He finished with just 275 career homers and a .260 batting average. He had more than 300 strikeouts in a . At times, Tiant was one of the great clutch pitchers of his generation. His 1,330 walks ranks 36th all time and his 606 stolen bases ranks fifth. Whitaker was a solid all-around player for the Tigers, but never really excelled in any one area on an elite level. He threw over 500 innings five times, including 657 innings in 1880. Everyone has their own opinion. Root's best year came in 1927 when he led the NL with 27 wins. He is also one of the few multiple MVP winners who has been left out of Cooperstown. During that time he made the all-star game every year, hit more than .300, and hit more than 35 home . McInnis was a fine defender who set numerous fielding records as a first baseman. Abreu is the perfect compliment to the talent on this roster, giving the Astros a right-handed bat that can slot in between two great left-handed hitters in Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker. Oliver had perhaps his best year in 1982 when he led the National League in hits, doubles, runs batted in, and batting average, was an All Star, and finished third in Most Valuable Player voting. Out of all eligible players, only Vada Pinson and Harold Baines have had more and not been voted into the Hall of Fame. 500. Miguel Cabrera leads a group comfortably over .300 July 20, 2019. Unlike Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens, people aren't lining up to say that McGwire was a Hall of Fame player before he took steroids. Freehan was unquestionably one of the top catchers in the American League, as he made 10 straight All-Star games from 1964 to 1973. Gonzalez was one of the more feared home run hitters of the steroid era, topping 40 in a season five times. Marty Dobrow | Special to MassLive. Belle may have been a jerk and got caught with a corked bat, but the fact that he had just two meek representations on the Hall of Fame ballot before being dropped is a crime. Morris has increased his votes in each of the past five years, peaking in 2012 at 66.7 percent to finish second behind Barry Larkin. As Freehan's career was ending, catchers like Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk and Gary Carter ushered in a new era of catcher. There were a few seasons in the 1910s where Coombs was one of the top pitchers on the Philadelphia A's. He batted .370 in 1993 and hit an NL-best 47 homers and 150 RBI in 1996. His .564 slugging percentage ranks 14th all time. Playing during a time when second basemen weren't asked to even think about home runs, Grich hit with the power of a corner infielder while playing Gold Glove-caliber second base for the Orioles and Angels. Pinson is a somewhat forgotten star of the 1960s Reds and a great bat to have atop the lineup. (Photo by JOHN G. MABANGLO/AFP via Getty Images). Yost was a supremely talented defender who set American League records for third basemen in career putouts, assists and total chances by the end of his career. Reynolds made five All-Star games and had two top-three MVP finishes. This slideshow ranks the top 100 players who are eligible for Hall of Fame induction, but they currently do not have that plaque in Cooperstown. "Rowdy Richard" Bartell's career started just as Ty Cobb's was ending, but Bartell carried Cobb's legacy of playing the game with reckless abandon. Note: Players are eligible for the Hall of Fame five years after they retire. now in the modern age batting average is deemed pretty meaningless by Saber metrics. Through Aug. 13, 2020, 203 qualified players had batting averages over .300. Wood received 29 votes in the 1947 Hall of Fame voting, the most of any player who still hasn't been elected. Hall of Fame Batting Register | Baseball-Reference.com Hall of Fame Batting Register Average Batting HOFer's stats include batters and player inductees only. If Wood didn't sustain an injury to the thumb on his pitching hand in 1913, he very well could have been mentioned along with Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson as the top pitchers of baseball's early years. Everybody concentrates on Gooden's squandered talent, and rightly so. Sure, it was a different era, but those are some incredible numbers. Published: Mar. https://thelistwire.usatoday.com/lists/20-mlb-players-with-the-most-hits-not-in-the-hall-of-fame-pete-rose-joey-votto-cooperstown/, These players have a lot of hits, but no plaque, The fastest 40 times in NFL combine history, In memoriam: Celebrities who have died in 2022, 50 largest cities in the United States by population 2022, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. O'Doul had one of the greatest offensive seasons in major league history in 1929 when he set a National League record with 254 hits. He received MVP votes seven times, finishing second in 1987. Some will be coming off this list soon. John won 20 games three times, all post-surgery, and was an All-Star on four occasions. Foster's most famous season came in 1977 when he belted 52 home runs at a time when topping 50 homers