The Diamond Fan

The news today is that Joe Gordon was selected by the Veteran’s Committee for the Baseball Hall of Fame.  I suspect this will be a controversial choice in some circles.  Many people have been lobbying for Ron Santo, who was passed over once again, and Gordon is not necessarily a by-the-numbers Hall of Famer.  His “black ink” score (based on leading the league in various categories) is onely two (average Hall of Famer is 27) and his other metrics (HoF Standards and HoF Monitor scores) likewise don’t measure up.

But to me, this is a good choice.  Gordon was only in the majors for 11 seasons (missing two years for military service during World War II).  He was an All Star for nine of them, missing only in his first and last years active.  he was a key player on five World championship teams, four with the Yankees and one with the Indians.  He was a fine fielder at a key defensive position, as well as a strong offensive prescence.  By all accounts he was a good guy to have in the clubhouse as well.

In this season that will see the return of varisty baseball to the University of Oregon, it’s great to see a UO alum make it to the Hall.  Joe is not around to enjoy the honor, but to his many fans it is cause for celebration.

Now that Mike Mussina has announced his retirement, it is not too early to start considering his chances for the Hall of Fame.  Mussina is an interesting case, as his career accomplishments and statistics put him squarely in the middle of the average range for a Hall of Famer, but he lacks the standard marquee accomplishments (championships, 300 wins, Cy Young awards) that make for greater certainty in getting enshrined.

His problem is illustrated by the difference in his “black ink” (leading the league in certain categories) and “gray ink” (being on the leader board in said categories).  According to baseballreference.com, his black ink score is only 15; the average HOFer is 40. His gray ink score is 244; average HoFer is 185.

He pitched for two AL Champions (2001 & 2003 Yankees); neither team won the World Series.  He finished in the top six in Cy Young voting six times, but never won the award.  His only time leading the league in one of the glamor pitching categories was in 1995 when he led the AL in wins with 19.  By all accounts Mussina is a good teammate and a good guy to have in the clubhouse.  He has been a model of consistency, never failing to make at least 25 starts in any full season during his 18 year career, and finishing in the top ten in ERA 11 times.

It will be interesting to see what the voters do with all of this.  My guess is that he will eventually get in, but not in the first year or two he is on the ballot.

With the rosters set for the All Star Game, my selections fared pretty well.  Nine of my picks were voted in as starters by the fans, and of the eight who didn’t, all but one were selected as reserves on the team.  The lone outlier was Hideki Matsui at DH, who was passed over by the fans in favor of David Ortiz, and in favor of Milton Bradley for the reserve spot.  Overall, not bad.  That’s the closest I’ve ever come to having my selections all chosen to play in the game.

With the closing of voting for the All Star game less than two weeks away, it’s time for me to mark my ballot and do what little I can to send the best players to Yankee Stadium. Here are my choices for the American League:

First Base: Justin Morneau (MIN)
This is a fairly weak position in the AL this season. Jason Giambi has 17 home runs and a very respectable .394 OBP. but the rest of his numbers are so-so. Kevin Youkilis and Morneau have similar stats overall, but Morneau’s big edge in RBI gives him the edge in my mind.

Second Base: Ian Kinsler (TEX)
Howie Kendrick’s injury took him out of the running. Brian Roberts has the speed, but Kinsler’s SB total is just two less (18 as opposed to 20), and the rest of his numbers are clearly superior. He gets the nod over Roberts, Dustin Pedroia, and Placido Polanco.

Shortstop: Michael Young (TEX)
Orlando Cabrera is probably playing the best right now, but his slow start drags him down. Youg tops Jeter in just about every statistical category, and plays better defense to boot.

Third Base: Alex Rodriguez (NYY)
Joe Crede is having a great season in Chicago, and Miguel Cabrera is pretty good too, but A-Rod is clearly the best third baseman in the game today, and once again having an All Star caliber season.

Catcher: Joe Mauer (MIN)
The big names at this position are having down years either due to injury or advancing age, leaving this spot open for rising star Mauer. AJ Pierzynski and Dionner Navarro are having fine seasons for winning teams, but Mauer’s impressive .420 OBP swings me toward him.

Outfield: Josh Hamilton (TEX), Manny Ramirez (BOS), Grady Sizemore (CLE)
I hate to keep putting Rangers players in here, but hey, when they are the best at their respective positions, you’ve gotta do it. Hamilton is having an unreal MVP type season. Manny is having a typical Manny season, and Grady Sizemore is a great offensive catalyst for the Indians.

DH: Hideki Matsui (NYY)
Big Papi is on the shelf, and while Aubrey Huff has better power numbers, Matsui’s high average and high OBP and hitting in the middle of that potent Yankees lineup makes me put him ahead.

So there it is: three Rangers, two Twins, two Yankees, and one each from the Red Sox and Indians.

I’ll do the National League in another post within a few days.

AL Dustin Pedroia, 2b, Boston
Hard to argue with that one. His OPS is about 100 points higher than runner-up Delmon Young, and he had almost 150 more AB than Josh Fields while playing a more difficult defensive position. Dice-K didn’t pitch well enough to deserve it, and neither did Brian Bannister. One of the most obvious choices for a post-season award.
NL Ryan Braun, 3b, Mil
This was strictly a two man race with Troy Tulowitzki, and I think they picked the wrong guy. Braun had the better offensive numbers, but Tulo played a lot more (155 games versus 113; 158 more at bats) and played better defense. Braun is not a bad choice, but he’s not the best choice here. I think Tulowitzki is also likely to have a better career.