Modeling OOTP v14 HOF on RL HOF

[VanillaGorilla]

Whether it is is precisely the half way point, is unknown, but just as the All Star Break is not held after 81 games, but is the halfway point, so is this the halfway point.

7 players are inducted in 2072. This puts the Hall population at 105. Breaking 100 us the "halfway point" of the expected number of entrants, which is approximately 200.

I will be posting the entrants and some breakdowns and thoughts on the process following those posts.

I know it sounds like a broken record, but I will say it again: I am REALLY liking how the process is working out.

[VanillaGorilla]

The writers vote in 7 players (5 hitters and 2 pitchers) for this class, which marks the unofficial halfway point of the league.

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Benny Kauff was selected by the Indianapolis Stripes (formerly the Padres) with the 4th overall selection of the 2040 draft. Kauff did not sign with them.

Lacking their top pick, the Stripes finished last and used the yop pick in the 2041 sraft to again select Kauff. This time he signed.

Kauff liked calling Indy his home. He played with the Stripes through the 2054 season. He bounced around until he retired in 2062.

A look at the Stripes leaderboard shows Kauff the franchise leader in VORP and walks. On most teams he would have held the top spot in more categories, but the Stripes aldo had guys play many years with them named Reggie, Mickey, and Orlando.

He played 118 games in his rookie season and hit .344 with 32 HR, 86 RBI, 100 runs, and 49 SB. That was good enough to take home ROY honors.

After an injury abbreviated sophomore season, Kauff put together an MVP campaign in 2044. He slashed 380/490/711 for a career high npa OPS+ of 220 and a career high SB total of 57. He did this while fighting the injury bug, again, and was limited to 100 games played.

For his career, Kauff tallied 2176 hits (t-97th, Smokey Burgess), 449 of which were doubles (79th), 46 that were triples, and 371 round trippers. His career slash line of 317/406/558 (54th/25th/100th)gave him a npa OPS+ of 152. He is tied with Stripes legend Orlando Cepeda for 37th place on the career OPS list.

He scored 1331 career runs (65th, 1 spot behind Bobby Bonilla) and totaled 1224 RBI. He walked 995 times (60th) and stole 379 bases (33rd, 1 fewer than Larry Doyle).

Kauff was named to 5 All Star teams. He won 1 GG in the OF. He played in only one post season and never played in a WS.

Kauff enters the HOF at the age of 51.

Black Ink: 0 (23)
Gray Ink: 49 (113)
HOFm: 92 (51)
HOFs: 61 (25)

Gorilla Composite: 2.2 (2.4)

Though Kauff has a higher GC IRL, his point distribution has him falling short of a RL induction, using the standards in place, here.

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Jim Wynn was the second player taken in the 2043 draft. Chosen by the San Diego Jewels (formerly the Texas Rangers) he paid immediate dividends by hitting 43 HR, driving in 117, and scoring 100 in 114 games as he slashed 357/433/702 (npa OPS+ 195) to win Rookie of the Year.

Wynn, like Kauff, fought injuries throughout his career. He hit 40 HR in a season four times, but didn't play in more than 131 games in any one of those years.

Wynn was tagged with a "very high" greed rating. Coming of a 43 HR, 111 RBI, 111 R season as he became a free agent, he asked for a lot for the 2052 season. He found no takers. Not until September.

The Diamondbacks gave him $1.6 million (I don't know why, they finished 30 games out). Perhaps the D-Backs thought they could show Wynn what a great place to play Phoenix is. In his second PA in ARI, he was hit by a pitch, broke his wrist, and was done for the year. He thought it best to try elsewhere.

The Marlins, coming off a 111 win 2052 season in which they dropped a 7 game WS, gave him the length and $ he wanted.

The Marlins won the WS in 2053. And in 2054, and in 2056. There is another entrant this class that was on all 5 Marlin squads that went to the WS from 2052-2056, I will recap those teams with that entry.

Wynn last played in 2061. He slashed 286/408/524 for two teams which gives him an approximate npa OPS+ of 125 for the year. He did not retire until 2064. He could not find a team that was willing to pay his 39-39 year-old self what he thought he was worth.

With shortened seasons and hold out time costing him hundreds of games played, Wynn still put up solid HOF stats. His slash line is upper level HOF stuff: 294/400/572 (*/34th, 1 sot behind Larry Doyle/66th) for a npa OPS+ of 153. He ranks 39th on the career OPS list, one spot ahead of Fred Luderus.

He hit 412 career HR, drove in 1127 and scored 1167. He walked 992 times (63rd, on spot ahead of Billy Williams) and stole 108 bases.

A 5 time All Star, Wynn picked up 2 GGs in the OF.

He enters the HOF at the age of 47.

Black Ink: 3 (4)
Gray Ink: 81 (94)
HOFm: 96.5 (36)
HOFs: 54 (30)

Gorilla Composite: 2.4 (1.6)

------------------------------

Amos Rusie was the top selection of the 2048 draft. For once, the Cubs did something right. Unfortunately for Rusie, he was a Cub for most of his career. That means he never pitched in a WS.

Rusie was dominant. In the 10 years covering 2052 through 2061, he was perhaps the most feared pitcher in the game. A blown elbow ligament in 2061, and subsequent arm injuries cut his career short. He enters this HOF with a very Koufaxian resume.

From 2053 through 2060, Rusie struck out 300 men each and every season. He fanned 404 in 252 1/3 IP in 2055. Between 2052 and 2060, he never won fewer than 15 games. In those years, he never lost more than 11, and he only had double digit losses 3 times.

He won the Cy Young Award in 2054, 2055, and 2057, posting a npa ERA+ over 200 in both 2055 and 2057.

He last pitched in the big in 2064, but did not retire until 2 years later.

He won 178 career games (t-66th, Jim Whitney) vs 144 losses. His .6096 win % ranks him 47th.

His OOTP ERA of 3.34 (28th, one spot ahead of Randy Johnson) gives him a npa ERA+ of 146. He struck out 3520 men (28th) in 2725 1/3 IP (78th). His 11.624 K/9 rate places him 14th, All time and, once again, one spot ahead of Randy Johnson.

Rusie is an 8 time All Star and at the age of 45 enter the converted tractor shed that is this HOF on his first ballot.

Black Ink: 55 (52)
Gray Ink: 195 (179)
HOFm: 160 (186)
HOFs: 36 (42)

Gorilla Composite: 4.0 (4.0) <--- pretty cool

[VanillaGorilla]

I had an update issue and will reference it later, but here is the link to my post re that:

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...ml#post3550751

--------------------------------

As the saying goes, there is more than one way to skin a cat. And there is more than one way to get into the HOF. With those thoughts in mind, the HOF inducts one Kevin Mitchell........

Mitchell was the first player selected in the 2052 draft. He didn't want to play for the Rockies, so he went back into the pool for 2053. Then, he was selected with the second overall pick by, yep, the Rockies. He decided that the $6.4 million signing bonus wasn't going to get much better the next year.

As Mitchell is a "what could have been" player from RL, he carries that same tag here, though here he did put together a HOF career. However, he could have been a once in a generation player.

Mitchell, in his first 11 seasons, never hit below 27 HR. The season he did hit 27 HR, he played in only 65 games, launching a homer every 9.48 ABs. 7 times he hit 40 Hrs, 3 of those times he topped 50.