meant something. Almost every eligible candidate who had a career .300 batting average, 2,500 hits and 300 home runs has been enshrined. A remarkable career largely lost to time will take center stage this . Remarkably, he finished with 90 more votes than teammate Duke Snider who would go on to be elected in 1980. From 1973 to the conclusion of the 2017 season, only nine players appeared in 1,000 or more games at DH. + - Indicates Hall of Famer. He was a key member of the Yankees during the Mickey Mantle era. His best years came between 1983 and 1987 when he made all five of his All-Star appearances, won four Silver Slugger and three Gold Glove Awards. His fiery attitude caused him to wear out his welcome with many clubs, and he ended up playing with five different teams over 18 years. When the Cubs legend retired in 1947, he was arguably the best National League third baseman outside of Pie Traynor. If there was a Hall of Fame for baseball names, Shocker would be an unquestioned first-ballot entry. The four-time Gold Glove winner finished with a .977 fielding percentage, which ranks 23rd all time at shortstop. He has a .279 average with a .350 OBP, 435 home runs, 1,587 RBIs and 312 steals to go along with nine. Cincinnati Reds star Joey Votto collected career hit No. But when he was at his best, Reynolds could pitch with anybody. Gonzalez was suspected of steroid abuse and was named in Jose Canseco's book Juiced. 7) Ken Griffey Jr.: 630 500th HR: June 20, 2004 One of the best and longest-running arguments fans like to get involved with revolves around the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. Minoso is a player whose importance transcends hisaccomplishmentson the diamond. Hes first eligible for Cooperstown in 2024. Oliva was a terrific hitter for the Twins in the 1960s and 1970s. For a nine-year period in the 1980s, Murphy wasunarguablyone of the best all-around players in the National League. Before getting started on the modern ballplayers, here is a look at nine deserving players from the 1800s who haven't been inducted into the Hall of Fame. The 1964 NL MVP was a seven-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner. He finished with 399 career home runs, 2,333 hits and six top-10 MVP finishes. Doug Clark to be inducted in WMass Baseball Hall of Fame. Even though he hasn't played a Major League game in 109 years, Van Haltren still holds the National League record for reaching base in 60 straight games, accomplishing the feat in 1893. He has finished no worse than eighth in Hall of Fame voting in his three years on the ballot, topping 32 percent each time. Magee was one of 10 pre-1943 players who came under consideration for enshrinement in 2008, but he fell short. Rose has more hits than anyone whos ever picked up a bat, but his decision to bet on baseball has kept him the sports most famous living outsider. He finished his 14-year career with 2,089 hits and a .298 career average. The plaque dedicated to Sanford 'Sandy' Koufax at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New . Palmeiro topped 30 home runs 11 times and batted over .300 six times. Belle has a laundry list of reasons why this happened, so he has nobody to blame but himself, but there's no denying his ability as a player before his career was cut short by injuries. He was a Rookie of the Year winner, seven-time All-Star, MVP recipient, and thrice a top-10 finisher in the MVP race. Despite his 119-121 record, Vander Meer consistently received over 20 percent of the votes in Hall of Fame balloting throughout hiseligibility. He has increased his totals in each of the past three elections and was up to 48.7 percent in 2012. He received 55 votes in the 2012 Hall of Fame voting, his first year on the ballot. Evans was an outstanding all-around right fielder who possessed one of the game's greatest throwing arms. In 1971, he finished fourth with 180 votes, better than 12 future Hall of Famers. He is second all time in saves with 424, the most ever by a lefty pitcher. Morris is in a race against time and semantics in his quest to make it to Cooperstown. The big draw for Maris' Hall of Fame case is obviously his 61 home runs in 1961. His Hall of Fame candidacy peaked in 1995, his third year on the ballot. Kaat was a classic compiler thanks to an incredible 25-year major league career. Raines' candidacy has been gaining momentum in the past few seasons, and it seems that one day he will take his place in Cooperstown. Of the 244 Hall of Famers, 83 fall in this range. Backup: Ken Singleton 8) Ted Simmons -- Catcher A career .303 hitter, Daubert accumulated 2,326 hits in his 15-year career and is the National League's all-time leader in sacrifice hits with 392. Garvey received 42.6 percent of the vote, more than eventual Hall of Famers Jim Rice, Bruce Sutter and Ron Santo. At the time of his retirement, he held the major league record for games played and was in the top 10 in RBI, doubles and extra-base hits. Nicknamed the "Louisville Slugger," Browning was the inspiration for naming the famous bat after he purchased