. At the time Boyer retired, JAWS ranked Boyer as the 5^th best third baseman. Based on that, he really should have been elected to the Hall of Fame by the writers.

Gil Hodges: Like every other player on this ballot, Hodges had some amazing seasons, but his career numbers fall short of what is typically expected from a Hall of Fame player. When Hodges retired in 1963, his 370 home runs were good for 10^th on the all-time list. Hodges played for the great Dodgers teams of the 1950’s, he was the manager of the Miracle Mets in 1969, and everybody liked him. Hodges died of a heart attack just before the 1972 season began. All the intangibles would seem to be in place to point towards Hodges’ eventual election to the Hall of Fame, but he continually fell just short of election. All told, as Chris Bodig discusses on his excellent blog Cooperstown Cred, Hodges has won 3,010 votes to the Hall of Fame, more than any other player.

It struck me the other day how similar Gil Hodges is to Dale Murphy. Yes, they played different positions, but they were great players with a terrific peak of 7 years of so, and then their production just fell off a cliff. Hodges and Murphy were both widely admired fan favorites. Like so many of these players, I don’t know that Hodges needs to be in the Hall of Fame, but he was a terrific player from one of baseball’s great dynasties.

Jim Kaat: I’m a Twins fan, so I really like Jim Kaat. Again, he could be an excellent choice for my imaginary “lifetime contribution to baseball” award, since Kaat had a 25-year career as a pitcher, and he’s had a lengthy career as a broadcaster as well. Kaat won 283 games during his career, falling 17 victories short of the magic 300 wins milestone. So, if Kaat would be a Hall of Famer with 300 wins, why isn’t he a Hall of Famer with 283 wins? It beats me. I’d love to have a sportswriter explain that to me. And I get it, Kaat didn’t get to 300 wins, he fell 17 wins short. Kaat was not a dominant pitcher, and there were few seasons when he was one of the best pitchers in baseball, he just kept going for 25 years. Kaat might have lost a few points with the writers by hanging around as a relief pitcher and spot starter his last few years in the majors. Still, Kaat won 260 games as a starting pitcher, which is pretty impressive. As much as I like Jim Kaat, I do understand the reasons people might think he doesn’t belong in Cooperstown.

Roger Maris: Maris had 3 great seasons: 1960, 1961, and 1962. That’s great, but it doesn’t make him a Hall of Famer. The most similar player to Roger Maris is Bob Allison. Bob Allison was a great player for the Twins, he’s in the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame, but no one thinks Bob Allison should be in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Bob Allison didn’t even appear on a ballot for the Hall of Fame. Allison never hit 61 home runs in a season, but he has the same number of 30 home run seasons as Maris: 3. Allison beats Maris in 20 home run seasons, 8 to 6. If you want to elect players like Roger Maris to the Hall of Fame who had 3 great seasons, then you’d better start fundraising to build an additional wing to your museum.

To beat the point into the ground, Maris doesn’t compare well to other short career sluggers like Ralph Kiner and Hank Greenberg. Maris was nowhere near as dominant as those two sluggers were. Maris’ Black Ink score: 18. Greenberg’s Black Ink score: 46. Kiner’s Black Ink score: 52.

Minnie Minoso: Minoso was one of the best players in the American League during the 1950’s. His career totals are low for the Hall of Fame, but he was an excellent player during his peak. Minoso was a 9-time All-Star, a 3-time Gold Glove winner, and he finished in the top 4 of MVP voting 4 times. Ironically enough, given his fame for his late career pinch-hitting appearances, Minoso’s MLB career cooled significantly after his age 35 season in 1961. He had several more excellent seasons playing in the Mexican League until 1973. I’d be fine with Minoso getting into the Hall of Fame.

Danny Murtaugh: Seems like an odd choice for this ballot. Murtaugh won 1,115 games as a manager, but that only puts him in 55^th place for manager wins. Sure, Murtaugh led the Pirates to World Series titles in 1960 and 1971, but hey, Tom Kelly won 2 World Series titles as well. One of Murtaugh’s greatest achievements was in fielding the first (and probably only) all Black and Hispanic starting lineup in baseball history on September 1, 1971. I don’t think there’s any reason to elect Murtaugh to the Hall of Fame.

