These players belong in the Baseball Hall of Fame

With major league baseball's hall of fame voting for 2015 due out soon, there's a few first time nominees who are likely to earn enough votes to get inducted – such as pitcher Randy Johnson - three other former players also deserve to be enshrined - Alan Trammell, Lee Smith, and Tim Raines.

Shortstop Alan Trammell played 20 years with the Detroit Tigers, and the six time all-star’s offensive and defensive numbers match up well with Larkin's. In 20 years Trammell hit .285 with 185 home runs, 1,003 RBI's, 236 stolen bases, and had a .977 fielding percentage. He also batted .333 in postseason games. Larkin played 19 years with the Reds, compiling a .295 batting average, 198 home runs, 960 RBI's, 379 stolen bases, and a .975 fielding percentage while hitting .338 in the postseason.

Relief pitcher Lee Smith, a seven time All Star, ranks third in major league history with 478 saves, behind only legends Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera. Smith led the National League in saves in four seasons, and his career ERA of 3.03 compares well with Hall of Fame relievers Bruce Sutter's 2.83 and Rollie Fingers' 2.90.

Outfielder Tim Raines, also a seven time All Star selection, ranks fifth in baseball history with 808 stolen bases, but he also had a career batting average of .294 and an on base percentage of .385. He was a player who set the table for his teams, which included the Expos, White Sox, and Yankees, among others.

Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame is certain to be getting a lot of attention in the upcoming months and years. A number of outstanding former players will be listed on voters' ballots; some will certainly be inducted in their first year of eligibility.

An intriguing storyline involves four former players who all almost certainly would have been inducted in their first year - if they hadn't been implicated in the steroid investigation. For Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens, it doesn't look good at this point.

Votes for the Baseball Hall of Fame

With major league baseball's hall of fame voting for 2015 due out soon, there's a few first time nominees who are likely to earn enough votes to get inducted – such as pitcher Randy Johnson - three other former players also deserve to be enshrined - Alan Trammell, Lee Smith, and Tim Raines.

Shortstop Alan Trammell played 20 years with the Detroit Tigers, and the six time all-star’s offensive and defensive numbers match up well with Larkin's. In 20 years Trammell hit .285 with 185 home runs, 1,003 RBI's, 236 stolen bases, and had a .977 fielding percentage. He also batted .333 in postseason games. Larkin played 19 years with the Reds, compiling a .295 batting average, 198 home runs, 960 RBI's, 379 stolen bases, and a .975 fielding percentage while hitting .338 in the postseason.

Relief pitcher Lee Smith, a seven time All Star, ranks third in major league history with 478 saves, behind only legends Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera. Smith led the National League in saves in four seasons, and his career ERA of 3.03 compares well with Hall of Fame relievers Bruce Sutter's 2.83 and Rollie Fingers' 2.90.

Outfielder Tim Raines, also a seven time All Star selection, ranks fifth in baseball history with 808 stolen bases, but he also had a career batting average of .294 and an on base percentage of .385. He was a player who set the table for his teams, which included the Expos, White Sox, and Yankees, among others.

Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame is certain to be getting a lot of attention in the upcoming months and years. A number of outstanding former players will be listed on voters' ballots; some will certainly be inducted in their first year of eligibility.

An intriguing storyline involves four former players who all almost certainly would have been inducted in their first year - if they hadn't been implicated in the steroid investigation. For Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens, it doesn't look good at this point.

Alan Trammell, Tim Raines, Lee Smith belong in Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame

With major league baseball's hall of fame voting for 2015 due out soon, there's a few first time nominees who are likely to earn enough votes to get inducted – such as pitcher Randy Johnson - three other former players also deserve to be enshrined -  Alan Trammell, Lee Smith, and Tim Raines.

