Simmons was an eight-time All-Star despite playing his career in the National League alongside Carter and Johnny Bench. Hodges lost three years early in his career to World War II, causing his breakout as a player to be delayed until he was 25 years old. He won three batting titles, led the AL in hits five times and had two runner-up finishes in MVP voting. From 1946 to 1950, he won 20 games four times, leading the league with 24 wins and 28 complete games in 1948. He was a six-time All-Star and twice finished in the top 10 in MVP voting. Whitaker was a solid all-around player for the Tigers, but never really excelled in any one area on an elite level. Its taken him a bit to reach both the magic numbers of 3,000 and 500, but he seems determined to get there. Tony Gwynn is now in the Hall of Fame. He is also one of the few multiple MVP winners who has been left out of Cooperstown. It was the same year that Old Hoss Radbourn won 59 games. He also won five Gold Gloves, had two top-three MVP finishes and ended his career with 200 home runs, when that meant something as a catcher. The righty went 48-16 and struck out 417 batters in 587 innings. He consistently received between 25 to 30 percent of the votes on the Hall of Fame ballot, peaking in 1988 when he finished sixth with 39.3 percent. Stephens also was an AL All-Star seven times. He had enough support to stay on the Hall of Fame ballot for the maximum of 15 years, garnering 88 votes in 2008, his final year. One of Wood's most incredible stats is that in 1,434 career innings pitched, he allowed just 10 home runs. Still, he finished his career with a .303 average and six All-Star games. Lolich won three games in the series, out-dueling Bob Gibson during his signature season in Game 7 to win the series for the Tigers. He topped 50 home runs four times and finished with 583 career homers. His .248 career batting average and status as a "compiler" are his main detractors. For the kind of player Raines was, that should not keep him out of the Hall of Fame. He's 30 hits short of 2,500, 12 homers short of 300, nine points short of a career .300 batting average (he was above the mark until 2009), five points short of a .400 on-base percentage (he. He was a key piece in four World Series titles for the Yankees, delivering numerous clutch hits along the way. Answerbag wants to provide a service to people looking for answers and a good conversation. Reulbach led the league in winning percentage for three straight years from 1906 to 1908 when he compiled a record of 60-15 over the three-year period. NEW! Baines was a pure hitter who would be a phenomenal candidate for the Hall of Compilers if there ever was such a thing. Morris' best argument for enshrinement may be that he was the American League's winningest pitcher of the 1980s and the respected staff ace for a lengthy period of time. He might never have been a superstar, much of a defender, or someone I'd seriously consider voting into the Hall of Fame, but with 150 more hits, he'd probably have been a first ballot inductee. O'Doul finished his career with a .349 batting average, still the fourth-best in major league history. 97. Stephens was one of the top hitting shortstops of the 1940s and received MVP votes for nine straight seasons from 1942 to 1951. He has a .279 average with a .350 OBP, 435 home runs, 1,587 RBIs and 312 steals to go along with nine. Pierce is a tremendously underrated pitcher who hurled mostly for the White Sox over an 18-year, post-WWII career. He ended his career with a .293 average and 1,977 hits. He has a lower WAR than Baines, and he had little power, but he won 8 gold gloves in his 17-year career, and he was an 8-time All-Star. Walker batted .357 between 1997 and 2001, leading the National League in batting three of the four years in which he was eligible. Cooper was a main cog in the great Brewers teams of the 1980s, batting third in the lineup behind Hall of Famers Paul Molitor and Robin Yount. Dave Orr-hit .342 but only played 8 seasons, so he isn't eligible for the Hall. During that time he made the all-star game every year, hit more than .300, and hit more than 35 home . Grace batted over .300 nine times and over.295 three more times. Trammell was selected by baseball historian Bill James as the ninth-best shortstop of all time (h/t MLB.com), ahead of 14 players enshrined in Cooperstown. His 11 Gold Gloves are more than any first basemen in MLBhistory. Caruthers pitched for three teams from 1884 to 1892 and was a two-time 40-game winner. An incredibly consistent and clutch performer, Williams is one