He drove in 100, or more, runs 8 times. He scored 100+ 6 times. He finished a season over .300 10 times. His lowest npa OPS+ for a season was 152. A 152 is a freaking great career number. THAT is how good he was.

In the 10th game of the 2065 season, slashing 414/585/759, he suffered a CEI.

Mitchell had picked up ROY for his .318/51/123 2054 debut. He scored a career high 134 runs, that year.

In 2059, he won the MVP with a trad line of .317/58/134 and a npa OPS+ of 180, leading the league HR and RBI.

For his career he hit 484 HR (t-60th, Larry Doyle) in 5172 AB for a career AB/HR rate of 10.69. He had 1175 RBI and 1085 R in 1384 G.

His career slash line of 314/392/658 (63rd/t-68th, Reggie Jackson/7th, one slot behind Frank Robinson) is an amazing npa OPS+ of 172. Guys win MVPs with 172 OPS+ seasons. Wow. He enters the HOF ranking 12th on the career OPS list.

Mitchell is the youngest player to be inducted since the institution of the 5 year wait, at the age of 39 years and 55 days. However, the update turned him into a 40 year-old. His age of entry will be what I entered pre-update. He is the youngest hitter ever to be entered into the HOF. Only pitcher Rube Waddell gave his speech as a younger man.

Showing that recalc does not erase player development numbers, Mitchell enters the HOF as a Shortstop....which makes his numbers that much more amazing. On top of that, he won 3 Gold Gloves at SS.

Mitchell was named to 6 AS teams.

Even though he played less than 12 seasons, he ranks 47th on the career VORP list (between Tony Perez and Ron Cey) and 50th on the WAR list (between Joe Torre and Al Oliver).

He could have been the greatest in the league history. However, playing ball in the cornfield isn't a bad place to end up.

Black Ink: 14 (11)
Gray Ink: 127 (46)
HOFm: 180 (38)
HOFs: 60 (23)

Gorilla Composite: 3.8 (1.5)

-------------------------------------------

Like Kevin Mitchell, Vin Campbell was a top pick. In 2045 he was chosen by the Pirates. Unlike Mitchell, Campbell came to terms.

In 2048 Campbell slashed 392/451/733 (npa OPS+ 203) to win the league batting title and MVP.

He followed up with BAs of .367 and .372 the next two seasons for a three-peat of batting titles.

In 2062, at the age of 34 (or 35, Campbell was also affected by the update) he slashed 306/341/431 for a npa OPS+ of 105. He could not get a gig in the majors for three seasons after that, though. He played 71 games in 2066, batting .313, before he retired during the off season.

He wound up with 2465 hits (49th), 464 doubles (71st, one fewer than Eddie Yost and one more than Harry Lumley), 56 triples (t-82nd, Barry Bonds, Hal Chase, and Vic Saier), and 258 HR. He scored 1251 runs (87th) and collected 1128 RBI. He also stole 302 bases (66th).

He retired with a career slash line of 336/383/521 for a npa OPS+ of 135. On the career BA list he ranks 13th, between Mike Donlin and Sam Crawford.

Campbell appeared in 6 AS games and enters the HOF at the age of 44 (though his player display now reads 45) in his first year of eligibility.

Black Ink: 18
Gray Ink: 85
HOFm: 150.5
HOFs: 53

Gorilla Composite: 3.3

------------------------------

Gary Carter was the 10th selection of the 2042 draft, taken by the Austin Controllers (formerly the Milwaukee Brewers).

Carter played through the 2063 seasons and, surprisingly, the writers chose not to induct him until his 4th year on the ballot.

Carter is no brainer HOFer, here. However, with positional fatigue set to "very high", catchers have a very difficult time accumulating ink points, which are needed to get in on the First Ballot Standard (though not required to get in via the Standard Standard on the first ballot.

Though his metric numbers here do not approach "once in a generation" status, an argument was made by many writers that he is the best player to play in league history.

This argument would be based on the fact that, as a catcher, he played in 1832 games (3rd) and carried a career .301 batting average and hit 572 HR (one behind Billy Williams and one slot ahead of Carlton Fisk). He ranks number 1 in VORP amongst catchers, for a career.

He collected the palindromic 1661 RBI (31st, one spot ahead of Ken Griffey Jr) and scored 1376 times (52nd, one fewer than Bill Skowron). His .370 OBP and .589 slg% (48th) gave him a career npa OPS+ of 147. He ranks 54th on the career OPS list, between Sam Crawford and Jose Canseco.

He won ROY with a trad line of .315/43/118 in 2043.

At the age of 21 he was the backstop for a WS winning Austin squad. He is the only player from that team in the HOF (and may remain so).

In 2045, he again backstopped the Controllers to a WS win. This time he had CC Sabathia throwing to him

In 2048 the Controllers were contracted and he was the 3rd player selected in what was a dispersal/ammy draft (due to my ignorance the amateurs became part of the dispersion draft and a second set of amateurs were generated for the scheduled ammy draft).

He played one season in San Diego and then signed a three year deal with Boston. When he declined his 3rd year option, he signed a 6 year deal for over $80 million with Florida.

In each of his six seasons with the Marlins, he led them to the WS, winning three times. 5 World Series rings is the most that has been noted for any player. To be the catcher on all of those teams gives you a "beast all-time" argument.

Granted, Florida was stacked with talent that has been inducted into the HOF.

In 2053 he had HOFer Don Mincher hitting 61 HR and a 29 year-old Jim Wynn putting up HOF numbers, when he was healthy. He also was backed up, ably, by a 44 year-old Carlton Fisk.

In 2054 Fisk was gone, Mincher and Wynn struggled, but Carter took charge and hit 45 HR to lead the Fish to the repeat.

In 2056, Mincher had departed, but Florida had added Britt Burns and Gavvy Cravath (who hit 83 HR and a record 199 RBI) to go along with Wynn, who again fought injuries. Carter simply cracked 39 HR and hoisted his 5th trophy.

In 85 post season games, in 10 post seasons, Carter hit 33 HR and drove in 80 runs. He slashed a beyond clutch 325/379/690.

Following contraction, the LDCS was eliminated. In the 2056 run, Carter batted .406 and hit 5 HR in 9 games.

As a backstop, he had no peer, defensively. He won 8 Gold Gloves.

A 7 time All Star, Carter enters the HOF at the age of 47.

Black Ink: 0 (4)
Gray Ink: 102 (75)
HOFm: 283.5 (135)
HOFs: 74 (41)

Gorilla Composite: 4.1 (2.4)

-------------------------------------------------

George Davies was taken by the Blue Jays with the second overall pick in the 2049 draft.

His rookie year he went 14-10 (not bad for a team that had the second pick!) with a 3.07 OOTP ERA (npa ERA+ 156). He struck out 306 men in 243 IP while walking but 69.

This strikeout total would be the lowest of any of his first 8 season in the majors. Holy smoke!

In these first 9 seasons, he won at least 18 games, each year (twice winning 20) and never lost more than 12. The lowest ERA+ for any of these seasons is a 147. Yeeowzer.

