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Old 05-16-2004, 04:58 PM
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Default Talk about Shore, etc. made me wonder: What SHOULD keep a guy out of the HOF?

Posted By: Albie O'Hanian

The final point about Koufax by Jay makes the most sense. If you are evaluating careers than Koufax is absolutely not a top 10 pitcher. However, if you are talking dominance than he very well might be. It all depends on the criteria used. If you had to pick one pitcher at his best to pitch a seventh game it might be Koufax.
As for Rice, I have been a Red Sox and Rice fan my whole life. I still have my "pitchers pay the price when they face Jim Rice t-shirt." However, he was only dominant for three seasons (77 to 79). The wrist injury he suffered in 80 hurt him for a while and in the 80's he was good but not dominant. Because he was not that patient a hitter, and grounded into Dp's at a prolific rate he created a lot of outs at the plate. He was also a terrible baserunner. He is a Hall of Fame candidate but certainly not a slam dunk.
He does have some amazing feats - breaking bats on checked swings, hitting monster homeruns etc. I once saw him hit 5 homeruns in a doubleheader against the Blue Jays in old Exhibition Stadium and he just missed a sixth when he SINGLED off the centerfield wall. First and only time I have ever seen that. He hit the ball so hard that he could only get a single on a drive to dead center.

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