BASEBALL HALL OF FAME BALLOT RELEASED
A total of 18 players have been listed on the latest ballot to determine who, if anyone, will be inducted to the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame next summer. Highlighting the list are pitchers Eddie Plank, Ray Collins and Smokey Joe Wood along with batters Nap Lajoie and Zach Wheat. Below is a brief recap on the careers of each of the nominees.
DOC AYERS - The Washington Senators great was named American League pitcher of the year 5 times in a 6 year stretch from 1922-27. Was 6-1 in postseason play and won 3 World Series rings. Led the AL in wins 6 times including 1927 when he won a career high 30 games. 8 time allstar is 27th alltime in wins. His career stats are not as impressive as some because he was troubled by injuries early in his career and did not become a regular in the Sens rotation until 1920 when he was 30 years old. He would remain the number 1 starter in Washington until age 41 when he was demoted to the minors.
CHIEF BENDER - Pitched for Washington, the White Sox, Pittsburgh and Brooklyn. 8 time allstar led his league in era 3 times and ranks 10th alltime in career era. Is 6th in wins and strikeouts all time and 4th all time in losses and career games pitched. Won 3 World Series titles and is 4-2 in postseason play.
RAY COLLINS - 6 time American League pitcher of the year was major reason the Red Sox won 9 pennants and 6 World Series titles by 1920. Has the 4th best era of alltime and ranks 9th in career wins. Three times won over 30 games in a season and made 12 straight allstar teams. His 10 World Series wins are the most alltime.
BILL DOAK - 3 time NL pitcher of the year spent 16 seasons with the Cardinals before finishing his career with the Red Sox. 7 time allstar was 1-0 in 2 World Series appearances but was on the losing side twice.
WELDON HENLEY - One of just 18 pitchers to surpass the 300 win mark, Henley pitched for 5 teams in his 18 year career and made 3 allstar teams. Never led his league in wins and only once finished with the lowest era. Did not play any postseason games.
ORVAL OVERALL - 1905 NL rookie of the year spent most of his career with the Braves before finishing with 4 seasons in Cleveland. He won 2 pitcher of the year awards and made 8 allstar appearances. Was 1-1 for the Braves 1906 World Series winning club - his only taste of postseason play. Pitched a no-hitter as a rookie and a perfect game in 1909. Was traded from Braves to Indians for another hall of fame nominee - pitcher Ed Walsh Sr - in 1918. Ranks 15th alltime in wins.
EDDIE PLANK - 4 time American League pitcher of the year and 9 time allstar, Plank spent his entire career with the Athletics. 5 times he led his league in wins and 3 times had the best era. 3-3 in World Series action but never played for a winner. 6th lowest career era. Ranks 11th alltime in strikeouts and 14th in career wins.
JOHN SKOPEC - 2 time allstar began his career with the White Sox but enjoyed his best seasons with the Phillies. Is 8th alltime in era, 19th in career wins and 13th in strikeouts. Never played a postseason game.
BILL STEEN - 2 time NL pitcher of the year was the American League's top rookie with Cleveland in 1912. Moved to the Reds in 1916 before finishing his career with 2 seasons in Detroit starting in 1935. 9 time allstar had a 30 win season in 1921. 9 time allstar appeared in 7 World Series but his 3-9 record ties him with Smokey Joe Wood for most postseason losses. Was on two World Series winning teams. Pitched a no-hitter in 1919.
GEORGE UHLE - Won 4 pitcher of the year awards, all of them after turing 35 years of age. Broke in with the Indians as a 20 year old in 1919 but did not really blossom until after a trade to the Cubs in 1930. 10 time allstar won a pair of World Series titles with the Cubs, he was 4-0 in postseason play. Pitched a no-hitter late in his career. 17th alltime in wins.
ED WALSH SR - 2 time pitcher of the year pitched for Cleveland, Pittsburgh and the Braves. Made 8 allstar teams and had a 9-4 postseason record in 6 Series with the Pirates. One of the worst trades in Cleveland history was when they sent Walsh to the Pirates in 1908 for Jack Chesbro, a 200 game winner who would win just 11 games in an Indians uniform. Only hall of famer Noodles Hahn has a lower career era than Walsh's 2.44 mark. One of just 8 pitchers to top the 3000 strikeout mark, Walsh also ranks 12th with 327 career wins.
DOC WHITE - 2 time pitcher of the year spent most of his career with the Phillies and Senators but had a brief stop with the White Sox. Made 3 allstar teams but never pitched in a postseason game. White is 11th in career era and tied for 19th in career wins.
SMOKEY JOE WOOD - 9 time allstar never won a pitcher of the year award in his outstanding 18 year career with the Red Sox as he was always overshadowed by teammate Ray Collins. 6-9 in 16 postseason starts. The 16 starts are 1 shy of the record co-held by hall of famers Walter Johnson and Jim St Vrain. Won 6 World Series titles and pitched a no-hitter in his career. Ranks 8th alltime with 363 career wins and 6th in strikeouts.