In 2051 he was 19-6 with a 3.18 ERA (npa ERA+ 154) and struck out 310 to win the Cy Young Award.
In 2052 he was 20-8 with a 3.24 ERA (npa ERA+ 149) and struck out 311 to win the Cy Young Award.

In 2053 he had rotator cuff surgery and didn't face a single batter.

Medicine is wonderful in this mid 21st Century world.

In 2054 he was 17-12 with a 3.02 ERA (npa ERA+ 152) and struck out 404 to win the Cy Young Award. (12 players have struck out 400 in a season, here)
In 2055 he was 24-9 with a 2.53 ERA (npa ERA+ 189) and struck out 392 to win the Cy Young Award.

FOUR consecutive CYAs. That's a HOFer right there.

In 2055 he made 3 post season starts, went 2-0 and struck out 35 in 22 1/3 IP as the Blue Jays took home the WS trophy. Davies is the only player from this team in the HOF, and probably that will not change. This was Davies' only post season appearance. He certainly made the most of it.

Injuries shortened his 2059 and 2060 seasons. In 2061 he was healthy and posted an 18-5 mark.

In 2062 the Jays were not what they had been, and neither was Davies. They won only 58 games and needed IP. Davies was a gamer, though his 5-18 record and 7.51 ERA showed that the injuries had taken their toll. He stayed with the club through 2063, pitching only 13 innings, and retired as a life-long Blue Jay. Davies owns the franchise leaderboard.

Retired at the age of 35, Davies had compiled 159 wins (94th) vs 110 losses (80th in career win%) and an OOTP ERA of 3.29 (24th), which is good for a npa ERA+ of 147.

He struck out 3515 men (29th) in 2566 1/3 IP (99th). His K/9 rate of 12.3 places him 7th on that career list.

A 7 time All-Star, Davies enters the HOF at the age of 43.

Black Ink: 62
Gray Ink: 165
HOFm: 169.7
HOFs: 35

Gorilla Composite: 4.0

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Jim Wynn has entered all three OOTP HOF.
Benny Kauff, Amos Rusie, Kevin Mitchell, Gary Carter, George Davies and Vin Campbell enter their second OOTP HOF.

[VanillaGorilla]

At the 'halfway point ', the HOF players have a mean Gorilla Composite of 3.8, based on RL HOF numbers. The Median player is Ed Konechty with a 3.4 GC (plot 41). The unrounded whole number modal score is a 2. The rounded whole number modal score is a 3.

The chart shows a solid floor around the 3 line. These entrants have established a very stable set of criteria. The numbers hardly budged, if at all, with the last class of 7 joining. Usually a class that large, even with 100 players already in, will affect the numbers more.

[VanillaGorilla]

This is fun.

Using the Gorilla Composite Score, these are the starters and reserves, based on a 25 man roster. I took the highest scoring player at each position and the 5 highest scoring SP. I took the 2 highest scoring RP (well, that was easy, there are only 2) and then took 3 SP, 3 IF (one 2B/SS, one 2B, SS, or 3B) 1 catcher, and then filled in the rest with remaining high scorers in GC. The DH/PH is the highest scoring position player that is not the highest scoring at his position.

C: Gary Carter
1B: Don Mincher
2B: Larry Doyle
3B: Chipper Jones
SS: Kevin Mitchell
LF: Barry Bonds
CF: Mickey Mantle
RF: Hank Aaron
DH/PH: Shoeless Joe Jackson

SP: Toad Ramsey
SP: Walter Johnson
SP: Rube Waddell
SP: Lefty Grove
SP: Randy Johnson
Set-up: Alex Serrano
Closer: Ben Tincup
BP: Sand Koufax
BP: Carl Hubbell
BP: Dazzy Vance


Bench-

Sam Crawford (OF)
Orlando Cepeda (1B)
Nap Lajoie (2B)
Dave Kingman (OF)
George Brett (3B)
Joe Torre (C)

There are some familiar names and some surprising ones. I will do the same thing at the end of the run and see who gets replaced by players yet to be entered.

[VanillaGorilla]

These players have received the distinct honor of not only being enshrined in the converted tractor shed that is this Hall of Fame, but were inducted on their first ballot:



********************************************
Hank Aaron
Mickey Mantle
Toad Ramsey
George Sisler

********************************************

Barry Bonds
Vin Campbell
Orlando Cepeda
Gavvy Cravath
Larry Doyle
Lefty Grove
Kent Hrbek
Carl Hubbell
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Randy D Johnson
Walter Johnson
Chipper Jones
Dave Kingman
Nap Lajoie
Harry Lumley
Fred McGriff
Don Mincher
Johnny Mize
Amos Rusie
Bill Skowron
Willie Stargell
Rube Waddell

25 players...can make a pretty good team from that. Don Micher would catch with Dave Kingman and Vin Campbell being "emergency" starters (based on their use from this league). I think these 7 pitchers are enough to carry the load.

================================================== ===
Joe Adcock
Home Run Baker
Albert Belle
Steve Carlton
Eddie Collins Sr
Steve Evans
Charlie J Ferguson
Prince Fielder
Lou Gehrig
Hank Greenberg
Richie Hebner
Bob Horner
Frank Howard
Tim Jordan
Al Kaline
Harmon Killebrew
Ralph Kiner
Pedro J Martinez
Willie Mays
Mark McGwire
Bobby Mathews
John Mayberry Sr
Willie McCovey
Stan Musial
Rafael Palmeiro
Mike Piazza
Manny Ramirez
Eppa Rixey
Nolan Ryan
Ron Santo
Mike Schmidt
Gary Sheffield
Hal Trosky Sr
Johnny Vander Meer
David Wright

[VanillaGorilla]

In order to have entered the HOF three times a player must be lucky as well as good.

Lucky enough not to have been created at the start of the league as an old player, or lucky enough to not have been created too close to the end of the league in any of the three runs.

These players are all RL HOFers (denoted with the *) or arguably could/will be. The only exception is Jim Wynn. As much as I love him, he won't see Cooperstown. However, he has demonstrated himself to be a high level player in OOTP.

Al Rosen
Duke Snider *
Gavvy Cravath
George Sisler *
Jim Wynn
Johnny Mize *
Ken Griffey Jr
Larry Doyle
Matt Kilroy
Mickey Mantle *
Nap Lajoie *
Pablo Sandoval
Pete Rose Sr
Sandy Koufax *
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Tim Keefe *
Walter Johnson *

=======================================


Charlie J Ferguson
Ed Walsh*
Eddie Collins Sr*
Hal Newhouser*
Pedro J Martinez
Willie Mays*

[VanillaGorilla]

I messed up the running tally during the thread. I believe I counted John McGraw, but I have him classified as a RL managerial induction for the basis of these inductions.

So, Amos Rusie and Gary Carter are the 32nd and 33rd RL entries here (not the 33rd and 34th). Based on the first two leagues, I would have expected to have around 26 RL HOFers in this Hall, at this point.

