By: David O’Brien, Keith Legislation and Andrew Baggarly
Fred McGriff was elected to the Baseball Corridor of Fame through the Modern Period Committee Sunday evening. Right here’s what it’s worthwhile to know:
- The Modern Period Committee consists of 16 members, comprised of members of the Nationwide Baseball Corridor of Fame, executives and veteran media members.
- McGriff was now not eligible for election by the Baseball Writers’ Affiliation of America (BBWAA).
- Amongst those that didn’t obtain the mandatory 12 votes from the 16-person committee: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, Dale Murphy, Rafael Palmeiro and Don Mattingly.
Evaluating McGriff’s profession
McGriff performed 19 seasons from 1986 by way of 2004 and hit .284 with 493 house runs, 1,550 RBIs and .886 OPS in 2,460 video games. He completed within the high 10 in league MVP balloting six occasions together with a fourth place in 1993, the 12 months he was traded from San Diego to Atlanta in July and helped information the 104-win Braves previous San Francisco in one of many nice playoff races of the trendy period.
The primary baseman was a five-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and McGriff thrived in postseason play, significantly with the Braves. He hit .303 with 37 RBIs and a .917 OPS in 50 profession postseason video games, and with Atlanta he had 10 house runs, a .411 OBP, a .581 slugging proportion and .992 OPS in 45 postseason video games.
In the course of the Braves’ 1995 postseason run to the town’s first pro-sports title, McGriff hit .333 (19-for-57) with six doubles, 4 homers, 9 RBIs and 1.065 OPS, together with two homers and a .955 OPS within the World Collection win towards Cleveland.
He had a career-best 37 house runs in 1993 with San Diego and Atlanta, the sixth of McGriff’s seven consecutive seasons with greater than 30 homers. Although he by no means had greater than 37, he had 10 seasons with a minimum of 30 homers, and was the home-run chief as soon as in every league.
McGriff had eight seasons with greater than 100 RBIs, six with a .300 or increased batting common, 11 seasons with an OPS of a minimum of .923, 5 with greater than 90 walks, and solely three seasons with greater than 120 strikeouts. In 1989 with Toronto he led the AL in homers (36), OPS (.924) and OPS+ (165).
One other stat that always goes missed: McGriff performed greater than 150 video games in 10 of his 19 seasons, and that’s not counting 1995, when he led the Nationwide League by enjoying all 144 video games for Atlanta in a season that began late because of the work stoppage that had begun the earlier fall.
If not for video games misplaced to the work stoppage – the Braves performed solely 114 video games in 1994; McGriff performed 113 – there may be little doubt he would have completed with greater than 500 profession homers, which some imagine was one purpose he was left off the poll of many citizens years in the past when statistical milestones reminiscent of 3,000 hits, 500 homers or 300 wins nearly assured HOF induction.
He was effectively on his technique to a profession excessive for homers in 1994 earlier than the season was halted, ending with 34 in 113 video games. McGriff had 61 homers in 257 video games throughout these 1994-1995 seasons with Atlanta, enjoying all however one group recreation in that span. His 61 house runs in 258 group video games in these two years initiatives to 76 homers if the total seasons had been performed, and the extra 15 homers – or even when he’d slumped and hit solely half that many – would’ve given McGriff a minimum of 500. — O’Brien
Significance of McGriff entering into the Corridor of Fame
McGriff is essentially the most inoffensive candidate the committee may presumably have put within the Corridor of Fame. He completed his profession with 52.6 rWAR and 56.9 fWAR, making him neither a particular Corridor of Famer nor a participant who doesn’t belong in any respect. His 493 house runs — which in a pre-2000 period would have made him a slam dunk — places him eighth amongst inactive gamers who aren’t within the Corridor, with six of the blokes forward of him tainted by a minimum of rumors of PED use. One of many arguments in his favor has lengthy been that he’s one of many few sluggers of his period who was by no means hit with these allegations, and given what else occurred within the committee’s voting, that will even have boosted McGriff’s outcomes. — Legislation
Evaluating Bonds, Clemens’ Corridor of Fame possibilities
Final 12 months, Bonds obtained 66 p.c of the BBWAA vote in his tenth and closing poll with the writers. He acquired a lot much less help when a committee of Corridor of Fame gamers, executives and media members reviewed his candidacy for the primary time Sunday. Bonds obtained “fewer than 4 votes,” in keeping with the Corridor. It’s doable he didn’t obtain any votes in any respect. However percentages actually don’t matter right here. It’s all gamesmanship.
Committee members may vote for not more than three of eight candidates. If it turned clear within the committee’s discussions that Bonds didn’t have 12 votes within the room, then it could’ve been a waste to test his title. In different phrases, getting fewer than 4 votes needs to be considered as a disappointment for Bonds, however it doesn’t crater his candidacy. Have a look at Don Mattingly, who obtained little to no help in previous committee votes however obtained eight votes on Sunday. Maybe if the committee composition adjustments sufficient by the point the Modern Period panel votes once more in December 2025, then Bonds would possibly stand a greater likelihood. Or possibly Bonds will get shut out once more whereas Jeff Kent sails by way of in his first time on a committee poll. Which might be hilarious. — Baggarly
GO DEEPER
Stark: 5 issues we realized from the Corridor of Fame Modern Period election
Bonds and Clemens obtained fewer than 4 votes every and I can solely conclude that this implies neither of them will ever get into the Corridor of Fame and not using a ticket. This was the final actual hope for both participant, and it couldn’t have gone worse for them, as they’d should triple that vote whole to earn enshrinement. So the all-time chief in house runs gained’t be within the Corridor, despite the fact that Bonds can be the all-time chief in WAR on Baseball Reference by 0.1 over Babe Ruth. He’s seventh all-time in OBP, eighth in slugging, sixth in RBI, first in walks and third in runs scored. New stats, previous stats, awards, any method you measure it, he’s probably the greatest gamers in MLB historical past.
Clemens is third all-time in WAR, the most effective pitcher since integration by an enormous margin, proprietor of essentially the most Cy Younger Awards, third all-time in strikeouts and ninth in pitcher wins. No matter your private view on performance-enhancing medication, the Modern Period Committee has made it extraordinarily clear what their view is, and it means Bonds and Clemens are out – and it’s a horrible harbinger for Alex Rodríguez, too. — Legislation
Required studying
GO DEEPER
Barry Bonds wasn’t elected to the Corridor of Fame by a particular committee, and it wasn’t shut
(Photograph: Daniel Shirey / MLB Pictures through Getty Photos)
