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FuzzyRussianHat · 08-18-2023, 04:19 AM

The 1973 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame class was a big one with four players earning the nod. It was very unusual for a large class in that no one was above 75% and that all four guys were players from the backlog. Closer Vicente Guerrero had the highest mark at 74.4% on his fifth ballot. 1B Tiger Novak became the first-ever inductee to get in on his 10^th and final chance, crossing the 66% threshold with 71.8%. Close behind was outfielder Estefan Salinas at 68.4% in his third attempt. The final member was starting pitcher Abraham Reiner at 68.0% for his sixth attempt. Two others were above 50% with catcher Gray Caraway at 58.5% in his third attempt and pitcher Jeremiah Rutledge at 50.9% in his second go.

Two players were dropped after ten attempts, led by catcher Joe Frid. In 20 years in the Bay Area between Oakland and San Francisco, he had two Silver Sluggers, 1976 hits, 1076 runs, 338 home runs, 1132 RBI, a .253/.328/.431 slash and 56.8 WAR. With the massive barrier for catchers generally, he needed more accolades to get a good luck. Frid peaked at 470% on his debut and ended at 40.8%.

Another catcher, Samuel Pineda, was dropped at 17.7% after peaking with 48.7% in his debut. In 16 years between Boston, St. Louis, and Albuquerque, he had six Silver Sluggers, 1992 hits, 902 runs, 180 home runs, 926 RBI, a .314/.374/.465 slash and 63.8 WAR. Injuries in his 30s kept him out of the lineup for big chunks of time and again, the voters are inclined to give catchers no benefit of the doubt for the lower accumulations that naturally come with the position.

Vincente “Salesman” Guerrero – Relief Pitcher – Chicago Cubs – 74.4% Fifth Ballot

Vicente Guerrero was a 6’5’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Nueva Concepcion, a municipality of around 30,000 people in northwestern El Salvador. The first Salvadoran member of MLB’s Hall of Fame, Guerrero was known for having filthy stuff with good to sometimes great movement and control. He had a one-two combo of a fastball and slider with 97-99 mph peak velocity.

Guerrero moved to the United States as a teenager and would play college baseball at the University of Michigan. He was a starting pitcher in his first two seasons, then in the bullpen in his junior season, winning NCAA Reliever of the Year. In the 1942 MLB Draft, he’d be picked in the fourth round, 168^th overall, by Chicago. He’d be best known as a Cub, spending 11 years of his 19 year career in the Windy City.

Guerrero bounced around between the closer role and middle relief in his Chicago tenure. He led the National Association with 39 saves in 1949 and had a career high 43 saves in 1946. He was third in Reliever of the Year voting in 1949 and 1951, but ultimately never won the big award. The Cubs had four straight playoff berths during his run, but were unable to advance beyond the second round. Guerrero had a 0.60 ERA in 15 playoff innings. For his entire Chicago run, he had 268 saves and 320 shutdowns, a 2.47 ERA, 722 innings, 737 strikeouts, and 23.5 WAR. He was well liked enough by the franchise that his #34 uniform would eventually be retired.

In the summer of 1953, the 31-year old Guerrero was traded to Jacksonville. He’d stay with the Gators through 1958 with off-and-on innings between the closer role and middle relief. Guerrero also pitched for his country El Salvador in the World Baseball Championship from 1950-63, often used as a starter. In 189 innings, he had a 12-8 record, 2.29 ERA, 297 strikeouts, and 7.6 WAR. In the 1957 tournament, he had a 20 strikeout, one-hit shutout against Croatia. Guerrero had 17 scoreless innings for the event and finished third in Best Pitcher voting.

Guerrero became a free agent at age 37 and went unsigned in the 1959 season, although he wasn’t ready to retire. He pitched 1.2 innings in late 1960 with Hartford, then was signed as the closer with Oklahoma City in 1961. That stint allowed him to cross the 350 save threshold, one of 24 to do it as of 2037. Guerrero went back to Jacksonville as middle relief in 1962, then saw eight total innings in 1963 between Hartford and Washington. He suffered bone chips in his elbow in the summer and retired at age 41.

Guerrero’s final stats: 357 saves and 437 shutdowns, 2.61 ERA, 1084.1 innings, 907 games, 1055 strikeouts, 317 walks, a FIP- of 69 (nice), and 31.9 WAR. 350 saves had been generally the magic number for MLB Hall of Fame voters, but it wasn’t a lock. He was far less dominant than some of the others to make it and lacked major awards or playoff notables. He debuted at 54.6%, then dropped to 49.7%. A big boost put him at 62.5% on try three, but he dropped slightly to 57.6% in his fourth attempt. The fifth ballot got Guerrero the jump needed with no major standouts in the field, becoming a Hall of Famer at 74.4%.

Tiger Novak – First Baseman – San Francisco Gold Rush – 71.8% Tenth Ballot

Tiger Novak was a 5’10’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Los Angeles. He was a very good contact hitter with a respectable pop in his bat, a decent eye, and ability to avoid strikeouts. Not amazing at anything, but well-rounded across the board as a hitter. He was good for around 30 home runs and 30 doubles per year on average. Novak had above average speed despite being a career first baseman and occasional designated hitter. Defensively, he wasn’t atrocious, but was below average.