Hank Aaron
George Brett
Dan Brouthers
Jim Bunning
Gary Carter
Orlando Cepeda
Sam Crawford
George Davis
Bob Feller
Carlton Fisk
Lefty Grove
Harry Heilmann
Carl Hubbell
Reggie Jackson
Walter Johnson
Tim Keefe
Sandy Koufax
Nap Lajoie
Mickey Mantle
Johnny Mize
Jim H O'Rourke
Tony Perez
Jim Rice
Frank Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Amos Rusie
George Sisler
Duke Snider
Willie Stargell
Dazzy Vance
Rube Waddell
Billy L Williams
Early Wynn

============================================
Roberto Alomar
Home Run Baker
Bert Blyleven
Steve Carlton
Eddie Collins Sr
Lou Gehrig
Hank Greenberg
Harmon Killebrew
Al Kaline
Ralph Kiner
Willie Mays
Willie McCovey
Stan Musial
Hal Newhouser
Eppa Rixey
Nolan Ryan
Ron Santo
Mike Schmidt
Don Sutton
Ed Walsh

[VanillaGorilla]

When I look at these posted lists, two quick thoughts come to mind:

1) The vast majority of these players are, to varying degrees, legendary baseball figures.

2) The surprises are at a pleasing rate, and makes the OOTP parallel universe experience extraordinary.

The list of RL HOFers is, well, a list of legends by it's definition. There is a higher rate of HOFers entered in this HOF, thus far, than in the previous two leagues. Whether or not that has anything to do with any changes in v14, or is just expected variance, I have no way to tell. But it is cool to look at the list in one shot.

The list of first ballot entries is very cool. There you find players like Don Mincher, Bill Skowron and Kent Hrbek, who did not have RL HOF careers, but certainly had a boat load of talent. It is not a stretch to think that if a few things had broke differently for them in their RL careers, that they could have found their way to Cooperstown.

Vin Campbell and Toad Ramsey, well, those are hard to to call. Guys from way back who did have super seasons, but short careers. That they are HOFers (and someone has to take the spots of the players, like Spahn, Bench and Hornsby, that enter the league at the beginning as older players, or like Mel Ott who was spectacular, but CEI'd 8 years in) also demonstrates the unique integration of real stats and the development engine of OOTP*. This aspect of OOTP is simply great, and the recalc + player development options work wonderfully to create this sort of output.

The All-Time great team is a fun thing to put together. There we find Toad Ramsey, again. There we also find Alex Serrano, who makes his second HOF appearance.

This league was started in v14. It was not a v13 import. Serrano's appearance in a v13 and v14 HOF is amazing, especially considering how few RPs get in. The OOTP development engine must simply love him. To have this particular cup-of-coffee player turn onto a HOFer twice at the most underrepresented position may be coincidence of astronomical odds against, or maybe OOTP just loves him.

Either way, a guy that gets 605 saves (170 more than anyone else), however little credence you want to put in the save stat, did his freaking job for a long time. He didn't luck his way to 600 saves. He didn't get 600 saves because of some favoritism by a manger that put him in easy situations over the course of 20 years. He got the job done that he was asked to do over and over and over again. While the name Alex Serrano appearing in a HOF (twice) is a fluke, his entry here based on his stats from this world is anything but flukey. It is completely deserved.

Kevin Mitchell as the starting SS on the best team ever....that is a shock, but again, it points to how cool OOTP is, and that recalc does NOT erase ratings. If it did, he wouldn't have played SS for as long as he did. He played there, developed there, and stayed there. Recalc did not negate his sim experience. VERY cool.

Don Mincher as best 1Bman ever is a surprise, but Mincher was a damn good player during a pitching era. No, he is not in any discussion of a RL HOF entry, but that doesn't mean he was not a quality ball player. That he got the chance to fulfill his potential here is cool.

Larry Doyle over Nap Lajoie?? THAT is a shock, but Larry Doyle IS in a discussion for guys that could be put into Cooperstown. Even though Lajoie is a name of legend, this isn't a death dealing shock.

But what makes all of these entries acceptable is the list of names that make up the majority of the All Time great team roster.

An OF of Bonds, Mantle, Aaron (and Joe Jackson) is about as good as it gets. There is no way that the OF from the second half will be better..it may be comparable, but you can't get better than this. This shows that OOTP works. Yes, it allows Mincher and Mitchell to develop into all time greats, but look at the other 7 starters...all of them are in the upper echelon (or can be argued by their supporters to that effect) of players at their position.

The pitchers here are amazing. Even if the RL Alex Serrano is on this staff, it doesn't matter. The 8 SP here do not need an ace closer.

The most exclusive list is that of the three-for-three HOFers. i touched on them in that post, but there is really not much more to say other than that the Bill Delancey watch (the biggest surprise of the group of players that made it into the first two HOF) is on*.

OK....this "All-Star Break" is over....it's time to get back to playing games. On with the Countdown....

[VanillaGorilla]

I am in a slight holding pattern and am waiting to post the 2073 class.

In the meantime, this is a fun thing to look at.

The following is a list of players who are eligible to be in the HOF who are in the highest positions on the career stats list. The 2073 inductees have been determined, so they will not appear on the lists.

Batting Average: George R Stone, .3339 (16th)
OBP: Roy A Thomas, .4218 (7th)*
SLG: Rocky Colavito, .6182 (28th)**
OPS: Rocky Colavito, 1.0218 (21st)***
VORP: Roberto Alomar, 722.58 (51st)
Games: Gil Hodges, 2831 (1st)
AB: Gil Hodges, 10284 (2nd)
Runs: Gil Hodges, 1639 (14th)
Hits: Gil Hodges, 2775 (16th)
Total Bases: Gil Hodges, 5219 (13th)
Singles: Luke Appling, 2007 (4th)
Doubles: Billy Herman, 620 (6th)
Triples: Starlin Castro, 91 (6th)
Home Runs: Gil Hodges, 652 (18th)
RBI: Gil Hodges, 1799 (16th)
SB: Billy Sunday, 589 (7th...appropriate)
Caught Stealing: Donie Bush, 157 (7th)
Walks: Randy Milligan, 1357 (9th)
Strikeouts: Gil Hodges, 2812 (1st)
WAR: Roberto Alomar, 74.95 (60th)

Gil Hodges and Roberto Alomar are solid bets to get in. All of the others listed are dark horses and long shots.

* Billy Hamilton is in the 3rd spot, but did not play 10 years before retiring
**Both Mel Ott and Bobby Bonds are ahead of Colavito in the 12 and 20 spots, but retired before logging 10 years of ML time.
*** Ott and Bonds in slots 11 and 20

[VanillaGorilla]

ERA: George Mohart, 2.974 (13th)*
Wins: Bert Blyleven/Curt Schilling, 234 (t-12th)
Losses: Burt Blyleven, 228 (3rd)
Win%: Bob Logan, .6418 (15th)**
Saves: Tom Henke, 435 (2nd)
Games: Huston Street, 1203 (2nd)
Games Started: Bert Blyleven, 602 (7th)
Complete Games: Bobo Newsom, 76 (5th)
Shutouts: Billy Rhines, 17 (t-8th)
IP: Burt Blyleven, 4104.1 (9th)
Hits Allowed: Bert Blyleven, 4007 (5th)
HR Allowed: Bert Blyleven, 561 (2nd)
Strikeouts: Bert Blyleven, 4233 (12th)
BB: Monte McFarland, 1323, 4th
BB/9: Unknown McDoolan, 0.893 (3rd)***
H/9: George Knight, 6.91 (6th)
K/9: George Knight, 12.241 (8th)****
VORP: Josh Johnson, 685.71 (23rd)
WHIP: Bert Dorr, 1.102 (12th)*****
OpBA: George Knight, .2117 (7th)
OpOBP: Bert Dorr, .2817 (19th)
OpSLG: George Mohart, .3222 (2nd)
OpOPS: Jackie May, .6363 (14th)******
WAR: Josh Johnson, 89.53 (23rd)

It is hard to make a call on any of these pitchers. Any, or none could get in, as things set now. Since the number of pitchers that have gotten in is smaller than expected, there are many candidates not in that could get in. There are also several recently retired pitchers who will vie for upcoming spots that are ahead of those listed in various categories.

