[BirdWatcher]

One of the things I particularly enjoy, and perhaps spend an inordinate amount of time on, with the WPK is tracking players Hall of Fame indicators and chances.
Once a season I update five lists which track roughly the top 30 players in the following Hall of Fame measurement tools: JAWS, Hall of Fame Monitor, Hall of Fame Standards, Black Ink, and Gray Ink.

Given that the WPK is still mostly in its infancy, for the time being I am tracking both retired and current players on these lists, though eventually I will probably need to keep separate lists for these groups. Based upon these lists I was making predictions earlier today about the Hall of Fame chances of the players who found themselves on at least one of these top 30(ish) lists.
Basically, I divided them into 4 categories:
1) Probable first ballot Hall of Famers,
2) Likely Hall of Famers,
3) Possible Hall of Famers, and
4) Borderline Hall of Fame candidates/ Hall of the Very Good candidates.


I'd like to share some of these predictions/projections with you now. In this post I am going to start with the retired WPK players who earned a spot on these five indicator lists and will go through them in order of the 4 categories listed above. For these retired players the team name listed in parentheses is the club that they would be representing in the Hall if they are inducted. The slash lines listed are the scores in the 5 indicators listed above (again, JAWS, HOF Monitor, HOF Standards, Black Ink, and Gray Ink.) Since no players have been inducted yet into the WPK Hall of Fame, assumptions about what qualifies a player for the Hall are based upon MLB historical data in these categories. I assume that OOTP follows these pretty closely and in my experience that has proven to be true.


So looking at them by category:

1. Probable first ballot Hall of Famers (in order of when they first appear on HOF ballots):

--Jake Harris, LHP, (Columbus)- 70.5/197/55/52/218.
The premiere left-handed starting pitcher of his generation, Harris was a 4-time Pitcher of the Year, 11-time All-Star, has 4 championship rings, and put together a 211-101 record with a 2.50 career ERA over the course of 13 WPK seasons (he was already 26 when the league was formed.) He will be on the ballot for the first time this upcoming offseason. And there can be no doubt that he will be elected to the Hall on this first try. His 197 HOF Monitor score is the second best of any WPK player thus far as is his 218 Gray Ink score. He has the third highest Black Ink score, fourth highest HOF Standards score, and the highest JAWS score of any pitcher in WPK history thus far. His uniform number 11 was retired by the Columbus Whalers in 1978.

--Cheol-han Lee, RHP, (Denver)- 69.6/158/51/40/206
And when Harris is inducted into the Hall he will pretty surely be joined by long-time Denver Brewer ace right-hander Cheol-han Lee. Although Cheol-han's credentials are slightly less impressive than Harris's he is also most surely a first ballot inductee and will also be on this off-season's ballot. Cheol-han put together a career record of 205-106 with a 2.75 ERA, was a 3-time Pitcher of the Year, a 9-time All-Star, has 3 championship rings. Cheol-han was the first player to have his uniform number (16) retired by the Denver Brewers. There are rumors that the annual Pitcher of the Year awards will be getting renamed once these two are officially in the Hall to the Harris/Lee Award (official name not yet fully decided.)

--Jesus Casiano, 3B, (Jacksonville)- 61.0/163/50/47/181
Jesus Casiano played his entire 14 year big league career for the Jacksonville Wolf Pack and helped them earn 3 WPK Championships. His 1979 MVP season continues to be one of the most impressive offensive seasons in WPK history as he won the triple crown while batting .367, slugging 46 home runs, and driving in 152 runs. He started and ended his career at first base and in his early days he won back-to-back Gold Glove awards at the position, only then to win 4 more in his career as a third baseman. He was a 8-time All-Star, won 7 Silver Slugger awards, and had a reputation as an extremely savvy ballplayer who might someday make a great coach or manager. His first, and likely only, HOF ballot will be in the off-season following the 1983 season.

--Jamel McNeil, RP, (Jacksonville)- 50.9/143/69/22/140
Jamel McNeil was the nastiest relief pitcher of his generation, both on and off the field. He was feared and hated in equal measure. But there can be no doubt that no relief pitcher in the WPK has ever been as dominant and impactful on the field. He only recently was passed by veteran starting pitcher Jose Casillas for the top spot on the career strikeouts list and he holds several WPK records that may never be broken (Hits Allowed/9 IP-5.87, K/9- 10.66, WHIP- 1.03, OAVG- .1849, OOBP- .2651, OSLG- .2671, and OOPS- .5321). He was the league Reliever of the Year 8 times and earned 13 All-Star roster berths. In a WPK record 1,065 games, only 1 as a starter, he went 143-75 with a 2.16 ERA and 280 saves. He also owns 2 championship rings. The Chicago, Illinois native will never be beloved, but he is begrudgingly respected as the best darn relief pitcher ever to don a WPK uniform. He too will be on the ballot starting in the off-season 1983, and likely never again as he is sure to be inducted immediately.

