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FuzzyRussianHat · 07-28-2024, 07:28 PM

Chris Doyle – Starting Pitcher – Charlotte Canaries – 66.6% Third Ballot

Chris Doyle was a 6’1’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Riviera Beach, Florida; a city of 37,000 people within Miami’s metropolitan area. At his peak, Doyle had outstanding stuff, terrific movement, and strong control. His velocity peaked in the 96-98 mph range for his fastball, but it was his curveball which was an all-timer. Doyle also had a solid sinker and a rarely used changeup, owing to an extreme groundball tendency.

Doyle also had excellent stamina, leading the American Association three times in innings pitched. He had a tireless work ethic, which allowed him to succeed even when others had given up on him early in his career. Doyle ended up becoming one of the most popular pitchers of his era.

Doyle was a rare case of being an American pitcher selected straight out of high school. He attended Palm Beach Gardens High School and earned attention throughout the Florida baseball scene. In the 1984 MLB Draft, Doyle was picked late in the first round, 39^th overall, by Jacksonville. He ultimately never played in the majors with the Gators.

He was used initially as a reliever in minor league Tallahassee and struggled in 1985 and 1986. In July 1987, Jacksonville sent him and another pitcher to Charlotte for veteran 3B Ivan Lanz. Doyle debuted for the Canaries in 1988 at age 22, but they didn’t expect much out of him. From 1988-91, he tossed a mere 67.2 innings in relief with unremarkable results.

Doyle kept plugging along and finally earned a full-time rotation spot in 1992 at age 26. He showed that he was worthy in that role and would toss 289+ innings each year for the next decade. Each of his seasons starting for Charlotte earned 8+ WAR, becoming one of the most reliable arms of his time. Doyle led in ERA in 1996 with a career best 2.56, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting.

From 1995-98, Doyle led four straight seasons in WAR. He peaked with a career best 10.3 in 1998, earning his lone Pitcher of the Year award. It wasn’t the easiest to get noticed with Charlotte, who never made the playoffs in his tenure. The Canaries were consistently just above average though with 85.7 wins per season during Doyle’s efforts.

Charlotte gave Doyle a six-year, $20,680,000 extension in May 1994. He declined his contract option after the 1999 season, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 34. The Canaries would eventually retire his #25 uniform for his service, which saw a 165-109 record, 3.04 ERA, 2459.1 innings, 1925 strikeouts, 619 walks, 132 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 71.2 WAR.

Doyle got a big money five-year deal for $41,000,000 with Houston. He led in WAR for the fifth time in his debut season and posted 7.7 WAR his second year despite some bad luck with an above average Hornets squad. His velocity dropped significantly in 2002, struggling to reliably hit beyond the low 90s.

His last year saw a career-worst 4.15 ERA over 208 innings and 91 strikeouts, as his role was reduced later on. Houston made it to the wild card round, but Doyle wasn’t used, ultimately never tossing a playoff innings. With the Hornets in three years, he had a 46-46 record, 3.94 ERA, 799.1 innings, 487 strikeouts, 208 walks, 100 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 19.6 WAR. Doyle retired after the 2002 campaign at age 36.

Doyle retired with a 211-155 record, 3.26 ERA, 3258.2 innings, 2412 strikeouts, 827 walks, 247/389 quality starts, 214 complete games, 122 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 90.8 WAR. The advanced stats are quite favorable for Doyle, although he was only briefly considered a Pitcher of the Year candidate. As of 2037, he ranks 58^th in WAR among MLB pitchers. Most, but not all 90+ WAR pitchers made the Hall of Fame eventually in MLB.

However, Doyle was viewed as a borderline case for his law of raw dominance or major accolades. He missed the cut with 60.6% and 59.9% on his first two tries. With a quieter 2010 group, Doyle barely crossed the 66% requirement. At 66.6%, he earned a third ballot induction within MLB’s 2010 Hall of Fame class.

Tom “Little Rat” Burstein – Shortstop – Los Angeles Angels – 66.2% First Ballot

Tom Burstein was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting shortstop from Carlsbad, California; a city with 114,000 inhabitants in San Diego County. Nicknamed “Little Rat”, Burstein was a solid contact hitter with a great eye and an incredible knack at avoiding strikeouts. He wasn’t a powerful batter, but he could find the gap decently with 26 doubles and 7 triples per his 162 game average. Burstein’s home run power was limited to around 10 per season.

