# SDMB Baseball Hall of Fame Vote #5: Third Basemen **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [August 8, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256 "2008-08-08T02:42:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/1 "2008-08-08T02:42:27Z")
This is the fifth round of voting on the SDMB Baseball Hall of Fame. In this round we will be voting on third basemen. The rules remain the same as before: 1. Please vote for TEN third basemen who have played major league baseball in North America, not including Negro League play, for which we will have other rounds of voting. You may vote for fewer than ten if you like, but I do ask you name ten if you possibly can. If you vote for more than ten, all names past #10 are discounted. The order you place the players in makes no difference. 2. Your votes are not restricted by any restriction Cooperstown uses. You may vote for currently active players, players who have just recently retired, or players who eligibility to Cooperstown has passed. 3. The ten players who receive the most votes are immediately inducted into the Hall of Fame. Voting closes at midnight EDT on Sunday. 4. Although I will provide, in this post, a full list of all third basemen who are in the Hall of Fame, likely candidates, or had careers of significant length and accomplishment, **it is an open ballot and you may vote for absolutely anyone you wish. If I miss a really significant name, please make it known.** 5. Discussion is encouraged but please let some votes gather up first. Detailed discussion of this series of threads may be found here: > **[SDMB HoF chatter](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=477967)** > > I’m starting this because in his fine thread(s), RickJay seems to be discouraging of discussion that overwhelms the voting, that argues too much with other voters’ choices, etc. I like discussion and argument and don’t wish to disrespect the OP’s... **Eligibility Note:** Alex Rodriguez, while he is currently a third baseman, was elected as a shortstop. You still have time to vote on the shortstop ballot before midnight tonight - AND THERE’S ANOTHER TIE FOR TENTH! [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=478259&page=1&pp=50](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=478259&page=1&pp=50) Thanks, and happy voting! Sal Bando Frank “Home Run” Baker Buddy Bell Ossie Bluege Wade Boggs Clete Boyer Ken Boyer Bill Bradley George Brett Ken Caminiti Vinny Castilla Ron Cey Harlond Clift Jimmy Collins Lave Cross Doug DeCinces Art Devlin Bo Elliott Darrell Evans Chipper Jones Gary Gaetti Larry Gardner Heinie Groh Stan Hack Willie Kamm George Kell Ken Keltner Carney Lansford Buddy Lewis Freddie Lindstrom Denny Lyons Eddie Mathews John McGraw Graig Nettles Terry Pendleton Ken Reitz Aurelio Rodriguez Brooks Robinson Scott Rolen Al Rosen Ron Santo Mike Schmidt Harry Steinfeldt Pie Traynor Robin Ventura Tim Wallach Ned Williamson Ed Yost Todd Zeile Heinie Zimmerman ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/2 "2008-08-08T03:07:36Z")
Mike Schmidt Eddie Mathews Chipper Jones George Brett Wade Boggs Ron Santo Home Run Baker Paul Molitor Brooks Robinson (sentimental pick) Dick Allen Definitely weighted towards the more modern players… And I guess Dick Allen might count as multi-positional as well, since he’s not on the above list. ---
**Author:** ![Parthol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@Parthol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parthol)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/3 "2008-08-08T03:11:25Z")
I know he played more games at DH, but Paul Molitor did play just about half of his games at 3B. Did you leave him out intentionally? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/4 "2008-08-08T03:16:09Z")
[QUOTE=Parthol] I know he played more games at DH, but Paul Molitor did play just about half of his games at 3B. Did you leave him out intentionally? [/QUOTE] 1. Yes. 2. Actually, he didn’t even play a third of his games at third base. He’s a multipositional star pretty much by definition. I can see the argument for putting him at third, though, and you can vote for him if you like. Everyone’s free to vote for him here if they want. The list is provided as a service, not a direction. ---