--Nate Bennett, RF, (Boston)- 53.7/179/54/39/220
Nate Bennett has the lowest JAWS score of any position player in this category but his 220 Gray Ink score is the highest yet, and his 179 HOF Monitor score marks him as a sure thing. And perhaps most particularly because he is by far the top home run hitter of the WPK at this stage of league history, having hit 452 bombs (with the 2nd best total being 392). He was a quiet, unassuming presence in the clubhouse but his bat spoke loudly, earning him 11 Silver Slugger awards and 10 All-Star roster inclusions. He is the top name among first ballot HOF candidates who will be eligible in the offseason following the 1985 season.

--Travis Johnson, LF, (Los Angeles)- 66.7/175/54/31/200
Travis Johnson would certainly never have been mistaken for a defensive specialist. Over the course of his career he had a zone rating of -116.3 in just over 6,227 innings played in left field. He moved to first base late in his career, but he wasn't much better there. But boy could he hit! This 2-time league MVP earned 8 Silver Slugger awards, 9 All-Star selections, and was a member of a championship club once (the 1966 Jacksonville Wolf Pack.) He was known to be a hard worker and this helped him to play into his 40's- he had 110 not altogether unsuccessful plate appearances in 1981 at the age of 42. His 2,730 hits are 4th All-Time in the WPK and he is also tied for 4th in doubles with 447. He will be on the ballot for the first time in the offseason after the 1987 campaign.

--Jesus Hernandez, 3B, (Los Angeles)- 81.7/150/50/21/175
Jesus Hernandez has the highest JAWS total of any WPK player thus far. The 1966 MGL MVP at age 24 had another near MVP season in 1978 at the age of 37 and a whole lotta great years in between. He was a 10-time All-Star, a 7-time Gold Glover, won 5 Silver Slugger awards, led the league in home runs twice and batting average once. He was a hard worker who had great savvy on the basepaths despite having very little foot speed and even managed to swipe 96 career bases while hitting 389 homers and putting up an impressive career WAR of 102.4. He will be on the same ballot with sometime team member Travis Johnson. Sadly, Hernandez was never on a championship winning ballclub.

2) Likely Hall of Famers:

--Ryan Rodgers, CF, (Denver)- 76.3/124/50/23/110

Joining Travis Johnson and Jesus Hernandez on the 1987 ballot will be long-time Denver Brewer Ryan Rodgers. And it might be the presence of these other superstars that will keep Rodgers from being a first ballot HOF'er himself. Though he certainly could earn induction his first time around. Rodgers led the league in batting average 3 times in his long career and led in walks 4 times on his way to a WPK best (thus far) 1,540 career bases on balls. His career batting average of .3206 is the best among retired WPK players who qualify. He was the 1967 SJL MVP as a member of the Washington Night Train, won 4 Gold Glove awards (3 in center, and the last in right field), was an All-Star 8 times, won 4 Silver Slugger awards, and has 4 championship rings. He was a real fan favorite and had his uniform number 15 retired by the Denver Brewers in 1981.

3) Possible Hall of Famers:

--Andy Wilson, 2B, (Portland)- 66.7/115/43/12/128
Wilson was the first true superstar in the WPK, the best player of the earliest days of the league. But he was also already 30 years old when the league was formed. Had he played in the WPK in his 20's, he would almost surely already be in the Hall of Fame. He has been on the ballot 3 years now and very nearly got in this past year as he was included on 74.6% of the ballots. So he should get in, but the next few years he will suddenly be facing much steeper competition for votes. So maybe not. He is a two-time MVP who came close a few other times, he won 2 Gold Glove awards at his original position of shortstop, he was an All-Star 7 times and a Silver Slugger winner 7 times also. His is the ultimate what-if story in the WPK.

--Chris Hernandez, RHP, (Philadelphia)- 51.4/108/30/32/140
Hernandez has been on 3 HOF ballots and has finished with somewhere around 35% representation on the ballot each time. He won the SJL Pitcher of the Year award in 1971, was a 6-time All-Star, has a championship ring, and was very well regarded particularly for his strong work ethic. He is probably not a Hall of Famer though.

--Jamison Bash, 3B, (Detroit)- 60.0/80/33/15/102
This aptly named slugging third sacker was on the ballot for the first time this past offseason and was named on 28.5% of the ballots cast. He won an MVP award (in his one full season in Denver), was an All-Star 5-times, and a Silver Slugger 6 times. He was also not well liked and has left an insignificant impact on fans around the WPK. He shouldn't be a Hall of Famer. And probably won't be.

--Jose Santos, LHP, (Los Angeles)- 58.6/104/38/10/158
Jose Santos, on the other hand, was well known and well-liked around the league. He was considered a team captain, won 2 Pitcher of the year awards, was a 7-time All-Star, and a 4-time Gold Glove winner. In his first year on the ballot this past offseason he was named on 41.4% of the ballots. He could get into the Hall but it will be tougher once his more successful peers- guys like Jake Harris and Cheol-han Lee- enter the ballot. I'm rooting for him, even though he was a member of the Los Angeles Spinners for several seasons.

