The Hall's 2012 Golden Era ballot -- candidate reviews

In early November, the Baseball Hall of Fame released its ballot slate for the 2012 Golden Era Committee vote, which is coming up later this weekend.

Reading through the official press release, it scrupulously avoids using the term "Veterans Committee" anywhere, and references the more formal "Committee on Baseball Veterans" only once, and there in a historical context. So the rebranding must be considered complete -- there's a wink and a nod, yes, everyone knows this is the current edition of the VC (which has undergone three major revisions since 2003), but the name has moved on. Fine.

The current format parcels out history into three eras, and this ballot covers the second such era in the voting cycle. Named the Golden Era -- which I consider a dismal and biased choice of a name, but won't get up in arms about -- it covers candidates who saw the bulk of their baseball career fall into the 1947-72 frame. The Hall does not appear to explain why those years were chosen as endpoints, though the start was probably due to Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby breaking down the color barrier in both leagues, but it was a tumultuous time in baseball. Besides integration, there were numerous relocations, expansion, realignment into divisions and expanded postseason play, and increased media coverage as television (and radio) grew. Baseball also saw the players union grow some serious teeth, but that's not something many in the seats of power prefer to acknowledge. It was a real effect nonetheless.

Turning to the candidates, I find this ballot mildly depressing. Not the names as such -- there's some strong and real talent among the players, and the executives are interesting names to consider. But it is unavoidable that all ten candidates have been on at least one VC ballot since the 2003 revamping and, obviously, none have been elected. Everyone here is a retread candidate. While I still hold out hope for Santo, the worthiest name (again) on this ballot, it feels a bit like a mundane exercise in rubber-stamping. "Ho-hum, him again..." Ah, well.

Our candidates: players Ken Boyer, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva, Allie Reynolds, Ron Santo, Luis Tiant, and executives Buzzie Bavasi and Charlie O. Finley.

The *asterisk denotes which team I think will adorn the candidate's Hall cap, if elected.


The Players

1. Ken Boyer (playing career | managing career | reviewed on 2007 VC ballot)

Personal status: deceased.

Previous Hall consideration
BBWAA: the full 15 ballots, peaking at 25.5%.
Veterans: 2003, 13.6% (11 of 81 votes); 2005, 18.8% (15/80); 2007, 11.0% (9/82).

Primary position: third base.
Playing career: 15 seasons -- *St. Louis Cardinals (1955-65), New York Mets (1966-67), Chicago White Sox (1967-68), Los Angeles Dodgers (1968-69).
Standout season: 1960 -- 151 games, 95 runs, 168 hits, 26 doubles, 10 triples, 32 HR, 97 RBI, .304 / .370 / .562, 143 OPS+, 6.2 WAR.
Other noteworthy seasons: 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964.
Career WAR: 58.4.
Honoraria and claims to fame: 1964 NL MVP, seven All-Star selections, five NL Gold Gloves at third base (1958-61, '63), led NL in RBI once. Member of the 1964 World Series champion, and played well, hitting two homers.

Baseball bonus points: managed the Cardinals for three seasons (one full, two partial) but to little distinction. One of three brothers who played in the majors.

Boyer was an outstanding defensive third baseman, and that's one of the tougher positions to play well. And he could hit pretty well, though he wasn't great at it. Still, position matters, and he was really, really good at 3B. Unfortunately, he had the bad timing to be playing exactly contemporarily with Brooks Robinson and Ron Santo, two of the few who could equal or exceed Boyer with the bat and with the glove, with the result that he never looks greater than third-best of his era. That's some hard beans to swallow, and note Santo hasn't been elected to the Hall yet. I've been willing to cut Boyer enough slack to support his candidacy, with the caveat that I do not rank him before Santo. He's sufficiently Hall-worthy to me, but I doubt he'll get elected.

Chipmaker's vote: Yes! ...as long as Santo gets in first.


2. Gil Hodges (playing career | managing career | reviewed on 2007 VC and 2009 VC ballots)

Personal status: deceased.

Previous Hall consideration
BBWAA: the full 15 ballots, peaking at 63.4% on his last one.
Veterans: 2003, 61.7% (50/81); 2005, 65.0% (52/80); 2007, 61.0% (50/82); 2009, 43.8% (28/64).