Shortstop Alan Trammell played 20 years with the Detroit Tigers, and the six time all-star’s offensive and defensive numbers match up well with Larkin's. In 20 years Trammell hit .285 with 185 home runs, 1,003 RBI's, 236 stolen bases, and had a .977 fielding percentage. He also batted .333 in postseason games. Larkin played 19 years with the Reds, compiling a .295 batting average, 198 home runs, 960 RBI's, 379 stolen bases, and a .975 fielding percentage while hitting .338 in the postseason.

Relief pitcher Lee Smith, a seven time All Star, ranks third in major league history with 478 saves, behind only legends Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera. Smith led the National League in saves in four seasons, and his career ERA of 3.03 compares well with Hall of Fame relievers Bruce Sutter's 2.83 and Rollie Fingers' 2.90.

Outfielder Tim Raines, also a seven time All Star selection, ranks fifth in baseball history with 808 stolen bases, but he also had a career batting average of .294 and an on base percentage of .385. He was a player who set the table for his teams, which included the Expos, White Sox, and Yankees, among others.

Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame is certain to be getting a lot of attention in the upcoming months and years. A number of outstanding former players will be listed on voters' ballots; some will certainly be inducted in their first year of eligibility.

An intriguing storyline involves four former players who all almost certainly would have been inducted in their first year - if they hadn't been implicated in the steroid investigation. For  Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens, it doesn't look good at this point.

Who was the New York Yankees Most Valuable Player in 2014?

The New York  Yankees struggled through a long 2014 season, finishing with a middling 84-78 won-loss record and missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

 

Still, every team has players that contribute to its success during the course of the year. Here is a look at who were the Most Valuable Players of the 2014 Yankees.

 

5) Brian McCann, catcher: McCann started slowly at the plate but still finished with 23 home runs and 75 RBI’s, both of which led the team. He also handled the pitching staff well, and threw out 37% of runners attempting to steal, above the league average of 27%.

 

4) Hiroki Kuroda, starting pitcher: Kuroda was steady, providing 32 starts and 199 innings for a starting staff that was decimated by injuries. He finished with an 11-9 record and 3.71 ERA.

 

3) Masahiro Tanaka, starting pitcher:  Tanaka was the closest thing to a sure win in games during the first half, before a partially torn ligament in his elbow shelved him for the second half of the season.  The Yankees would have finished under .500 without him. He posted a 13-5 record and 2.77 ERA in 20 games and 136 innings.

 

2) Jacoby Ellsbury, centerfielder:  Leading all position players with 149 games played, 156 hits, 27 doubles, and 39 stolen bases, Ellsbury batted .271 with 16 home runs and 70 RBI’s. He also was steady defensively.

 

1) Dellin Betances, relief pitcher:  His first year in the bullpen proved to be a huge success. Betances shut down opposing hitters when the Yankees had a close lead in late innings of games.  He finished with a 5-0 record, 22 holds, an unbelievable 1.40 ERA, and set a team record for strikeouts by a relief pitcher, with 135 in 90 innings. He gave up only 46 hits, and batters managed a measly .149 average against him. Dellin Betances is the Yankees’ Most Valuable Player for the 2014 season.

So how many plaques are the Yankees going to hang in Monument Park?

It's nice to retire the numbers of great athletes, and to place plaques and monuments in or around stadiums. But the Yankees are taking it too far.

The Steinbrenners were probably hoping to sell more tickets with the announcement of honoring Rich Gossage, Tino Martinez, and Paul O'Neill with plaques in Monument Park. But do they really deserve it? Well if they do, so do many other former Yankees.

Yes, Martinez and O'Neill were important parts of 4 world championship teams, but so were many other role players. Sparky Lyle was just as valuable, if not more so, a relief pitcher than Gossage was. Willie Randolph and Roy White were vital contributors to the 1976-78 championship teams, so why not give them plaques?

I can understand giving Joe Torre a plaque (although I'm surprised they are doing it, given the bad press the Steinbrenners and others in Yankee front office received from Torre's book The Yankee Years). But retiring his number? That's a bit much. I can see not giving out his number for a long time, like 20 years. But retiring it? Come on.

