The Hall of Famers: The 5 Levels of Greatness – Part 4
September 19, 2011 by Michael Hoban · 5 Comments
In this article (the last in this series), I will present the Level 5 players who posted Hall of Fame numbers during the 20 th century. In Levels 1 through 4, there were eighty-eight (88) position players who had a CAWS career score of at least 280. In Level 5, we have the other twenty-eight (28) players who posted HOF numbers even though they did not achieve the 280 mark – those players who might be considered the “marginal Hall of Famers.”
I will also list in this article those forty-seven (47) major league position players who are in the Hall of Fame – but who did not post HOF numbers according to the CAWS Career Gauge.
Level 5 - Players with HOF numbers and a CAWS score <280
According to the CAWS Career Gauge, there are twenty-eight (28) players since 1901 who have posted HOF numbers during their playing careers but who did not register a CAWS score of 280 or more. The CAWS benchmark for each position for obvious HOF numbers is as follows:
- Left fielder, right fielder, first baseman and designated hitter = 280
- Center fielder and third baseman = 270
- Second baseman = 260
- Shortstop and catcher = 250.
The following players have Hall of Fame numbers according to these benchmarks.
In terms of their career numbers, some fans would probably call these Level 5 players borderline Hall of Famers. And that may be a fair assessment of players like Jimmy Wynn, Stan Hack, Lou Whitaker and Ted Simmons. But recall that the CAWS Gauge has identified a total of only one hundred sixteen (116) 20 th century position players who have HOF numbers – and these twenty-eight (28) players are among this special group.
All numbers include the 2010 season
Bold = Hall of Famer
CWS = Career Win Shares
CV = Core Value (sum of win shares for 10 best seasons)
CAWS = Career Assessment/Win Shares = CV + .25(CWS – CV)
* = deadball era
Center Fielders: CAWS = 270
Player | Years | CWS | CV | CAWS |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jimmy Wynn
|
1963-1977 | 305 | 269 | 278 |
Richie Ashburn
|
1948-1962 | 329 | 257 | 275 |
Max Carey*
|
1910-1929 | 351 | 245 | 272 |
Earl Averill
|
1929-1941 | 280 | 268 | 271 |
* |
* |
Jimmy Wynn is in very good company here with three current Hall of Famers. Yet, when he was eligible for election to the Hall on the 1983 BBWAA ballot, he got no votes at all. You will note that for his ten best seasons he averaged almost 27 win shares per season – a very impressive number and better than any of the other three center fielders here. And you will also note below that there are four other center fielders in the Hall whose career achievements do not come close to Wynn’s.
Jimmy Wynn is the only 20 th century center fielder who has HOF numbers and has been eligible and is NOT in Cooperstown.
Third Basemen: CAWS = 270
Player | Years | CWS | CV | CAWS |
---|---|---|---|---|
Brooks Robinson
|
1955-1977 | 356 | 247 | 274 |
Stan Hack
|
1932-1947 | 316 | 256 | 271 |
* |
* |
Brooks Robinson is in the Hall primarily because of his defensive skills – and he deserves his spot. Many consider him to be the best fielding third baseman ever.
Stan Hack is the only third baseman with HOF numbers who has been eligible and who is not in the Hall.
Second Basemen: CAWS = 260
Player | Years | CWS | CV | CAWS |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jeff Kent
|
1992-2008 | 339 | 252 | 274 |
Bobby Grich
|
1970-1986 | 329 | 253 | 272 |
Lou Whitaker
|
1977-1995 | 351 | 232 | 262 |
* |
* |
Here we have three second basemen with HOF numbers and a CAWS score < 280. Jeff Kent is not yet eligible for the Hall while Bobby Grich and Lou Whitaker have been passed over for the honor.
In terms of who is and who is not in the Hall of Fame, this position may be the strangest of all. Below you will see that there are eight (8) second basemen in the Hall whose numbers do not come close to Bobby Grich (or Lou Whitaker). How could they all be elected ahead of Grich?