I wish I could say that Schill is a lock, but I cannot, at this point.

*Peek-A-Boo Veach is 9th, but did not play 10 years.
** Jon Matlack, Al Spalding, Peek-A-Boo Veach and Candy Cummings are all ahead on the list, but each retired with less than years ML service time.
***Hugh Campbell is the All-Time leader, 0.783, but retired before playing 10 years.
****Cal Vasbinder and George Earnshaw are ahead of Knight, but did not play 10 years
*****Peek-A-Boo Veach, 7th
****** Peek_A_Boo Veach, 7th

[VanillaGorilla]

Yep. Wolf and Hawke. This post has not been sponsored by Mohegan Sun, if there was any thought as to potential corporate corruption of the HOF process. Though with Pete Rose and Hal Chase on the committee, who knows?

-------------------------------------

Lefty Wolf was selected in the 2nd rd (70th pick) by the Diamondbacks in the 2029 draft.

He enters the HOF as the career leader in ERA (2.61), Opp SLG (.294) and Opp OPS (.585).

He compiled a career record of 74-63 and was credited with 373 saves (5th) in 955 GP (12th), all in relief. Twice he led the league in saves, including a career high 44 in in 2041.

His most eye popping season was in 2046. He made 41 appearances and was 5-0 with 23 saves. His OOTP ERA for that season was 0.42. That gave him the most gaudy npa ERA+ I can recall ever seeing. 1081.

This brings us to the delay in the posting.

Note that I have not mentioned his career ERA+. I wil no longer post that figure, or the career OPS+ figure. They are calculated incorrectly.

It took an off the charts extreme season to make this coding error obvious.

OOTP gives him a 249 career ERA+. In order for that to be accurate, the lgERA for his career would have to be around 6.50. All of the in which seasons he pitched the lgERA was in the mid 4s.

His actual (npa) ERA+ is a 168.

I was bummed to discover this. This is a doable fix (in fact, a user claims to already have a fix that can be used). The powers that be have been made aware of this. I hope the correction will be included in the next patch.

Aside: The reason you don't see a figure other than a 0 for a player's season ERA+ or OPS+ is because if you use the method employed by OOTP for the career calculation and apply it to one season, it is clearly inaccurate. The calculation of individual seasons are accurate.

He left Arizona and joined the Orioles for the 2038 season and was their closer. He saved 22 games, had an OOTP ERA of 1.47 (npa ERA+ 295) and celebrated in October with a WS win. HOFers (and members of the greatest team in history) George Brett, Shoeless Joe Jackson and Randy Johnson were all on that team. Sweet.

In 2046, his 1081 npa ERA_ season, he was the stopper for the Tribe as he and HOF Wayne Gross, tasted WS victory, together.

Wolf struck put 1205 men and walked 372 in 943 career IP. He ranks 19th on the career K/9 list with a rate of 11.501.

He made his final ML appearance in 2048. He retired in 2050.

A 7 time All Star, Wolf enters the HOF at the age of 62.

Black Ink: 7
Gray Ink: 28
HOFm: 134.5
HOFs: 21

Gorilla Composite: 1.6

---------------------------------------------

Bill Hawke is a great example of the value of a Veterans Committee and why the notion of "if he's not a HOFer right away, he should never be a HOFer" lacks merit.

Hawke was the 27th overall selection in the 2009 draft by the Braves. He posted a career record of 173 (74th)-132 with an OOTP ERA of 3.18 (20th). When the HOF was established in 2034, his career did not compare to the likes of Toad Ramsey or Sandy Koufax. But now, 44 years after his retirement, his numbers have held up in the historical context of the league that has been established in the 40 years since the HOF was created.

There has been no radical alteration in the game environment of this league in its 70 year existence. It isn't like there was a dead ball era or a pitching era or a steroid era that makes for a degree of difficulty when comparing raw player stats.

Hawke enters the HOF 22nd on the career VORP list and 20th on the career WAR list. No eligible pitcher ranks higher that is not in the HOF. Considering he is the 34th pistcher to be inducted, it is a deserving honor for him to receive. Should he have been inducted right away because he struck out 3272 hitters (39th)? Well, there have been 49 pitchers here who have reached the 3000 strikeout level. There was no way to know how less important that milestone is in the context of this league compared to RL that it is.

No, he did not have a career comparable to Ramsey or Koufax, but no one who isn't named Johnson really hasn't, either.

He left the Braves for the Mets in 2016. He made a big splash in the Big Apple as he picked up the Cy Young Award by going 21-6 with a 2.50 OOTP ERA (npa ERA+ 167) striking out 332 men in 252 IP while walking only 56.

In 2024 he suffered a blown elbow and missed 13 months. His Mets won the WS that year, lead by Barry Bonds. He was there celebrating with his teammates.

Hawke won a GG and was named to 2 All Star teams. He enters the hall as the oldest player in history to do so at the age of 83 years 287 days.

Black Ink: 29
Gray Ink: 108
HOFm: 94.8
HOFs: 41

Gorilla Composite: 2.6

[VanillaGorilla]

The career OPS+/ERA+ thing really has me discouraged. These figures now mean nothing, and when doing a HOF, even if the numbers are not park adjusted, the figure gives a nice indication of performance for players who played at different times.

I am simply not motivated to make detailed posts, now. To calculate the correct numbers is doable, by me, but it is an additional amount of time that should not be required by the user.

-----------------------------------------------

Steve Evans (2051-2067):

pick 1 2050 (San Diego Jewels)

no WS wins

2430 hits (56th)
574 doubles (16th)
53 triples
280 HR
1275 RBI (100th)
1367 runs (57th)
310/398/504 (89th/42nd/*)

twice led league in HBP, 231 for career

3 All Star teams

43 years old

Black Ink: 13
Gray Ink: 94
HOFm: 99
HOFs: 59

Gorilla Composite: 3.0

-------------------------------------------

Hal Trosky Sr (2049-2067):

pick 20, 2048 (Columbus Prairie Thunder)

WS winner 2058 with Cleveland (Gavvy Cravath, Ken Griffey Jr)
WS winner 2060 with Cleveland (Carl Hubbell)

ROY 2049: 213 H, 41 HR, 120 RBI, 107 R, 336/392/596, npa OPS+ 157
MVP 2053: 230 H, 53 HR, 175 RBI, 142 R, 340/392/651, npa OPS+ 167
MVP 2057: 212 H, 44 HR, 103 RBI, 122 R, 339/409/610, noa OPS+ 169

2809 hits (13th)
543 double (26th)
540 HR (41st)
1750 RBI (21st)
1588 R (18th)
303/367/544

7 time AS
43 y/o

Black Ink: 52 (6)
Gray Ink: 202 (108)
HOFm: 292.5 (77)
HOFs: 58 (30)

Gorilla Composite: 6.4 (2.1)

Both Evans and Trosky enter in their first year on the ballot.