Tony Oliva: I’m a Twins fan, so I love Tony O. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Tony several times over the past few years, and he always has a huge smile on his face, ready to talk about baseball or the cold Minnesota weather. My favorite story about meeting Tony was one cold April day when my wife and I were walking to our seats at Target Field. We had just passed Tony O’s Cuban sandwich stand, and I was telling my wife what a great player Tony Oliva was in his prime. And then of a sudden, as if on cue, Tony O was right there at the next section of seats! It was a special moment. I’d love to see Tony Oliva elected to the Hall of Fame. He was a great player and he’s a wonderful person. I know that Oliva’s peak as a player was short, but he was one of the best hitters in baseball during the offensively challenged 1960’s. If Oliva hadn’t gotten injured and messed up his knee in 1971, I think he would have been in the Hall of Fame a long time ago. Despite the brevity of Oliva’s career, he had many highlights, as he was an 8-time All-Star, won three batting titles, led the league in hits five times, and in doubles three times. If you’re looking for a peak value player, you could do a lot worse than Tony Oliva.

Billy Pierce: Pierce was one of the best left-handed starting pitchers in the American League during the 1950’s. Pitching for the White Sox, Pierce led the league in wins in 1957, and won the ERA crown in 1955. Pierce was an excellent pitcher, and his career record of 211-169 is quite similar to Hall of Famer Don Drysdale, who had a record of 209-166. I think Pierce was very good, but not a Hall of Famer.

Maury Wills: Wills led the National League in stolen bases six years in a row, from 1960 to 1965, and he stole a then-record 104 bases in 1962. Wills got a late start, as he spent nine years in the minor leagues before finally breaking in with the Dodgers at the age of 26 in 1959. Had his career started at age 21 or 22, it’s easy to imagine that Wills would already be in the Hall of Fame. Wills’ 586 stolen bases are still good for 20^th on the all-time list. JAWS ranks Wills 48^th among shortstops, just below Dave Concepcion and just ahead of Jay Bell. Wills was a great player in his prime, but does he need to be in the Hall of Fame? I don’t know.

One of the oddest things about Maury Wills was that he did not appear on a Topps baseball card until 1967. Usually, Topps swooped down on any prospect who seemed like he had any chance of making the major leagues and signed him to a contract to appear on a baseball card. But somehow Wills slipped through their fingers when he was a prospect. By the time he was an everyday player, Wills didn’t sign a contract with Topps, for whatever reason, so he didn’t appear on any of their cards. If you were a Dodgers fan during the 1960’s it must have driven you crazy to know that one of the best players on your team wasn’t on a Topps card. By the time Wills finally appeared on a Topps card in 1967, he had been traded to the Pirates. Fortunately, Wills returned to the Dodgers during the 1969 season, so his 1970 Topps card featured him with the Dodgers.

And there you have it. None of these players would be an awful choice for the Hall of Fame, but on the other hand, do any of them really deserve to get in? It’s a question that doesn’t have a simple answer.

On the Early Baseball Era ballot, of Dahlen, O’Doul and Reynolds, I think Dahlen is the best candidate. On the Golden Days Era ballot, I think Maris and Murtaugh are the weakest candidates. As a Twins fan, I’d love to see Kaat and Oliva elected. Honestly, the only candidates I’d be annoyed to see elected on the Golden Days Era ballot would be Maris and Murtaugh. Every other player on the ballot I can understand an argument in favor of their election, even if I might not agree with it. If I were able to vote on the Golden Days Era ballot, I’d vote for Kaat, Minoso, and Oliva. (And possibly Boyer and Hodges as well if you caught me on the right day.)

We’ll see what happens when the Committees meet in December. Hopefully at least one of these talented players will be elected to the Hall of Fame.

Recapping the 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame Golden Era Committee Ballot

Jim Kaat pitched for an amazing 25 seasons.

Tony Oliva, with the Twins in the 1960's. Oliva won 3 AL batting titles.

Me and Tony O, 2012. He is one of the nicest athletes I've ever met.

Gil Hodges, first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Ken Boyer, third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Like many baseball fans, I was disappointed when the Golden Era Committee for the Hall of Fame announced on December 8^th that no one had been elected to the Hall of Fame. The Golden Era Committee examined players who made their primary contribution to baseball between 1947 and 1972. The Committee had nine players on their ballot, along with former Cincinnati Reds general manager Bob Howsam. 

Baseball writer Joe Posnanski had a great post about the math behind the Golden Era Committee, and why it was almost impossible for them to elect anyone. The members of the committee were limited to voting for just four players, which lessened the chance of anyone being elected. 

