SOME THOUGHTS ON 1966 HALL OF FAME CLASS - part 5
Here are the final two players that are appearing on the ballot for the first time:
GEORGE SILLIMAN - Silliman spent 9 seasons in the White Sox rotation from 1950-58 and ended his career with a season in relief for San Francisco. In real life he never played in the majors, in fact he only played two seasons Kingsport of the Class D Appalachian League before leaving the game at age 20.
In the sim he was 131-111 in 322 major league appearances including 273 starts. His best year was 1958 when Silliman went 18-9 for the White Sox. It would also be his last year in the rotation as he spent most of 1959 in the minors. The White Sox released him prior to the 1960 season and he signed a minor league deal with the Giants and ended up pitching 38 major league innings in relief.
Silliman was 1-1 in 2 starts in the 1953 World Series in which the White Sox beat St Louis. Silliman tossed a complete game 7-hitter in the series clinching game as Chicago beat the Cardinals 7-1 to win the series in 6 games.
VERDICT- Had some decent seasons but never made an all-star team. Not a chance at Hall of Fame.
ENOS SLAUGHTER - The 8 time all-star played 3,140 major league games - which is fifth most all-time. His 3,344 career hits rank 10th in baseball history.
Slaughter made his major league debut with the Boston Braves as a 19 year old in 1935 and would stay with the organization until he turned 41. He would end his storied career with 2 seasons with the Yankees and one with the Cardinals but he will always be remember as a Brave. He is the franchise all-time leader in games, at bats, hits and total bases.
Slaughter suffered through some lean years in Boston but was still around when the then Milwaukee Braves won their first and only post-1901 pennant in 1956. 40 years old at the time, Slaughter went 2-for-5 as a pinch-hitter in the series to help Milwaukee past the Yankees for their only World Series title.
The real-life Slaughter was a Hall of Fame outfielder who played primarily for the Cardinals but had brief stops at the end of his career with the A's, Yankees and Braves. He played a lot more in the sim then he did in real-life, in part because he missed three years due to WWII, but still spent 19 seasons and played 2,380 major league games.
VERDICT - He will definately be getting my vote.
That is all of the first-timers on the ballot. I will look at the top vote getters from last year next.