------------------------------------------

Steve Evans enters his second OOTP HOF
Lefty Wolf, Bill Hawke, and Hal Trosky enter their first OOTP HOF.

[VanillaGorilla]

Bill Hawke's tenure as the oldest player to be inducted lasted less than a year. Tom Henke is now the oldest player to give an acceptance speech, at the age 89 years 49 days.

Henke was selected by the Cardinals with the 27th pick of the 2010 draft.

He enters the HOF 2nd to Alex Serrano on the career save list with 435.

Twice he led the league in saves, but his career high of 47 in 2012 was not a league leading number. Still he fanned 106 batters in 74 1/3 IP that season and posted an OOTP ERA of 1.94 (npa ERA+ 192).

His best season was probably in 2014 when he saved 36, struck out 103 in 70 1/3 IP while walking 21. His ERA of 1.41 gave him a npa ERA+ of 295.

In his career he appeared in 1116 games (4th). He struck out 1412 men in 1143 2/3 IP (28th K/9) while walking 394. He carried a career OOTP ERA of 3.02.

OOTP lists his career npa ERA+ as 155. It is actually 138. I am not going back to figure out the previous entrants...a patch should do this for me....hint hint.

Henke had a rough go of it in the post season. In 23 games, he was 0-3 with 1 save and a 5.55 ERA. The Veterans Committee noted that this was why they thought the writers had not inducted him, but in the context of how his work has stood up through the years, the determined it was time to give him a plaque.

An 8 time All Star, Henke appeared in one WS, but came up on the losing end. He retired in 2029.

Black Ink: 6 (3)
Gray Ink: 39 (29)
HOFm: 149.3 (75)
HOFs: 26 (19)

Gorilla Composite: 1.8 (1.1)

Using the standards in place here for RP and applying them to his RL numbers, Tom Henke should be in the RL HOF.

------------------------------------------------------

Charlie Keller was fittingly taken by the Yankees with the 13th pick in the 2019 draft.

In a career that spanned through the 2049 season, Keller posted career slash line of 285/395/551 (*/55th, one spot behind Hank Aaron/*). He ranks 70th on the career OPS list, one spot behind Jackie Robinson.

Keller fought through multiple lengthy injuries during his playing days. Still, he was able to hit 30 HR 5 times, including a career high 44 in 2025, just one year after hitting a league leading 10 triples.

Keller hit 417 career HR in 6150 AB. He tallied 1155 RBI and scored 1145 runs. He also drew 1107 walks in his career (30th, one spot behind Larry Doyle).

A 4 time All Star and 3 time GG winner, Keller enters the HOF at the age of 75. There is no eligible player with a better career WAR number who is not already inducted.

Black Ink: 6 (4)
Gray Ink: 56 (85)
HOFm: 71.5 (52)
HOFs: 40 (30)

Gorilla Composite: 1.9 (1.7)

-----------------------------------------------

Tom Henke's reign as the oldest player to be inducted into the HOF lasted about 25 minutes. When Huston Street gave his speech, at the age of 92 years 190 days, he took that claim to (Hall of) Fame.

There is no pitcher that is older than Street (Toad Ramsey is 6 days younger) and only Jim Ray Hart is an older member of the HOF.

Street was selected in the 19th rd of the 2004 Inaugural Draft, 11 spots after Sandy Koufax. Street went to the Angels.

He saved 26 games that first season, and was used as a closer through 2010 when he saved 40 for the Rangers after being traded there for Mike Konnick (he won't be seeing the tractor shed).

Street was only used as a closer one more season when in 2020, at the age of 37, he made 76 appearances and saved 21 games while sporting a 2.45 OOTP ERA for a npa ERA+ of 168, the best of his career.

Street took his roll as MR/set-up guy very well.

In 2015, now a member of the Rays, he set up for HOFer Alex Serrano. HOFer Matt Kilroy was the ace of that rotation and the Rays were WS Champs.

Street enters the HOF second only to Serrano in G with 1203. Only one active player is within 400 of street's career appearances. Street retired in 2024.

Street saved 265 games (21st). He was a three time All Star.

Street is a floor breaker.

Black Ink: 3
Gray Ink: 25
HOFm: 62.5
HOFs: 6

Gorilla Composite: 0.7

[VanillaGorilla]

I had said that Roberto Alomar was a solid bet to enter the Hall, and it did not take long for the writers to put him in after I said that.

Alomar was taken by the Reds with the 3rd overall pick in the 2043 draft. He retired in 2065 with a career slash line of 315/379/489, placing him 65th on the career BA list.

He played for the Reds through 2057, twice winning the Gold Glove at 2B. After playing out a 5 year $52M contract, and batting .283 in his free agent year, Alomar found no takers for his asking price in 2058 and sat out his 33 year-old year.

He signed a 2 year $6M deal with Indianapolis for the 2059 season. The Stripes had won 69 games the year before, 61 the year before that, and 60 in the year before that.

Alomar was a good signing as he batted .299 and led the Stripes to 94 wins and their first WS win. Alomar is the only player from that team in the HOF. At this time, no other player from that squad is on the HOF radar.

His best season was perhaps 2058 when he led the league with 205 hits, 137 runs and 50 SB. He slashed 337/410/553 (npa OPS+ 149) and hit 22 HR.

Alomar hit 21 HR his rookie year to take ROY honors. He hit 20 HR 5 times in his career.

He picked up 2434 career hits (56th, 2 more than Steve Evans). 470 of those were doubles (67th), 73 triples (10th), and 245 HR. He scored 1341 runs (62nd), drove in 1054 and stole 363 bases (39th, 6 fewer than Mike Trout).

A 6 time All Star, Alomar enters the Hall at the age of 49.

Black Ink: 9 (3)
Gray Ink: 61 (95)
HOFm: 130 (194)
HOFs: 60 (57)

Gorilla Composite: 2.9 (3.2)

Alomar is a proper RL HOF entry based on the standards in use here. However, I would have been amongst the 10% of voters that did not name him on a ballot. In years past, I was not a supporter of Lou Whitaker being in the Hall. Now, I will definitely take the point on the "If Alomar is in, Whitaker HAS to be in" argument.

-------------------------------------------------

Oh, God! George Burns is in the HOF! George H Burns, that is.

Burns was selected by the Marlins with the 8th pick in the 2050 draft. Burns had a remarkable career, playing through the 2066 season, all with Florida.

Playing with one team for a career is remarkable enough, but Burns was also remarkably durable. He never played in less than 121 games in a season. Considering the injury and fatigue settings in use, that is extraordinary.

And since he played only for the Marlins, tha means he was part of their historic 5 consecutive pennant wins and 3 WS winners.

In the WS years of 2052-2056, Burns never batted below .343 for a season. He collected 200 hits 4 times, hit at least 40 doubles, at least 24 HR, 98 RBI and 105 RBI.

Burns may be the latest from these Marlins teams to join the HOF, but he will not be the last. This was an incredible dynasty that occurred.