Shortstops: CAWS = 250
Player | Years | CWS | CV | CAWS |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ernie Banks
|
1953-1971 | 332 | 247 | 268 |
Pee Wee Reese
|
1940-1958 | 314 | 246 | 263 |
Lou Boudreau
|
1938-1952 | 277 | 255 | 261 |
Alan Trammell
|
1977-1996 | 318 | 238 | 258 |
Bobby Wallace*
|
1894-1918 | 345 | 227 | 257 |
Miguel Tejada
|
1997- | 279 | 243 | 252 |
Ozzie Smith
|
1978-1996 | 325 | 226 | 251 |
* |
* |
Alan Trammell is the only shortstop in this group who has so far been snubbed by the BBWAA (Miguel Tejada is not yet eligible). Trammell was on the 2011 HOF ballot but received only 24% of the vote in his tenth year on the ballot.
Catchers: CAWS = 250
Player | Years | CWS | CV | CAWS |
---|---|---|---|---|
Carlton Fisk
|
1969-1993 | 368 | 240 | 272 |
Joe Torre
|
1960-1977 | 315 | 244 | 262 |
Ted Simmons
|
1968-1988 | 315 | 240 | 259 |
Mickey Cochrane
|
1925-1937 | 275 | 250 | 256 |
Bill Dickey
|
1928-1946 | 314 | 235 | 255 |
Gabby Hartnett
|
1922-1941 | 325 | 229 | 253 |
Ivan Rodriguez
|
1991- | 334 | 225 | 252 |
* |
* |
Joe Torre and Ted Simmons both have HOF numbers for a catcher according to the CAWS benchmark. We can only hope that the Veteran’s Committee will do its homework and elect these two worthy players sometime soon. IRod, of course, is not yet eligible.
These five groups above contain the names of twenty-three (23) additional players who posted Hall of Fame numbers during their playing careers (since 1901).
The final group of five position players in Level 5 who have HOF numbers represents a very special category. Only eleven players in the 20 th century managed to post a CAWS score of 255 while playing in fewer than 1800 games. And all eleven are in the Hall of Fame. The CAWS Gauge suggests that all eleven have HOF numbers. Here are the five players (of those eleven) who have not yet been mentioned in Levels 1 to 4 discussed earlier.
Short but Great Career: CAWS = 255 in Fewer Than 1800 Games
Player | Years | CWS | CV | CAWS |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hank Greenberg
|
1930-1947 | 267 | 262 | 263 |
Bill Terry
|
1923-1936 | 278 | 255 | 261 |
Larry Doby
|
1947-1959 | 268 | 257 | 260 |
Jackie Robinson
|
1947-1956 | 257 | 257 | 257 |
Kirby Puckett
|
1984-1995 | 281 | 247 | 256 |
* |
* |
These six groups represent the twenty-eight (28) players in Level 5. When added to the eighty-eight (88) players from Levels 1 through 4, this gives us the 116 position players since 1901 who have posted obvious HOF numbers according to the CAWS Career Gauge.
Note that of these twenty-eight (28) players all but seven who have been eligible have been elected to the Hall of Fame. The seven who have been snubbed so far are: Jimmy Wynn, Stan Hack, Bobby Grich, Lou Whitaker, Alan Trammell, Joe Torre and Ted Simmons.
What this means is that of the 116 20 th century position players identified by the CAWS Gauge as having HOF numbers , a total of twelve have been passed over completely for election to the Hall(that is, have been eligible and not still on the ballot). That would include six of those in the previous paragraph (Trammell is still on the ballot) plus these six: Dick Allen, Ron Santo, Will Clark, Darrell Evans and two from the deadball era: Sherry Magee and Bill Dahlen.
In light of these worthy players NOT being in the Hall, it is disappointing to find that there are forty-seven (47) position players who are in the Hall of Fame but who do not have the performance numbers to be there according to the CAWS Career Gauge.
