Nettles was a superior defender who finished fifth and sixth in the American League MVP voting in 1977 and 1978, respectively. A terrific run-producer, Cooper led the league in RBIs twice and doubles twice. Hodges' 370 homers might not stand as too impressive today, but when he retired it marked the league's fourth-best career total. Be respectful even if you disagree. Gonzalez was suspected of steroid abuse and was named in Jose Canseco's book Juiced. Bagwell's numbers are there, and he passes the eye test as a dominant player in his era, but the cloud of steroids has kept him out so far, right or wrong. Pujols will obviously make the Hall of Fame one day, but right now the biggest question is if he reached the top 10 for most hits ever. Not only was he able to go far to his left and right, but he charged the bunt as well as anyone and had range back into foul territory. An incredibly consistent and clutch performer, Williams is one of the most accomplished switch-hitters of all time. The two-time World Series winner finished his career with 2,182 hits and two injury-plagued seasons at the end of his career dropped his lifetime average below .300 to .296. "Bad Bill" Dahlen's career was split between the 19th and 20th centuries, but it qualifies here since he played more games in the 1900s than he did the 1800s. Herman's best seasons came in 1929 and 1930 when he combined to hit .387 over the two-year span. McCarthy had 170 Win Shares but only 14.6 WAR, for a Hall of Fame Value of 228.4. Bartell didn't have the hitting prowess of Cobb, but he did have a fine career nevertheless. "Indian Bob" is one of the great underrated players of the 1930s and 1940s, lost in the shuffle of playing at the same time as Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott, Lou Gehrig and Hank Greenberg. He won the National League pitching triple crown in 1918 and finished with a career record of 178-137. By Jim McLennan @AZSnakepit Apr 11, 2012, 11:00pm EDT. Coombs, however, didn't have the longevity of his teammates and faded fast. All four won at least 20 games in 1971. Stanton. Vaughn middled around during the first six years of his career before winning 21 games for the Cubs in 1914. Adams won 194 games during the dead-ball era for the Pirates and was an early master of WHIP. He won three batting titles, led the AL in hits five times and had two runner-up finishes in MVP voting. One of the best and longest-running arguments fans like to get involved with revolves around the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. Morris' case is buoyed by excellent performances in the 1984 and 1991 postseasons when he anchored the Tigers' and Twins' staffs to World Series titles in those respective years. Bridges was a fine pitcher for the Tigers starting in 1930 and running right up until he was called into service for World War II in 1944. He batted over .300 seven times and was known for having fantastic range at shortstop. His wins total is among the highest of anybody not elected to the Hall of Fame. He finished with 283 wins, the second-highest total of any modern pitcher not elected to the Hall of Fame who is eligible. With Ron Santo's election to the Hall of Fame, many now feel that Boyer is the best third baseman not enshrined in Cooperstown. Like Dale Murphy, he consistently gets dinged for having too short of a peak. He is best known for his role in one of baseball's greatest tragedies. Torre will one day get into the Hall of Fame as a manager, but the chance also remains that he will be inducted as a player one day by the Veterans Committee. If there was a Hall of Fame for baseball names, Shocker would be an unquestioned first-ballot entry. Notes: A minimum of 1,000 career games played and 1,000 career at-bats are needed to make this list, raw averages are presented to further clarify the one-thousand greatest career batting averages of all-time, and a bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season. The 1960 National League MVP teamed with Bill Mazeroski to form one of the best defensive middle infields of his era. Marty Dobrow | Special to MassLive. The 1964 NL MVP was a seven-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner. Walker batted .357 between 1997 and 2001, leading the National League in batting three of the four years in which he was eligible. He finished his 14-year career with 2,089 hits and a .298 career average. Joe Morgan, Frankie Frisch, Eddie Collins, Roberto Alomar and Craig Biggio have led the way. He is also one of the few multiple MVP winners who has been left out of Cooperstown. Oliver bounced around on seven different teams during his career, but wherever he went, he flat out hit. He scored over 100 runs in seven straight season and topped 100 RBI in five of those years. He finished first or second in fielding percentage for 13 of his 19 major league seasons. DiMaggio played just 11 years for the Red Sox, but had a big impact as the team's everyday center fielder playing next to Ted Williams. The 3,000 Hits Club is a collection of Major League Baseball players who have recorded 3,000 or more regular-season hits during their big league career. As of this writing, Cabrera was also just one homer away from No. Parrish was considered one of the top all-around catchers of the 1980s along with Gary Carter, Carlton Fisk and Ted Simmons. The 10-time All-Star won the NL MVP in 1974 and led the NL in hits in both 1978 and 1980. His 390 home runs ranks among the best for third basemen. Sure, it was a different era, but those are some incredible numbers. When Bill Veeck brought him back