Novak stayed local for college, becoming a USC Trojan. In 148 college games, he had 166 hits, 84 runs, 40 home runs, 111 RBI, and 7.6 WAR. Novak would get picked 36^th overall in the 1940 MLB Draft by San Francisco and had an excellent debut season, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. His second year was arguably his best with a career-high 6.9 WAR, 39 home runs, 211 hits, and 130 RBI. His lone Silver Slugger came in 1945, leading the American Association with 119 runs. Novak was third in MVP voting in 1945, his only time as a finalist. He was the batting average champ at .343 in 1944, but typically wasn’t a league-leader in his career.

San Francisco was good in the 1940s, but never quite good enough to make it to the playoffs. They finally broke through in 1950 after a nearly 20-year postseason drought and won the World Series. The 30-year old Novak was a playoff hero, winning World Series MVP and first round MVP. In 16 games, he had 30 hits, 14 runs, 5 doubles, 7 home runs, 17 RBI, and 1.7 WAR. The next year, the usually durably Novak suffered a ruptured MCL. He bounced back with a respectable 1952, his final season with the Gold Rush. In total, he had 2055 hits, 1082 runs, 327 doubles, 321 home runs, 1206 RBI, a .318/.370/.539 slash and 52.7 WAR.

Novak became a free agent at age 33 and signed with Memphis for the 1953 season. He was a respectable bat with the Mountain Cats, but various injuries kept him from full seasons. In Memphis, he had 413 hits, 214 runs, a .296/.358/.478 slash and 8.4 WAR. The Mountain Cats traded Novak to Las Vegas for 3B Tyler Sousa for the 1956 campaign. He was merely okay with the Vipers, then signed with Phoenix in 1957. Novak had eight at-bats with Atlanta in 1958 and opted to retire after the season at age 39.

Novak’s final stats: 2704 hits, 1424 runs, 426 doubles, 418 home runs, 1549 RBI, a .309/.365/.521 slash, 140 wRC+, and 64.8 WAR. He was very much on the borderline with a few guys getting in and some getting left out who had fairly similar resumes. He debuted at 51.3%, then dropped to a low of 42.1%. He bounced around and got very close a few times, above 60% four times including a 65.1% mark in 1968. It came down to his very last chance on the ballot and no one to that point in MLB had made it in on the tenth try. Novak changed that with 71.6%, snatching a spot in the Hall of Fame at the buzzer.