Primary position: first base.
Playing career: 18 seasons -- *Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers 1943 & '47-61, New York Mets 1962-63.
Standout season: 1954 -- 154 games (led NL), 106 runs, 176 hits, 25 doubles, 42 HR, 130 RBI, 74 walks, .304 / .373 / .579, 141 OPS+, 6.2 WAR.
Other noteworthy seasons: 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955.
Career WAR: 44.6.
Honoraria and claims to fame: eight All-Star selections, three NL Gold Gloves at first base, games played twice. Member of two World Series champion teams (1955, 1959) and five other NL champions. Jersey #14 retired by the Mets.

Baseball bonus points: managed for nine seasons, the second Washington Senators for five years and the New York Mets for four. Brought home the 1969 World Series championship, but there's nothing special outside of that one miraculous season. Hit four home runs in one game, 31-August-1950.

Hodges continues to carry a lot of popular support as a Hall candidate, but I'm not one of his legion of fans on this matter. I consider him to stand just behind Santo as The Best Player Not In The Hall when it comes to olde-tymer voting, and someone has to hold that title. Hodges, to me, has the ideal profile for it: reasonably long career, very good player with a sustained peak, had some signature moments and lots of postseason exposure, but never quite reached greatness for a full season; bumped up against it but never took that necessary step up. Hodges benefited greatly from playing in Brooklyn and contributing -- and he was a big part, no doubt -- to many winning teams, but if he'd done the same elsewhere with lesser teammates who couldn't win NL pennants consistently, he'd have been dismissed long ago.

That said, if ever Hodges does get elected, I will have no objection to it. He was a very good player; he just doesn't quite measure up to what I want to see in Hall honorees. Almost, but no.

Chipmaker's vote: no.


3. Jim Kaat (playing career | reviewed on 2007 VC and 2009 VC ballots)

Personal status: living, turned 73 in November 2011.

Previous Hall consideration
BBWAA: the full 15 ballots, peaking at 29.6%.
Veterans: 2005, 53.8% (43/80); 2007, 63.4% (52/82); 2009, 59.4% (38/64).

Primary position: LH starting pitcher (pitched mostly in relief in his last five seasons).
Playing career: 25 seasons -- Washington Senators/*Minnesota Twins 1959-73, Chicago White Sox 1973-75, Philadelphia Phillies 1976-79, New York Yankees 1979-80, St. Louis Cardinals 1980-83.
Standout season: 1966 -- 25-13 (wins led AL), 41 games (all starts, led AL), 19 complete games (led AL), 304.2 IP (led AL), 205 K, 2.75 ERA, 131 ERA+, 1.070 WHIP, 3.9 WAR.
Other noteworthy seasons: 1962, 1965, 1972, 1974, 1975.
Career WAR: 41.2.
Honoraria and claims to fame: three All-Star selections, 1966 The Sporting News AL Pitcher Of The Year, 16 Gold Gloves at pitcher (14 AL, 2 NL), led league in wins once, complete games once, shutouts once. Three 20+ win seasons. Member of the 1982 World Series champion Cardinals, played in three other postseasons (member of eight teams that reached the postseason, but didn't always get to play). His 25 seasons played shared the record for longest career until Tommy John surpassed it.

I like great seasons more than good-looking career summary stats -- a great season does more to contribute to winning a postseason berth, which is the annual goal, so I favor a great year. Hall honorees should put up a lot of them. Kaat did not; a few were great or at least really good, but most of his seasons were unremarkable. A good player to have but not a difference-maker. I haven't supported his candidacy before and see no reason to start doing so now. The sixteen Gold Gloves is impressive, but it was never impressive enough for even one-third of the BBWAA to vote for Kaat, and they do nothing more for me.

Chipmaker's vote: no.


4. Minnie Minoso (playing career | Negro Leagues career | reviewed on 2007 VC ballot)

Personal status: living, turned 86 (at least) in November 2011.

Previous Hall consideration
BBWAA: the full 15 ballots, peaking at 21.1%.
Veterans: 2003, 19.8% (16/81); 2005, 15.0% (12/80); 2007, 14.6% (12/82).
2006 Special Committee: not elected (obviously); results were not released, but Minoso got less than 75%, which means fewer than nine votes on the 12-person electoral committee.

