Quote:
Originally Posted by G1911
Personally, I think Hodges is real borderline. Modern metrics, and comparisons to the league are not very friendly to him. A 120 OPS+ is not very impressive for a first baseman HOFer. WAR is not a good look. He never led the league in anything but games played and strikeouts. His most similar players are other guys who had a case, but didn't make the Hall. Not a single HOFer in his top 10.
I think he's right on the border, I'd probably vote for him on a combination of his playing and managerial resume (I would probably do this for others too, fine players who were good managers but haven't made the hall because usually one or the other is considered), but he's a bottom tier one for me.
I am, however, surprised he is not in the hall already. Beloved player, Miracle Mets manager, nice guy, huge fan base, Brooklyn Dodger from the 1950's. These things tend to push certain people in whose numbers by themselves aren't quite there, but it never has for Hodges.
If he was a 1B in Cincinnati or Washington, we wouldn't be having this talk.
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+1, you said almost everything I was thinking, and better than I would have.
I think this thread is interesting is because the guys who we argue about the most are the "great human beings" guys: Hodges, Minoso, O'Neill, even Mel Harder and Cecil Travis (my choices.). Add in Dale Murphy, or Don Mattingly, who was the first yankee I couldn't hate.