Posted By:
MWBrian --
Charles Faber ranks players through analysis of both batting AND fielding statistics -- the Hall of Fame does not. Batters gain points on defense based on positive attributes, such as putouts and assists, and lose points based on errors.
Combining Mazeroski's offensive numbers with a statistic known as "fielding runs" and "fielding wins," a total player rating can be determined. Where does Mazeroski rank? 77th with a Total Player Rating of 36.3. He's above such notables as Yogi Berra, Paul Waner, Bill Dickey, Frank Baker, Willie Stargell, Rod Carew, Mickey Cochrane, Richie Ashburn, Andre Dawson, Kirby Puckett, Ralph Kiner, and a host of others.
Fielding Runs is the measure of runs saved beyond what a league-average player at that position might have saved. Fielding Wins is the number of Fielding Runs divided by the number of runs required to create an additional win beyond average.
Even in Total Player Rating by era, Mazeroski is ranked 10th (1961-1976).
Finally, I think you grossly underestimate Bid McPhee. I'm not saying he's the top 19th century player, but you can't judge him on offensive numbers alone. It's easy to fall into the trap of glancing at batting average, RBI, HR's, and runs scored and quickly form a judgment as to the HOF worthiness of a particular player. But there's so much more to baseball than those statistics. To exclude a player's defensive prowess or to separate it from his offensive performance is a recipe for errant judgments based on fractional data.