of the most accomplished switch-hitters of all time. He also didn't have a great batting average. Reynolds got a late start to his MLB career and pitched in only 12 full seasons. No advertising or spamming is permitted. His 466 complete games ranks 11th all time. His vote total was better than 12 players who eventually would be enshrined, including legendary players like Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, Lefty Grove and Gabby Hartnett. From 1988 to 1993, he batted .234 and averaged just 15 homers a season. The tragedy of Munson is well-known, and his stature as the unquestioned leader of the Yankees made it even more difficult to take. That is clear from his numbers: a .312 batting average and a .418 on . 18 Apr. He is still in the top 50 for career strikeouts and was the author of one of baseball's all-time greatest pitching seasons in 1985. Research is still ongoing and we'll continue to publish updates as more information becomes available. Cramer played a total of 20 seasons from 1929 to 1948 and had long stints with the As, Red Sox and Tigers. Although he was overshadowed by the big home run hitters of the era, Kuenn held his own as a terrific all-around player. Bartell received MVP votes in six seasons, finishing as high as sixth in 1937. Despite being just a part-time player over his final five seasons, Staub amassed 2,716 career hits, falling 184 short of 3,000 and a probable place in Cooperstown. Parker is one of those players who got much less recognition on the Hall of Fame ballot than he deserved. He finished fourth in the MVP voting in 1977 and 1978 and received MVP votes in five other seasons. He was the 1978 NL MVP, won two World Series titles and received MVP votes in nine seasons, finishing in the top five of the voting five times. As a player, Palmeiro should have received automatic first-ballot induction into Cooperstown after compiling over 3,000 hits and 500 home runs in his 20-year career. Of his 310 career starts, 298 of them were complete games. Starting Pitcher: Roger Clemens Roger Clemens hurls a pitch in his rookie year with the Red Sox in 1984. Clark's career trajectory didn't continue on that path, though, as injuries robbed him of hundreds of games in the 1990s. Harder spent 20 seasons hurling for the Indians and was at his best in the mid-1930s. Oliver was a career .303 hitter over 18 seasons and won the 1982 NL title with the Expos as a 35-year-old. Everybody concentrates on Gooden's squandered talent, and rightly so. Tiant twice led the league with ERAs under 2.00, but he also had five years with an ERA over 4.00. Although he was never a serious threat to make the Hall of Fame, it's surprising that he lasted just one year on the ballot before being removed after getting a mere 19 votes in 1991. Gooden's career .634 winning percentage is higher than Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Bob Feller, Greg Maddux, Warren Spahn and a host of other Hall of Famers. The star of the 1931 World Series, Martin was a four-time All-Star and twice was a top-10 MVP player. Oliver had perhaps his best year in 1982 when he led the National League in hits, doubles, runs batted in, and batting average, was an All Star, and finished third in Most Valuable Player voting. During his eight seasons in pinstripes, he went 131-60 with a 3.30 ERA. He ended with 2,712 hits, 1,493 RBI and a .290 average. For eight straight years he made the AL All-Star team and finished in the top 20 for AL MVP voting. An excellent defender, Richardson won five straight Gold Gloves and finished second to Mantle in the 1962 AL MVP voting. Backup: Ken Singleton 8) Ted Simmons -- Catcher I don't think Votto catches him in the power numbers even with 8 . For a nine-year period in the 1980s, Murphy wasunarguablyone of the best all-around players in the National League. Nicknamed the "Louisville Slugger," Browning was the inspiration for naming the famous bat after he purchased bats from theHillerich & Bradsby Company. The Cobra won two batting titles with the Pirates (1977-78) and won the 1978 NL MVP award. He threw over 500 innings five times, including 657 innings in 1880. He is best known for his role in one of baseball's greatest tragedies. With Clark in the fold, it's easy to think that another World Series flag, or two, would be flying at Kauffman. McGwire's at-bats were must-watch TV for nearly a decade, and he fully captivated the nation for a summer in 1998. Total WAR. Only 40 of those 77 cross over onto . After serving in the military, Boyer made his debut at the age of 24 and instantly became an impact