Burstein was a very intelligent and crafty baserunner, finding success with steals despite having good-but-not-great speed. He was a career shortstop and was an excellent defender. As of 2037, Burstein ranks third all-time in MLB in zone rating at the position. He was reliably good defensively and not flashy, thus only winning two Gold Gloves despite excellent defensive production.

Perhaps the biggest key was his ironman durability, starting 149+ games in 16 consecutive seasons. Burstein holds the fourth-most starts at shortstop in MLB history. He was a hard worker and reliable, becoming a fan favorite throughout his 17-year MLB career in Los Angeles as the leadoff man.

Burstein left California to play collegiately at Virginia. As a Cavalier, he won NCAA Gold Gloves as a sophomore and junior. In 144 college games, Burstein had 160 hits, 91 runs, 28 doubles, 13 home runs, 51 RBI, a .287/.372/.421 slash, 134 wRC+, and 5.4 WAR. A great defensive shortstop with a good bat drew attention for the 1987 MLB Draft. Burstein was picked 25^th overall by Los Angeles, where he’d spend his entire pro career.

The Angels made him a full-time starter immediately and Burstein picked up the 1988 Rookie of the Year. His reliable production helped make LA a consistent contender into the 1990s. Burstein posted 11 seasons worth 6+ WAR, boosted by his defense. He wouldn’t be an offensive league leader with the exception of 1994, leading the American Association with 9.9 WAR.

Burstein won three Silver Sluggers (1994, 1995, 2001) and two Gold Gloves (1998, 1999). He was never a MLB MVP finalist, but did take second in MVP voting for the 2001 World Baseball Championship. Burstein was part of six world champion American teams in his eight WBC appearances. In 174 starts for the United States, he had 210 hits, 128 runs, 41 doubles, 6 triples, 12 home runs, 79 RBI, 98 stolen bases, a .306/.385/.437 slash, 139 wRC+, and 6.5 WAR.

Burstein’s WBC appearances came in the back-end of his career. In the front end, he was determined to win it all with the Angels. From 1989-98, Los Angeles earned seven playoff berths and three division titles. The Angels won the AACS in 1990, but lost the World Series to Virginia Beach. LA kept Burstein long-term with an eight-year, $20,280,000 extension after the 1992 season.

Apart from 1990, Los Angeles couldn’t seem to get over the playoff hump. That changed with a World Series victory in 1997 over Minneapolis. The Angels got back to the AACS in 1998, but fell to eventual champion Vancouver. LA would fall into the lower middle-tier for the remainder of Burstein’s run.

In the playoffs, his results were mixed. Burstein overall had positive value because of his defense, but his offense stats were mid. In 63 starts, Burstein had 75 hits, 34 runs, 11 doubles, 2 home runs, 26 RBI, 16 stolen bases, a .286/.346/.366 slash, 99 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. Still, he was very popular with Angels fans for his role in their 1990s competitiveness.

Burstein earned a five-year, $45,900,000 extension after the 1999 season at age 33. He struggled with his worst season to date by far, striking out about as many times in 2000 as the prior four seasons combined. Burstein bounced back in 2001 with an excellent 8.6 WAR effort. He had good efforts in 2002 and 2003, but saw notable setbacks in 2004.

That year, he had his first significant injury with a torn ligament in his thumb, missing around two months. Burstein had middling batting stats that year as well with 96 wRC+ and only 0.9 WAR all season. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria in his contract and became a free agent for the first time at age 38.

Burstein ended up moving to France to the newly formed European Second League in 2005, signing with Nantes for three years and $12,960,000. His bat was mediocre, but he still had enough defensive value to be playable. In 2006, a broken hand cost him the final half of the second. Burstein went unsigned in 2007 and retired that winter at age 41. Los Angeles quickly brought him home to retire his #14 uniform

The final MLB stats for Burstein: 2964 hits, 1578 runs, 423 doubles, 118 triples, 160 home runs, 947 RBI, 1155 walks, 673 stolen bases, a .292/.367/.405 slash, 113 wRC+, and 112.2 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 24^th in WAR among position players. However, the 113 wRC+ for his career highlights how much of Burstein’s value was defense.

There were voters who felt his bat and offensive accumulations weren’t Hall worthy. Only three inductees got in with a lower career slugging percentage. Leadoff guys without homers and RBI always have an uphill climb with some voters as well. But Burstein was likeable, sturdy, and was a fan favorite who helped the Angels to two World Series appearances and one ring. He only got 66.2% in his debut, but that was enough to squeak across the line as a first ballot inductee in the 2010 MLB Hall of Fame class.

