Which non-controversy ridden player (i.e. Rose, McGwire, Shoeless Joe, etc.) most deserves to be in the HOF?

Answer 1

Jim Rice....come on this shouldn't even be a question. He was the most terrifying hitter for a decade. The fact that he isn't in the hall of fame is just disgusting, some sports writers really shouldn't get a vote.

Answer 2

Haha, for the writer above, how do you know Shoeless Joe didn't take the money? Where you a buddy of his back in the day? Now besides that nonesense the answer to you question is Pete Rose without a doubt. I'm actually a McGwire fan and his numbers deserve to be in the hall. But Pete Rose is baseball. Is the definition of what baseball should be, especially now-a-days with prissy millionaires complaining about making enough money to feed their kids (I still remember reading an article when Frank Thomas was complaining 5 million a year wasn't enough to support his children when he was on the Sox), Rose did it for the love of the game and to be the best he possibly could be. He put his heart on the field everytime. Because he gambled after his playing days when he was a manager shouldn't take away from what he did on the field. Name a player that has 3000 hits that isn't in the HOF. The only one that will not be is Palmeiro. To not have the lifetime hits leader in the HOF is like not having Hank Aaron in. Granted shame is probably none of them are going to be in though they all should be. But Rose should have a front row seat.

Answer 3

My original response was
"Of those 3, I would definitely say Shoeless Joe.
Times were SO different back then.

I think they have pretty well cleared Shoeless Joe of any wrong doing in the grand scheme of things.
Even for the players responsible, when they were playing, the money that could be made gambling on that game was almost more than their salary.
They didn't have 3 houses, they had winter jobs, there was desperation there.

Rose, betting on baseball, potentially pushing his players to win a particular game harder and ignoring possible injury for $100 is inconceivable.

McGwire, already a multi-millionaire taking steroids just to get back in the game and make more money is equally horrendous."

However, reading one answer, I see that you meant to list Rose, McGwire and Shoeless Joe, not as options, but as controversy ridden.

So, other than banning issues, who deserves to be in the Hall but isn't.

I would say Bert Blyleven would be my pick. 287 wins and a pretty decent ERA over the years would need to go in.

Answer 4

Non-controversy ridden? And I assume you mean who is already or has been elidgeable? Because in not too long, Nolan Ryan is a lock. If I had to vote towards one of them, I'd say Gossage.

"1977 - 1985: 1,502 K's, 310 Saves. 1,809 IP. All-Star every year except for two, never had an ERA over 2.90, sub 1.00 in 1981, and sub 2.00 in 1977 & 1985. Logged over 100 IP three times. Career 1.23 WHIP, 2 to 1 SO to BB. Many of his saves were also of the 2 to 3 inning variety." - Sporting News

Compare this to Mariano Rivera, who is considered a lock for the Hall:
783 K's, 413 Saves, 881.2 IP, Career ERA 2.20

And they both excelled in the postseason. So you notice Gossage is worse in save count and ERA but much higher in K's and IP. The root of the matter is, I'd like to see how Rivera does pitching an average of 20-30 more innings yearly and tell me that his ERA doesn't go up by half a point. Or more. And also, I don't think I've ever seen Rivera go in for 3 innings. Not only that, but in 1976 the White Sox used Gossage as a starter. AFTER he got nearly 30 saves the prior year. They just needed a starter and put him in for 230 innings and 15 complete games. And the next year he was their closer again.

I don't see how one can say Rivera is more valuable to a team than Gossage was. It's the exact opposite argument of why closers have trouble getting into the hall in the first place- less innings. So Rivera puts out less innings in optimal (single inning, 2 run lead) situations and this makes him more worthy than a guy who runs 2 or 3 innings with nearly the same effectiveness? And sometimes even is put in when they're behind? Or for a spot start?

There's just no question on it.

Answer 5

Pete Rose!!!! Shoeless Joe Fellas dosen't have the stats even if he was banned who can say he wouldn't of had a career ending injury or struggled later on. Got to Be Pete Rose.

Answer 6

Easy answer would be Ron Santo.In 14 years he hit almost 350 hrs, had almost 1400 rbi's, won 5 gold gloves...not bad for someone who was diagnosed with diabetes and wasn't even supposed to make it to the age of 25...Other top choices while limiting it to people no longer on the ballot are Gil Hodges and Al Oliver...the question is which non-controversy ridden player most deserves to be in the HOF. His examples are of who not to vote for.

In other notes...many books including Eight Men Out talk of how Shoeless Joe did take take the money and also of his lack of effort on countless defensive plays. While he didn't commit any errors, it isn't that tough to slow up on a ball and let it drop in front of you. What an amazing hitter in everybodies mind, it's a shame he had to play for a tightwad like Comiskey.

Answer 7

Most folks are misinterpreting the question....or maybe I am. The way I see it, you're asking who deserves to be in the HOF most excluding those riddled with controversy - which clearly leaves out Rose, Jackson, etc.

There's several viable candidates. Blyleven, Gossage, Lee Smith, Tommy John, Kaat, Rice (maybe), but....gotta go with Ron Santo. Considering the era in which he played, his numbers are better than a large majority of third basemen in the Hall.

Answer 8

Joe Jackson

Answer 9

Pete Rose undoubtedly deserves to be in the HOF what he did wasn't as a player it was as a manager. He was one of the greatest hitters of all time and the numbers show it. I'm not trying to downplay what he did, it was wrong, but enough is enough he has payed his dues and deserves to be elected in the HOF.

Answer 10

Joe Jackson's career stats, at the time he was banished, might not merit hall-of-fame consideration:

Seasons: 13
At-Bats: 4981
Hits: 1772
Doubles: 307
Homeruns: 54
Runs Batted In: 785
Average: .356
OBP .423
Slugging: .517

But after only "13" seasons, Joe DiMaggio (2214 hits, .325 avg.) and after only 10 seasons, Ralph Kiner (369 homeruns) were let in.

So if he was allowed to resume his career, Joe Jackson - whom many say was the best pure hitter of his era - should be enshrined.

Pete Rose knew the rules and broke the holiest; every Major League's stadium had the commandment, "Thou Shalt not Gamble" at the entrance to the clubhouse, so... no.

McGwire will eventually get in. Time has a way of forgetting and he was never convicted of anything. Rafeal Palmeiro is a 3000+/500+ player who, also, should eventually get in. Too bad these guys had to dope up, they were outstanding players in their own rights without enhancements to help them.

Why did I get a thumbs down?