His season averages are
.276 average....23 homeruns....93rbis
His best year was
.323 average...34 homeruns...114 rbis
neither of those numbers are impressive for Hall of Fame Players
His highlight of his career is breaking Lou Gerhig record of consecutive games played. But that wasnt even a highlight of Gerhig's career. Ripken also hurt his team during this streak, the pressure to play everyday even hurt or sick made Ripkens team hurt.
Ripkens career stats when looked at are impressive, he has over 3,000 hits, over 400 homeruns and over 1500 rbi. But these stats are over a 21 year career. All that means was he was a decent player that played a long time
Yes he did change the way of shortstops are viewed in Baseball but he is not by any means a great player.
2007-01-13 10:54:06 · 25 answers · asked by kcb1305 2 in Sports ➔ Baseball
HIS VOTE TOTAL SHOULD BEEN LOWER LIKE BETWEEN 80 AND 90%. HE WAS A MEDIA DARLING. HE WAS SOMEWHAT OVERRATED.
2007-01-13 14:59:02 · answer #1 · answered by smitty 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Ripken made the All Star team NINETEEN TIMES. Any other players (besides Pete Rose) make 19 all star teams and not make the HOF?
He won two MVP awards (same as Willie Mays, and one more than Hank Aaron). Again, this guy was a shortstop.
Ripken's playing while hurt or sick only "hurt" his team if the Orioles had a better shortstop to replace him with. They didn't.
He set an AL record for assists by a shortstop, with 583 in 1984. (before you claim that this is because the Orioles had a "ground ball" staff, keep in mind that the Orioles 2nd basemen were in the middle of the league in assists that year... and before you claim that Ripken led the league because he was the only player who plays every inning, he also had more SS assists than any AL TEAM that year). Ripken's 583 assists that year is STILL an AL record (Ozzie, of course, holds the NL and MLB record, with 621).
Batting average doesn't mean anything, if you're going to focus on a statistic, don't focus on that, focus on RUNS....focus on what wins the game.
Ripken wasn't merely "over 1,500 RBI"... He scored 1,647 runs AND Drive in almost 1,700 (1,695 RBI)... that's not good enough for the HOF?
How many SS's hit 431 HR's?
He's one of the top 3 shortstops in baseball history. Honus Wagner is the only SS who was unquestionably better than Ripken... a couple of others might be questionable, but there aren't 5 better SS's in the history of baseball.
If you want a list of SS's who shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame but are, you can start with:
Dave Bancroft
Travis Jackson
Hughie Jennings
Rabbit Maranville
Phil Rizzuto
Joe Sewell
Bobby Wallace
John Mongomery Ward
Among "real" HOF Shortstops, Ripken is better than Aparicio, Appling, Banks, Boudreau, Cronin, George Davis, Pee Wee Reese, Ozzie Smith, Joe Tinker, and Robin Yount.
Arky Vaughn, in the context of the time in which he played, might be better than Ripken (Bill James ranked Vaughn 2nd among all time shortstops, with Wagner first and Ripken 3rd...and he had good reasons to do so).
2007-01-14 00:06:20 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I guess I have to disagree with you. Ripken was a great player and certainly deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. You also forgot to mention that he was a two-time MVP, including the year the Orioles won the World Series, 1983. Ripken played about half of his career before the "steroid era", and his numbers that he put up in the 80s seem average compared to the numbers that some guys put up today. As a Yankee fan, I saw Ripken for years. As a shortstop, he was great. Not great range, but knew how to position himself, and was as sure-handed as they come. Also, how many guys can put up the types of numbers he did for so many years? Maybe if he pumped some steroids or HGH into his body, then he would have met your standards for productivity. You need to look at some members of the Hall. Check out Carl Yastrzemski. His numbers were very similar to Ripken's, and he was considered a great player as well, and played over 23 years.
Look at his career numbers that you listed. How many players have attained those stats? You have to be great for a long time to get 3000 hits, which Ripken did. It seems every year, some player hits his 500th home run, but we all know it's tainted by the steroids scandal. Ripken was consistent during his career, so it's safe to say that he was clean.
I just don't get why people slam Ripken for wanting to play everyday. Perhaps because he was being paid very handsomely to do it, and was proud of being a major league baseball player. Also, fans loved the streak , it was great for baseball. Think about it, would taking 2 or 3 days off a year really help Ripken? How did playing every day "hurt" his team? For most of his career, the Orioles were a mediocre team. You seem to be saying that taking some games off would have helped them be better, and you are wrong. Ripken is one of the all-time greats.
2007-01-13 19:35:08 · answer #3 · answered by Jeffrey S 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There are several lines of argument making Ripken a strong HOFer.