--Brad Tesh, CF, (Columbus)- 67.9/121/38/8/155
Perhaps the guy most likely to be a Hall of Famer from this grouping of players. Tesh has the JAWS and HOF Monitor scores to qualify pretty well but not much in the way of Black Ink and a subpar HOF Standards score. He is the lone member thus far of the 300-300 career club in the WPK with 301 homers and 358 stolen bases. He was the 1965 SJL Rookie of the Year and the 1968 SJL MVP and has 4 Silver Slugger awards in his case at home. He was a 7-time All-Star and is also the proud owner of 3 championship rings. He was considered an all-around good guy and team sparkplug and the Whalers retired his uniform number 24 in 1978. He probably should eventually make it into the Hall, but it might take a few tries. He enters the ballot this offseason.

--Jaime Schardein, RHP, (Los Angeles)- 54.0/97/38/41/177
Another great former L.A. hurler who won 2 Pitcher of the Year awards, led the league in K's 3 times, in WHIP 3 times, and in wins twice. He was a 5-time All-Star but doesn't have a significant following anywhere at this time. Probably won't quite make it to the Hall. Will be on the ballot at the end of the 1984 season.

--Jesse Hartong, RHP, (Portland)- 58.6/86/44/30/172
Hartong finished his career with a 230-146 record and a career ERA of 3.24. His 521 career starts is a WPK high and those 230 wins are also a WPK most. So, he's got some counting stats with great longevity and a rubber arm. But he's really likely not a Hall of Famer. He was a 4-time All-Star, led the league in ERA once, and WHIP once. He did have great control, leading the league in BB/9 7 times. But that's not usually the kind of thing that earns you Hall of Fame induction unless it comes paired with much more than Hartong's resume offers.

4) Borderline Hall of Famer's/Hall of the Very Good candidates:
(and we'll make this a bit quicker)

--Pat Brooks, RP, (Phoenix)- 29.6/41/48/7/59
Other than Jamel McNeil, probably the best reliever of his era. He has been on the ballot for 2 years now and got somewhere around 50% of the voters each time. But my guess is he doesn't make it.

--Benni Heregger, RP, (Milwaukee)- 33.4/21/41/0/56
Another fine relief pitcher of the first generation of WPK players and the only Austrian (native of Vienna) player to make an impact in the WPK. Got on 40.2% of ballots his first time around this past offseason. Probably going downhill from there.

--Jesse Cibula, 3B, (San Francisco)- 53.3/60/32/11/75
Cibula is the great cautionary tale for anyone trying to project whether a young player is HOF bound. At age 26 he looked like a lock, having won a league MVP and been an All-Star 8 times (he put up a 5.3 WAR season at the tender age of 18.) And then the bottom fell out on his career. He wasn't considered particularly injury prone (though he did have a broken kneecap injury that sidelined him for nearly 9 months in 1971, but he had a couple of 4 WAR seasons after that) and he had a reputation for good makeup. His last big league action was 107 plate appearances in 1976, at the age of 29, which resulted in -0.4 WAR, but he knocked around the minors through 1980 when he finally called it quits while performing horribly at AA and single A ball.

--Antonio Sosa, CF, (San Francisco)- 56.3/36/35/0/103
In the WPK encyclopedia, under the term Hall of the Very Good, you will find a picture of Antonio Sosa. He is the very definition of the term. Also was a team captain and a beloved figure in the Bay Area, where he played the majority of his career.

--Jason Wilson, RHP, (Los Angeles)- 51.3/89/38/44/170
--Reece Vaughan, RHP, (Oklahoma City)- 49.8/83/35/25/148
Two guys who pitched a long time and often quite well. Two guys who will be on the HOF ballot together for the first time in the offseason in 1984. Two guys who likely won't ever be Hall of Famers.

-- Bobby Cruz, RHP, (Washington)- 47.2/55/35/16/150
See Wilson and Vaughan above, except Cruz isn't on the ballot until 1985.

--Mike Robinette, 2B, (Seattle)- 57.8/75/42/13/101
Will be the Ringo Starr of the 1987 HOF ballot. He's good, but he's no Lennon, McCartney, or Harrison (Travis Johnson, Ryan Rodgers, or Jesus Hernandez).

--Daniel Torres, LHP, (Denver)- 37.9/31/27/19/66
The former Brewer is on the list because his Black Ink just snuck him into the tail end of the top 30ish list. Led the league in ERA twice. Good guy. And, well, you know, former Brewer. Was on the HOF ballot in 1978. Got on 3.6% of ballots. So, not a Hall of Famer, by a longshot.


In the next post (which might not be until tomorrow- it took forever to complete this one), we will look at players not yet retired but who are considered possible or probable Hall of Fame candidates.