Some big names in Major League Baseball got the call to be in the Hall of Fame. The four were huge deals to the teams they were on in the 90s and 2000s. These were Chipper Jones, Jim Thome, Vladimir Guerrero, and Trevor Hoffman.
Out of the four, Jones is probably the one who saw a lot of success. He was a full grown Atlanta Brave, the first pick in 1990. He was a September call-up in 1993. After an injury the following year, Jones started showing his worth in 95, finishing second in Rookie of the Year honors while slugging 23 home runs and 85 RBI's. The postseason showed what kind of contributor he was, and it ended with a World Series trophy. For the next eight years, he was on the warpath with his average, homers, and runs. Wear and tear started to get to him later on, but he was able to cobble together over 2,700 hits, over 460 home runs, and finishing above .300 for a career batting average. He also won the NL MVP in 1999. Defensively, he ends his ride to the Hall with a .954 fielding percentage. Definitely worthy of the Hall.
Thome was a very young player when he was a September call-up in 1991 for the Cleveland Indians. That being said, he didn't start to become a factor until 1994. For the next decade he was crushing the ball and drawing over 100 walks almost every year from 95 until 04. He was part of the revival of the Indians and their two World Series runs in 95 and 97, both ending in loss. An off year in 2005 resulted in Thome still being able to play for quite a bit longer, still getting 20 plus home runs a year between 2006 and 2010. For a 22 year veteran, his hits may not seem great at just over 2,300. His home run count is huge, and was one of the few at the time to get to 600, especially in an era of steroids. He is also one of the few to have a primary position at both third and first base at some point in his career, where he fielded fully until 2005. I didn't think he was going to get in as a first ballot, but I still think he would have gotten in just on home runs alone.
Add in another September call-up with Guerrero. Like Thome, he was a young player when he started in 1996 with the Montreal Expos. However, he didn't start to shine until 1998. After that, he was wowing many with his ability to hit the ball any way he can along with his home run ability. He didn't slow down when he signed with the Anaheim Angels. His first year with them, he won the MVP in the American League. Guerrero was still putting up monster numbers even late in his career. In the end, he put up over 440 home runs along with over 2,500 hits. His career strikeout total is below 1,000, a rare feat today. He struggled defensively early on, but got the hang of it once he went to Anaheim. Certainly a guy that deserved a first ballot.
You can't mention Mariano Rivera without talking about Hoffman and putting these two in as the best modern closers in the MLB. This is a guy, as the media has discussed in their stories, who started as a shortstop and converted to a relief pitcher. It took a few years, but he is in. Most of his damage was done in San Diego, where he was traded to after beginning his career in 1993 with the new expansion Florida Marlins. From then on, he put together 552 saves with them, getting at least 30 in all but two years with them. (1994 and 2003, with 03 being an injury year) Hoffman would get to just over 600 in his final year in the league with Milwaukee in a forgettable 2010 season. He was part of the best and worst of San Diego baseball. Armed with a changeup and Hell's Bells for an intro, he leaves a huge legacy as far as relievers go.
There were a few that are getting closer. Edgar Martinez and Mike Mussina showed big progress. Even steroid allegation players in Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds were getting closer, but small increases compared to the formers. Others such as newcomer Johnny Damon are off it for good when he couldn't get five percent. Just a quick thought. I think MLB's idea of Hall of Fame voting is very outdated and should follow the NFL and Basketball.
Who do you think gets in next year? Who should have gotten in this year? Give your thoughts.
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