1) His career stats are HUGE. 3140 hits and > 400 HR are HOF numbers.. Most of that is pre-steroid surge, too.
2) He was a an superlative defensive player at a key position. And then at a second position, too. His defense alone could merit inclusion.
3) he's got the hardware - Rookie of the Year, two MVPs, World Series title, 15 all star appearances.
4) On a historic level, he was the prototype for revolutionizing the SS position. You may not remember his early days when there was continual talk of putting him at another position because power hitters couldn't be shortstops and 6ft 5 guys couldn't play SS. That talk ended all right. Now people criticize SS's because they DON'T hit. Playing shortstop probably did decrease his hitting, because of the rigors of the position, but that makes his offensive number even more impressive.
5) on an esoteric level, he had the ideal, all-American image. Never any trouble, one team all his career. He was the poster boy for milk, for crying out loud! He gives back to the sport, owning minor league teams, setting up youth leagues etc. (I put Gwynn in this category too, with his new career as a college coach).
6) I haven't gotten to the consecutive game streak. You can certainly debate whether that was important or not, or whether it hurt his performance, but it adds to his fame (and we are talking about a hall of FAME). But to put that in perspective, he broke what was considered an unbreakable record by 502 games. I don't know the exact place, but 502 games would rank as about the 35th longest consecutive game streak in MLB history.
So, I definitely have to disagree with you.
2007-01-13 23:01:07 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Cal Ripken deserves to be in the Hall of Fame without question. If he doesn't deserve to be in the Hall, then one must kick out every single shortstop that ever played the game before he arrived. Yes he averaged only 23 hrs/93 RBIs. Most of those numbers were done during the 80's and early 90's when 23 home runs were considered power numbers and players weren't roiding up. He deserves to be there for The Streak alone. How many people in life show up for work 2,632 days without calling in sick?
If you want to make an argument who shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame, try Bruce Sutter. Somebody please tell me that the BBWAA thought he was the Unibomber and voted him in fearing he will send everyone a little package if they don't. LOL
Cal Ripken doesn't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame? What are you going to try and convince us next? Water isn't wet? The sky isn't blue? LOL
2007-01-13 19:03:47 · answer #5 · answered by davester1970 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
3,000 hits over any length of a career are hall worthy. Look at Julio Franco. He was a decent player who has played for an eternity, but he doesn't have 3,000 hits. Also, Ripken played great defense, and while 400 homers is nothing for a 1st baseman, 3rd baseman or outfielder, shortstop has traditionally been a position of small quick guys known more for their amazing glovework then their power hitting (Think of Hall of Famers like Ozzie Smith, Honus Wagner, Nellie Fox, et al.). Of the members of the 500 Club, only Ernie Banks spent a significant portion of his career at shortstop, and eventually he moved to first. Ripken was the prototype for guys like A-Rod, Jeter, and Garciaparra (the more modern shortstops). That's why he's an HOF'er.
2007-01-13 20:52:02 · answer #6 · answered by punkkarrit182 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Decent? Are you kidding me? The Hall of Fame doesn't look at season averages..that is crazy. The fact that you stated yourself that he changed the way "shortstops are viewed in baseball" shows how important he was to the game. Numbers aren't all that get one into, or keep one out, of the Hall of Fame. Ripken was more than numbers.
2007-01-13 19:55:51 · answer #7 · answered by Chad 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
While his stats may not be jaw-dropping compared to other players, considering he has had no scandals (that anyone knows of), is probably drug-free, never got arrested for beating up his wife, kids, another player, never hit his coach, basically never did any of the things that seem to mark a "superstar" in sports these days, I'm all for him to be in the Hall of Fame and anyone else who is a decent person with what you call decent stats rather than a overbearing personality with more bad press than stats.
He has an incredible work ethic, he took the game seriously - damage to the team while playing sick, is a question of opinion, they could have benched him at any time they wanted to, but they let him play didn't they?
2007-01-13 19:00:41 · answer #8 · answered by ? 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
He belongs in the HOF, is he the most overrated player in history? Yeah he's probably up there with Reggie Jackson. The highlight of his career was GOING TO WORK but his stats gave him the title he deserved. I certainly dont even think he should have gotten 90% of the ballots but yet he got 98.5 and more than Tony Gwinn (a much better player).
2007-01-13 19:50:15 · answer #9 · answered by miamiman 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
What are you smoking man, of course the Iron Man, the essence of perseverence deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. However, anyone who has taken steroids does not.
2007-01-13 21:58:25 · answer #10 · answered by Adam 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Decent players don't last 21 years in MLB. Even you admit that he changed the shortstop position. Trust me, if Pee Wee Reese & Phil Rizzuto are in, he should be in.
2007-01-13 19:06:59 · answer #11 · answered by Bronx Bro' 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