Top 10 Non-HOFers in T206
 

I just got my first Bill Dahlen, which made me think about the best players in the T206 set to not make the Hall of Fame. Here’s the Top 10 I came up with. Who is on your list?

1. Bill Dahlen
2. Ed Cicotte
3. Sherry Magee
4. Ed Reulbach
5. Hal Chase
6. Larry Doyle
7. Cy Seymour
8. Gavvy Cravath
9. Harry Davis
10. Wildfire Schulte

Great list!

I might put Wild Bill Donovan, George Mullin, Nap Rucker, Johnny Kling, and Ginger Beaumont ahead of Schulte.

Check out Jimmy Williams, he should be in the top ten

Edited to include: Ok, maybe not, haha

Chief Mayers?

Mike Donlin, one of the most enigmatic players ever to see the diamond. Boy, could he hit (when he felt like it).

Donlin is a great one to add!

I would also add Arlie Latham. Best nickname of all time in my opinion: The Freshest Man on Earth

T206
 

Dahlen for sure. Have to think on others. Magee? Trent King

I really like Bill Dineen. A good pitcher with a no-hitter, 170+ wins on his resume, and World Series star, he followed a very good baseball career with a hall-of-fame caliber career as an umpire. He umped 8 World Series and shared behind the plate duties with Bill Klem in the inaugural all star game.

I think Clyde Milan would not look out of place in one of the 8-10 slots

.

Is Heinie Zimmerman worthy of consideration (although currently banned) ???

With the names already mentioned plus Hal Chase, I think a Top 20 for T206 would still have nice quality ballplayers. And it would allow you to collect more, which in my opinion is what collectors should do.

Brian

+1

Ben


"I love baseball history backstory; especially when it involves cards."

+2

Hooks Wiltse was pretty good, he hasn’t been mentioned

Shag Shaughnessy (check out his wikipedia page)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Shaughnessy

Steve

Cravath is a borderline Hall of Famer. Hans Lobert was a very good player with a long career in Baseball, coaching, scouting etc. (Though not hall worthy).

IMO Lobert has one of the nicest looking portrait cards in the set

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...obert%201.jpeg

Not sure how high I would rank him but Fred Tenney actually got HOF votes at the beginning:
1936 Veterans ( 1.3%)
1937 BBWAA ( 2.5%)
1938 BBWAA ( 3.1%)
1939 BBWAA ( 1.1%)
1942 BBWAA ( 0.4%)
1946 Nominating Vote ( 0.5%)
--
He played 1st base for about 17 seasons and accumulated 22 Home Runs. The "Deadball Era" indeed.

I would definitely include Arlie "The Freshest Man On Earth" Latham on my top 10 list. He was essentially a coach (some say very the first) by the time T206s were made.. His playing career doesn't warrant HOF induction on its own but his lifetime contributions are significant.

John Kling was regarded as one of the greatest Catchers ever in his day and played an integral role in Cubs dynasty of the 1906-10. Early on he got a lot of HOF support:
1936 BBWAA ( 3.5%)
1937 BBWAA (10.0%)
1938 BBWAA ( 9.9%)
1939 BBWAA ( 5.1%)
1942 BBWAA ( 6.4%)
1945 BBWAA ( 4.9%)
1946 Nominating Vote ( 9.9%)
1948 BBWAA ( 1.7%)
1953 BBWAA ( 0.4%)

But to me the only real T206 injustice is that Dahlen isn't in the HOF

Chief Myers
 

I agree!

Ed Konetchy was a solid, consistent first baseman.
Tied for 15th all-time in triples. Every other player in the top 20 is in the HOF.

Tommy Leach is also worthy of consideration.

I'd include Ginger Beaumont- a borderline HOFer.

I'd skip Hal Chase, he was a renown game fixer!

Also the SABR/analytics crowd LOVES Jimmy Sheckard..
49.5 WAR (higher than many HOFers)... Bill James listed him as the #1 non-Hofer from the 1900's decade. James listed Dahlen in the 1890's group.
.. statistically superior fielder with a high on-base percentage...
Stole a lot of bases and scored a lot of runs ... 2000+ hits ...

-- McGraw/Giants SS Arthur Fletcher is also credited as one of the greatest fielders at his position (relative to his contemporaries).. he also got on base.. lifetime War of 47.5 -- ahead of several SS in the HOF. Fletcher was just starting out when T206 was issued (1909 rookie year in the majors).

Cubbies
 

Cubs are doing well here, between Reulbach, Sheckard, Kling, Schulte, Zimmerman, etc….nothing ‘common’ about these heroic champs.

Thanks for the fun conversation, guys. Could easily make a very solid top 20 Non-HOFers list

By WAR i am pretty sure these are the highest…

1. Bill Dahlen 75.2
2. Sherry Magee 59.4
3. Ed Cicotte 59.0
4. Jack Quinn 58.7
5. Jack Powell 55.4
6. Al Orth 51.3
7. Jimmy Sheckard 49.5
8. Doc White 48.6
9. George Mullin 47.6
10. Nap Rucker 47.2

I show Art Fletcher’s WAR as 45, what do you have those ten guys at?

They are all higher than 45. Nap Rucker is the lowest at 47.2