**Author:** ![Parthol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@Parthol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parthol)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/5 "2008-08-08T03:28:25Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] 1. Yes. 2. Actually, he didn’t even play a third of his games at third base. [/QUOTE] Oops… right you are. I didn’t see at first glance that the total games played listed in the fielding section of [baseball-reference.com](http://baseball-reference.com) don’t include games at DH. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/6 "2008-08-08T03:31:08Z")
Home Run Baker Wade Boggs George Brett Chipper Jones Eddie Matthews Paul Molitor (multiposition guy, but I think of him as a 3rd baseman) Brooks Robinson Al Rosen Ron Santo Mike Schmidt ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/7 "2008-08-08T03:33:50Z")
Also, third base is a really, really weak position historically, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Parthol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@Parthol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parthol)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/8 "2008-08-08T03:35:57Z")
Mike Schmidt Eddie Mathews Wade Boggs George Brett Ron Santo Home Run Baker Brooks Robinson Stan Hack Chipper Jones Jimmy Collins I really struggled with Collins vs. Darrell Evans. In light of **RickJay** ’s correction, I’ll save Molitor for the DH vote. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/9 "2008-08-08T03:38:59Z")
My ten: Brooks Robinson Mike Schmidt George Brett Wade Boggs Pie Traynor Eddie Mathews Chipper Jones Frank “Home Run” Baker Ron Santo George Kell ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/10 "2008-08-08T04:05:23Z")
No offense to **NDP** , but I really hope Pie Traynor doesn’t gain much traction. His name’s the best thing he’s got going for him. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/11 "2008-08-08T04:24:16Z")
[QUOTE=Gadarene] No offense to **NDP** , but I really hope Pie Traynor doesn’t gain much traction. His name’s the best thing he’s got going for him. [/QUOTE] What about [a .320 batting average](http://www.baseball-reference.com/t/traynpi01.shtml)? ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/12 "2008-08-08T07:04:18Z")
Wow… it’s a lot easier to leave off guys from this list than the lists before. Mike Schmidt Eddie Mathews George Brett Wade Boggs Ron Santo Frank Baker Brooks Robinson Robin Ventura Ken Boyer Bill Bradley ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/13 "2008-08-08T11:37:20Z")
Wade Boggs George Brett Jimmy Collins Chipper Jones George Kell Eddie Mathews Brooks Robinson Al Rosen Ron Santo Mike Schmidt McGraw I’d likely vote for in the field managers category. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/14 "2008-08-08T12:42:55Z")
> [@](#): > > What about a .320 batting average? It was compiled in one of the two greatest offensive eras in league history. In 1930, for instance, the **league average** for batting average was .303. That was admittedly the high water mark, but it hovered from the mid-.280s to the mid-.290s throughout most of Traynor’s career. (As a comparison, the NL batting average last year was .266; the AL was .271.) He was a good hitter, sure, but even at a weak position like third base I don’t think he cracks the top ten all-time. Ken Boyer, for one, is clearly better with the bat, in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/15 "2008-08-08T13:35:27Z")
[QUOTE=Jonathan Chance] McGraw I’d likely vote for in the field managers category. [/QUOTE] McGraw’s a weird case in that his peak was spectacularly high - he was sort of the Wade Boggs of his time - but his playing career started winding down around age 28. If you assign all your value to peak he’s like the fourth or fifth greatest third baseman of all time, and if you don’t he’s like fortieth. We are having a managers category and obviously he will be elected there. I think. My choices: Mike Schmidt George Brett Chipper Jones Brooks Robinson Jimmy Collins Home Run Baker Eddie Mathews Ron Santo Wade Boggs Stan Hack **Rationales:** Mike Schmidt towers over this position; if A-Rod ends up playing most of his career at third base he may end up being the greatest, but even then, Schmidt will remain the best career, all-around third baseman ever. One0 f my favourite baseball factoids is this; George Brett won three batting titles and hit over .300, and Mike Schmidt, who hit .267, still had a better on base percentage. Graig Nettles is my honorable mention. The call between him, Stan Hack and Ken Boyer was awfully close to me, and I basically ended up making it based on two things: 1. Nettles put about as many wins on the board but it took him much longer to do so and 2. Boyer’s era is already well represented, whereas Hack was the best third baseman of his time and that counts for something, I think. Hack is the only player I have between the dead ball era and the late 50s. As well regarded as Pie Traynor and George Kell were they were not even close to making it; I think their stats are not nearly as good as they superficially seem (conversely, I am convinced Jimmy Collins was a much greater player than his stats superficially appear.) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/16 "2008-08-08T14:36:44Z")
**George Brett Mike Schmidt Chipper Jones Eddie Mathews Wade Boggs** \*Great Hitter and solid glove. He did not deserve his gold gloves but a great hitter. \* **Pie Traynor** : _He was very well known for his glove and had a great batting eye._ **Ken Boyer** : .287 .349 282hr 1141RBI 1104R Great Glove, as good as Brooks and a good bat. **Brooks Robinson** : .267 .322 268hr 1357rbi 1232r He had the best glove in my lifetime (Pitchers era) **Graig Nettles** : .248 .329 390hr 1314rbi 1193r He had almost as good a glove as Brooks (Pitchers era) **Stan Hack** : .301 .394 57hr 642rbi 1239r It was tough leaving off John McGraw who was a great pesky batter that fought for every hit, every base and every run and he hit great and stole many and scored a lot. I was happy to keep Nettles and I actually would have dropped Stan before Nettles. I see many votes for Santo, in what way was he better than Boyer or Nettles? ---
**Author:** ![Parthol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@Parthol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parthol)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/17 "2008-08-08T14:39:21Z")
Living near Philadelphia as a kid, Mike Schmidt was my hero growing up. I firmly believed that he and Greg Luzinski towered majestically over the rest of baseball. I remember when the Phillies won the World Series in 1980 – I was 11 years old, and when Tug McGraw struck out Willie Wilson in game 6, my dad ran to the front door of our house and just started screaming with joy into the night. I could hear other dads doing the same up and down the street. After watching my father’s anguish at all of the Phillies’ close calls in the late 70’s, I was the happiest kid alive, realizing that baseball could also bring him such elation. I think that’s the moment that turned me from a kid fan into a Crazy Baseball Fanatic. Just seeing the name “Mike Schmidt” is still enough to bring a smile to my face. ---
**Author:** ![CateAyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@CateAyo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CateAyo)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/18 "2008-08-08T14:44:47Z")
Wade Boggs Clete Boyer George Brett Chipper Jones Eddie Mathews Aurelio Rodriguez Brooks Robinson Ron Santo Mike Schmidt Pie Traynor ---
**Author:** ![Parthol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@Parthol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parthol)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/19 "2008-08-08T14:50:32Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] I see many votes for Santo, in what way was he better than Boyer or Nettles? [/QUOTE] There’s not a huge distance between Santo and Boyer, but both were excellent fielders (similar fielding numbers and 5 Gold Gloves apiece), and Santo was (I feel) a better hitter. He has more career HR, a higher OBP, and an OPS+ that’s 9 points higher over a career with 1100 more plate appearances. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256/20 "2008-08-08T14:52:32Z")
[QUOTE=CateAyo] Wade Boggs Clete Boyer George Brett Chipper Jones Eddie Mathews Aurelio Rodriguez Brooks Robinson Ron Santo Mike Schmidt Pie Traynor [/QUOTE] You like defense, don’t you, \*\*CateAyo \*\*? Even their mom would say that Ken was much better than Cletis, although I admit that Clete had the best fielding stats of anyone on this list, including B. Robby. They were contemporaries but annually Clete’s fielding stats were FAR better than Robby’s, and Robby won the Gold Glove year after year. Why? A classic case of winning Gold Gloves with your bat. Schmidt Brett Mathews Ken Boyer Traynor Jimmy Collins HR Baker Santo Hack Brooks Robinson [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-baseball-hall-of-fame-vote-5-third-basemen/459256.md?page=2)