As a Minnesota Twins fan, I really wanted to see Tony Oliva and Jim Kaat get elected. In my Hall of Fame philosophy, I’m more of a “big Hall” kind of guy. I feel that there are a number of really excellent players who deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, like Jim Kaat, Tommy John, Vada Pinson, Al Oliver, Ted Simmons, Tim Raines, Dave Parker, and Fred McGriff. That being said, there are a number of players in the Hall of Fame who I think don’t belong. I don’t think they should be removed from the Hall of Fame, but I think they were bad choices. Most of these players were selected by some form of the Veterans Committee. My list of Hall of Famers who don’t belong would include: Chick Hafey, Jesse Haines, Fred Lindstrom, Travis Jackson, George Kelly, George Kell, Addie Joss, Rick Ferrell, Ray Schalk, and Dave Bancroft. 

It annoys me when people say or write things like “The Hall of Fame is for players like Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle.” Well, yes, but it’s also for players like Billy Williams, Goose Goslin, and Bert Blyleven. There are 211 players in the Hall of Fame. Obviously, not all of them can be as great as Mays and Mantle. You can have a Hall of Fame in your mind that is only made up of Mays, Mantle, Hank Aaron, and other players who were first-ballot, no doubt about it Hall of Famers, as long as you know that your Hall of Fame does not bear any resemblance to the actual Hall of Fame. You can’t stick your head in the sand and pretend that the bottom barrel HOFers don’t exist. But, at the same time, we shouldn’t use those bottom barrel players as benchmarks for who to elect in the future. If we start putting in everyone who is better than the worst Hall of Famer, we’ll have a Hall of Fame that will be overstuffed. 

The “Golden Era” ballot of 2014 was full of very good candidates who all have their pluses and minuses. You can make really good arguments for or against all of these players. Here are my thoughts on the candidates on the ballot, except for Bob Howsam, who I don’t have an opinion on. I don’t think executives should be on the same ballot as players.

Dick Allen: No matter where Dick Allen played, controversy followed him. Allen was one of the best sluggers of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. But injuries and Allen’s knack for pissing off every team he ever played for led to him playing his last game at the age of 35. I understand that Allen was a really great player, and he was definitely one of the best players in baseball from 1964-1974, but his counting numbers are really low for the Hall of Fame. Allen finished his career with just 1,848 hits and 1,119 RBIs. There are 178 players who have played from 1901 to the present who have more than 1,800 hits and 1,100 RBIs, which doesn’t exactly scream “elite player.” Allen’s Hall of Fame case is all about his hitting, as he was at best an indifferent fielder. He has negative fielding WAR for every season except 1964, when he has a paltry 0.3. I get that Allen’s peak as a player was really high, but I just have a problem with putting someone in the Hall whose counting stats look like Lee May’s. 

There’s a great bio of Dick Allen on the SABR website, which helped me understand more about some of the controversies surrounding Allen’s career:

http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/92ed657e

Ken Boyer: From 1956-64, Boyer was one of the game’s best third basemen, putting up 8 seasons of 90+ RBIs, and leading the NL in RBIs in 1964 with 119, the same year he won the MVP award and led the St. Louis Cardinals to the World Series. Boyer’s peak is very impressive, but unfortunately the magic quickly faded, and Boyer’s career from 1965-69 was undistinguished. I think Boyer was a great player, but for me he falls short of being a Hall of Famer. 

Gil Hodges: Another great player with a terrific peak but a shorter career, Hodges was the slugging first baseman for the “Boys of Summer” Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1950’s. Hodges put up 7 consecutive seasons of 100+ RBIs, and when he ended his playing career in 1963 his 370 home runs were good for 10^th on the all-time list. Hodges faded quickly after his age 35 season in 1959. Hodges has been one of the most discussed Hall of Fame candidates, as he has consistently fallen just short of election time and again. In his 15 years on the BBWAA ballot, Hodges was named on more than 50% of the ballots 11 times, so it’s pretty crazy that he didn’t get in. As Joe Posnanski points out in this excellent blog post, every player who has received 50% of the BBWAA vote, except for Hodges and Jack Morris, has been eventually elected to the Hall of Fame, either by the BBWAA or by some incarnation of the Veterans Committee. Everybody liked Gil Hodges, and by all accounts he was a really great guy, which you think would have helped him get elected to the Hall. Hodges also managed the “Miracle Mets” in 1969, and he died young, of a sudden heart attack at age 47 in 1972. He was considered one of the best fielding first baseman of his era, winning 3 Gold Gloves, even though the award wasn’t established until 1957. For me, Hodges falls just short of a Hall of Fame career.

