January 6, 2010. If you're a baseball fan, chances are you know what that date means.
It is a great day for anyone who loves baseball. On January 6, 2010, the Baseball Writers Association of America will announce who, if anyone, they will bestow the greatest honor any baseball player can receive, induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.
As with every year, there are sure to be debates over who gets in and who doesn't, and this year is sure to be no different.
In recent years, debates have raged over players who have fallen short of the required 75 percent of the vote for induction. Former greats such as Bert Blyleven, Andre Dawson, Jack Morris, and Dale Murphy have continued to be denied enshrinement despite being some of the best players of their time.
Jim Rice, widely considered to be the most feared hitter of his generation, was denied induction until his 15th and final try this past year. So nothing is impossible.
Perhaps no player in recent memory has caused as much debate over his induction, or lack thereof rather, than Mark McGwire.
Baseball fans all know the story of McGwire. Despite being the greatest pure sluggers of his generation, hitting 583 career home runs, and having the greatest AB/HR ratio of all time, Big Mac's link to steroids, coupled with his refusal to talk about his past in front of Congress have lead many writers to leave him off their Hall of Fame ballots.
Many writers have made it no secret that they plan to make suspected steroid users pay. McGwire, the first big name linked to performance enhancers to be eligible for induction, has been their guinea pig. In fact, McGwire has been lucky to get 25 percent of the vote, and his support decreased from 2008 to 2009.
There may be a better way for the writers to send a message to the 'roiders without keeping out deserving players. Actually, the writers can send a message by inducting a player whose numbers would probably get him in had he played in any other era, and who, by all accounts, achieved his numbers without the aid of performance-enhancing drugs.
The writers can make their point by inducting Fred McGriff.
In an era of artificially inflated offensive numbers, Fred McGriff's resume is easily overshadowed, but McGriff has the numbers to get in, period.
McGriff retired in 2004 after 19 seasons, only seven home runs shy of 500 for his career. That's 493 home runs, the 26th most ever and the same amount of homers as Lou Gehrig. In fact, every player who is eligible for induction and has hit at least 475 home runs is in the Hall of Fame.
McGriff also hit 30 or more home runs for five different teams, and is one of only two players to win a home run crown in both leagues. During the 1990s alone, McGriff hit 300 home runs, one of only 11 players to do so.
From 1987 until 2004, McGriff was one of the most consistent home run hitters in baseball. "Crime Dog" hit at least 20 home runs in a season 15 times. That's tied for the fourth most seasons of 20-plus homers. That's more 20-homer seasons than Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt, Mickey Mantle, and Jimmie Foxx. In ten of those seasons, McGriff hit 30 or more home runs, tied for the sixth most seasons of 30-plus homers. That's more than Ken Griffey, Jr., Frank Thomas, and Mike Piazza (all of which are surefire future Hall of Famers).
McGriff was also a solid run producer as well during his career. He totalled 1,550 RBI in his career, good for 41st on the all-time list. Comparatively speaking, that's more than 100 more than Mark McGwire's 1,414.
Twelve times in his 19-year career McGriff drove in more than 90 runs in a season. That's tied for the fourth most 90-plus RBI seasons ever. That's more than Frank Robinson, Joe DiMaggio, and Reggie Jackson. Eight of those seasons, McGriff drove in more than 100 runs, tied for the fifth most 100 RBI seasons ever.
Of all the players who have played in the big leagues since 1900, only 22 have totaled at least 475 home runs, 1,500 RBI, 2,400 hits, 400 doubles, and 1,300 runs scored. They are:
Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey, Jr., Sammy Sosa, Frank Robinson, Alex Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro, Reggie Jackson, Manny Ramirez, Mickey Mantle, Jimmie Foxx, Frank Thomas, Ted Williams, Ernie Banks, Mel Ott, Gary Sheffield, Eddie Murray, Lou Gehrig, Stan Musial, and Fred McGriff.
That's a pretty impressive list, full of Hall of Famers, future Hall of Famers, and Fred McGriff's on it.
While Fred McGriff never won an individual award other than a Silver Slugger in 1989, 1992, and 1993, he was named an All-Star five times, and won a World Series ring as a member of the Atlanta Braves in 1995.
Fred McGriff has the credentials to be in Cooperstown, and most importantly, he earned those credentials without ever being linked to steroid. What better way to send a message to the players who cheated to reach their milestones, than by rewarding a player who came up just shy of 500 home runs without any help.
So please BWAA, don't continue to keep Mark McGwire out of the Hall of Fame to prove your point, do it by putting Fred McGriff in.
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