All Wins Above Replacement and Wins Above Average data comes from Three players from the University of Tulsas baseball glory days are in this years McLain Athletic Hall of Fame class. For comparison, Whitakers infield contemporary, Ozzie Smith, played 19 years (just like Whitaker) and is in the Hall of Fame for his defense (his career OPS+ is 87). He received votes from six of the 16 committee members, just half of the 12-vote total needed for induction. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. So, when will Lou finally get into the Hall of Fame? Now thats unfair right there, he said. When Trammell made his big league debut on September 9, 1977, he became the first Kearny High School graduate positional player to reach the majors. Kenny Pickett gets a big vote of confidence from one of his key receivers. He consistently played every game, reached 200 hits, and hit for good power while playing Gold Glove defense. Heck, its a good OPS+ for non-second basemen too. Want even more detail about the formula? Concussions forced him out of the crouch shortly after he turned 30 and he had a good-not-great second half of his career, but his .306/.388/.439 batting line and impressive list of accolades that includes 2009 AL MVP honors should be enough to eventually earn him the call. In other injury news, outfielder Jake Bauers and the team are awaiting MRI results. Hamels is hoping to make a comeback in 2023 after watching from the sidelines for the past two seasons. Copyright 2017-2023 Rookie Road Inc. All rights reserved. His snubbing has to do more with attitude than anything on the field. Do you have a sports website? Schilling has no PED allegations, but has seen his Hall support drop (after coming within 16 votes of induction in 2021) following hateful remarks he made in retirement toward Muslims, transgender people, reporters and others. All of which is to say: a second baseman with pop, patience or outstanding but unsexy defensive ability was almost guaranteed to be discounted by the biases of the era, and Whitakers game hit all three of those things harder than just about anyone else. Clemens also pitched for the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, and Houston Astros. Detroit Tigers Lou Whitaker stretches during a game against the New York Yankees During Whitakers career the things he did best get on base, hit for good power for his position, and play outstanding defense were not judged in the same way as they are now and, frankly, were judged pretty poorly. Lou Whitaker Whitaker is a career .276/.363/.426 hitter with an OPS+ of 117. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1973 in a special election that waived the mandatory five-year waiting period. Web1991 Donruss Lou Whitaker #174 Detroit Tigers Baseball Card (#204286844696) See all feedback. SAN DIEGO -- Lou Whitaker's wait for the call from Cooperstown goes on. The Hall of Fame Lets not spoil everything but reveal a little more about the rest of this list. Lester starred when the lights shined brightest with a 1.77 ERA in 35.2 career World Series innings en route to a pair of rings with the Boston Red Sox and a third as the ace of the staff for the Chicago Cubs in 2016. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. Outside of the committee, Whitaker had a vocal supporter in Trammell, his double-play partner for 19 seasons. Seemingly, this accusation has been enough to keep Clemens out of Cooperstown. Lou Whitaker was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 5th round of the 1975 MLB June Amateur Draft from Martinsville HS (Martinsville, VA). To me, hes one of the best shortstops to ever play the game, Whitaker said. After hitting an AL-record 62 home runs last season, Judge is batting .261 with six homers and 14 RBIs in 26 games. Heres a thing I didnt know until just a few years ago: before Jack Morris and Alan Trammell were elected to the Hall of Fame in December 2017, the 1984 Tigers and the 1981 Dodgers were the only two World Series champions who do not have a player in the Hall of Fame. Comprehensive coverage of Michigan's auto industry, including in-depth analysis of Ford, GM, and Stellantis latest developments and innovations. 1 next to No. Another surefire bet for the Hall of Fame, if not for steroid usage, is left fielder Barry Bonds. In or Out: Voting on the Next 5 MLB Hall of Fame Classes The Hall of Stats was built by It helps to be The Man on a playoff team like Sandberg was in 1984. The sentimental take was that, while neither was in the Hall of Fame, history should be made right and they should be put in the Hall of Fame together, with the two of them riding across the stage at Cooperstown on a tandem bicycle to collect their plaques (I think Jay Jaffe said that bit about the tandem bike first, but if Im wrong someone let me know). All picks and predictions are suggestions only. More than this, in his career, Bonds hit 762 home runs, also a professional baseball record.2022 was Bonds last year of eligibility for Hall of Fame voting, and he was once again denied the honor. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onDetroit Tigers and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. Many behind him, including Ryne Sandberg, Roberto Almoar, Craig Biggio, Nellie Fox, Joe Gordon, and Bobby Doerr are Hall of Famers. This article covers the top five baseball players never to receive an induction into the prestigious Hall of Fame. Lou Whitaker. "My friends would say, Now hold up, Lou.' How Many Baseballs Can You Hold In One Hand? Rose primarily played first base for the Cincinnati Reds from 1963-1986. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. September 9, 1977 Whitaker was overlooked through most of his career, possibly because he didnt do any one thing at a Hall of Fame level. Lou Whitaker - Wikipedia Im sure I couldve played another four years, if I wanted to be there for numbers and whatever other things that might dare to come, Whitaker said. The heavily loaded plane crashed just off the Puerto Rican coast, and Clementes body was never recovered. from the SABR BioProject, More Lou Whitaker Pages at Baseball Reference. During the regular season, he tallied 200 wins, 2,488 strikeouts and 43.5 WAR. For weird reasons that make absolute no sense now, that was seen less of added value for middle infielders than it was seen as an unnecessary component of their resumes. Defensive metrics in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s are not great but there is the predecessor to DRS. Whitaker, Trammell, and teammate Jack Morris will all be eligible with the Modern Baseball Committee, a 16-member group of veteran players, executives, media membersand historians that meets twice every five years and considers players who made their most significant contribution to baseball between 1970 and 1987. Wright was on a potential Hall of Fame trajectory before spinal stenosis limited him to only 77 games after his age-31 season. Whitaker had stats and accomplishments over his 19-year career that not only stood the test of time, but seemed strengthened by it. It can happen, though, as Whitakers contemporary, the Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, can attest. Trammell was elected in 2017 and inducted in 2018. Clemens was nothing short of a star, holding not only ninth place on the MLB record list for wins, but also third place for all-time strikeouts (354 and 4,672, respectively). Rookie Road may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Free Press sports writers Tony Garcia and Evan Petzold and the Associated Press contributed to this report. He and teammate Alan Trammell were known for consistently turning double plays. Lou Whitaker on the Hall of Fame: 'I didnt even get daylight' the top 17-25 men at every defensive position are in. Santana received only 2.4 percent of the vote in his lone year on the ballot, so the odds are stacked against King Felix. He was the 1978 American League Rookie of the Year in 1978 and made five straight AL All-Star squads (1983-87) with four Silver Slugger awards (best hitter at his position) and three Gold Gloves (best fielder). The Hall of Fame, though, isnt always great about rewarding consistent players who are good in a number of areas but seemingly not elite at any. In fact, its something baseball fans spend hours debating. The company became the official tour operator of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, a month before the induction of Cal Ripken, Jr. and Tony Gwynn drew a record by Dan Holmes on November 17, 2019. Between now and then we will take a look atthe ten candidates, one-by-one, to assess their Hall worthiness. After all, Whitaker produced 75.1 WAR, according to Baseball Reference, tied with Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench for 82nd in MLB history. Lou Whitaker (136 over 440) Already discussed several times. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Who is Actually Eligible for the Today's Game Era Ballot? Daylight could finally come this fall, though. in Brooklyn, NY career with a line of .276/.363/.426, which translates to a 117 OPS+, which was outstanding for a second baseman of his era. Asked of the possibility, Whitaker said, Tell you what, itd be great., Cooperstown chances for Morris: 75 percent. The Modern Baseball Era Committee will next consider candidates in 2022 for the 2023 induction year, as the process to consider candidates occurs two times in a five-year period. Roger Clemens was a Major League Baseball pitcher for 24 years (1984-2007), spending most of his career with the Boston Red Sox. Born: You had some quality starters during those years but Jack pretty much dominated, was the ace. With 3,166 hits, five Gold Glove Awards and a 93.5 career WAR total that ranks third all-time among third basemen behind only Mike Schmidt (106.8) and Eddie All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. Lou Whitaker Despite his 12 All-Star selections, a World Series MVP for the 2004 Boston Red Sox, and being the Albert Pujols of his generation, Ramirez is the biggest snub coming from the Cleveland Guardians organization. Since then history, while better for his inclusion, has felt imbalanced. Reliving Lou Whitaker's greatest games with the Tigers, As Tigers hail Lou Whitaker, he's ready for Hall of Fame nod: 'That day will come', Trammell was elected to the Hall by the veterans committee as part of the class of 2018, We went searching for Lou Whitaker stories. Whitakers best season was likely 1983, when he hit .320 with 12 homers, 40 doubles and drove in 72 runs to finish eighth in AL MVP voting. Its just a matter of when, and Im hoping its this year.. The Baseball Hall of Fame released its ballot for the Contempory Baseball Era committee, covering players who starred in MLB from 1980 forward and the longtime Detroit Tigers second baseman was left off.