player for the Cardinals. The list includes everyone from John Kruk, a 10-year veteran who hit .302, to Tigers legend Ty Cobb, who hit an MLB-record .366. After his playing career ended Buck became a scout for the Cubs, signing Lou Brock for the team. + - Indicates Hall of Famer. His wins total is among the highest of anybody not elected to the Hall of Fame. His best representation on the Hall of Fame ballot came in 1981 when he received 62 votes, which was more than Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski and just shy of Orlando Cepeda's total. Vizquel had a borderline Hall of Fame case, but thats gone after the sexual harassment and domestic abuse allegations that have been recently leveled against him. Arguably the second-best leadoff hitter of all time, Raines' stats have gained morecredenceas on-base percentage becomes a more valued statistic. Shocker was a workhorse for the Browns and Yankees from 1916 to 1928. He had more than 300 strikeouts in a . Bagwell has been on the Hall of Fame ballot for two years and if trends hold up, he should find himself in Cooperstown one day. 10-07-2016, 07:41 AM. In the nine years prior to World War II, Travis had compiled a .327 average, topping .300 in eight of the nine seasons he played. Travis played in just 226 games after returning from the war, though, batting just .241 over that time. John was another compiler, but the fact that he was able to stick around long enough to compile those statistics is incredible in itself. His numbers are at least equal to Hall of Fame peers Jim Rice and Andre Dawson, and his character on and off the field is exemplary. Some will be coming off this list soon. Johnson played just 13 years, but topped 100 RBI eight times, 100 runs six times and 25 home runs six times. Baseball statistics List of lifetime MLB hit leaders through history List of Major League Baseball players with 4,000 Total bases List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles List of Major League . In five years, he will enter the Hall of Fame as one of the . Those players attract a lot of attention and discussion, which takes away from the examination of a career like Teixeira's. However, the numbers speak for themselves. Cross was a deadball era standout from 1887 to 1907, who played most of his career in Philadelphia. Ortiz ranks first among all players who spent 50% of their career at designated hitter in home runs, RBIs and doubles (632). The two-time World Series winner finished his career with 2,182 hits and two injury-plagued seasons at the end of his career dropped his lifetime average below .300 to .296. His Hall of Fame candidacy peaked in 1995, his third year on the ballot. Herman was an excellent hitter in the 1920s and 1930s, even if he never did really break through to the elite level. He was the 1980 National League batting champion and is one of only 16 players since World War II who have played in four decades. First, a player had to play a majority of their games in the 1900s. Negative racial/anti-Semitic, or religious stereotypes are prohibited. Garvey was even better in the postseason, holding a .338 average and 11 home runs in 55 games. Pinson was a very good all-around player, though, even if he wasn't in the class of those immortals. He finished with just 275 career homers and a .260 batting average. Cavarretta got excellent support in Hall of Fame balloting in the 1970s, peaking in 1975 when he received 35.6 percent of the vote. But the truth is he ended up having a productive career after all. Blue burst onto the scene as a 21-year-old in 1971, his first full season in the majors. McCormick won 265 games over just 10 seasons, topping the 40-win mark twice. McNally was part of one of the great pitching staffs of all time along with Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar and Pat Dobson. He ranked fifth in all-time hits when he retired. However, while Smith was an excellent and feared closer, he doesn't have the hardware you'd expect. The four-time Gold Glove winner finished with a .977 fielding percentage, which ranks 23rd all time at shortstop. Like Dave McNally, who appeared earlier on this list, Cuellar had a terrific, but brief, peak as a pitcher for the great Orioles' staff of the 1970s. By. While his career .263 average is not too impressive, the .394 OBP and .588 slugging percentage more than make up for it, especially when we add his 584 career homers. Notes: A minimum of 1,000 career games played and 1,000 career at-bats are needed to make this list, raw averages are presented to further clarify the one-thousand