His HOF teammates from winning years:

2053 - Gary Carter, Carlton Fisk, Don Micher, Jim Wynn
2054 - Carter, Mincher, Wynn
2056 - Carter, Wynn, Gavvy Cravath, Brit Burns

How about that....2 Burns Boys in the HOF and they were teammates for a WS winner.

For his career, George H Burns collected 2561 hits (38th, between Hans Lobert and Adeiny Hechavarria), 592 doubles (13th, one fewer than Dan Brouthers), 278 HR, 1263 RBI and scored 1313 runs (71st).

He ranks 37th in BA and has a career slash line of 322/365/513.

A 5 time All Star, Burns enters the HOF at the age of 43.

Black Ink: 15 (9)
Gray Ink: 144 (83)
HOFm: 166 (64)
HOFs: 48 (24)

Gorilla Composite: 3.6 (1.8)

------------------------------------------------------

Charlie Keller enters his second OOTP HOF.

Roberto Alomar, Tom Henke, George H Burns and Huston Street enter their first OOTP HOF.

Alomar is the 34th RL HOFer to gain entry, here.

[VanillaGorilla]

Joe Rudi is a very cool pick by the Vets. At the age of 51, Rudi enters as the youngest player to be inducted as a Veteran.

Rudi was the third overall selection in the 2042 draft, chosen by the Blue Jays.

He broke in as a 19 year-old hitting 31 HR, batting .306 and driving in 112. The 31 HR would be a career high (which he matched twice) and his 45 doubles would also be a career high (which he matched once). He won the Gold Glove in LF, but was overlooked for ROY honors.

Rudi has exactly 10 years of ML service time...10 yrs 0 days. That is what you need to be in the HOF.

In those 10 seasons he slashed 324/364/562 (32nd, between Al Oliver and Pete Rose/*/84th). He collected 1619 hits, 262 HR, 348 doubles, 957 RBI and scored 793 times. Though far from a base stealing threat of Rickey proportions, he was a smart and opportune thief. He swiped 23 career bases and was caught only 3 times.

He joined the Tampa Rays in 2050, and in 2051 he, along with HOFer Kent Hrbek, brought home the WS trophy to the Gulf Coast. There will be more HOFers from this team....trust me....soon.

On April 1, 2053, he received the cruelest of April Fool's jokes and suffered a CEI.

Rudi was a star 29 year-old, and was done. He appeared in 4 All-Star games and won 2 GGs in his career. A Kirby Puckett type of entry. The Vets got this one right.

Black Ink: 4 (6)
Gray Ink: 64 (49)
HOFm: 97.5 (28)
HOFs: 36 (12)

Gorilla Composite: 2.0 (1.0)

[VanillaGorilla]

The second posted solid bet, Gil Hodges, finds his way to the converted tractor shed in the cornfield outside of Dyersville, IA, that is this Hall of Fame.

Hodges had a career in stark contrast to Vet inductee Joe Rudi, but is a solid HOFer, in his own right.

Hodges was taken by the Cardinals with the 23rd pick in the 2038 draft. He logged 23 years of service time before retiring in 2063.

Hodges experienced injuries not significantly greater than, or less than, what is the norm, here. He was a very consistent, if not historically spectacular, throughout his career.

12 times he hit 30 HR in a season. 4 times he broke 40.

He enters the HOF as the career leader in Games played (2831). He also enters as the career leader in strikeouts (2812).

Hodges collected 2775 career hits (18th, one spot behind Hal Chase). 652 of them were HR (19th, one fewer than Fred McGriff and one spot ahead of Chipper Jones) and 428 were doubles (t-96th Smokey Burgess and Jimmy Rollins). He tallied 1799 RBI (16th, one spot behind Frank Robinson) and scored 1639 times (17th, one spot ahead of George Davis). He also drew 1174 career walks (20th, one spot ahead of Jim Gentile) while posting a slash line of 270/346/507.

In 2043 he put up a career high BA, slashing 307/389/561 (career hgh npa OPS+ 151) while hitting 30 HR and driving in 91 as the regular catcher for a Cardinal team that won the WS. HOFer Harry Lumley was also on that squad.

A four time All Star, Hodges picked up one Gold Glove at 1B. He enters as a 1Bman at the age of 53 (I like this world).

Hodges holds the league record for striking out in a season: 205 (2048).

Black Ink: 3 (2)
Gray Ink: 69 (128)
HOFm: 120.5 (83)
HOFs: 52 (32)

Gorilla Composite: 2.4 (2.1)

Hodges is one of those RL HOF candidates that put me on the fence. Using the standards here and applying them to RL, he does not get in. If he gets some "good guy" credit and gets in, I would be fine with that. If he doesn't get in, I do not think it is a travesty. He is a true bubble candidate.

-------------------------------------------

Manny Ramirez was chosen by the Braves with the 5th pick of the 2046 draft.

Man Ram had a very similar career to Gil Hodges, here. He did not have outlying spectacular seasons, but he raked for 23 years. Manny, being Manny, hit homers and drove men home.

He hit 615 HR (25th, one spot ahead of Ken Griffey Jr) and collected 1843 RBI (13th, one spot ahead of Billy Williams). He rapped 2573 hits (34th, one spot behind Dan Brouthers), 447 of which were doubles (86th). He drew 1084 walks (35th) and slashed 297/379/567, placing him 73rd on the career slg list (one spot behind Chipper Jones). He is also 73rd on the career OPS list, one spot behind Charlie Keller. Ramirez crossed the plate 1585 times (22nd).

In 2049 he hit a career high 48 HR and drove in a career high 136 (and struck out a career high 171 times) as he powered the Braves to a Championship. He is the first player from this team to be inducted.

Manny fanned 2178 times in his career (13th).

Manny retired in 2069 as a 4 time All Star. He enters the HOF at the age of 47. Manny graces the Hall in his first year on the ballot.

Black Ink: 0 (21)
Gray Ink: 75 (154)
HOFm: 133 (226)
HOFs: 63 (69)

Gorilla Composite: 2.7 (4.7)

Using the standards in place here and applying the to RL, Manny would be a no-brainer HOFer, based on his numbers.

---------------------------------------------

Nate Colbert was selected by the Astros with the 13th pick in the 2039 draft. A player the writers have come close to entering in years past finally gets his spot in the tractor shed.

Though his career totals are comparable to Hodges and Ramirez, they aren't quite as good. However, he had individual seasons that surpassed any of his slugger classmates.

He broke into the league hitting 51 HR and driving in 138 to win Rookie of the Year. Colbert would top 50 HR 4 times in his career.

In 2047, having just signed a big deal with Oakland, Colbert proved his worth and took MVP honors by hitting a career high 65 HR and driving in a career high 143 runs. Not only did he lead the league in HR, he led in runs scored with a career high 140. He slashed 317/404/689 for a career high npa OPS+ of 179.

In his Free Agent season with Oakland, he hit 54 HR and picked up 140 RBI and parlayed that season into a deal with the Rays for the 2050 season.

Yes, the Rays opened their wallets to both Joe Rudi and Nate Colbert that off season, to join HOF backstop John Romano, which turned into a WS title in 2051. Colbert hit 30 HR and drove in 93 in that 2051 campaign.

For his career, Colbert hit 593 HR (28th, one spot behind Al Rosen) on 2213 base raps (97th, between Mickey Mantle and Dave Kingman). He amassed 1591 RBI (t-42 Jose Canseco), scored 1395 times (51st, between Bob Watson and Tony Perez). He drew 881 career walks and had a career slash line of 282/356/564.