Retired numbers as of today? OK: 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. That would be Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra, Thurman Munson, Whitey Ford, Don Mattingly, Mariano Rivera. Even if number 42 hadn't been retired by everyone because it was Jackie Robinson's, Rivera's 42 still would have deserved it. Numbers to be retired now and next year? That would be 2 and 51. Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams. Not coincidentally, these would be the best 12 players in Yankee history.

Numbers to not give out for at least 20-25 years? Torre's 6, Roger Maris' and Graig Nettles' 9, Jorge Posada's 20, Elston Howard's 32, Casey Stengel's 37, Ron Guidry's 49, and Andy Petitte's 46.

I'd give all of guys with the retired numbers plaques in Monument Park, along with the eight men above.

Nothing against Roger Maris, but I could argue that Nettles was more important to his teams than Maris was to his.

I'm not sure why Billy Martin, Phil Rizzuto, and Reggie Jackson had their numbers retired. Probably because Steinbrenner wanted to sell some extra tickets. I could see maybe giving Rizzuto a plaque in Monument Park since he also had a long career as a Yankee broadcaster.

Should any Yankee who has made the Hall of Fame have a plaque? Maybe, but then you'd have to include Rickey Henderson and Dave Winfield along with Jackson and Gossage.

Retired numbers and plaques ought to be awarded to the very special, not just the special.

The best Managers in New York Yankee history

The best ten managers in New York Yankee history:


10) Yogi Berra: In slightly more than two years as manager, Berra had a 192-148 record, for a .565 winning percentage. He led the team to the 1964 World Series, but was stuck with a middling team in 1984, when George Steinbrenner saddled him with mediocre players.

9) Clark Griffith: From 1903-1908 Griffith had a 419-370 record, a .531 winning percentage.

8) Buck Showalter: In 1995 Showalter led the Yankees to their first playoff appearance since 1981, a fourteen year drought. In four years at the helm he had a winning percentage of .539, with a 313-268 record.

7) Ralph Houk: Managing the team for 11 years, Houk led the Yankees as they went from the top of the baseball world in 1961 to its bottom depths in the late '60's and early '70's. He finished with a 944-806 record, a winning percentage of .539.

6) Joe Girardi: The Yanks have made the playoffs in four of Girardi's six years with the team. His record is  564-408, a .580 winning percentage, with one World Series title. Girardi has done a good job managing his pitching staff and bullpen.

5) Billy Martin: Taking five turns as manager, Martin ended up with a 556-385 record, a .591 winning percentage. The team won pennants under his helm in 1976 and 1977, taking the World Series title in '77.

4) Miller Huggins: With the game's best players in Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig on his roster, Huggins compiled a 1067-719 record, a .597 winning percentage, from 1918-1929. A monument at Yankee Stadium was erected in his honor.

3) Joe Torre: Torre led the Yanks to four world championships in 12 seasons, from 1996-2007. His 1173-767 record, a .605 winning percentage, demonstrates consistency while facing adversity as manager.

2) Casey Stengel: In 12 years from 1949-1960, Stengel won seven World Championships, plus three more American League pennants. His 1149-696 won-loss record gives him a winning percentage of .623.

1) Joe McCarthy: The longest tenured Yankee manager at 16 years, McCarthy holds the record for most wins as Yankee manager, and his 1460-867 regular season record gives him a winning percentage of .627, which is also tops among Yankee managers who were at the helm for more than one season. His teams won seven World Championships from 1931-1946.

source for statistics: www.baseballreference.com

Alan Trammell, Tim Raines, Lee Smith belong in Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame

With major league baseball's hall of fame voting for 2014 due out soon, there's a few first time nominees who are likely to earn enough votes to get inducted - pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, and first baseman Frank Thomas.

Three other former players also deserve to be enshrined - Alan Trammell, Lee Smith, and Tim Raines.