Primary position: left field.
Playing career: 17 seasons -- Cleveland Indians 1949, '51, & '58-59; *Chicago White Sox 1951-57, '60-61, '64, and sideshow appearances in 1976 and 1980; St. Louis Cardinals 1962; Washington Senators 1963. And, not to be overlooked, three seasons with the New York Cubans of the Negro National League 1946-48.
Standout season: 1954 -- 153 games, 119 runs, 182 hits, 29 doubles, 18 triples (led AL), 19 HR, 116 RBI, 77 walks, .320 / .411 / .525, 155 OPS+, 8.3 WAR.
Other noteworthy seasons: 1951, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959.
Career WAR: 52.8.
Honoraria and claims to fame: seven All-Star selections, three Gold Gloves for outfield, led league in hits once, doubles once, triples three times, stolen bases three times, total bases once, and hit-by-pitch ten times, which had to hurt but got him on base. Jersey #9 retired by the White Sox. Also a two-time All-Star in the Negro Leagues, and a member of the 1947 champion team.

Minoso was a very good hitter with periods of greatness and a very good fielder with periods of greatness. He sustained his peak very well, though his productivity took a dive off a cliff after age 34. That happens to a lot of players -- though there is doubt about whether Minoso really was 34 or much closer to 40.

We cannot give credit for things not done, but Minoso "lost" playing time -- didn't get to play in Major League Baseball anyway, he did brilliantly in the NNL -- to the slow (but by then inevitable) collapse of the color barrier. "Not allowed the chance to do" is not the same thing as "did not do", and with Minoso I'm quite willing and pleased to give him full credit for his pre-MLB years. I think he measures up to Hall standard, and deserved to be voted in forthwith.

The statistics tell us a great deal, but they can't and don't tell the full story, and with Minoso I think his unabridged version is enough to claim the plaque.

Chipmaker's vote: Yes!


5. Tony Oliva (playing career | reviewed on 2007 VC and 2009 VC ballots)

Personal status: living, turned 73 in July 2011.

Previous Hall consideration
BBWAA: the full 15 ballots, peaking at 47.3%.
Veterans: 2003, 59.3% (48/81); 2005, 56.3% (45/80); 2007, 57.3% (47/82); 2009, 51.6% (33/64).

Primary position: right field (designated hitter in his final three seasons).
Playing career: 15 seasons -- all with the *Minnesota Twins 1962-76.
Standout season: 1964 -- 161 games, 109 runs (led AL), 217 hits (led AL), 43 doubles (led AL), 9 triples, 32 HR, 94 RBI, .323 (led AL) / .359 / .557, 150 OPS+, 5.9 WAR.
Other noteworthy seasons: 1965, 1966, 1970, 1971.
Career WAR: 42.4.
Honoraria and claims to fame: 1964 AL ROY, eight All-Star selections, one AL Gold Glove for outfield, three AL batting titles, led league in slugging once, runs once, hits five times (two 200+ seasons), doubles four times. Member of the 1965 AL champion and 1969-70 AL West champion Twins. Jersey #6 retired by the Twins.

Oliva's 15 seasons is a bit deceptive -- two were early cups of coffee appearances, he lost most of 1972 to a knee injury, and lesser injuries and age confined him to 131 games or less in five other seasons. When he played, he was a very good hitter, despite playing in the 1960s, a notoriously difficult era in which to hit. But he never made the step up to sustained greatness, and for me Oliva stands just behind Hodges and Santo as The Best Player Not In The Hall. So I do not support his candidacy, as before.

Chipmaker's vote: no.


6. Allie Reynolds (playing career | reviewed on 2009 VC ballot)

Personal status: deceased.

Previous Hall consideration
BBWAA: 13 ballots (and 2 run-off ballots, a format long abandoned), peaking at 33.6%.
Veterans: 2003, 19.8% (16/81); 2009, 66.7% (8/12).

Primary position: RH starting pitcher.
Playing career: 13 seasons -- Cleveland Indians 1942-46, *New York Yankees 1947-54.
Standout season: 1952 -- 20-8, 35 games (29 starts), 24 complete games, 6 shutouts (led AL), 244.1 IP, 160 K (led AL), 2.06 ERA (led AL), 162 ERA+ (led AL), 1.191 WHIP, 5.3 WAR.
Other noteworthy seasons: 1950, 1951.
Career WAR: 29.0.
Honoraria and claims to fame: six All-Star selections, AL MVP votes in five seasons, once finishing second and another time third. Led AL in ERA once, strikeouts twice, shutouts twice. Member of six World Series teams (1947, '49-53), all champions, and he was a strong contributor (7-2, 2.79 in 15 games, 9 starts). Threw two no-hitters in 1951, in Cleveland on 12-July and against Boston on 28-September.

