2006 HoF voting - Albert Belle?

[RascalJones]

I found this article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. It talks about Belle being eligible in 2006, and compares him to another player who had a shortened career that made it in on the first ballot - Kirby Puckett.

Belle ended his career hitting .295 with 381 homers and 1,239 RBI. In 10 full seasons and parts of two others, he played in 1,539 games, scored 974 runs and had 1,726 hits. He averaged 154 games per year in those 10 seasons.

Numbers don't tell the whole story. Belle, from 1992 through 2000, was the most intimidating hitter in the American League. He frightened pitchers with his bat and stare.

...

Kirby Puckett's career mirrors Belle's in some ways. Glaucoma ended Puckett's career at 34 following his 12th season with the Twins.

While Belle played left or right field, Puckett played center. Puckett was faster, a better defender and hit for a higher lifetime average at .318. He couldn't compete with Belle's power.

Puckett, a 10-time All-Star who led the league four times in hits, finished with 207 homers and 1,085 RBI. Belle's power numbers were better in fewer games (244) and at-bats (1,391).

What Puckett did have was a sparkling personality and a good reputation with the media. He had the body of a softball player and was always smiling.

Five years after his retirement, Puckett was a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Only later did we learn about his personal demons -- a pattern of alleged sexual indiscretions and violent acts detailed in a 2003 Sports Illustrated story about "The Secret Life of Kirby Puckett."

There was no hiding Belle's demons. That he played as well as he did with them was remarkable. If it was a career good enough to reach Cooperstown is out of his hands.

http://www.cleveland.com/mlb/plainde...800.xml&coll=2

So, what do you guys think? Do you think Belle is HoF material? Will his media-disdain keep him out? I doubt he'll make it first ballot, though. There are plenty of "bad" guys in the HoF, even Puckett would qualify as a "bad" guy with what we know now.

Belle's 1994-1996 stats are monsters. 1993 was a good year, but the Indians were not on the map yet. Belle is one of the biggest reasons the Indians showed up on the map come 1994-1995.

If he does go, I hope he goes as an Indian.

[KCBOOMER]

Albert Belle has a slightly better chance of getting in the HoF than I do since he is on the ballot, but that is about it. His career is simply too short (12 years which includes two cups of coffee), his attitude too churlish, and his conduct too disruptive to make it past the HoF voters. And his injury is usually look upon as one of the vicissitudes of the game (see Don Mattingly). And he doesn't have much support at ESPN.

Pucket's demise was caused by something that most of the voters saw as bad luck. Not at all unsimilar to Sandy Koufax's arthritis. He was also seen as a lock to get 3,000 hits (he only needed 700). And he brought quite a bit of defensive value as a CF. He also gets the advantage of having his offensive stats compared to CF's rather than corner OF's.

Is Belle worthy, Hmmmm. He certainly wouldn't be the worst corner OF in the HoF. He is not the best corner OF who will be on the ballot next year (Tim Raines). Belle had a monster peak from 1993-1999 that screams HoF. If I had a vote I might just have to flip a coin.

Near as I have been able to tell the HoF has only selected one corner outfielder based on Peak Value: Ralph Kiner. Kiner's five best consecutive years resulted in 334 RCAA. Bell comes in at 253 (a very impressive number). I did an essay over at BaseBall Clubhouse on hitters getting in to the HoF based on peak value using RCAA as the definition of productivity. If interested you can search for it over there or I can send you a copy of it.

Or if, Crash wanted to we could republish it here.

[RascalJones]

"So, you're saying there's a chance."

(Sorry, had to quote Jim Carrey from Dumb and Dumber there)

[KCBOOMER]

Originally Posted by RascalJones

"So, you're saying there's a chance." (Sorry, had to quote Jim Carrey from Dumb and Dumber there)

Yes, there is a chance.