Wow this "Dunn" thread really has many transitions and debates coming out of it. The Hernandez and Olerud is an interesting one. They are both similar. A stat that I have been looking at more is RAA (Runs above average, this looks at offense and defense combined).
Olerud 17 season career RAA: 273
Hernandez 17 season career RAA: 291
Olerud 7 Season RAA (His highest RAA seasons totaled): 244
Hernandez 7 Season RAA (His highest RAA seasons totaled):230
Olerud 10 Season RAA (His highest RAA seasons totaled): 275
Hernandez 10 Season RAA (His highest RAA seasons totaled):285
Olerud best RAA season: 57 in 1998, 55 from Rbat (Runs from batting above average)
Hernandez best RAA season: 50 in 1979, 40 from Rbat (Runs from batting above average)
Looking at this Olerud was the better batter, but his dominance over Hernadez drops after their 7 year bests. Olerud's 10 year is better than his career. Meaning he had 10 great years (not consecutive) but those were peak years in a 17 year career. Hernandez total gets larger even after his 10 best years, this to me shows that he was more consistent leading to a better career total.
I am still working a 7 and 10 year stat into all of the HOFers, but just comparing the two to the other 17 year career HOFers here is where their career RAA lines them up:
Name | Position | RAA | # Seasons |
---|
Bill Mazeroski | 2nd | 38 | 17 |
Rollie Fingers | P | 60 | 17 |
Pie Traynor | 3rd | 115 | 17 |
Harry Hooper | RF | 148 | 17 |
Monte Ward | SS | 152 | 17 |
Orlando Cepeda | 1st | 159 | 17 |
Heinie Manush | LF | 164 | 17 |
Roger Bresnahan | C | 206 | 17 |
Chuck Klein | RF | 224 | 17 |
Jim Bunning | P | 234 | 17 |
Hugh Duffy | CF | 240 | 17 |
Ernie Lombardi | C | 243 | 17 |
Frank Chance | 1st | 257 | 17 |
John Olerud | 1st | 273 | 17 |
Joe Medwick | LF | 285 | 17 |
Keith Hernandez | 1st | 291 | 17 |
Joe Kelley | LF | 301 | 17 |
Hal Newhouser | P | 314 | 17 |
Roberto Alomar | 2nd | 320 | 17 |
Bill Dickey | C | 340 | 17 |
Bob Gibson | P | 376 | 17 |
Eddie Plank | P | 388 | 17 |
Harry Heilmann | RF | 409 | 17 |
Johnny Bench | C | 422 | 17 |
Christy Mathewson | P | 470 | 17 |
Eddie Mathews | 3rd | 578 | 17 |
As seen they would be in good company with Joe Medwick in between the two of them and not a single 1st baseman above them. Looking at RAA/season average we can do a quick comparison to all the 1st basemen (but I do believe a 7 and 10 year comparison would be more accurate once I get that completed but as of now have only done aprox 30 HOFers).
Name | Position | RAA | # Seasons | RAA/Season avg |
---|
High Pockets Kelly | 1st | 57 | 16 | 3.56 |
Jim Bottomley | 1st | 98 | 16 | 6.13 |
Tony Perez | 1st | 155 | 23 | 6.74 |
Orlando Cepeda | 1st | 159 | 17 | 9.35 |
Eddie Murray | 1st | 242 | 21 | 11.52 |
Willie McCovey | 1st | 274 | 22 | 12.45 |
Harmon Killebrew | 1st | 280 | 22 | 12.73 |
George Sisler | 1st | 208 | 15 | 13.87 |
Ernie Banks | 1st | 284 | 19 | 14.95 |
Frank Chance | 1st | 257 | 17 | 15.12 |
Jake Beckley | 1st | 320 | 20 | 16.00 |
John Olerud | 1st | 273 | 17 | 16.06 |
Keith Hernandez | 1st | 291 | 17 | 17.12 |
Rod Carew | 1st | 424 | 19 | 22.32 |
Bill Terry | 1st | 334 | 14 | 23.86 |
Cap Anson | 1st | 667 | 27 | 24.70 |
Johnny Mize | 1st | 442 | 15 | 29.47 |
Hank Greenberg | 1st | 393 | 13 | 30.23 |
Dan Brouthers | 1st | 652 | 19 | 34.32 |
Jimmie Foxx | 1st | 695 | 20 | 34.75 |
Roger Connor | 1st | 648 | 18 | 36.00 |
Stan Musial | 1st | 809 | 22 | 36.77 |
This would show them as midlevel 1st baseman HOFers even above the previously debated Killebrew.
PS I am sorry about the spacing issue between the tables and the other text, but without using a table it is hard to keep it organized to be readable.