Reynolds was a good pitcher, but rarely a great one. His sparkliest career stat is his winning percentage, an impressive .630 (182-107), which is partly due to his own efforts and also because he rarely played on a bad team. The Yankees were great, yes, but those Indians teams were pretty decent as well (middle of the league, but never disastrous), though he was gone before the 1948 championship season. Outside of his one great 1952 season, Reynolds doesn't bring a lot of strong merit to the table. He was a good and useful pitcher but he doesn't belong in the Hall.

Chipmaker's vote: no.


7. Ron Santo (playing career | reviewed on 2007 VC and 2009 VC ballots)

Personal status: deceased.

Previous Hall consideration
BBWAA: the full 15 ballots, peaking at 43.1% on his final time.
Veterans: 2003, 56.8% (46/81); 2005, 65.0% (52/80); 2007, 69.5% (57/82); 2009, 60.9% (39/64).

Primary position: third base.
Playing career: 15 seasons -- *Chicago Cubs 1960-73, Chicago White Sox 1974.
Standout season: 1964 -- 161 games, 94 runs, 185 hits, 33 doubles, 13 triples (led NL), 30 HR, 114 RBI, 86 walks (led NL), .313 / .398 (led NL) / .564, 164 OPS+, 7.9 WAR.
Other noteworthy seasons: 1963, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972.
Career WAR: 66.4.
Honoraria and claims to fame: nine All-Star selections, five NL Gold Gloves at third base, led league in OBP twice, triples once, walks four times. Jersey #10 retired by the Cubs.

Great player. Deserves election. Click above and read previous brief essays about Santo if you like, but I have nothing more to add (except that it is sad Ron is now deceased, and won't be here if his name is called to honor).

Chipmaker's vote: YES!


8. Luis Tiant (playing career | reviewed on 2007 VC and 2009 VC ballots)

Personal status: living, turned 71 in November 2011.

Previous Hall consideration
BBWAA: the full 15 ballots, peaking at 30.9% on his first try.
Veterans: 2005, 25.0% (20/80); 2007, 18.3% (15/82); 2009, 20.3% (13/64).

Primary position: RH starting pitcher.
Playing career: 19 seasons -- Cleveland Indians 1964-69, Minnesota Twins 1970, *Boston Red Sox 1971-78, New York Yankees 1979-80, Pittsburgh Pirates 1981, California Angels 1982.
Standout season: 1968 -- 21-9, 34 games (32 starts), 19 complete games, 9 shutouts (led AL), 258.1 K, 264 K, 1.60 ERA (led AL), 186 ERA+ (led AL), 0.871 WHIP, 7.2 WAR.
Other noteworthy seasons: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978.
Career WAR: 60.1.
Honoraria and claims to fame: three All-Star selections, two AL ERA titles, led league in shutouts three times. Four 20+ win seasons. Member of the 1975 AL champion Red Sox, the 1970 AL West champion Twins, and the 1980 AL East champion Yankees.

I love Looooooie. He was a very good pitcher with periods of greatness, and one of the most entertaining men to ever take the mound, with a dazzling array of windups and numerous pitches. You never knew what he'd show off next. El Tiante was a showman.

He delivered two great seasons and a bunch of above-average ones, good and useful to his teams but not shining brightly enough for the Hall. I'd love to be wrong about his candidacy and see him on an eternal plaque (smoking a huge cigar for preference; I'm no smoker advocate, but for Tiant it was ingrained into his personality and his lasting image), but no, he's not Hall measure and he will not be elected. Sorry, Luis, you were so much fun on the field, but that's not what the Hall is about.

Chipmaker's vote: alas, no.



The Executives

9. Buzzie Bavasi (Wiki bio | career | reviewed on 2007 VC and 2008 VC ballots)

Personal status: deceased.

Previous Hall consideration
Veterans: 2003, 43.0% (34/79); 2007, 37.0% (30/81); 2008, ≤16.7% (<3/12).

