Since we have some comments now, I’ll add my thoughts.
Roger Maris
Maris is famous for, well, 61. Other than that he wasn’t the player Freddie Lynn was, really.
Joe Gordon
Gordon is remarkably underrated; he was an awesome defensive player and a hell of a hitter for many awesome teams. His career was short, shortened by the war, and I guess he’s not quite great enough to get my vote, but I’d vote for him ahead of a lot of guys with 100 on the HoF monitor, that’s for sure.
Dick Allen
Allen was basically Albert Belle. I wouldn’t vote for either of them. Had Allen played 2600 games, maybe. He didn’t, so no.
Thurman Munson
Munson was a really good player and everything, but no.
Marty Marion
No.
Don Newcombe
Drank his chance away.
Maury Wills
Aside from the fact that he wasn’t any better a player than Bert Campaneris, he was also the biggest jackass in the game. Not that jackasses can’t make it to the Hall of Fame, but when your resume’s slim to start with, you need a little presentation.
Ken Boyer
A great and now forgotten player. 5% worse than Ron Santo in every regard, though, so obviously he shouldn’t go in just yet.
Joe Torre
I agree that they should wait until he retires as a manager and then induct him.
Sparky Lyle
Sparky Lyle is an intersting case, in that he was the absolute shit in the 1970s - one of the most famous baseball players in the world and at or around the center of the baseball universe for a substantial period of time. And yet, today, you never seem to hear anyone talk about him. He was a good relief pitcher for a really long time but so was Tug McGraw and he’s not even on the ballot.
Gil Hodges
Very good player but not as great as the RBI numbers would suggest. Awesome defensive player, which would mean a lot more if he hadn’t played first base. I would not complain if he made it but wouldn’t vote for him.
Ron Santo
The sabermetrician’s HOF boner. I’d vote for him. I would certainly NOT vote for him just to get more third basemen into the Hall of Fame, though. That’s a terrible reason.
Carl Mays
Lots of better pitchers aren’t in. Like…
Luis Tiant
About as good as Mays but in a career about 15-20% longer. Still, no.
Mickey Lolich
Slightly longer career than Tiant, gave up a few more runs though. Nope.
Jim Kaat
Kaat was about as effective as Lolich, but obviously in a MUCH longer career. Blyleven should go in before he does.
Kaat’s 16 straight Gold gloves, more than anything, should tell you how stupid that award is. Kaat was a good fielder but does anyone seriously believe he had the best fielding performance of any pitcher in his league sixteen years in a row? Has anyone in the entire history of baseball been the best HITTER at this position 16 years in a row? You think he was that good even in 1969 when the man made EIGHT errors, and had a fielding percentage of .826? He wasn’t a good fielder that year, he was awful.
Wes Ferrell
About as effective a pitcher as Carl Mays but actually had a shorter career. Ferrell, of course, was a legitimate major league hitter, which has some value but that so much that it makes him a Hall of Famer.
Al Oliver
A pretty good player for a long time, which doesn’t inspire me to say yes.
Mickey Vernon
Al Oliver, 1950’s Edition.
Bobby Bonds
A spectacularly gifted player, but attitude and booze problems shortened his career. Not a HoFer in my book - he was no greater than Reggie Smith - but much better than he is remembered as being.
Tony Oliva
a very good player, but again, it’s hard to explain why he is any greater than Bobby Bonds, or Reggie Smith, or Fred Lynn, etc. etc.
Lefty O’Doul
Only had five full major league seasons. He had some remarkable season totals, but that was in a day when the whole league hit .285-.300. In context his career basically constitutes one third of Fred McGriff’s career.
Vada Pinson
Really good for a long time, but never really great.
Rocky Colavito
His inspiring victory over Ivan Drago, the Siberian Express, after the death of Apollo Creed was… oh, sorry, wrong Rocky. No, he’s not a Hall of Famer.
Minnie Minoso
Absolutely, 100% yes. One of the most underrated players in the history of baseball, a first rate hitter and a terrific fielder who probably lost a few years of his career to racism, and still had a reasonably long career.
Curt Flood
No. I know a lot of people want to put him in the Hall of Fame because he challenged the Reserve Clause, but… so what? He lost the case. Are we seriously going to enshrine a guy in the Hall of Fame who wasn’t as good as Kenny Lofton because he lost a court case?
Don’t get me wrong, I admire Flood for taking a stand, but are we going to put Dave McNally in the Hall of Fame, too?
Cecil Travis
No.