Bagwell, Raines, and Pudge Get The Call
The Baseball Hall of Fame is getting some new members. The Baseball Writers Association of America has voted, and joining the ranks of the immortals this summer are Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines, and Ivan Rodriguez. Pudge enters the Hall on the first ballot, while Bags and Raines enter on their seventh and tenth go-arounds, respectively.
It’s a bit of a down year for the Hall. The past three classes have seen Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and the Atlanta Braves Big Three enshrined in Cooperstown. Nonetheless, these three are deserving of their spots. Bagwell thrived in the Astrodome during the 90s. It’s easy to look at Bagwell’s 449 home runs, .297 career batting average, and .408 career on-base percentage and respect his prowess as a hitter. What should stand out, however, is his 202 career stolen bases. He went for 42 home runs and 30 steals in 1999, an absurd combination for any player, much less a first baseman. On top of everything, he had one of the coolest batting stances in baseball. Unfortunately, steriod rumors put a dent in Bagwell’s early years on the ballot. With the freeze on rumored PED users thawing among the electorate, Jeff Bagwell makes the cut in 2017.
Tim Raines always has been the statboy’s darling. Whereas most teams employ mashing corner outfielders, Raines constructed his candidacy by combining elite bat-to-ball skills, a keen eye, and blazing speed. He consistently walked more than he struck out, and more often than not, he was standing on second base before the pitcher knew what hit him. Raines ranks fifth all time in stolen bases, and the guys ahead of him (Rickey Henderson, Lou Brock, 19th century Billy Hamilton, and Ty Cobb) weren’t too shabby. The value Raines brought to those Expos and White Sox teams wasn’t captured by traditional hitting metrics. He was a player ahead of his time. Thankfully, the BBWAA realized Raines’ greatness before it was too late.
Then we get to Pudge. Ivan Rodriguez will go down as one of the greatest backstops in baseball history. Defensively, his play is unmatched. He is baseball’s career leader in games caught and putouts by a catcher. He rattled off a staggering ten consecutive Gold Gloves from 1992 to 2001. Pudge was no slouch at the plate either, clubbing 310 home runs to go with a .296 career batting average. While the numbers are tremendous, they don’t adequately quantify Rodriguez’s impact as a leader. He was the backbone of the formidable Rangers teams of the late 90s, the 2003 World Series champion Marlins, and a Detroit Tigers club that went from losers of 119 games in 2003 to American League champions in 2006. Although he didn’t lead the 2017 in votes, Ivan Rodriguez is this year’s headliner. All three of these players are worthy of their day in the sun, and they’ll get it on July 31st, 2017 in front of friends, family, and fans.
