Dale Murphy and Roger Maris are the only players in major league history who both have 2 MVP awards and are?

Question

not in the Hall of Fame. Both should be, and I will state my case, starting with the late-great Roger Maris. Maris played in 12 seasons from 1957-1968. He had 1,325 hits, 195 DB, 42 3B, 275 HR, 851 RBI's, .260 BA, .345 OBP and a nice slugging % of .476. Maris won the AL MVP in 1960 and 1961. Roger was a 4 time all-star and one time gold glove winner and broke Babe Ruth's HR record with 61 in 1961. Roger had a relatively short but productive career and retired at the age of 34. I make the case for Maris to be inducted because not only did he break the coveted HR record, but he had a pretty solid career for the amount of time that he played. Also, I have to use the Phil Rizzuto analogy, because Phil was elected to the HOF in 1994, and his lifetime stats were, 13 seasons - 1,588 hits, .273 BA and one MVP.

Roger had 25 or more HR's 5 seasons, which was a lot for those days, and over 100 RBI's 3 times, with 142 RBI's in 1961, which was a ton for those days, non juiced era.

Now, don't even get me started on Dale Murphy. The fact that this guy isn't in the Hall is a total joke. He played in parts of 18 seasons from 1976-1993, and had 2,111 hits, 350 DB's, 398 HR's, 1,266 RBI's, .265 BA and slugging % of .469. Murphy was a clean player, non-juicer, good Mormon guy, clean cut. 7 time all-star, 2 ime NL MVP - 1982-1983, 5 time gold glove winner, Roberto Clemente Award winner, Lou Gehrig award, 4 time silver slugger. He did strikeout 1,748 times, but so what, he was a dominant player from 1978-1991. I think Murphy and Maris belong in the Hall of Fame, do you? And if not, why not?

http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/marisro01.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Maris#Hall_of_Fame.3F

http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/rizzuph01.shtml

http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/murphda05.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Murphy#Hall_of_Fame.3F

Answer 1

I absolutely agree that both deserve to be in the Hall of Fame - their career records definitely justify it. You present an excellent case for both.

Answer 2

Maris and Murf are the only multiple MVP winners who are, or have been, eligible for the Hall and are not in (yet). There's a few others -- Bonds, Rodriguez, and Thomas still active, and Juan Gonzalez apparently never coming back.

Maris, simply put, did not have that good a career. He did have three great seasons, in two of which he took home the AL MVP Award. This is the correct amount of recognition for him and his career -- MVPs honor great seasons, but two or three great seasons do not make a Hall-class career. The writers did him no injustice by never electing him, and his BBWAA eligibility expired years ago. He currently is within the purview of the revamped-yet-again Veterans Committee, and so might have another chance in, oh, I think 2009 is the next time players come under scrutiny (following the third consecutive VC shutout in 2007, the Hall trashed the VC voting methodology and enacted a new one, which gets the first test-drive in December, but that ballot won't be former players).

Murphy is similar but has a better argument for Cooperstown, as he was one of the very best players in the NL for a five or six year span. He did have a very fast fade, unfortunately, and a few seasons of part-time play, padding his stats, really would have helped -- possibly not enough, but it never hurts. My standing position on Murf is that he would look good on a plaque but the Hall is not suffering for his absence, and I haven't yet seen any discussion or review of his career to change this opinion.

I could make a better argument for Gonzalez than either of these men, but I won't, because we all know Juan Gone ain't getting in. Dang could he hit.

Answer 3

Maris does NOT belong anywhere near Cooperstown - aside from an exhibit marking him breaking Ruth's record.

He's was a career .260 hitter with 275 HR's and 851 RBI's. If you think he belongs in, then so do these players:

Bob Allison - .255, 256 HR, 796 RBI
Jay Buhner - .254, 310 HR, 965 RBI
Dean Palmer - .251, 275 HR, 849 RBI
Danny Tartabull - .273, 262 HR, 925 RBI

Which of those guys do you see as Hall of Famers?

Murphy is a slightly different case - he was great for a 6 or 7 year period, then his production dropped off DRAMATICALLY.

I think the Hall has gotten it right when it comes to both of these guys.
.

Answer 4

The Hall of Fame is an imperfect science. You can make a case for Jose Canseco being in the Hall, he was considered to be the best player in baseball for a couple of years and put up more impressive career totals then both Maris and Murphy. He was also MVP, 40/40, ROY, and World Champion but honestly I do not think he is a Hall of Famer. I think you just need to be consistent with your production for a long period of time something Maris, Murphy, Canseco just were not.

Answer 5

When Roger Maris was chasing the single-season home run record in 1961, the big question that reporters would constantly ask him was, "so, how is that a .260 hitter could be tryin' to break a record by The Babe, anyway????"

So...how could there be such a strong advocacy for two .260 hitters to be elected into the Hall of Fame?

Let's see a contemporary of Maris' such as Ron Santo, and someone of Dale Murphy's era - like Andre Dawson - become inductees first...

Answer 6

I like both player but neither are HOFamers. Aside from the two MVPS, they are both very good players and baseball is full of them not in the Hall. Maris only batted .269 when he hit 61 dingers, and only really had 3 or four total decent seasons...plus it helped that no one was going to walk him to get to Mickey Mantle. Murphy is the quintessential nice guy who was the heart and soul of some fair brave teams during the 80s. He carried those teams on his back, so much so that it probably shortened his career. Honor them for what they were, very good players and nice guys with some great yrs, but they just werent Hall of Famers. You could make a team on good players not in the Hall (these two, Santo Hodges, Blyleven Kaat, Buckner, Curt Flood, Maury Wills etc etc) but the Hall cant let everyone in.

Answer 7

I've been saying Roger Maris should be in the Hall of Fame since I've been on Y/A. THE record. He held THE record longer than even the Babe did. 2 CONSECUTIVE MVPs and a great player for the Cardinals at the end of his career. Numbers alone aren't everything. Or at least they shouldn't be.

Answer 8

Except for Marries hitting 61 homers in 1961, he stats are no where near Hall of Fame status.

Answer 9

Both R. Maris and D. Murphy was good player but neither was a
great player of their era which hall of fame voting should be judge on. If I was a voter I would have to say no to both of them.

Answer 10

If it wasn't for Maris' 1961 season, would you even consider him for the HOF?
Now, he has 214 HRs and 709 RBIs. yes, neither would I.
And when you take away a single season from anyone and they turn to a non-HOF, they probably weren't one to begin with.

With Dale Murphy, he was dominant for about 6 years. Which means he wasn't for another 12. Not that you have to be dominant your whole career, but that's the reason that Mattingly is not in as well.

If Murphy got in, I wouldn't say that it's a travisty or anything, I would be on the fence, but if Maris got in. Let's honour him for his single year and not turn him into another Paul Henderson (1972 Canada Cup 'hero' who got into the HOF based on one goal)