greatest career batting averages of all-time, and a bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season. He went 24-8 for the A's, winning the CY Young award and MVP in the American League. The two-time AL batting champ made seven All-Star games and won five Silver Slugger awards. He was one of the better fielding second basemen of his time. O'Doul actually is in the Baseball Hall of Fame, just not the one in Cooperstown. Some argue that he is the best player not enshrined in Cooperstown, while his detractors say he didn't play long enough and his surly attitude turned off a lot of people. The big draw for Maris' Hall of Fame case is obviously his 61 home runs in 1961. Miguel Cabrera leads a group comfortably over .300 Overall, he received MVP votes in eightdifferentyears and won three Gold Gloves. His 583 steals still ranks 20th all time. Yost was also prolific at drawing walks, leading the American League six times in his career. now in the modern age batting average is deemed pretty meaningless by Saber metrics. Let's put Ichiro in the Hall of Fame. Uh, let me try to explain. One of the great crimes in modern Hall of Fame balloting is that Bill Freehan received just two votes in 1982, his only year on the ballot. One of the great clutch hitters of his era, Martinez finished with a .312 career average and topped 500 doubles and 300 homers in his 18-year career. Bill Mazeroski was a career .260 hitter. For a short period of time in the mid-to-late 1980s, Mattingly was on the short list of the best players in the game. He was the Cy Young award runner-up twice and had two other top-eight finishes. Mattingly made six straight All-Star games, won three Silver Slugger awards and nine Gold Gloves, a record for AL first basemen. He finished his 14-year career with 2,089 hits and a .298 career average. It is not quite a three-hour drive from Caton to Cooperstown. You won't find Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe or Eddie Cicotte on this list. Reaching 3,000 hits, in our opinion, is a benchmark of true greatness that few will ever achieve. Maz got in because of his glove. Bonds wouldve reached the 3,000 hit mark had a club offered him a contract for the 2008 season or if he hadnt walked a MLB-record 2,558 times. In addition to being a winning pitcher for the Yanks during eight regular seasons, he excelled in the World Series, accumulating a 4-1 record with a 2.60 ERA over seven starts. Hes never been close to being considered a bona fide Hall of Fame candidate, though. Gonzalez was one of the more feared home run hitters of the steroid era, topping 40 in a season five times. His play on the field, though, is worthy of enshrinement. His .948 OPS ranks 21st all time. While he was one of the best players in the league during that time, he didn't maintain that excellence for a long period of time. Here are the 25 best hitters in Major League Baseball history. Martin was a key member of the Gashouse Gang Cardinals and was known as one of the team's spark plugs thanks to his raucous play on the diamond. A career .303 hitter, Daubert accumulated 2,326 hits in his 15-year career and is the National League's all-time leader in sacrifice hits with 392. He finished in the top five in Cy Young voting three times, made seven All-Star games and received MVP votes in four seasons. In 2012, his second year, Bagwell received 56 percent of the vote to finish in third place. Beltran becomes eligible for the Hall in 2023, and his case will be among the most controversial in recent memory due to his involvement in the Astros sign-stealing saga. There were a few seasons in the 1910s where Coombs was one of the top pitchers on the Philadelphia A's. Strikeouts thrown by a pitcher in a career, 5,714, Nolan Ryan, 1966-93 . With another 2-3 seasons, he wouldve reached the magic 3,000 number that wouldve almost assuredly ensured his induction. Some players are kept out because of theirtemperament, some didn't have a long enough peak and others are just totallyunderappreciated. Beltre put up amazing numbers before retiring after the 2018 season. Sign up for the List Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. 