Shortstop Alan Trammell played 20 years with the Detroit Tigers, and the six time all-star’s offensive and defensive numbers match up well with Larkin's. In 20 years Trammell hit .285 with 185 home runs, 1,003 RBI's, 236 stolen bases, and had a .977 fielding percentage. He also batted .333 in postseason games. Larkin played 19 years with the Reds, compiling a .295 batting average, 198 home runs, 960 RBI's, 379 stolen bases, and a .975 fielding percentage while hitting .338 in the postseason.

Relief pitcher Lee Smith, a seven time All Star, ranks third in major league history with 478 saves, behind only legends Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera. Smith led the National League in saves in four seasons, and his career ERA of 3.03 compares well with Hall of Fame relievers Bruce Sutter's 2.83 and Rollie Fingers' 2.90.

Outfielder Tim Raines, also a seven time All Star selection, ranks fifth in baseball history with 808 stolen bases, but he also had a career batting average of .294 and an on base percentage of .385. He was a player who set the table for his teams, which included the Expos, White Sox, and Yankees, among others.

Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame is certain to be getting a lot of attention in the upcoming months and years. A number of outstanding former players will be listed on voters' ballots; some will certainly be inducted in their first year of eligibility. Stars such as Randy Johnson in 2015, pitchers John Smoltz and Pedro Martinez in 2016, and currently eligible Jeff Bagwell may get in within the next couple of years.

An intriguing storyline involves four former players who all almost certainly would have been inducted in their first year - if they hadn't been implicated in the steroid investigation. Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens are all entering their first year of eligibility in 2013; with Rafael Palmiero earning a small percentage of the votes the last two years, even with his 569 home runs and 3,020 hits, it doesn't look good for Sammy, Barry, and Roger at this point.

 

Alan Trammell, Tim Raines, Lee Smith belong in Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame

Congratulations to Barry Larkin and the late Ron Santo for their recent induction into Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame. Both were deserving of the honor, and Santo's was long overdue.

Three other former players also deserve to be enshrined - Alan Trammell, Lee Smith, and Tim Raines.

Shortstop Alan Trammell played 20 years with the Detroit Tigers, and the six time all star's offensive and defensive numbers match up well with Larkin's. In 20 years Trammell hit .285 with 185 home runs, 1,003 RBI's, 236 stolen bases, and had a .977 fielding percentage. He also batted .333 in postseason games. Larkin played 19 years with the Reds, compiling a .295 batting average, 198 home runs, 960 RBI's, 379 stolen bases, and a .975 fielding percentage while hitting .338 in the postseason.

Relief pitcher Lee Smith, a seven time All Star, ranks third in major league history with 478 saves, behind only legends Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera. Smith led the National League in saves in four seasons, and his career ERA of 3.03 compares well with Hall of Fame relievers Bruce Sutter's 2.83 and Rollie Fingers' 2.90.

Outfielder Tim Raines, also a seven time All Star selection, ranks fifth in baseball history with 808 stolen bases, but he also had a career batting average of .294 and an on base percentage of .385. He was a player who set the table for his teams, which included the Expos, White Sox, and Yankees, among others.

Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame is certain to be getting a lot of attention in the upcoming months and years. A number of outstanding former players will be listed on voters' ballots; some will certainly be inducted in their first year of elgibility. Stars such as Mike Piazza and Craig Biggio in 2013, Frank Thomas, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux in 2014, and Randy Johnson in 2015 are all likely to be enshrined in their first years. Pitchers John Smoltz and Pedro Martinez may get in during their first year in 2016 or in the following year, while currently eligible Jeff Bagwell may get in within the next couple of years.

An intriguing storyline involves four former players who all almost certainly would have been inducted in their first year - if they hadn't been implicated in the steroid investigation. Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens are all entering their first year of eligibilty in 2013; with Rafael Palmiero earning only 12.6% of the vote last year, even with his 569 home runs and 3,020 hits, it doesn't look good for Sammy, Barry, and Roger at this point.