08-18-2023, 04:19 AM	#515
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,852	1973 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 1) The 1973 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame class was a big one with four players earning the nod. It was very unusual for a large class in that no one was above 75% and that all four guys were players from the backlog. Closer Vicente Guerrero had the highest mark at 74.4% on his fifth ballot. 1B Tiger Novak became the first-ever inductee to get in on his 10^th and final chance, crossing the 66% threshold with 71.8%. Close behind was outfielder Estefan Salinas at 68.4% in his third attempt. The final member was starting pitcher Abraham Reiner at 68.0% for his sixth attempt. Two others were above 50% with catcher Gray Caraway at 58.5% in his third attempt and pitcher Jeremiah Rutledge at 50.9% in his second go. Two players were dropped after ten attempts, led by catcher Joe Frid. In 20 years in the Bay Area between Oakland and San Francisco, he had two Silver Sluggers, 1976 hits, 1076 runs, 338 home runs, 1132 RBI, a .253/.328/.431 slash and 56.8 WAR. With the massive barrier for catchers generally, he needed more accolades to get a good luck. Frid peaked at 470% on his debut and ended at 40.8%. Another catcher, Samuel Pineda, was dropped at 17.7% after peaking with 48.7% in his debut. In 16 years between Boston, St. Louis, and Albuquerque, he had six Silver Sluggers, 1992 hits, 902 runs, 180 home runs, 926 RBI, a .314/.374/.465 slash and 63.8 WAR. Injuries in his 30s kept him out of the lineup for big chunks of time and again, the voters are inclined to give catchers no benefit of the doubt for the lower accumulations that naturally come with the position. Vincente “Salesman” Guerrero – Relief Pitcher – Chicago Cubs – 74.4% Fifth Ballot Vicente Guerrero was a 6’5’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Nueva Concepcion, a municipality of around 30,000 people in northwestern El Salvador. The first Salvadoran member of MLB’s Hall of Fame, Guerrero was known for having filthy stuff with good to sometimes great movement and control. He had a one-two combo of a fastball and slider with 97-99 mph peak velocity. Guerrero moved to the United States as a teenager and would play college baseball at the University of Michigan. He was a starting pitcher in his first two seasons, then in the bullpen in his junior season, winning NCAA Reliever of the Year. In the 1942 MLB Draft, he’d be picked in the fourth round, 168^th overall, by Chicago. He’d be best known as a Cub, spending 11 years of his 19 year career in the Windy City. Guerrero bounced around between the closer role and middle relief in his Chicago tenure. He led the National Association with 39 saves in 1949 and had a career high 43 saves in 1946. He was third in Reliever of the Year voting in 1949 and 1951, but ultimately never won the big award. The Cubs had four straight playoff berths during his run, but were unable to advance beyond the second round. Guerrero had a 0.60 ERA in 15 playoff innings. For his entire Chicago run, he had 268 saves and 320 shutdowns, a 2.47 ERA, 722 innings, 737 strikeouts, and 23.5 WAR. He was well liked enough by the franchise that his #34 uniform would eventually be retired. In the summer of 1953, the 31-year old Guerrero was traded to Jacksonville. He’d stay with the Gators through 1958 with off-and-on innings between the closer role and middle relief. Guerrero also pitched for his country El Salvador in the World Baseball Championship from 1950-63, often used as a starter. In 189 innings, he had a 12-8 record, 2.29 ERA, 297 strikeouts, and 7.6 WAR. In the 1957 tournament, he had a 20 strikeout, one-hit shutout against Croatia. Guerrero had 17 scoreless innings for the event and finished third in Best Pitcher voting. Guerrero became a free agent at age 37 and went unsigned in the 1959 season, although he wasn’t ready to retire. He pitched 1.2 innings in late 1960 with Hartford, then was signed as the closer with Oklahoma City in 1961. That stint allowed him to cross the 350 save threshold, one of 24 to do it as of 2037. Guerrero went back to Jacksonville as middle relief in 1962, then saw eight total innings in 1963 between Hartford and Washington. He suffered bone chips in his elbow in the summer and retired at age 41. Guerrero’s final stats: 357 saves and 437 shutdowns, 2.61 ERA, 1084.1 innings, 907 games, 1055 strikeouts, 317 walks, a FIP- of 69 (nice), and 31.9 WAR. 350 saves had been generally the magic number for MLB Hall of Fame voters, but it wasn’t a lock. He was far less dominant than some of the others to make it and lacked major awards or playoff notables. He debuted at 54.6%, then dropped to 49.7%. A big boost put him at 62.5% on try three, but he dropped slightly to 57.6% in his fourth attempt. The fifth ballot got Guerrero the jump needed with no major standouts in the field, becoming a Hall of Famer at 74.4%. Tiger Novak – First Baseman – San Francisco Gold Rush – 71.8% Tenth Ballot Tiger Novak was a 5’10’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Los Angeles. He was a very good contact hitter with a respectable pop in his bat, a decent eye, and ability to avoid strikeouts. Not amazing at anything, but well-rounded across the board as a hitter. He was good for around 30 home runs and 30 doubles per year on average. Novak had above average speed despite being a career first baseman and occasional designated hitter. Defensively, he wasn’t atrocious, but was below average. Novak stayed local for college, becoming a USC Trojan. In 148 college games, he had 166 hits, 84 runs, 40 home runs, 111 RBI, and 7.6 WAR. Novak would get picked 36^th overall in the 1940 MLB Draft by San Francisco and had an excellent debut season, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. His second year was arguably his best with a career-high 6.9 WAR, 39 home runs, 211 hits, and 130 RBI. His lone Silver Slugger came in 1945, leading the American Association with 119 runs. Novak was third in MVP voting in 1945, his only time as a finalist. He was the batting average champ at .343 in 1944, but typically wasn’t a league-leader in his career. San Francisco was good in the 1940s, but never quite good enough to make it to the playoffs. They finally broke through in 1950 after a nearly 20-year postseason drought and won the World Series. The 30-year old Novak was a playoff hero, winning World Series MVP and first round MVP. In 16 games, he had 30 hits, 14 runs, 5 doubles, 7 home runs, 17 RBI, and 1.7 WAR. The next year, the usually durably Novak suffered a ruptured MCL. He bounced back with a respectable 1952, his final season with the Gold Rush. In total, he had 2055 hits, 1082 runs, 327 doubles, 321 home runs, 1206 RBI, a .318/.370/.539 slash and 52.7 WAR. Novak became a free agent at age 33 and signed with Memphis for the 1953 season. He was a respectable bat with the Mountain Cats, but various injuries kept him from full seasons. In Memphis, he had 413 hits, 214 runs, a .296/.358/.478 slash and 8.4 WAR. The Mountain Cats traded Novak to Las Vegas for 3B Tyler Sousa for the 1956 campaign. He was merely okay with the Vipers, then signed with Phoenix in 1957. Novak had eight at-bats with Atlanta in 1958 and opted to retire after the season at age 39. Novak’s final stats: 2704 hits, 1424 runs, 426 doubles, 418 home runs, 1549 RBI, a .309/.365/.521 slash, 140 wRC+, and 64.8 WAR. He was very much on the borderline with a few guys getting in and some getting left out who had fairly similar resumes. He debuted at 51.3%, then dropped to a low of 42.1%. He bounced around and got very close a few times, above 60% four times including a 65.1% mark in 1968. It came down to his very last chance on the ballot and no one to that point in MLB had made it in on the tenth try. Novak changed that with 71.6%, snatching a spot in the Hall of Fame at the buzzer. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)