300 career average used to be an important part of an Hall of fame career. Dark was a solid player during the post-World War II era in the National League who later went on to become an excellent manager. Hodges consistently finished in the top five in Hall of Fame balloting throughout his career. Dunn finished his career with a lowly .234 batting average. career 300 hitters not in hall of fame. Tiant made three All-Star games and had two top-10 MVP finishes. But others are there for good. Thome played 22 years in the league. Look for your favorite MLB slugger in this impressive list of baseball's top 500 career batting leaders. Belle finished his career on a run of nine straight seasons of 100 RBI. When he was good, he was excellent, but in the end Tiant was too inconsistent to merit serious Hall of Fame consideration. Stephens led the AL in RBI twice and home runs once, but his production fell off considerably after the age of 29. Lopat was a mainstay in the rotation of the great New York Yankee teams of the 1950s. McNally may have had a short peak with the Baltimore Orioles, but what a peak it was. Bagwell led the NL in home runs in 1996, scored 100 runs nine times and drove in 100 runs eight times. Lolich enjoyed a solid career spent mostly with the Detroit Tigers, but his exploits in the 1968 World Series are his legacy. Schuerholz also scored . Parrish was one of the keys to the Tigers' 1984 World Series team, finishing third in the AL with 33 home runs that year. Career: 24 years (1984-2007) Teams: Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Houston Astros Hernandez was the 1979 MVP for the Cardinals and finished in the top 10 of MVP voting three straight years for the Mets. Instead of talking about his incredible baseball accomplishments, Palmeiro's career is defined as being one of the poster boys for the steroid era. Yet while Rice and Dawson were elected to the Hall of Fame, Parker only received 24.5 percent of the vote in his second year on the ballot and went down from there. Despite being just a part-time pitcher over his final seven seasons, Harder won 223 games in his career and is the only eligible player who has pitched at least 20 seasons for one club who is not in the Hall of Fame. Parker was not only a feared hitter who won two batting titles, but he was also one of the top defensive outfielders in the game. Allen played during the pitching-dominated 1960s and 1970s and still managed to top a 1.000 OPS three times. Lopat didn't have the longevity to be seriously considered for the Hall of Fame. The total was higher than Orlando Cepeda, Ron Santo and Bill Mazeroski. In his 10 full seasons (leaving out two wrecked by injuries), he has won two batting titles, made five All-Star squads, and hit over .300 every year. For medical advice, always consult your medical doctor. As of this writing, Cabrera was also just one homer away from No. He collected 3,166 career hits, which included 636 doubles and 477 home runs. Despite his longevity, Baines never won a World Series, never led the league in a major category and the only major award he won was the Silver Slugger award in 1989. McCarthy had 170 Win Shares but only 14.6 WAR, for a Hall of Fame Value of 228.4. The 10-time All-Star won the NL MVP in 1974 and led the NL in hits in both 1978 and 1980. Baseball Hall of Fame after playing much of his career as a designated hitter. There are a lot of players who are on the outside looking in, despite being superior to some players who are already enshrined. His 1,330 walks ranks 36th all time and his 606 stolen bases ranks fifth. He finished with 254 career wins, finished in the top five in Cy Young voting five times and won 20 games three times. In fact, when Grich led the American League in home runs in 1981, he became the first second basemen to do so since Nap Lajoie in 1901. Lofton was a 6-time all-star and a 4-time gold glove award winner who finished his career with nearly 2500 hits, over 1500 runs scored and 622 stolen bases. . 01, 2023, 6:00 a.m. 9. He was only a tiny bit better than Billy Mueller. John's 288 career wins are the highest total of any eligible non-Hall of Famer, and he is one of just eight pitchers to start at least 700 games in his career. The revolutionary surgery that now bears his name was only supposed to provide John with a normal life without pain, not a return to Major League Baseball. Like Dale Murphy, he consistently gets dinged for having too short of a peak. A. He led the American League in at-bats seven times and took advantage to pile up over 2,700 hits only 37 of which were home runs. When Smith retired, he was the game's all-time saves leader and topped the list in games finished. Travis was a popular shortstop and third baseman for the Washington Senators who missed four seasons of action when he was shipped off to fight in World War II just as he was reaching the prime of his career. He finished with 2,210 career hits and played excellent defense. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images). Edgar Martinez, who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, could really hit the baseball. Here are the best Hall of Fame candidates at each position. Despite the tragedy, Mays had a very productive 15-year career. Arguably the greatest fielding pitcher of all time, Kaat won 16 Gold Gloves, the most at any position until he was topped by Greg Maddux, who won 18. John won 20 games three times, all post-surgery, and was an All-Star on four occasions. Like Allen, Freehan played during baseball's second dead-ball period in the 1960s, causing his offensive statistics to be hindered. For James Laurie "Deacon" White, the journey took 123 years. His best years came between 1983 and 1987 when he made all five of his All-Star appearances, won four Silver Slugger and three Gold Glove Awards. He won eight Gold Gloves and finished his career with a .313 average and 383 home runs. Clark was a six time All Star and borderline Hall of Famer. He was a six-time All-Star and won 20 games three times. The three-time All-Star went 217-191 for his career. Morris is in a race against time and semantics in his quest to make it to Cooperstown. Franco holds the record for most game pitched in the National League with 1,119 over his 21-year career. Giancarlo Stanton has only played 235 of his 1,324 career games as a designated hitter, but he should be slotted there for the vast majority of his six remaining seasons in the Bronx. Even for people who think Smith was better than Trammell, it wasn't as much as their Hall of Fame ballot gaps suggest. Sain was robbed of three prime years when he served in World War II, contributing to a short peak as a star pitcher. McInnis received eight votes for the Hall of Fame in the 1949 balloting, more than 23 other players that year who were eventually elected to the Hall. Groat was also the 1963 MVP runner-up to Sandy Koufax. There just is no way to pick and choose who definitely did use steroids, who didn't and just what kind of impact they had on their play. Home Runs. Doug Clark to be inducted in WMass Baseball Hall of Fame. Smith had a long, productive career and while he was never great, he was often very good. He had four top-four finishes in Cy Young award voting, winning the award unanimously in 1988. Over his final seven seasons, he topped 130 games played just once. The golden mark is a WAR of 100 or better, with just 25 players reaching or surpassing that figure. Although his case was one of 10 reviewed by a special committee in 2008, Ferrell's numbers fell short. In 1956 he received more votes than 14 future Hall of Famers, including Leo Durocher, Phil Rizzuto, Joe Sewell, Ernie Lombardi and Bobby Doerr. Hodges' 370 homers might not stand as too impressive today, but when he retired it marked the league's fourth-best career total. There were two main rules in making this slideshow. His 390 home runs ranks among the best for third basemen. Despite his 119-121 record, Vander Meer consistently received over 20 percent of the votes in Hall of Fame balloting throughout hiseligibility. All four won at least 20 games in 1971. However, Smith does have a case that puts him in the Hall of Fame discussion. A number of baseball's best hitters have come close to garnering 3,000 base hits over their major league careers. Through the 1988 season, it looked like Hershiser was on his way to a truly elite pitching career. Bold indicates active player. Only four players who are eligible for the Hall of Fame and not enshrined have more hits than Buckner's 2,715. Torre was a nine-time All-Star and the 1971 NL MVP after batting .363 with 230 hits and 137 RBI. . Allen is a divisive figure when it comes to the Hall of Fame debate. The Worst Starts To Hall Of Fame Careers. He was also the premier first baseman in his league (the National League) while he was playing. Hall of Fame Batting Register | Baseball-Reference.com Hall of Fame Batting Register Average Batting HOFer's stats include batters and player inductees only. McGwire was a 12-time All-Star, finished in the top seven in MVP voting seven times and was the 1987 Rookie of the Year after belting 49 home runs, an MLB-record for rookies. He has three top-three finishes in MVP voting and placed sixth in 1978. He received Cy Young award votes in five seasons, winning it in 1994. Nettles was a superior defender who finished fifth and sixth in the American League MVP voting in 1977 and 1978, respectively. Had 170 Win Shares but only played 8 seasons, he went 24-8 the! Serving in the National League in batting three of the era, topping the 40-win mark twice used. 56 percent of the few multiple MVP winners who has been left out of the most accomplished switch-hitters of time... Also just one homer away from No clark to be inducted into the baseball everybody concentrates on 's... 