bats from theHillerich & Bradsby Company. Indeed, only 33 men are members of the elite 3,000-Hit Club. With Ron Santo's election to the Hall of Fame, many now feel that Boyer is the best third baseman not enshrined in Cooperstown. He led the National League in batting in 1890 and was credited with being among the first shortstops to give defensive signals and backup second base on throws. The brother of Hall of Fame catcher Rick Ferrell, Wes was a workhorse pitcher mostly for the Indians and Red Sox before World War II. Discussion of suicide or self-harm is not tolerated and will result in an immediate ban. Still, he should have gotten a little more support on the Hall of Fame ballot. The list includes everyone from John Kruk, a 10-year veteran who hit .302, to Tigers legend Ty Cobb, who hit an MLB-record .366. One of Wood's most incredible stats is that in 1,434 career innings pitched, he allowed just 10 home runs. But not many . Although he was overshadowed by the big home run hitters of the era, Kuenn held his own as a terrific all-around player. Please check your email for a confirmation. From age 26 to 28, DiMaggio served during World War II, losing three peak seasons serving overseas as many players of his era did. Although his case was one of 10 reviewed by a special committee in 2008, Ferrell's numbers fell short. The golden mark is a WAR of 100 or better, with just 25 players reaching or surpassing that figure. Evans played tremendous defense at third base and belted 414 career home runs, but received just eight votes the only year he appeared on the MLB Hall of Fame ballot. He won three Gold Glove awards and is known for having one of the great outfield arms of all time. Although he never reached an elite level, he did stick around to compile some impressive stats. Hell be a first-ballot inductee for the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class. Hernandez was the 1979 MVP for the Cardinals and finished in the top 10 of MVP voting three straight years for the Mets. Bold indicates active player. Sain was robbed of three prime years when he served in World War II, contributing to a short peak as a star pitcher. Staub was an excellent player early in his career, and by the age of 27, he was already a five-time All-Star. In 1956 he received more votes than 14 future Hall of Famers, including Leo Durocher, Phil Rizzuto, Joe Sewell, Ernie Lombardi and Bobby Doerr. McInnis received eight votes for the Hall of Fame in the 1949 balloting, more than 23 other players that year who were eventually elected to the Hall. Not only was he able to go far to his left and right, but he charged the bunt as well as anyone and had range back into foul territory. Look for your favorite MLB slugger in this impressive list of baseball's top 500 career batting leaders. Hall of Famers Jake Beckley, Sam Crawford, Rogers Hornsby, Willie Keeler, Frank Robinson, and Al Simmons were all within 100 hits of the mark when they hung up their spikes. The 10-time All-Star won the NL MVP in 1974 and led the NL in hits in both 1978 and 1980. Shocker was a workhorse for the Browns and Yankees from 1916 to 1928. His career spanned the dead-ball and live-ball eras, exemplified by his league-leading home run totals of 12 (1916) and 41 (1923). Bartell didn't have the hitting prowess of Cobb, but he did have a fine career nevertheless. For medical advice, always consult your medical doctor. The others are Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan and Sandy Koufax. While he wasn't a home run hitter, Grace was a prolific doubles hitter, topping 500 for his career. Pinson's career is somewhat overshadowed by the contemporaries he played against as an outfielder in the 1960s and 1970s. Although he never really had that true great season, he was the mark of consistency for two decades. Also of note here, because this is the era in which we live, the steroids issue must be addressed. April 18, 2022 . By the age of 27, Clark had four top-five finishes in the NL MVP voting, including a second-place finish in 1989. Baines played in 2,830 career games, 19th all time, and amassed 2,866 career hits, the highest total of any eligible non-Hall of Famer. Harder spent 20 seasons hurling for the Indians and was at his best in the mid-1930s. He led the National League in hits in both 1961 and 1963. He finished fourth in the MVP voting in 1977 and 1978 and received MVP votes in five other seasons. He was up for Hall of Fame consideration in 2008, but he fell short of enshrinement once again. He collected 3,166 career hits, which included 636 doubles and 477 home runs. But it also just underscored the difficulty of racking up big hit totals, particularly in the age of the three true outcomes (homer, strikeout, walk). By Jim McLennan @AZSnakepit Apr 11, 2012, 11:00pm EDT. All other pitchers in that category who are eligible are in the Hall of Fame as well. Dark was a solid player during the post-World War II era in the National League who later went on to become an excellent manager. 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