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1933 Hall of Fame

Two players were inducted in the 1933 MLB Hall of Fame class. On his first try, outfielder Ripley Goldstein made it with 82.4% of the vote. Meanwhile, pitcher Karl Maurer finally snuck in on his eighth go, getting in by the narrowest margin at 66.8%. Pitcher Duke Mercedes on his first try barely missed the cut at 65.6%. Slugger Christopher Ross again was left out too, taking 55.9% on his second go.

Closer Dan Wagner was dropped from the ballot on his 10^th attempt, getting 57.0%. His highest was his first try at 60.6% before hovering in the 50-60% range. Playing for San Diego and five other teams, he had 267 saves and a 2.01 ERA with 41 WAR, twice wining Reliever of the Year.

Three others made it to their 10^th ballot, although with far lower percentages. Another reliever, Leo Olivera, was at 47.9% on his first try but ended at 19.9%. He had 268 saves and 2.33 ERA with 24.1 WAR between eight teams. Starting pitcher Willy Ruiz made it 10 years on the ballot without ever topping 20%. Primarily with Philadelphia, he was 210-124 with a3.60 ERA, 2383 strikeouts, and a 54.1 MLB WAR. He had 272 wins combining a late CABA run, but was generally an above-average at best pitcher.

Also making it 10 years was third baseman Anthony Young, who put together 2664 hits, 1325 runs, 445 home runs, 1529 RBI, a .274 average, and 63.5 WAR. His tallies are respectable, but he almost never was a league leader , playing with Calgary, Brooklyn, Omaha, San Diego, Denver, and Vancouver. Young topped out at 38.1% on his first effort before ending with only 5.1% of the vote on his last hurrah.



Three made the 1933 CABA Hall of Fame class; pitcher Esaie Cherenfant, outfielder Alba Jimenez, and closer Olivia Madrid. Each made it on their first ballot with Cherenfant and impressive 97.1%. Pitcher Matt Determan was close, getting 63.0% on his third try.

One player made it 10 trips, pitcher Po Serna. The Guatemalan never made it above 25%. In eight seasons with Ecatepec, he had an excellent run, going 129-83 record, 2.54 ERA, 1960 strikeouts, and 52 WAR. However, leaving for MLB at age 33 prevented him from compiling the numbers needed for a closer look.

Meanwhile, 1933 marked the first East Asian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee. They had begun voting a few years prior, but no one sniffed the mark. But in 1933, pitcher Ching-Wei Kuo picked up the honor at 87.2% of the vote.



Ripley Goldstein – Right Fielder – Las Vegas Vipers – 82.4% First Ballot

Ripley Goldstein was a 5’9’’, 175 pound left-handed batting outfielder from Batavia, New York; a small town located midway between Buffalo and Rochester. He was known as an all-time great contact hitter and sparkplug who rarely struck out. He had respectable speed, but was not at all a powerful hitter or someone who drew many walks. He played some center field early and was not great defensively there, but once he settled into right, was generally thought of as an above average fielder.

Goldstein excelled in college at Texas Tech, earning him the 26^th overall draft pick in 1909 from Las Vegas. He spent a decade with the Vipers and was a well-liked player in an era where Las Vegas never could get into the postseason. With the Vipers, he posted 1744 hits, 918 runs and 29.5 WAR.

Goldstein tested free agency and for the 1920 season, signed a six-year, $26,880 deal with Hartford. In his debut at age 31, he earned National Association Championship Series MVP in helping the Huskies get the NA title. His next two seasons were career-bests, leading the NA in hits in 1921 and 1922 and taking the batting title in 22 at .367. His 1921 was an 8.0 WAR year, his best.

He spent his remaining eight seasons with the Huskies and although inducted with the Vipers, put up his best years with Hartford. He had 1616 hits, 711 runs, a .321 average, and 42.4 WAR. In 1925, he was the 11^th player to 1500 career runs scored and in 1926, he became the third MLB player to reach 3000 hits.

Goldstein finished with 3360 hits, 1689 runs, 330 home runs, 1323 RBI, a .316 average, and 71.9 WAR. Advanced metrics don’t list him among the inner-circle, but being one of the first to crack 3000 career hits gets Goldstein the Hall of Fame honor.



Karl Maurer – Starting Pitcher – Buffalo Blue Sox – 66.8% Eighth Ballot

Karl Maurer was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right handed pitcher from Houston, Texas. He had three pitches, a slider, splitter, and cutter; with upper 90s velocity. His stuff was rarely considered untouchable, but he was thought to be incredibly reliable and consistent. A team captain, Maurer was an iron man who basically never missed a start over a 15-year MLB career.

Maurer attended North Carolina State and his success with the Wolf Pack earned him the fifth overall pick by Buffalo in the 1905 draft. He played nine years with a bottom-tier Blue Sox franchise and was one of the only standouts. In his fourth season in 1909, Maurer earned his only Pitcher of the Year award, going 19-11 with a 2.56 ERA with 15 complete games and six shutouts.

That was the only season he really was a league leader, mostly serving as a reliable innings eater. He tossed 331 quality starts in 521 games with 165 complete games. Maurer steadily posted 5-7 WAR seasons throughout his career.

Wanting to get a taste of the playoffs, he signed with Montreal to a six-year deal starting in 1915. At age 30 in his Maples debut, he helped them to the National Association championship, falling in the World Series to Memphis. Montreal remained a contender in the Eastern League, but didn’t make another big run over his six-year tenure. After beginning to struggle at age 35, Maurer retired following the 1920 season.

His final numbers included a 226-191 record, 3.24 ERA, 2825 strikeouts, and 84.2 WAR. He was a steady rock, the ninth MLB pitcher to 200 career wins. But his lack of flashiness and dominance kept him waiting until his eighth time on the ballot, only barely squeaking in. But as one of the most reliable and consistent pitchers of his era, Maurer found his spot in the Hall of Fame.