OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

Dukie98 · 03-16-2019, 03:01 AM

In recent years, the Hall of Fame ballot became excessively bloated, with dozens of players remaining on the ballot year-to-year, coupled with increasingly talented groups of newcomers joining the ballot each year. With just fifteen spots on the ballot among 60-70 nominees, many seemingly qualified nominees struggled to achieve the necessary 75% rate for induction. Veteran Hall-watchers were concerned about the effect of a deep group of newcomers on the 2032 ballot -- but those concerns proved to be misplaced, as a record five inductees were selected, all on the first ballot. 7-time Frontier League MVP Mickey Mantle was a near-unanimous choice with 98.0%, and 4-time Cy Young Award winner Brett Anderson matched him at 97.7%. Fireballer Justin Verlander was tabbed with 80.7%, 12-time All-Star catcher Dave Nilsson garnered 80.4%, and crafty southpaw Reb Russell squeaked over the threshold with 75.5%

Mantle was the single most dominant offensive force in HRDL history, winning 7 MVP awards during his 10 seasons with the Denver Spikes, five batting titles, six home runs titles, and two triple crowns. Mantle broke in with a bang, winning the MVP as an 18-year-old rookie in 2013, hitting a league-leading .363 with 53 homers, 128 RBI's, and 12.1 WAR. He won the triple crown and was a unanimous MVP the next year after hitting .359 with 44 homers and 136 RBI's. After a one-year hiatus, he earned MVP honors once again in 2016, after hitting .359 with a league-leading .451 on-base percentage, 39 homers, and 111 RBI's. Despite winning a second Triple Crown in 2017, Mantle finished a close second in the MVP voting. Mantle returned to the awards podium in 2018, taking the MVP after hitting a league-best .358 with 35 homers and 110 RBI's. He won MVP honors yet again in 2019 after hitting .346 with 50 homers and 125 RBI's. After an "off" season in 2020, when he merely led the league in WAR and homers, he earned another MVP award in 2021, after hitting a league-best .348 with 46 homers and 125 RBI's. He won his final MVP award in 2022, hitting .346 with 41 homers and 104 RBI's. After ten extraordinary years in Denver, however, Mantle signed a free-agent contract with the Houston Pythons and began a rapid decline. After a solid, if not quite spectacular, first season with Houston, Mantle's production plummeted, as he closed out his career with only one solid season over his last six, and he limped over the 3,000 hit barrier. For his career, Mantle hit .318 with a .395 on-base percentage, a .554 slugging percentage, and 121.3 WAR-- the latter figure ranking fourth all-time as of the time of his induction. A ten-time All-Star, he rapped 3,019 hits, including 432 doubles, 555 homers (3rd all-time), drove in 1654 runs (including 11 100+ RBI seasons) and stole 226 bases. Mantle also won three postseason series MVP awards, sporting a career postseason batting average of .343 with 13 homers and 48 RBI's in 280 at bats.

Southpaw Brett Anderson established a similar record of dominance on the mound, winning a record four Cy Young Awards for the Los Angeles Kangaroos between 2016 and 2020. Anderson was a late first-round draft pick (46th overall) of the Kangaroos in 2013, but immediately established his dominance, going 16-8 as a rookie with a 2.66 ERA. Sporting pinpoint control, Anderson had a breakout season in 2016, going 26-6 and leading the league with a 2.56 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP, while walking just 40 hitters in 260 innings. After an 18-9 season with a career-best 2.29 ERA the next year, Anderson took home three straight Cy Young Award trophies between 2018 and 2020, posting an incredible 67-16 record with ERA's of 2.37, 2.28, and 2.34 and identical 1.01 WHIPs each season. Anderson continued to be a highly effective, if not quite dominant, pitcher for several seasons, but suffered season-ending nerve injuries in 2026, and tore his UCL in both 2027 and 2028, ending his career. Anderson notched a 270-110 ERA with a 2.72 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, 2211 strikeouts, and 100.4 WAR despite making only fifteen career starts after age 33. A 9-time All-Star, Anderson was inducted with the third-most wins of any pitcher in HRDL history and the best winning percentage. Anderson notched a career 22-15 record with a 3.27 ERA in the postseason, winning two world titles with the Kangaroos in 2014 and 2016.