He ranks 82nd on the career slg list, one spot behind Larry Doyle.

A four time All-Star, Colbert won a GG in CF. He enters the HOF at the age of 53.

Black Ink: 14
Gray Ink: 110
HOFm: 169
HOFs: 46

Gorilla Composite: 3.3

------------------------------------------

All players in the 2075 Class are entering their first OOTP HOF.

[VanillaGorilla]

Schmidt and Mathews in the same class?!? How cool! However, only one is a third baseman.

-------------------------------------------

Mike Schmidt was a third baseman (no kidding!). For a player who is IRL identified with Philadelphia, the birthplace of the USA, it is cool that he enters in the Tricentennial of the nation's founding.

Schmidt was selected by the Reds with the top pick in the 2048 draft. Genius scouting not needed for that pick.

Schmidt had an incredible career, here. He played through the 2070 season and enters the Hall with staggering career totals, including:

813 HR (6th, between Dave Kingman and Willie Stargell)
2057 RBI (6th, one spot in front of Orlando Cepeda)
1853 R (6th, one spot in front of Larry Doyle)
1456 BB (5th, one spot in front of Chipper Jones)

He also was plunked 146 times in his career.

Schmidt collected 2429 career hits (60th, one fewer than Steve Evans) and slashed 289/400/635 (*/39th/10th). Schmidt ranks 15th on the career OPS list, one spot behind Barry Bonds).


He enters the HOF as the leader amongst third basemen in HR, RBI, slg%, and total bases.

In the field he is the career leader at third in Zone Factor and DP turned. Schmidt won 7 Gold Gloves at 3B, one fewer than record holder Tim Wallach.

Schmidt broke in by collecting 184 hits, 41 doubles, 4 triples, 66 HR, 164 RBI, scoring 159 runs, and slashing 338/447/719 (npa OPS+ 219). All of these figures would be career highs. He picked up ROY and MVP for this output.

In 2055 he again hit 66 HR and picked up his second of two career MVPs.

Schmidt appeared in 4 post seasons, but never a WS.

An 11 time All Star selection, Schmidt won 4 HR crowns. He enters as a First Balloter at the age of 48.

Black Ink: 46 (74)
Gray Ink: 171 (224)
HOFm: 310 (250)
HOFs: 77 (56)

Gorilla Composite: 6.5 (7.1)

-------------------------------------------------

One year after Schmidt was taken with the top pick, Bobby Mathews was selected with first overall pick. Now, he joins Schmidt as the HOF Class of 2076.

As a rookie he posted a 19-7 record with an OOTP ERA of 2.42 (npa ERA+ 197). In 267 2/3 IP, he struck out a career high 445 men (3rd highest in league history, behind Dazzy Vance and Toad Ramsey) while walking a measly 27. He fired 3 Shutouts on 10 CGs to take Rookie of the Year, and the Cy Young.

His Giants also won the WS and Mathews teamed with HOFer Brit Burns for a deadly 1-2 punch.

Things only got better, as Mathews won his second CYA in his sophomore season with a line of 22-5, 2.41 (npa ERA+ 201). He struck out 395 and walked 33. Mathews picked up the Triple Crown for this effort, as well.

He would strike out 300 men in a year 7 times, before he retired in 2070, and finish with 3943 (16th).

He had another fine season in 2052, but did not win the CYA hardware.

Injuries became frequent and Mathews lost his groove. He eventually went down for a year with rotator cuff issues.

That may have halted the career of a mere mortal. Like a Superman, what injuries did not kill Mathews' career made him stronger.

Having troubles in 2056, the Giants unloaded him to Indy. He left there for Colorado, but was still seeking to regain his form. He signed a minor league deal with Columbus and posted a 13-4 record in 19 starts with the Thunder in 2061.

The Giants wanted him back, and offered him a two year deal starting in the 2062 season.

He rewarded them by winning the CYA. In 2063, he won it again.

He was let go to Free Agency and he signed with the Cardinals. In 2064, he again won the CYA. In 2065, he did it again.

In this 4 year span he had a record of 77-22, struck out 1251 men while walking only 162 in nearly 1000 IP.

6 Cy Youngs...that's a HOFer.

For his career he posted a mark of 233 wins (16th, tied with WS teammate Brit Burns) and 130 losses and an OOTP ERA of 3.48. His career win% of .6419 ranks him 11th at the time of his induction.

Mathews piched 55 CGs in his career (20th, 1 fewer than Brit Burns) and 15 shutouts (t-15th Bob Feller and Randy Johnson).

An 8 time All Star, Mathews twice won the pitcher's Gold Glove. He enters the HOF at the age of 44 in his first year of eligibility.

Black Ink: 85 (30)
Gray Ink: 225 (289)
HOFm: 227 (162)
HOFs: 54 (49)

Gorilla Composite 5.6 (4.1)

Using the standards in place here and applying them to RL, Bobby Mathews should be in Cooperstown.

----------------------------------

Bobby Mathews enters his second OOTP HOF.
Mike Schmidt enters his first OOTP HOF.

Schmidt is the 35th RL HOFer, out of 120 total entrants, to be inducted, here.

[VanillaGorilla]

I have been adding the names of RL HOFers, 3rd Timers, and First Balloters to the lists above.

This time, no names get added to any lists, because no one gained entry.

What has happened over the last few classes, starting 2072, is a neat dynamic.

7 players got in in 2072. All of the selections were solid Ink/HOF numbers entries. I noted that the numbers didn't budge from this class, which was amazing in itself.

Since these deserving candidates were now off the ballot, when the voters (writers and Veterans Committee) decided to put people in, they had to dig a little deeper. And we got entries like Henke and Street and Charlie Keller.

These entries opened the door for Joe Rudi. The Vets argued that Rudi was every bit as good as Keller, but he had a bad turn of luck, otherwise he would have put up more traditional career HOF totals. The HOF shouldn't just be for the accumulation of career stats (other than 10 years of service time).

These entries opened the door for Duke Snider and Nate Colbert, as now they looked deserving in terms of who was admitted previously and moved from bubble boys to HOFers.

When this happens, the writers become more likely to induct players on their First Ballot, through the First Ballot Standard.

This is what happened in 2076. There were no entries, but for the First Ballot Standard inductions of Schmidt and Mathews. The decreased numeric standards of the recent inductions did not affect their selection, one bit...they were both no brainers.

Because they were both strong numerically, they pulled the numbers (slightly) back up.

Since they took spots that had not yet been generated, that removes spots in following years. What this does is allow guys to stay on the spreadsheet...errrrr....ballot....and not be removed when they run out of checks, which is a sliding scale based on the number of previous checks. This makes it more likely that some players will get in via the Veteran Standard by the Veterans Committee...which will bring down the numbers....making it easier for players to get in on the Standard Standard, and First Ballot Standard, which raises the numbers back up, again.

So, right now, we are in a period of cooling off for the voters. This could all change next year, or it could be a trend for a few years, yet. In either case, players with resumes like Schmidt and Mathews will still get in on the First Ballot Standard, but these entries will force other players to wait longer to get in.

[VanillaGorilla]

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