to the White Sox for a two-game stint in 1980, he became the first player to appear in five different decades and also became the last active former Negro League baseball player. Tiant made three All-Star games and had two top-10 MVP finishes. White was the first-ever batter in National Association history. Boone was arguably the greatest defensive catcher of a generation that also included Hall of Famers Gary Carter and Carlton Fisk. Belle may have been a jerk and got caught with a corked bat, but the fact that he had just two meek representations on the Hall of Fame ballot before being dropped is a crime. The Worst Starts To Hall Of Fame Careers. He didn't get his start until he was 26 and lasted just 12 years in the bigs, compiling a 166-112 record. A number of baseball's best hitters have come close to garnering 3,000 base hits over their major league careers. Ryan authored his sixth no-hitter in 1990 and followed with his seventh a year later at the age of 44. According to not in WC! Answerbag wants to provide a service to people looking for answers and a good conversation. His Hall of Fame candidacy peaked in 1995, his third year on the ballot. O'Doul actually is in the Baseball Hall of Fame, just not the one in Cooperstown. But not many . Published: Mar. However, as we'll see, he was an underrated performer as an offensive player. The two-time AL MVP finished his career with 434 home runs and a career batting average of .292. He was a Rookie of the Year winner, seven-time All-Star, MVP recipient, and thrice a top-10 finisher in the MVP race. in double plays turned by a first baseman six times in his career (cover photo: Denver Post) His numbers are at least equal to Hall of Fame peers Jim Rice and Andre Dawson, and his character on and off the field is exemplary. He is one of only four pitchers to strike out 300 batters in a season three times since 1900. Tiant twice led the league with ERAs under 2.00, but he also had five years with an ERA over 4.00. One of the great crimes in modern Hall of Fame balloting is that Bill Freehan received just two votes in 1982, his only year on the ballot. He led the league in the category five times, including 1919 and 1920 when he registered WHIPs below 1.000. McGwire's at-bats were must-watch TV for nearly a decade, and he fully captivated the nation for a summer in 1998. He batted over .300 10 times and finished with a career average of .308. Despite the tragedy, Mays had a very productive 15-year career. He also was one of the first power-hitting leadoff hitters, setting a MLB record with 35 career leadoff homers, a record that has since been broken. Since McCarthy was not BETTER than any other Hall of Famer, he also has a "zero" in front of his name. He was a mainstay in the Cubs' rotation for 16 years and accumulated 201 wins in his career. Career: 24 years (1984-2007) Teams: Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Houston Astros For all of his accomplishments, though, he only made four All-Star games and had just three top-10 MVP finishes. Reynolds got his start in the majors as a solid pitcher for the Indians in the 1940s. Garvey will likely be a strong Veterans Committee candidate years down the line. Garvey was even better in the postseason, holding a .338 average and 11 home runs in 55 games. Williams got moderate support on the Hall of Fame ballot on a few occasions. The three-time All-Star went 217-191 for his career. Allen was a feared slugger and clutch hitter whose .534 slugging percentage was the best of any non-Hall of Fame member until Albert Belle came along. Its taken him a bit to reach both the magic numbers of 3,000 and 500, but he seems determined to get there. Rolen ended his career playing for the Cincinnati Reds at the age of 37. Before a fine career as a manager, Kuenn was one of the top hitters in the majors during the 1950s and 1960s. At the end of his career, he ranked in the top five for American League right-handed batters in career RBI, runs, total bases, slugging and walks. He finished with 2,210 career hits and played excellent defense. That being said, here are the top 100 eligible players not in the MLB Hall of Fame. A seven-time All-Star between 1966-82, Smith has nonetheless become an unfairly overlooked player, receiving almost no Hall of Fame consideration despite roughly 65 career WAR. He batted .398 that season and led the league with a .465 on-base percentage. Travis was a popular shortstop and third baseman for the Washington Senators who missed four seasons of action when he was shipped off to fight in World War II just as he was reaching the prime of his career. Staub may have cost himself an enshrinement when he chose to return to the Mets to mentor young players in a part-time role rather than seeking full-time work elsewhere late in his career. Palmeiros steroid use led to everyone discounting his monstrous numbers. Guidry turned in one of the great pitching seasons of all time when he went 25-3 in 1978 with a 1.78 ERA. Dave Orr-hit .342 but only played 8 seasons, so he isn't eligible for the Hall. Considered one of the top dead-ball era players not in the Hall of Fame, Daubert was an excellent all-around players for the Brooklyn Superbas and Cincinnati Reds in the early 20th century. He is hurt by the fact that he really only played 11 full seasons in the major leagues. Raines' candidacy has been gaining momentum in the past few seasons, and it seems that one day he will take his place in Cooperstown. 