Verlander, an 8-time All-Star, was tabbed by the Detroit Purple Gang with the 6th pick in the 2016 draft. After showing steady improvement in his first three seasons, Verlander had a breakout season in his fourth year, winning the 2020 Cy Young Award and finishing third in the MVP balloting after going 16-6 with a league-best 1.95 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and 222 strikeouts. Verlander went 16-8 with a 2.31 ERA and a career-high 262 whiffs the following year, finishing 4th in the MVP voting and runner-up for the Cy Young Award. Verlander continued to pitch effectively through 2028, at which time he signed unexpectedly with the Hartford Huskies as a free agent; after an ineffictive season with Hartford, Verlander tore his labrum and retired after additional medical setbacks. Although Verlander never won 20 games in a season he made the All-Star team every season between 2020 and 2028 but one, and he led the Frontier League twice in ERA and once in strikeouts. He retired with a career record of 190-129, a 2.67 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, 2761 strikeouts, and 88.0 WAR-- ranking 22nd among pitchers all-time. Verlander posted a 5-5 career postseason record in 14 starts with a 2.83 ERA - including an incredible 0.39 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 23 innings in 2021.

Nilsson spent his entire 18-year career with the Buffalo Fighting Elk after being drafted 50th overall in 2011. Nilsson made 12 All-Star teams and won four Silver Slugger awards. He topped .300 in each of his first five seasons, and popped a career-best 33 homers with 95 RBI's in his sophomore campaign in 2013. Nilsson notched 2,336 career hits, as he hit .293 over his career with a .373 on-base percentage and a .493 slugging percentage, including 424 doubles, 314 homers, 1,089 RBI's, and 223 steals. He was a terrific postseason player, hitting .286 with 28 homers, 89 RBI's, and 22 steals in 650 career postseason at-bats, including .357 with 3 homers and 15 RBI's in Buffalo's triumphant 2017 postseason campaign. Nilsson joined Bill Freehan as the only catchers in Cooperstown.

Russell, the 2019 Cy Young Award winner, won 242 games over his storied career. He spent the vast majority of career piching for the HRDL's Canadian franchises, after being drafted 21st overall by the Vancouver Viceroys in 2014. Remarkably durable and consistent, Russell never went on the disabled list, and posted season ERA's under 3.00 for each of the first 13 seasons of his career. After four solid seasons in Vancouver, Russell took the next step in 2019, winning the Cy Young Award and finishing third in the MVP voting after going 23-7 with a 2.41 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, and a stellar 4.92 K/BB ratio. After another strong season, Russell left Vancouver for the London Werewolves as a free agent. Russell posted a career-best 2.32 ERA in his first season in Vancouver, then won 18, 19, and 19 games in each of the following seasons. In 2023, Russell finished fourth in the Cy Young Award voting after going 19-9 with a 2.49 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP, posting an incredible 6.68 K/BB ratio, including just 25 walks in 271 innings. Russell continued to pitch effectively through 2027 with London before signing with the Minneapolis Penguins for the last two years of his career. Overall, Russell posted a career 242-179 record with a 2.86 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, 1985 strikeouts, and just 633 walks in nearly 4,000 innings, and his 102.9 WAR ranked seventh all-time among pitchers. Russell also aided his cause with the bat, hitting a respectable .217 with 96 extra-base hits, including 23 homers, in his career.

Leading vote recipients include:

Mickey Mantle, RF, DEN/ HOU: 98.0%
Brett Anderson, LHP, LA/ SA: 97.7%
Justin Verlander, RHP, DET/ HAR: 80.7%
Dave Nilsson, C, BUF: 80.3%
Reb Russell, LHP, VAN/ LON/ MIN: 75.5%
Ed Morgan, 1B, SD/ SA/ CHA/ NOR/ MIA: 70.9%
Jose Reyes, SS, CLE/ KC: 65.4%
Kirby Puckett, CF, HOU/ PHI/ CAL: 58.8%
Paul Molitor, 2B, HOU/ MIA/ PHI/ VAN: 46.7%
Dave Ferriss, RHP, DAL/ NAS: 45.4%

Notable players falling off the ballot after failing to reach the requisite 5% include 2013 MVP Carney Lansford, 209-game winner Frank Lary, speedy rightfielder Braggo Roth, and slugging first baseman Kent Hrbek.

