[Tiger Fan]

HOB4 - INITIAL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION
The top 5 vote getters will be named as the original class of the HOB4 Hall of Fame. Here is a brief bio on each. Please vote for up to 5. As I said, the 5 players with the highest vote total will comprise the initial class.

It is an interesting call for the voters. How much weight do you put on pre-1922 (my first sim season) stats? How will they compare stats from the PCL and Mountain Leagues to the established leagues. And what about players from the initial Western Alliance Draft that were already in their mid-to late twenties when the sim began? Finally, in one case, does what a player accomplished off the field factor into the voting decision.




TY COBB most of his accomplishments occurred pre 1922 when the sim began but he still played until 1929. Cobb is the alltime hit leader with 4043 and ranks number 1 with 806 stolen bases. His .364 career batting average is far and away the best of alltime.

TRIS SPEAKER Like Cobb, Speaker's greatest seasons were pre-HOB4 but he is second alltime with 3496 career hits.

HARRY HEILMANN began his 20 year career in 1914. His 3120 hits are good for 3rd place alltime. He won 2 batting titles and 1 MVP award. Heilmann played in 11 postseason games, batting .308 but did not win a World Series title.

ROGERS HORNSBY 3 time MVP won 3 straight batting titles in the early twenties. He batted a major league record .415 in 1922. Only one other player has ever topped .400. 3101 career hits rank him 4th alltime. He is also in the top 10 in rbi's and runs scored.


BABE RUTH Number 1 alltime with 633 career homers. Ruth also leads in career walks, is second to Jimmie Foxx in rbi's and 6th in runs scored. 6 time MVP, 10 time allstar and MVP of the 1927 World Series. Career cut short by broken foot in 1931 but returned to join Denver of the Mountain League for the 1939 season. Hit major league record 63 homers in 1924.

WAITE HOYT Greatest pitcher of alltime. Went 411-193 and won 9 straight Cy Young Awards. He was MVP of the 1931 World Series and was 9-6 with a 2.40 era in 16 World Series starts. went 33-4 with a 1.79 era in 1931. Won 31 games the following season with a record 1.45 era.

WALTER JOHNSON Most of his 392 career wins came prior to the HOB4's inception in 1922. Lowest career era of all time, second to Hoyt in wins and 3rd most strikeouts alltime.

PHILLIP DAVEY273-182 alltime. His 3708 career strikeouts are number 2 alltime. One King Hurler Award and 4 allstar appearances. Spent entire career in PCL.

AMOS BOWER First true star of the Mountain League. Was 26 when league formed so just 251 wins but had only 99 career losses for an amazing .717 winning percentage. Won 7 King Hurler Awards and 8 allstar teams as he spent his entire career with Salt Lake.

KEVIN METZLERConsidered the pioneer of the Western Alliance as he was the first player to jump to from it to the major leagues. He led the West in Homers 3 straight seasons before suffering a serious knee injury seemed to end his career at age 32. He had 347 career homers including 6 years with 40 or more and won 1 MVP award plus made 7 allstar teams prior to the injury. He missed nearly 3 seasons with the injury before jumping to the Major Leagues. Metzler would hit another 142 homers with the Red Sox and made 2 allstat teams. He finished first in the American League in homers in 1932. It was his performance that season that forced the major leagues to recognize that the Western Alliance was quickly becoming it's equal.
Voters have a dilemma here. Does Metzler's off the field impact on the game - He is considered a major reason why the merger between the leagues occurred as he proved to the baseball establishment that the western clubs had players that were every bit as good as their eastern counterparts. On the field, injury robbed him of 3 seasons but he still hit 489 homers which is 4th best alltime, despite playing in less than 1800 career games.