Expanding My Collection
 

I am considering the possibility of expanding my BB HOF RC collection in the near future by around 50 cards or so (the next best group). This decision comes primarily as a result of the remaining cards that I need being either too expensive or too rare or both. In a similar manner to the way that the HOF Veterans Committee breaks down their best candidates by era, I am thinking of going with 10 individuals (including Players, Managers, Umpires, Negro Leaguers, Executives & Pioneers) from each of the following 5 eras (based on the majority of their career):

1. 19th Century (Pre-1900)
2. Pre-WWI (1900-1919)
3. WWI-WWII (1920-1945)
4. WWII-Expansion Era (1946-1969)
5. Expansion Era-Present (1970-Today)

I need to do lots of research before coming up with my candidates but thought that it would be fun to get some names from everyone as a strong concensus on some candidates can likely be reached and I can feel comfortable that at least those individuals are very worthy choices.

I look forward to hearing everyone's responses.

A couple names jump out at me off the top of my head:

Gil Hodges
Ted Simmons
Don Matttingly
Tony Oliva
Jack Morris

When I saw the title of this thread I thought Phil was expanding into collecting the T206 set.........

Are you looking for guys who might someday get in or guys that aren't quite HOF material but might eventually slide in?

For expansion era I'd consider
Dwight Evans - Consistent hitter, but just below what might be considered HOF material. 385 HR .272 1384 Rbi. Likely more RBI if he'd been on weaker batting teams. And he had a fantastic arm for an outfielder. The number of bases/runs prevented would probably be pretty high if they could ever find a way to track it. Just someone nobody wanted to run on.

Jason Varitek - Again, he'd be weak as a HOF candidate based purely on batting, and he was not much of a hitter his last 3-4 years. But he has more no hitters than any other catcher, and was a very solid leader on the field, and was popular with the fans.

Jim Thome - Still active I think. 612 HR in any era but the recent one would be first ballot. No implications or accusations so far. Not sure how the stigma of the era will affect him or that he's always been a somewhat low key sort of guy.

Other eras are tough for me, I didn't see the guys play so it's hard to pick a player just on stats. The couple that come to mind are Joe Wood and Nap Rucker. Both had fairly short careers, typical of hard throwers who were overused. Rucker was very good on a bad team which Must have hurt some of his numbers.

There are also loads of players who were the best of a decade or random 10 year stretch but didn't put up HOF type numbers overall.

Steve B

Steve B

You could always go with the players who have received the 10 highest vote totals from those era's. Maybe with the modern guys, pick the 10 most likely HOFers with PED issues? Clemens, McGwire, Palmeiro, Bonds, etc...

How about some of the banned players like Rose and Joe Jax, the roid guys like Bonds, Palmeiro, and famous althuogh not necessarily great players like Thorpe?

Hell, he could go straight for the "eight men out" plus Attell and Geddeon.(there's 10)

Banned players had crossed my mind before as a supplemental collection. Great idea Gary..

Also in sticking with the HOF theme. Eight former MLB players have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Red Badgro, Paddy Driscoll, George Halas, Greasy Neale, Ernie Nevers, Ace Parker, Deion Sanders and Jim Thorpe. plus maybe the Heisman winners who also played in the majors. Janowicz and Jackson(there's another 10)

In a nutshell, I am looking for those individuals that most dominated their era or were most important to the game of baseball. That criteria definitely excludes otherwise famous people like Jim Thorpe and definitely includes people like Pete Rose & Joe Jackson.

here's an interesting list to get some ideas from...

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...b-hall-of-fame

I had a similar thought except I thought he was going after HOFers in the T206 set...especially since Phil believes that set is the true rookie card of every person in the Hall. Sorry Phil, too easy to pass up.

I think starting at Baseball Reference HOF list would be a good place to start. Then check the similar players and you could be close to a good starting point.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/hof.shtml

The ballot history would probably be an even better place to start:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/aw...-history.shtml

1. 19th Century (Pre-1900)
Would definately consider James Ryan here
2. Pre-WWI (1900-1919)
Absolutely agree with Smoky Joe Wood, and always felt that Bill Dahlen should be in as well
3. WWI-WWII (1920-1945)
Stuff McInnis
4. WWII-Expansion Era (1946-1969)
5. Expansion Era-Present (1970-Today)
Agree with Dewey Evans and Don Mattingly as already stated

Those are definitely some good sources, David & Michael. Just a few names off the top of my head:

19th Century - Ross Barnes, Deacon White, Jack Glassock & Tony Mullane
Pre-WWI - Joe Jackson, Joe Wood
WWI-WWII - Lefty O'Doul
Pre-Expansion - Gil Hodges, Ken Boyer & Tony Oliva
Modern - Pete Rose, Joe Carter, Fred McGriff & Marvin Miller

!9th Century: Add Jim McCormick and Pete Browning if you're into challenges! (as if Ross Barnes and Deacon White weren't hard enough)

my thoughts...
 

I'd take Dale Murphy over Fred McGriff any day of the week.

Jack Morris is also at/near the top of the list.

If you look at Bill James' work, you could get some ideas of guys who should be in the hall based on "top 10" to "top 15" at each position. It's not precise, but you would have pulled in Ron Santo and Joe Gordon before they got the call.

For instance, at 3B, you'd have Stan Hack and Darrell Evans.
At SS, Alan Trammell
LF = Joe Jackson, Tim Raines, Minnie Minoso
CF = Griffey Jr (duh), Jimmy Wynn, D. Murphy, Wally Berger

Other names like Piazza, Munson, Mattingly, and Bagwell show up.

For pitchers, you'd get guys like Carl Mays and Wes Ferrell (from the 20's), Lon Warneke (from the 30's-40's), and Don Newcombe (from the 50's), not to mention the incomparable Pedro Martinez, to name a few.

Good luck!

Dick Allen, Albert Belle, Mike Cuellar, Rocky Colavito

pete rose, joe jackson, dick allen, lou whitaker, bobby grich, edgar martinez, alan trammell, jim edmonds, dwight evans, graig nettles, jim wynn, reggie smith, sal bando, buddy bell, sherry magee, luis tiant, jerry koosman, tommy john, tommy bridges, ed cicotte

Thanks for the input, guys. A lot of good candidates thus far.....

Phil- certainly Jim Creighton should be on anyone's short list, as he was the first true star of the game. But that pretty much limits you to the Leslie's woodcut as the only collectible from his era.

I was thinking that too, Barry and I just consigned my beautiful, ornately framed woodcut to REA for next year's auction.......

Bob Caruthers and George Van Haltren are a couple of 19th century players worth looking into as well Phil

Here is the group of 10 that I am leaning towards going with for the 19th Century (in no particular order):

1. Ross Barnes
2. Deacon White
3. Jack Glassock
4. Tony Mullane
5. Pete Browning
6. Bob Caruthers
7. George Van Haltren
8. Dave Foutz
9. Jimmy Ryan
10. Jim McCormick

I left out Jim Creighton primarily because he pre-dates any possible Rookie Cards and I have already decided to sell all of the woodcuts in my collection so I will not go back and reacquire the Leslie's Illustrated woodcut of Creighton.