Best short-timer ever

[Ytown Tribe fan]

Who is the best player who is ineligible for induction into the Hall of Fame because he didn't play in at least 10 seasons?

My vote, without looking into it too much, goes to Ferris Fain.

[TGwynn19]

I was going to say Hal Trosky, but he played 11 seasons. Would Bo Jackson apply, or are you asking for who actually put up the best career numbers in less than 10 seasons????

[Ytown Tribe fan]

Bo knows short-time. Bo played in parts of 8 seasons, including 1994, and would be ineligible because of the length of his career. He's the kind of player I was referring to. Trosky, however, IS eligible for induction (or at least he WAS).

The Hall of Fame criteria for eligibility are these:

"Candidates to be eligible must meet the following requirements:

A baseball player must have been active as a player in the Major Leagues at some time during a period beginning twenty (20) years before and ending five (5) years prior to election.

Player must have played in each of ten (10) Major League championship seasons, some part of which must have been within the period described in above.

Player shall have ceased to be an active player in the Major Leagues at least five (5) calendar years preceding the election but may be otherwise connected with baseball.

In case of the death of an active player or a player who has been retired for less than five (5) full years, a candidate who is otherwise eligible shall be eligible in the next regular election held at least six (6) months after the date of death or after the end of the five (5) year period, whichever occurs first.

Any player on Baseball's ineligible list shall not be an eligible candidate."

What I was referring to was a player who is ineligible ONLY because he didn't play in each of 10 Major League championship seasons.

That brings up another question: does 1994 count as a championship season for HoF eligibility? Are there any player who would be ineligible ONLY because 1994 wasn't a championship season?

[TGwynn19]

What I was referring to was a player who is ineligible ONLY because he didn't play in each of 10 Major League championship seasons.

In each of the 10 seasons?? MLB has been around for 100+ years.


Are you asking who had the best career that did not span 10 years??

[Ytown Tribe fan]

Not "each of THE 10 seasons", just each of 10 seasons. In other words, a player who didn't play in at least 10 seasons over the course of his career.

[LeGrandOrange]

I personally believe the best batter was Alvin Davis. I'm biased obviously. :) He did more in his short career than everyone else though...although it's mainly because he played more in his short seasons than anyone else. No offense to Ferris Fain, Bill Joyce, et. al., I just have to give the original Mr. Mariner some love (since I'm rooting for them again).

[Wolf Hopper]

How about Jim Gentile?

[LeGrandOrange]

Among the modern short-timers, he could well have the best peak value. I mean, he has that third place in the MVP balloting going for him, especially considering that #1 and #2 were Mantle and Maris...

[JamesI]

Gentile only had a few good years. He's not someone that would have been a hall of famer had he played an additional 2-3 seasons....

[manny tortolero]

I think is the nearest to that type of player. He played 11 years but in his first four years only played 76 games for NYY and Boston and always as a backup player and pitcher. However once he was only playing as a possition player in the NL, between 1928 and 1934, he was two times avg leader hitting three times 200+ hits and his numbers in 1929 were out of this world: 254 hits, 152 rbi, 122 runs, 398 avg, 397 TB. I know that this numbers were affected a lot by play in Baker Bowl as homefield but anyway are impresive, finnishing his carrer with 143 OPS+.
Other guy very similar was Jackie Jensen who played 11 seasons too but only nine as regular (in his first two he only had 238 AB). Jensen had five seasons with 100+ rbi including three times as leader and was the MVP in 1958, finnishing his carrer with only 34 years old and 120 ops+.
A guy really dark in the history of baseball but that really has taken my attention is Dale Alexander, 1B of Detroit and Boston between 1929 and 1933, leader avg in 1932. This guy got a terrible injury playing for the Tigers in 1931 which costed his career. 129 OPS+. Looks as Hank Greenberg had a lot of luck with Alexander's fate.
Manuel

[pwdennis]

For a few seasons Dick Radatz was great as was Tony Conigliaro

[KCBOOMER]

I personal favorite of mine is Steve Busby. Got off to just a monster start as pitcher, but developed the then dreaded "torn rotator cuff" and was gone though he did pitch in parts of four more seasons.

[KCBOOMER]

Some quick research with the SBE would suggest that Bill Joyce, 333 RCAA and Dave Orr 324 RCAA would be serious contenders for best short career amongst hitters who don't meet the ten season requirement.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Ray Chapman, the guy who was killed by a beaning, was probably destined for the HOF if he had lived. His numbers were excellent for a SS in the deadball era, and his performances in 1919-20 indicated that he may have lifted his BA to .300 had he lived. If you look at Joe Sewell's numbers from 1921-25, that is not an unreasonable guess as to what Chapman would have put up if he were alive and healthy during that period.

For a shorter career, I would pick Lyman Bostock, who also tragically died. I believe Bostock would have been a HOFer had he lived.

[pwdennis]

[QUOTE=Fuzzy Bear]Ray Chapman, the guy who was killed by a beaning, was probably destined for the HOF if he had lived. His numbers were excellent for a SS in the deadball era, and his performances in 1919-20 indicated that he may have lifted his BA to .300 had he lived. If you look at Joe Sewell's numbers from 1921-25, that is not an unreasonable guess as to what Chapman would have put up if he were alive and healthy during that period.

Agreed. Bill James may a pretty convincing case for Chapman in one of his books

[SmedIndy]

Bill Lange, who left baseball to get married, could have been a fringe HOF candidate - especially if he could have lasted to the beginning of the Cubs big run.

[gyb13]

lee, any chance to add 'seasons played' to the sbe sorting criteria?