Here's a look at the Hall of Famers:

03-16-2019, 03:01 AM	#148
Dukie98 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 902	2032 Hall of Fame Voting In recent years, the Hall of Fame ballot became excessively bloated, with dozens of players remaining on the ballot year-to-year, coupled with increasingly talented groups of newcomers joining the ballot each year. With just fifteen spots on the ballot among 60-70 nominees, many seemingly qualified nominees struggled to achieve the necessary 75% rate for induction. Veteran Hall-watchers were concerned about the effect of a deep group of newcomers on the 2032 ballot -- but those concerns proved to be misplaced, as a record five inductees were selected, all on the first ballot. 7-time Frontier League MVP Mickey Mantle was a near-unanimous choice with 98.0%, and 4-time Cy Young Award winner Brett Anderson matched him at 97.7%. Fireballer Justin Verlander was tabbed with 80.7%, 12-time All-Star catcher Dave Nilsson garnered 80.4%, and crafty southpaw Reb Russell squeaked over the threshold with 75.5% Mantle was the single most dominant offensive force in HRDL history, winning 7 MVP awards during his 10 seasons with the Denver Spikes, five batting titles, six home runs titles, and two triple crowns. Mantle broke in with a bang, winning the MVP as an 18-year-old rookie in 2013, hitting a league-leading .363 with 53 homers, 128 RBI's, and 12.1 WAR. He won the triple crown and was a unanimous MVP the next year after hitting .359 with 44 homers and 136 RBI's. After a one-year hiatus, he earned MVP honors once again in 2016, after hitting .359 with a league-leading .451 on-base percentage, 39 homers, and 111 RBI's. Despite winning a second Triple Crown in 2017, Mantle finished a close second in the MVP voting. Mantle returned to the awards podium in 2018, taking the MVP after hitting a league-best .358 with 35 homers and 110 RBI's. He won MVP honors yet again in 2019 after hitting .346 with 50 homers and 125 RBI's. After an "off" season in 2020, when he merely led the league in WAR and homers, he earned another MVP award in 2021, after hitting a league-best .348 with 46 homers and 125 RBI's. He won his final MVP award in 2022, hitting .346 with 41 homers and 104 RBI's. After ten extraordinary years in Denver, however, Mantle signed a free-agent contract with the Houston Pythons and began a rapid decline. After a solid, if not quite spectacular, first season with Houston, Mantle's production plummeted, as he closed out his career with only one solid season over his last six, and he limped over the 3,000 hit barrier. For his career, Mantle hit .318 with a .395 on-base percentage, a .554 slugging percentage, and 121.3 WAR-- the latter figure ranking fourth all-time as of the time of his induction. A ten-time All-Star, he rapped 3,019 hits, including 432 doubles, 555 homers (3rd all-time), drove in 1654 runs (including 11 100+ RBI seasons) and stole 226 bases. Mantle also won three postseason series MVP awards, sporting a career postseason batting average of .343 with 13 homers and 48 RBI's in 280 at bats. Southpaw Brett Anderson established a similar record of dominance on the mound, winning a record four Cy Young Awards for the Los Angeles Kangaroos between 2016 and 2020. Anderson was a late first-round draft pick (46th overall) of the Kangaroos in 2013, but immediately established his dominance, going 16-8 as a rookie with a 2.66 ERA. Sporting pinpoint control, Anderson had a breakout season in 2016, going 26-6 and leading the league with a 2.56 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP, while walking just 40 hitters in 260 innings. After an 18-9 season with a career-best 2.29 ERA the next year, Anderson took home three straight Cy Young Award trophies between 2018 and 2020, posting an incredible 67-16 record with ERA's of 2.37, 2.28, and 2.34 and identical 1.01 WHIPs each season. Anderson continued to be a highly effective, if not quite dominant, pitcher for several seasons, but suffered season-ending nerve injuries in 2026, and tore his UCL in both 2027 and 2028, ending his career. Anderson notched a 270-110 ERA with a 2.72 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, 2211 strikeouts, and 100.4 WAR despite making only fifteen career starts after age 33. A 9-time All-Star, Anderson was inducted with the third-most wins of any pitcher in HRDL history and the best winning percentage. Anderson notched a career 22-15 record with a 3.27 ERA in the postseason, winning two world