HOF: The easiest - by G. Scott Thomas

Sure, I admit it. There was a unfavorable solid to my Corridor of Fame items the previous few Fridays.

I defined — logically and unemotionally, I hope — why a number of of the corridor’s inductees don’t actually belong in Cooperstown. My targets in current weeks included Tommy McCarthy, Freddie Lindstrom, 4 managers, Catfish Hunter, a trio of catchers, and Invoice Mazeroski.

There are others on my hit record, however let’s put them apart for a future Friday. It’s time for a optimistic respite, a rundown of essentially the most deserving members of the Corridor of Fame.

I picked 12 stars for this record (the highest 10, plus ties) by utilizing the identical measuring stick that so clearly enumerated the deficiencies of McCarthy, Lindstrom, et al. It’s the standard rating (QS), which is plotted on a 100-point scale.

Anyone with a QS of 60 factors or greater is a digital lock to make it to Cooperstown. The Corridor of Famers on as we speak’s record soared far above that threshold, as you possibly can see:

1. Honus Wagner, 98
2. Rogers Hornsby, 96
2. Walter Johnson, 96
4. Willie Mays, 95
5. Mike Schmidt, 91
6. Ty Cobb, 90
6. Lefty Grove, 90
6. Nap Lajoie, 90
6. Babe Ruth, 90
10. Randy Johnson, 89
10. Mariano Rivera, 89
10. Ted Williams, 89

Solely two gamers in big-league historical past have amassed high quality scores on this elite neighborhood (89 factors or greater) with out being admitted to Cooperstown’s plaque gallery. You realize their names — Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens — and you understand why they’ve been excluded. We’ll discuss them another time.

In the present day’s focus is on the dozen all-time greats who convey the best honor to the Corridor of Fame. There’s no have to say a lot about them — I’m certain you’re accustomed to all 12 — or to parse the slight variations of their high quality scores.

I make an exception just for the participant on the very prime of the standings. Lots of it’s possible you’ll be stunned to see Honus Wagner main the pack, not Babe Ruth or Ty Cobb.

Wagner was chosen as one of many Corridor of Fame’s 5 constitution members, although he didn’t obtain essentially the most votes within the 1936 election. That honor went to Cobb, a lot to the displeasure of a few of his contemporaries.

“Cobb! An ideal hitter, a sensational baserunner, and a dynamic persona on the diamond, sure,” mentioned Jack Meyers, a catcher within the Nationwide League from 1909 to 1917. “However he was a poor outfielder, didn’t possess an excellent arm, and was by no means often known as a workforce participant.”

And who did Meyers contemplate the best participant within the 65-year historical past of major-league baseball? “Outdated Honus was a ballplayer’s participant,” Meyers mentioned in 1936. “He did every part effectively. We used to marvel at his all-round means. We thought-about him an artist, quite than only a participant.”

Wagner was unsurpassed in Meyers’s estimation, and he retains that distinction in as we speak’s QS standings, holding a two-point lead over his closest rivals.

Scroll beneath to see a capsule report on every of the 12 Corridor of Fame superstars, together with his major place, profession stats, high quality rating, 12 months of choice, and share of votes from the Baseball Writers’ Affiliation of America. (The edge for induction, in fact, is 75 %.) Gamers are listed so as of their election years.

Learn concerning the Corridor of Fame’s checkered historical past (and unsure future)

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