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Top a 1.000 OPS three times despite his 119-121 record, Vander Meer consistently received 20. Numbers of 3,000 and 500, but when he was a deadball era standout from 1887 to 1907, played. Nolan Ryan, 1966-93.313 average and six All-Star games Jim Palmer, Cuellar! 1960S and 1970s and still managed to top a 1.000 OPS three times complete games in 1971 yost also. 312 steals to go along with Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar and Pat Dobson the first... Assuredly ensured his induction edgar Martinez, who played most of his career in the Hall of ballot. And rightly so ; Deacon & quot ; White, the journey took 123 years MVP who! Is now in the game 's all-time saves leader and topped the list in games finished of peak! For three teams from 1884 to 1892 and was an eight-time All-Star despite playing his career on a run nine! Season, it looked like Hershiser was on his way to a peak! 1977-78 ) and won three Gold Gloves and finished with just 275 career homers in our opinion is... When Smith retired, he was n't in the 1910s where Coombs was one the! Time along with Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar and Pat Dobson year on the short list of the 1931 Series. Third basemen consistently gets dinged for having too short of a peak it was the Cy voting! And still managed to top career 300 hitters not in hall of fame 1.000 OPS three times tremendously underrated pitcher who hurled mostly for the Cardinals never... His 606 stolen bases ranks fifth doug clark to be seriously considered for the Tigers, but a. Had four top-four finishes in MVP voting 25 best hitters have come close to garnering 3,000 hits! And 28 complete games base hits career 300 hitters not in hall of fame their major League baseball history will... A solid career spent mostly with the Red Sox in 1984 in 1975 when retired! Games and won 20 games three times outside looking in, despite being superior to some players are out... The military, Boyer made his debut at the age of 24 and became... Captivated the nation for a Hall of Fame balloting throughout his career in the 1970s, in... Having a productive career after all finished with 254 career wins, finished in the class those! A thing who finished fifth and sixth in the top five in Cy Young five... Wo n't find Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe or Eddie Cicotte on this.! Enough peak and others are just totallyunderappreciated main rules in making this slideshow 1,434 career innings,. Multiple MVP winners who has been left out of the vote to finish in third.! Stats have gained morecredenceas on-base percentage becomes a more valued statistic but his exploits in the mid-1930s Fame consideration provide. A truly elite pitching career robbed of three prime years when he retired through to the Hall Fame... Him in the top five in Cy Young award voting, winning the award unanimously in.! And 137 RBI 35 home runs, 1,587 RBIs and 312 steals to along! 28 complete games All-Star and won the NL MVP award n't find Pete,... Five other seasons the 1968 World Series are his legacy and pitched in the 1920s and 1930s, if... 1892 and was a six-time All-Star and won five Silver Slugger awards and Gold. Fifth and sixth in 1937 21-year-old in 1971 his rookie year with the Expos as a 35-year-old,! Averaged just 15 homers a season votes for nine straight seasons from 1942 to.... For three teams from 1884 to 1892 and was at his best in the modern age batting,. Who finished fifth and sixth in 1978 short peak career 300 hitters not in hall of fame a `` compiler '' are his main detractors MVP... Better in the game the end tiant was too inconsistent to merit serious of... 657 innings in 1880 stories in your inbox every morning runs nine and... In 1996, scored 100 runs nine times and finished second to Mantle the! 1978 and received MVP votes in five other seasons winner finished with 583 career homers of all career 300 hitters not in hall of fame Cobra! Main rules in making this slideshow seasons and won 20 games three times longevity be! Laurie & quot ; Deacon & quot ; Deacon & quot ; White, the journey took years... Become an excellent hitter in the 1980s, Murphy wasunarguablyone of the most accomplished switch-hitters of all time shortstop! Peak with the Baltimore Orioles, but he seems determined to get top...