Jim Kaat: One of the most durable pitchers ever, Kaat pitched for 25 seasons, from 1959 to 1983. At 283 wins, he fell short of the magic number of 300, and I think that has kept him out of the Hall. Let’s say, hypothetically, that Kaat lost one close game every year of his career. If we could give Kaat that one more win for each year of his career, he’d be at 308 wins and would be in the Hall of Fame for sure. So if Kaat would have been a Hall of Famer with just 17 more wins, why is he not a Hall of Famer at 283 wins? I don’t know exactly how sportswriters would answer that question, but I have some ideas. Kaat was not an overpowering pitcher, and he didn’t have much of a peak to his career. He was a compiler, putting up big numbers through longevity, not sheer dominance. He wasn’t Tom Seaver. Kaat won 16 Gold Gloves in a row, and he was such a good athlete that he was used as a pinch-hitter or pinch-runner in 106 games during his career. Unfortunately, Kaat got injured during the 1972 season while pinch-running, and that no doubt cost him several wins, as he was 10-2 with a 2.06 ERA when he got injured. Kaat might have lost some support for the Hall of Fame because he spent the last five years of his career as a swingman alternating between the bullpen and spot starting. Voters might have seen Kaat as just hanging on too long trying to get to 300 wins. Personally, I would love to see Jim Kaat in the Hall of Fame. He was a great pitcher and he’s been a great broadcaster for many years. 

Minnie Minoso: While some fans might remember Minoso for his publicity stunt pinch-hitting appearances with the White Sox in 1976 and 1980, he was actually one of the best players in the American League during the 1950’s. Like practically every other player on this ballot, Minoso faded quickly after age 35, which is ironic, given his late-career pinch-hitting appearances. But during his prime, Minoso was a 9-time All-Star, and a three time Gold Glove winner. Minoso also finished 4^th in the MVP voting 4 times. Oh, and he has the same number of 100+ RBI seasons as Mickey Mantle: 4. Should Minoso be in the Hall? Again, I think he falls just short.

Tony Oliva: Tony O is one of the nicest guys I have ever met. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Tony several times over the past few years, and he always has a huge smile on his face, ready to talk about baseball or the cold Minnesota weather. My favorite story about meeting Tony was one cold April day when my wife and I were walking to our seats at Target Field. We had just passed Tony O’s Cuban sandwich stand, and I was telling my wife what a great player Tony Oliva was in his prime. And then of a sudden, as if on cue, Tony O was right there at the next section of seats! It was pretty cool. So I admit, I’m a Twins fan, and I’m biased, I’d love to see Tony Oliva elected to the Hall of Fame. He was a great player and he’s a really wonderful person. I know that Oliva’s peak as a player was short, but he was one of the best hitters in baseball during the offensively challenged 1960’s. If Oliva hadn’t gotten injured and messed up his knee in 1971, I think he would have been in the Hall of Fame a long time ago. Despite the brevity of Oliva’s career, he had many highlights, as he was an 8-time All-Star, won three batting titles, led the league in hits five times, and in doubles three times. 

Billy Pierce: Pierce was one of the best left-handed starting pitchers in the American League during the 1950’s. Pitching for the White Sox, Pierce led the league in wins in 1957, and won the ERA crown in 1955. Pierce was an excellent pitcher, and his career record of 211-169 is quite similar to Hall of Famer Don Drysdale, who had a record of 209-166. I think Pierce was very good, but not a Hall of Famer.

Luis Tiant: Tiant was a superb pitcher in the 1960’s, winning 21 games and leading the American League in ERA in 1968. After injuries sidelined him for much of 1970 and 1971, Tiant returned with an array of different windups and deliveries, and he was able to rejuvenate his career. Tiant went on to win 20 games for the Red Sox in 1973, 1974, and 1976. Unfortunately, Tiant did a number on my Minnesota Twins both coming and going, as the Twins gave up a young third baseman named Graig Nettles as part of the trade with the Cleveland Indians to acquire Tiant. Tiant dealt with injuries during 1970, his only season with the Twins, and the Twins released him at the end of spring training in 1971, just before he started his resurgence. Oops! I think Tiant should be in the Hall of Fame, he was a great pitcher who was overshadowed on the Hall of Fame ballot by the other great pitchers of the 1960’s and 70’s.

Maury Wills: Wills led the National League in stolen bases six years in a row, from 1960 to 1965, and he stole a then-record 104 bases in 1962. Wills got a late start, as he spent nine years in the minor leagues before finally breaking in with the Dodgers at the age of 26 in 1959. I don’t think Wills should be in the Hall of Fame. All he had to offer was speed, and while he put up a decent career batting average of .281, his OBP was .330 and his slugging percentage was .331. Okay, so Ozzie Smith’s slugging percentage was actually lower than his OBP, but Smith was a better player than Wills. 

Those are my thoughts on the 2014 Golden Era Committee ballot. Hopefully the next time the Committee meets to vote on players from this era they actually elect someone.