Baseball career
Business manager for various Dodgers minor league teams, 1939-47 (with time away serving wartime military service.
General Manager, Montreal Royals (Dodgers' top minor league affiliate), 1948-50.
General Manager, Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, 1951-68.
President, San Diego Padres, 1969-77.
General Manager, California Angels, 1978-84.

Accomplishments
Championships: 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, 1959, '63, & '65 Los Angeles Dodgers.
Other postseason appearances: 1952-53, '56, '66 Dodgers; 1979 & 1982 Angels.
Honors: 1959 The Sporting News Major League Executive of the Year. Inducted into the San Diego Hall of Champions, 2007.
Other: Helped baseball integrate by coordinating with Dodgers president Branch Rickey on finding northern location (Nashua, NH) for new minor league affiliate to ease introduction of black players, including Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella (Jackie was already higher up in the farm system). Established "Dodgertown" spring training facility in Vero Beach, FL. Ran the Dodgers for a long time, including the relocation to Los Angeles. Dodgers acquired Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, and Don Sutton during his tenure. Drafted Dave Winfield.

Bavasi was around forever, and made some headlines along the way. That long a career, who wouldn't? His tenure with the Dodgers is the meat of his candidacy, and it was a good tenure, marked with four championships and several NL pennants. But as the Brooklyn-sourced Boys of Summer aged and retired, and Sandy fell to arthritis, there wasn't much left of the great Dodgers teams. Bavasi couldn't work any magic in San Diego -- the Padres once finished as high as fourth (of six) during his time there. Sure, building an expansion team is tough, but it can be done, and here it was not. His Angels teams benefited from free agency, picking up Rod Carew and Reggie Jackson (and letting Nolan Ryan go), but it didn't last.

Bavasi was a very good executive but I don't see the greatness a Hall honoree should provide.

Chipmaker's vote: no.


10. Charlie O. Finley (Wiki bio | career | reviewed on 2007 VC ballot)

Personal status: deceased.

Previous Hall consideration
Veterans: 2003, 11.4% (9/79); 2007, 12.3% (10/81).

Baseball career
Owner, Kansas City/Oakland Athletics, 1960-81. Often acted as his own general manager or other operational roles.

Accomplishments
Championships: 1972-74 Oakland Athletics, the only non-Yankees team to win more than two consecutive World Series titles.
Other postseason appearances: 1971, 1975, 1981 Athletics.
Honors: Inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame, 1980.
Other: Signed Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers, Rickey Henderson. Never short of ideas, Finley proposed orange baseballs, the designated runner, and free agency for all players every season (a notion Marvin Miller feared).

The other team owners quickly tired of Finley's antics and tended to oppose him regardless the merits of his proposals. Finley tried to sell players (in particular, Fingers, Joe Rudi, and Vida Blue) in the wake of the 1975 free agency decision, only to have the deals overruled by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. Always frugal -- he lost Hunter by arbitration decision after he had failed to fulfill terms of Hunter's contract -- Finley hated free agency and refused to try signing top talent.

Finley tried to move his team several times -- successfully from Kansas City to Oakland, but foiled in other attempts to move to Louisville (from KC), Denver, New Orleans, and other cities. He worked the phones constantly, always looking for information or a good deal. Finley drove people -- other team owners and executives, players, the commissioner, fans, local officials -- absolutely crazy.

His results, particularly after free agency undermined his management style, were not always so impressive -- not to knock the three championships and five consecutive division titles, those were great teams -- were not always sterling, but his efforts to get results were energetic in the extreme, and his ideas were interesting even if sometimes coming, as it were, out of left field.

Finley had a very clever mind, which I admire, and was a nettlesome rake to many who needed to be nettled. I have no delusions that he will be elected, now or ever, but I have supported him before and am glad to do so again. Baseball could use another loose cannon like Charlie O. Finley. Hey, when is Mark Cuban going to get to buy a team?

Chipmaker's vote: Yes! I would never go to the wire for Finley, but he's such a whacko-fun figure that I prefer supporting his candidacy, no matter how futile it is.


Actual electors are limited to four votes, and as it happens I support four of these ten candidates, so I need not cull anyone: Ken Boyer, Minnie Minoso, Ron Santo, and Charlie O. Finley.

If I had only one vote to cast, no question about it, Ron Santo. His election is long overdue. Make the right call this time, Golden Era committee.