The 47 Hall of Fame Position Players Who Do Not Have HOF Numbers
The CAWS Career Gauge has identified forty-seven (47) 20 th century position players who are in the Hall of Fame but who did not post obvious HOF numbers during their playing careers. Keep in mind that in an exceptional case a player may be a worthy Hall of Famer even though he may not have HOF numbers. Roy Campanella, for example, was a great player whose career was seriously affected by the “color barrier.” His on-field performance in his ten-year major league career certainly attests to the fact that if he had not been unjustly deprived of his opportunity to play, he would have posted HOF numbers.
CWS = Career Win Shares
CV = Core Value (sum of win shares for 10 best seasons)
CAWS = Career Assessment/Win Shares = CV + .25(CWS – CV)
The Right Fielders: CAWS needed = 280 = 8 Players
Player | CWS | CV | CAWS |
---|---|---|---|
Willie Keeler
|
333
|
246
|
268
|
Enos Slaughter
|
323 | 246 | 265 |
Andre Dawson
|
340 | 234 | 261 |
Kiki Cuyler
|
292 | 244 | 256 |
Sam Rice
|
327 | 228 | 253 |
Harry Hooper
|
321 | 221 | 246 |
Chuck Klein
|
238 | 217 | 222 |
Ross Youngs
|
206 | 206 | 206 |
* |
* |
The Left Fielders: CAWS needed = 280 = 5 Players
Player | CWS | CV | CAWS |
---|---|---|---|
Joe Medwick
|
312
|
267 | 278 |
Heinie Manush
|
285
|
236 | 248 |
Jim Rice
|
282
|
233 | 245 |
Ralph Kiner
|
242
|
242 | 242 |
Chick Hafey
|
186 | 176 | 179 |
* |
* |
In these two groups, only Joe Medwick came very close to reaching the CAWS 280 benchmark for obvious Hall of Fame numbers. With a core value (CV) of 267, an argument can certainly be made that he belongs in Cooperstown. You will note that the next best CV in these two groups is just 246.
Jim Rice and Andre Dawson were elected by the writers to the Hall in 2009 and 2010, respectively – meaning that the BBWAA continues to elect some players who are not truly worthy.
The Center Fielders: CAWS needed = 270 = 4 Players
Player | CWS | CV | CAWS |
---|---|---|---|
Edd Roush
|
314 | 250 | 266 |
Hack Wilson
|
224 | 220 | 221 |
Earle Combs
|
227 | 217 | 220 |
Lloyd Waner
|
245 | 207 | 217 |
* |
* |
Edd Roush could be considered a borderline Hall of Famer with a CAWS score of 266 and a CV of 250. But what about Jimmy Wynn with a CAWS score of 278 and a CV of 269? That is significantly better than any of these four.
The First Basemen: CAWS needed = 280 = 6 Players
Player | CWS | CV | CAWS |
---|---|---|---|
Tony Perez
|
349 | 249 | 274 |
Orlando Cepeda
|
310 | 251 | 266 |
George Sisler
|
292 | 239 | 252 |
Jim Bottomley
|
258
|
214 | 225 |
Frank Chance
|
237
|
206 | 214 |
George Kelly
|
193
|
177 | 181 |
* |
* |
Tony Perez is close to the benchmark with a CAWS score of 274. And Orlando Cepeda has a very respectable CV of 250. But none of the other four is even close to reaching the 280 benchmark. And how was George Kelly ever elected to the Hall of Fame?