07-28-2024, 07:28 PM	#1469
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,810	2010 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 2) Chris Doyle – Starting Pitcher – Charlotte Canaries – 66.6% Third Ballot Chris Doyle was a 6’1’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Riviera Beach, Florida; a city of 37,000 people within Miami’s metropolitan area. At his peak, Doyle had outstanding stuff, terrific movement, and strong control. His velocity peaked in the 96-98 mph range for his fastball, but it was his curveball which was an all-timer. Doyle also had a solid sinker and a rarely used changeup, owing to an extreme groundball tendency. Doyle also had excellent stamina, leading the American Association three times in innings pitched. He had a tireless work ethic, which allowed him to succeed even when others had given up on him early in his career. Doyle ended up becoming one of the most popular pitchers of his era. Doyle was a rare case of being an American pitcher selected straight out of high school. He attended Palm Beach Gardens High School and earned attention throughout the Florida baseball scene. In the 1984 MLB Draft, Doyle was picked late in the first round, 39^th overall, by Jacksonville. He ultimately never played in the majors with the Gators. He was used initially as a reliever in minor league Tallahassee and struggled in 1985 and 1986. In July 1987, Jacksonville sent him and another pitcher to Charlotte for veteran 3B Ivan Lanz. Doyle debuted for the Canaries in 1988 at age 22, but they didn’t expect much out of him. From 1988-91, he tossed a mere 67.2 innings in relief with unremarkable results. Doyle kept plugging along and finally earned a full-time rotation spot in 1992 at age 26. He showed that he was worthy in that role and would toss 289+ innings each year for the next decade. Each of his seasons starting for Charlotte earned 8+ WAR, becoming one of the most reliable arms of his time. Doyle led in ERA in 1996 with a career best 2.56, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. From 1995-98, Doyle led four straight seasons in WAR. He peaked with a career best 10.3 in 1998, earning his lone Pitcher of the Year award. It wasn’t the easiest to get noticed with Charlotte, who never made the playoffs in his tenure. The Canaries were consistently just above average though with 85.7 wins per season during Doyle’s efforts. Charlotte gave Doyle a six-year, $20,680,000 extension in May 1994. He declined his contract option after the 1999 season, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 34. The Canaries would eventually retire his #25 uniform for his service, which saw a 165-109 record, 3.04 ERA, 2459.1 innings, 1925 strikeouts, 619 walks, 132 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 71.2 WAR. Doyle got a big money five-year deal for $41,000,000 with Houston. He led in WAR for the fifth time in his debut season and posted 7.7 WAR his second year despite some bad luck with an above average Hornets squad. His velocity dropped significantly in 2002, struggling to reliably hit beyond the low 90s. His last year saw a career-worst 4.15 ERA over 208 innings and 91 strikeouts, as his role was reduced later on. Houston made it to the wild card round, but Doyle wasn’t used, ultimately never tossing a playoff innings. With the Hornets in three years, he had a 46-46 record, 3.94 ERA, 799.1 innings, 487 strikeouts, 208 walks, 100 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 19.6 WAR. Doyle retired after the 2002 campaign at age 36. Doyle retired with a 211-155 record, 3.26 ERA, 3258.2 innings, 2412 strikeouts, 827 walks, 247/389 quality starts, 214 complete games, 122 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 90.8 WAR. The advanced stats are quite favorable for Doyle, although he was only briefly considered a Pitcher of the Year candidate. As of 2037, he ranks 58^th in WAR among MLB pitchers. Most, but not all 90+ WAR pitchers made the Hall of Fame eventually in MLB. However, Doyle was viewed as a borderline case for his law of raw dominance or major accolades. He missed the cut with 60.6% and 59.9% on his first two tries. With a quieter 2010 group, Doyle barely crossed the 66% requirement. At 66.6%, he earned a third ballot induction within MLB’s 2010 Hall of Fame class. Tom “Little Rat” Burstein – Shortstop – Los Angeles Angels – 66.2% First Ballot Tom Burstein was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting shortstop from Carlsbad, California; a city with 114,000 inhabitants in San Diego County. Nicknamed “Little Rat”, Burstein was a solid contact hitter with a great eye and an incredible knack at avoiding strikeouts. He wasn’t a powerful batter, but he could find the gap decently with 26 doubles and 7 triples per his 162 game average. Burstein’s home run power was limited to around 10 per season. Burstein was a very intelligent and crafty baserunner, finding success