titles with the Kangaroos in 2014 and 2016. Verlander, an 8-time All-Star, was tabbed by the Detroit Purple Gang with the 6th pick in the 2016 draft. After showing steady improvement in his first three seasons, Verlander had a breakout season in his fourth year, winning the 2020 Cy Young Award and finishing third in the MVP balloting after going 16-6 with a league-best 1.95 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and 222 strikeouts. Verlander went 16-8 with a 2.31 ERA and a career-high 262 whiffs the following year, finishing 4th in the MVP voting and runner-up for the Cy Young Award. Verlander continued to pitch effectively through 2028, at which time he signed unexpectedly with the Hartford Huskies as a free agent; after an ineffictive season with Hartford, Verlander tore his labrum and retired after additional medical setbacks. Although Verlander never won 20 games in a season he made the All-Star team every season between 2020 and 2028 but one, and he led the Frontier League twice in ERA and once in strikeouts. He retired with a career record of 190-129, a 2.67 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, 2761 strikeouts, and 88.0 WAR-- ranking 22nd among pitchers all-time. Verlander posted a 5-5 career postseason record in 14 starts with a 2.83 ERA - including an incredible 0.39 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 23 innings in 2021. Nilsson spent his entire 18-year career with the Buffalo Fighting Elk after being drafted 50th overall in 2011. Nilsson made 12 All-Star teams and won four Silver Slugger awards. He topped .300 in each of his first five seasons, and popped a career-best 33 homers with 95 RBI's in his sophomore campaign in 2013. Nilsson notched 2,336 career hits, as he hit .293 over his career with a .373 on-base percentage and a .493 slugging percentage, including 424 doubles, 314 homers, 1,089 RBI's, and 223 steals. He was a terrific postseason player, hitting .286 with 28 homers, 89 RBI's, and 22 steals in 650 career postseason at-bats, including .357 with 3 homers and 15 RBI's in Buffalo's triumphant 2017 postseason campaign. Nilsson joined Bill Freehan as the only catchers in Cooperstown. Russell, the 2019 Cy Young Award winner, won 242 games over his storied career. He spent the vast majority of career piching for the HRDL's Canadian franchises, after being drafted 21st overall by the Vancouver Viceroys in 2014. Remarkably durable and consistent, Russell never went on the disabled list, and posted season ERA's under 3.00 for each of the first 13 seasons of his career. After four solid seasons in Vancouver, Russell took the next step in 2019, winning the Cy Young Award and finishing third in the MVP voting after going 23-7 with a 2.41 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, and a stellar 4.92 K/BB ratio. After another strong season, Russell left Vancouver for the London Werewolves as a free agent. Russell posted a career-best 2.32 ERA in his first season in Vancouver, then won 18, 19, and 19 games in each of the following seasons. In 2023, Russell finished fourth in the Cy Young Award voting after going 19-9 with a 2.49 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP, posting an incredible 6.68 K/BB ratio, including just 25 walks in 271 innings. Russell continued to pitch effectively through 2027 with London before signing with the Minneapolis Penguins for the last two years of his career. Overall, Russell posted a career 242-179 record with a 2.86 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, 1985 strikeouts, and just 633 walks in nearly 4,000 innings, and his 102.9 WAR ranked seventh all-time among pitchers. Russell also aided his cause with the bat, hitting a respectable .217 with 96 extra-base hits, including 23 homers, in his career. Leading vote recipients include: Mickey Mantle, RF, DEN/ HOU: 98.0% Brett Anderson, LHP, LA/ SA: 97.7% Justin Verlander, RHP, DET/ HAR: 80.7% Dave Nilsson, C, BUF: 80.3% Reb Russell, LHP, VAN/ LON/ MIN: 75.5% Ed Morgan, 1B, SD/ SA/ CHA/ NOR/ MIA: 70.9% Jose Reyes, SS, CLE/ KC: 65.4% Kirby Puckett, CF, HOU/ PHI/ CAL: 58.8% Paul Molitor, 2B, HOU/ MIA/ PHI/ VAN: 46.7% Dave Ferriss, RHP, DAL/ NAS: 45.4% Notable players falling off the ballot after failing to reach the requisite 5% include 2013 MVP Carney Lansford, 209-game winner Frank Lary, speedy rightfielder Braggo Roth, and slugging first baseman Kent Hrbek. Here's a look at the Hall of Famers: Attached Images Last edited by Dukie98; 03-16-2019 at 10:06 PM.