Code:
PITCHERS From-To W L ERA G IP H BB SO
Doc Ayers 1914-1931 273 139 3.21 505 3935 3859 1138 1284
Chief Bender 1903-1922 361 262 2.63 730 6057 5471 1074 3141
Ray Collins 1909-1923 326 139 2.45 530 4335 3904 579 2106
Bill Doak 1913-1929 275 174 3.15 521 4280 4530 621 1407
Weldon Henley 1903-1920 310 265 2.76 650 5567 4741 1896 2851
Orval Overall 1905-1921 321 216 2.98 598 5003 4443 1815 2999
Eddie Plank 1901-1916 323 220 2.62 602 4996 4443 1115 2470
John Skopec 1901-1916 291 238 2.67 588 4943 4338 1397 2732
Bill Steen 1912-1926 282 188 3.06 540 4471 4181 1306 2258
George Uhle 1919-1940 315 204 3.72 656 4845 5386 1159 1098
Ed Walsh Sr 1904-1921 324 244 2.84 629 5363 4732 866 3123
Doc White 1901-1916 292 244 2.68 586 5000 4420 1242 2633
Joe Wood 1909-1926 363 211 3.05 673 5469 4802 1935 3177
AL BRIDWELL - 6 gold glove and 8 allstar appearances highlight the career of this longtime Philadelphia A's shortstop. Better known for his defense, Bridwell nevertheless managed to become one of just 14 players to crack the 3000 hit barrier. Batted .234 playing in 3 World Series with the A's but they lost on all 3 occassions.
HARRY HEILMANN - Rookie of the year in 1916 and AL MVP in 1919, Heilmann was a 10 time allstar outfielder for the Detroit Tigers. Retired at the relatively young age of 36 after 16 big league seasons. Never spent a day in the minors nor did he ever suffer an injury until his secon last season. Hit .371 in 30 postseason games and was a World Series Champion on three occassions.
NAP LAJOIE - Split his 19 year career between the A's and Indians. Many argue Lajoie should have been in the first hall of fame class of 1933 along with his contemporary Jesse Burkett. Lajoie dominated the first decade of the American League, winning 4 MVPs, 7 gold gloves at second base and making 10 allstar teams. The 5 time AL batting champ ranks 6th alltime with 3236 hits. Hit just .162 in 10 postseason games, all late in his career.
BOB MEUSEL - Traded by the Yankees to Cleveland as a rookie, Meusel would spend 16 seasons with the Indians making 7 allstar teams and winning 2 gold gloves for his outfield play. He also was named AL rookie of the year in 1920. Hit .222 in his only World Series, a 7 game loss to St Louis.
ZACH WHEAT - 11 time allstar and 2 time NL MVP with the Brooklyn Dodgers. A tremendous defensive outfielder, Wheat won 7 gold gloves in his 18 year career. Won 2 NL batting crowns and is 13th alltime with 3070 hits. Never appeared in a postseason game.
Code:
BATTERS From-To G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB AVG
Al Bridwell 1905-1926 3017 10709 1668 3075 285 118 79 1385 433 .287
Harry Heilmann 1916-1931 2193 8160 1467 2601 522 117 178 1458 157 .319
Nap Lajoie 1898-1916 2331 9120 1445 3022 587 148 62 1334 253 .331
Bob Meusel 1920-1935 2208 8149 1460 2562 651 136 283 1610 34 .314
Zack Wheat 1910-1927 2448 9367 1342 3070 502 158 153 1324 227 .328
As a comparison here are the career stats for the 13 current Hall of Famers
Code:
PITCHERS From-To W L ERA G IP H BB SO
Noodles Hahn 1900-1921 461 266 2.27 809 6777.9 6032 936 3690
Walter Johnson 1907-1926 391 229 2.92 727 5900.3 5618 1542 3119
C Mathewson 1901-1924 456 313 2.61 884 7298.2 6404 1577 3866
Jim St.Vrain 1902-1923 378 293 2.85 787 6436.9 5698 1760 3598
Cy Young 1891-1910 490 267 2.76 834 6872 6573 1241 2932
BATTERS From-To G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB AVG
Ty Cobb 1906-1926 2816 9944 1762 3206 585 296 61 1398 1121 .322
Eddie Collins 1908-1928 2756 10001 1789 3193 440 218 76 1325 951 .319
Rogers Hornsby 1916-1934 2532 9373 1845 3321 655 193 292 1706 170 .354
Joe Jackson 1911-1931 2763 10420 1878 3481 715 315 145 1555 495 .334
Babe Ruth 1918-1932 2022 6496 1782 2088 420 87 615 1692 134 .321
Tris Speaker 1909-1925 2409 8799 1688 3069 666 238 98 1499 458 .349
Jesse Burkett 1891-1913 2886 11352 2135 3984 480 210 79 1417 506 .351
Willie Keeler 1895-1912 2282 9185 1599 3141 280 144 30 1100 748 .342
The ballot will be posted in the dynasty board shortly. Board members will be allowed to vote for up to 10 players. Their ballots will be tabulated and added to the votes cast by the Baseball Writers Association. (BBWA votes are determined by a formula that factors in black ink, grey ink, awards and allstar appearances). Results will be made public by the Hall of Fame committee in early December 1946.