7) Ken Griffey Jr.: 630 500th HR: June 20, 2004 HR Rank All Time. With another 2-3 seasons, he wouldve reached the magic 3,000 number that wouldve almost assuredly ensured his induction. Freehan was unquestionably one of the top catchers in the American League, as he made 10 straight All-Star games from 1964 to 1973. Despite his 119-121 record, Vander Meer consistently received over 20 percent of the votes in Hall of Fame balloting throughout hiseligibility. As a result, his final career numbers don't match up with the great pitchers of his generation. Yost was also prolific at drawing walks, leading the American League six times in his career. Research is still ongoing and we'll continue to publish updates as more information becomes available. Beltran becomes eligible for the Hall in 2023, and his case will be among the most controversial in recent memory due to his involvement in the Astros sign-stealing saga. Because of this and a quick downfall to his production after age 35, Hodges amassed only 1,921 hits. At the time of his retirement, only Harmon Killebrew and Jimmie Foxx had more home runs in the American League by a right-handed hitter. He finished fourth in the MVP voting in 1977 and 1978 and received MVP votes in five other seasons. Minoso also led the league in "hit by pitch" 10 times, and his 192 plunkings ranks ninth all time. Helton is one of only two players in baseball history to have at least. The 1978 AL Rookie of the Year played all 19 years of his career with the Tigers. Clark was a six time All Star and borderline Hall of Famer. https://thelistwire.usatoday.com/lists/20-mlb-players-with-the-most-hits-not-in-the-hall-of-fame-pete-rose-joey-votto-cooperstown/, These players have a lot of hits, but no plaque, The fastest 40 times in NFL combine history, In memoriam: Celebrities who have died in 2022, 50 largest cities in the United States by population 2022, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Whitaker was a solid all-around player for the Tigers, but never really excelled in any one area on an elite level. Simmons may not have the hardware of Hall of Fame catching peers Gary Carter and Carlton Fisk, but he really isn't that far off. Baseballs collusion case in the mid-80s brought an early end to his career. He threw over 500 innings five times, including 657 innings in 1880. Don Mattingly was a New York Yankee his entire career and would definitely be in the hall of fame if not for his back problems that developed later in his career. However, he remarkably made it back, and he was better than before. It was one of the truly remarkable runs of success in the decade. The very worst position player ever selected to the Hall of Fame was Tommy McCarthy, a 19th-century outfielder. Colavito topped 30 homers seven times, including a league-leading 42 in 1959. Votto's career .303 batting average and career .932 OPS also is good enough to be a HOF. Williams was one of the National League's first great home run hitters. Overall, he received MVP votes in eightdifferentyears and won three Gold Gloves. The plaque dedicated to Sanford 'Sandy' Koufax at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New . Oliver was a six-time All-Star, received MVP votes in 10 different seasons and won the 1982 batting title when he hit at a .331 clip. In five years, he will enter the Hall of Fame as one of the . Root's best year came in 1927 when he led the NL with 27 wins. He had more votes than players like Ralph Kiner, Chuck Klein, Lefty Grove and Lloyd Waner. Richardson played just 12 years in the major leagues, appearing in the World Series in seven of them. Groat won the 1960 batting title with a .325 average and was a five-time All-Star. 18 Apr. Starting in 1953, Pierce made the All-Star game seven out of the next nine years and received MVP votes in five seasons. While he never reached those heights again, Guidry had four top-five Cy Young finishes, made four All-Star games and won five straight Gold Gloves in the 1980s. He won 20 games four times, but he also was one of the few post-WWII pitchers to lose 20 in a season. The year before he left, Travis led the AL with 218 hits and batted .359, two points higher than Joe DiMaggio in his year of "The Streak." His .948 OPS ranks 21st all time. He has a lower WAR than Baines, and he had little power, but he won 8 gold gloves in his 17-year career, and he was an 8-time All-Star. His 1,330 walks ranks 36th all time and his 606 stolen bases ranks fifth. In fact, his highest single-season average was just .267, and he once hit .159 in nearly 500 plate appearances. Allen played during the pitching-dominated 1960s and 1970s and still managed to top a 1.000 OPS three times. NL in hits in 1999 with 206. The general rule is that 3,000 career hits is an automatic ticket to induction in the Hall of Fame and that generally remains the case, though there are a handful still on the outside looking in due to situations of their own making. He went 24-8 for the A's, winning the CY Young award and MVP in the American League. Abreu is the perfect compliment to the talent on this roster, giving the Astros a right-handed bat that can slot in between two great left-handed hitters in Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker. At the time of his retirement, Williams was the National League's all-time home run leader with 251. Ryne Sandberg : in his first year of eligibility in 2003 received 49.2% of the vote and gets enshrined in 2005 in his third year on the ballot receiving 76.2 . Cone didn't compile big career numbers since he battled injuries for many years, but he matches up with the best in some of his individual years. 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