with steals despite having good-but-not-great speed. He was a career shortstop and was an excellent defender. As of 2037, Burstein ranks third all-time in MLB in zone rating at the position. He was reliably good defensively and not flashy, thus only winning two Gold Gloves despite excellent defensive production. Perhaps the biggest key was his ironman durability, starting 149+ games in 16 consecutive seasons. Burstein holds the fourth-most starts at shortstop in MLB history. He was a hard worker and reliable, becoming a fan favorite throughout his 17-year MLB career in Los Angeles as the leadoff man. Burstein left California to play collegiately at Virginia. As a Cavalier, he won NCAA Gold Gloves as a sophomore and junior. In 144 college games, Burstein had 160 hits, 91 runs, 28 doubles, 13 home runs, 51 RBI, a .287/.372/.421 slash, 134 wRC+, and 5.4 WAR. A great defensive shortstop with a good bat drew attention for the 1987 MLB Draft. Burstein was picked 25^th overall by Los Angeles, where he’d spend his entire pro career. The Angels made him a full-time starter immediately and Burstein picked up the 1988 Rookie of the Year. His reliable production helped make LA a consistent contender into the 1990s. Burstein posted 11 seasons worth 6+ WAR, boosted by his defense. He wouldn’t be an offensive league leader with the exception of 1994, leading the American Association with 9.9 WAR. Burstein won three Silver Sluggers (1994, 1995, 2001) and two Gold Gloves (1998, 1999). He was never a MLB MVP finalist, but did take second in MVP voting for the 2001 World Baseball Championship. Burstein was part of six world champion American teams in his eight WBC appearances. In 174 starts for the United States, he had 210 hits, 128 runs, 41 doubles, 6 triples, 12 home runs, 79 RBI, 98 stolen bases, a .306/.385/.437 slash, 139 wRC+, and 6.5 WAR. Burstein’s WBC appearances came in the back-end of his career. In the front end, he was determined to win it all with the Angels. From 1989-98, Los Angeles earned seven playoff berths and three division titles. The Angels won the AACS in 1990, but lost the World Series to Virginia Beach. LA kept Burstein long-term with an eight-year, $20,280,000 extension after the 1992 season. Apart from 1990, Los Angeles couldn’t seem to get over the playoff hump. That changed with a World Series victory in 1997 over Minneapolis. The Angels got back to the AACS in 1998, but fell to eventual champion Vancouver. LA would fall into the lower middle-tier for the remainder of Burstein’s run. In the playoffs, his results were mixed. Burstein overall had positive value because of his defense, but his offense stats were mid. In 63 starts, Burstein had 75 hits, 34 runs, 11 doubles, 2 home runs, 26 RBI, 16 stolen bases, a .286/.346/.366 slash, 99 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. Still, he was very popular with Angels fans for his role in their 1990s competitiveness. Burstein earned a five-year, $45,900,000 extension after the 1999 season at age 33. He struggled with his worst season to date by far, striking out about as many times in 2000 as the prior four seasons combined. Burstein bounced back in 2001 with an excellent 8.6 WAR effort. He had good efforts in 2002 and 2003, but saw notable setbacks in 2004. That year, he had his first significant injury with a torn ligament in his thumb, missing around two months. Burstein had middling batting stats that year as well with 96 wRC+ and only 0.9 WAR all season. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria in his contract and became a free agent for the first time at age 38. Burstein ended up moving to France to the newly formed European Second League in 2005, signing with Nantes for three years and $12,960,000. His bat was mediocre, but he still had enough defensive value to be playable. In 2006, a broken hand cost him the final half of the second. Burstein went unsigned in 2007 and retired that winter at age 41. Los Angeles quickly brought him home to retire his #14 uniform The final MLB stats for Burstein: 2964 hits, 1578 runs, 423 doubles, 118 triples, 160 home runs, 947 RBI, 1155 walks, 673 stolen bases, a .292/.367/.405 slash, 113 wRC+, and 112.2 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 24^th in WAR among position players. However, the 113 wRC+ for his career highlights how much of Burstein’s value was defense. There were voters who felt his bat and offensive accumulations weren’t Hall worthy. Only three inductees got in with a lower career slugging percentage. Leadoff guys without homers and RBI always have an uphill climb with some voters as well. But Burstein was likeable, sturdy, and was a fan favorite who helped the Angels to two World Series appearances and one ring. He only got 66.2% in his debut, but that was enough to squeak across the line as a first ballot inductee in the 2010 MLB Hall of Fame class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)