The Second Basemen: CAWS needed = 260 = 8 Players
Player | CWS | CV | CAWS |
---|---|---|---|
Nellie Fox
|
304 | 242 | 258 |
Billy Herman
|
298 | 243 | 257 |
Bobby Doerr
|
281 | 223 | 238 |
Johnny Evers
|
268 | 226 | 237 |
Joe Gordon
|
242 | 233 | 235 |
Tony Lazzeri
|
252 | 215 | 224 |
Red Schoendienst
|
262 | 204 | 219 |
Bill Mazeroski
|
219
|
173 | 185 |
* |
* |
Nellie Fox and Billie Herman are relatively close to the 260 benchmark for second basemen – so, their elections are not too much of a surprise. But what about the other six players? Joe Gordon was elected by the Veteran’s Committee in 2009 – which means that mistakes are still being made in the election process. Meanwhile, Bobby Grich and Lou Whitaker (who have HOF numbers) are still on the outside looking in.
The Third Basemen: CAWS needed = 270 = 4 Players
Player | CWS | CV | CAWS |
---|---|---|---|
Jimmy Collins
|
274 | 242 | 250 |
Pie Traynor
|
274 | 228 | 240 |
George Kell
|
229
|
192 | 201 |
Fred Lindstrom
|
193
|
182 | 190 |
None of these four players came close to the benchmark of 270. And yet Stan Hack’s 316 win shares, 256 core value and a CAWS score of 271 have him sitting on the sidelines.
The Shortstops: CAWS needed = 250 = 7 Players
Player | CWS | CV | CAWS |
---|---|---|---|
Joe Sewell
|
277 | 233 | 244 |
Dave Bancroft
|
269 | 222 | 234 |
Rabbit Maranville
|
302 | 206 | 230 |
Joe Tinker
|
258
|
211 | 223 |
Phil Rizzuto
|
231
|
218 | 221 |
Luis Aparicio
|
293
|
193 | 218 |
Travis Jackson
|
211
|
191 | 196 |
* |
* |
As you can see, there are seven questionable shortstops on this list who are in the Hall of Fame. Rabbit Maranville and Luis Aparicio were both exceptional fielders whose election is almost certainly a tribute to their glove work. But none of these seven really has the combination of offensive and defensive skills that would truly justify his place in Cooperstown.
The Catchers: CAWS needed = 250 = 5 Players
Player | CWS | CV | CAWS |
---|---|---|---|
Roy Campanella
|
207 | 207 | 207 |
Roger Bresnahan
|
231 | 191 | 201 |
Ernie Lombardi
|
218 | 167 | 180 |
Ray Schalk
|
191
|
167 | 173 |
Rick Ferrell
|
206
|
150 | 164 |
* |
* |
As mentioned earlier, given what he did accomplish in his ten years in the major leagues, Roy Campanella almost certainly would have posted true Hall of Fame numbers if he had not been prevented from playing earlier by the infamous baseball “color barrier.”
These then are the forty-seven (47) 20th century position players who are presently in the Hall of Fame – but who do not appear to have the career numbers that would really justify their being in Cooperstown.
Thanks for your time.
Mike Hoban
Professor Emeritus – City U of NY
Author of A GOOD CAWS: A Hall of Fame Handbook(2011)
http://booklocker.com/books/2968.html
Hmmm…
One of the things many of the non-HOF-worthy players have in common is a CV over 200, which is pretty excellent. 20 WS a year for ten years is quite an accomplishment. I think it may be that some great primes (as well as noise like high batting averages in the 1930s) may have been more memorable, particularly to the VC, than collecting a high CAWS score, which also usually necessitates a pretty darn good career WS total. Just a thought.
Are we ever going to see the list of pitchers? Soon, I hope, because I would be VERY interested to see what that looked like. Thanks for all your work on this, Mike. It was really fun to read!
The list of pitchers would have been posted by now but Mike went with an article about Mo Rivera instead. It’s coming soon, I promise!
Tremendous work, I love these analysis. On Enos Slaughter, he lost significant time due to WWII, 4 years I think. So, if you were to estimate his #’s, like you did with Dimaggio & Williams, I’d suspect that Slaughter is deserving.
How does Jim Edmonds rank out of curiosity? Thanks much!
I don’t suppose you ever read poetry, Mike?