When I was a kid in SoCal during the 70's, Steve Garvey was big time. He was the leader of the Dodgers (darn good team). Won the 1974 MVP. And I collected his cards mostly because he always has that nifty "All-Star Logo" on his cards. Only the All Star starters got that All-Star banner/shield/star on their cards.
That was back in the day before Rookie Cards became so dang popular. As kids, the heck with new rookies who you had no clue about. They were tossed aside into the commons box. As kids we all wanted the cards of the top shelf players.
Garvey was the best at his position for a long time. To me, that is a criteria for HOF.
Garvey wasn't just an All-Star. He was the STARTING All-Star for 8 consecutive years - 1974, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80 & 1981.
Put the dude in (HOF).
Yogi Berra has a surprisingly low WAR compared to other top shelf catchers. I kinda don't get it. Everybody loves Bench, he has the highest WAR. But all things considered, I might take Yogi as my #1 all-time catcher. What he did for the Yankees was beyond amazing - the leadership, the handling of the pitching staff, his knowledge of the game, he made his whole team better. And yeah, he also had some pretty darn solid stats. I think he is recognized as the most winningest player in MLB history.
Last edited by Touch'EmAll; 07-12-2024 at 06:53 PM.
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