On the day Adrian Beltre enters the Hall of Fame

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by G1911

Beltre never felt like a hall of famer in real time to me either. This is why I to use the math, because it is objective and my perceptions and feelings are very much not.

Beltre is clearly well over the HOF line, he just had a weird career structured to feel like it was less valuable than it was. A league average bat and great defense for his first five years (97 OPS+), a monster year in 2003, then off to Seattle where he was a league average bat (101 OPS+) again for five years. His age 31 through 38 seasons are where he finally racked up offensive value consistently. The first year or two it felt like a fluke again like his 2003 season, and then it felt like it was too late in his career for the blossoming to get him over the line.

Clayon Kershaw has a higher ERA+ than any other pitcher in major league history who threw more than 1,5000 innings. If he is not A HOFer I genuinely cannot think of anyone who is deserving.

Look at the first two home stadiums he played in and then the last two he played in and things get a lot clearer. LA and Seattle were big pitchers parks at those times. Boston and Texas are massive hitters parks.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

Look at the first two home stadiums he played in and then the last two he played in and things get a lot clearer. LA and Seattle were big pitchers parks at those times. Boston and Texas are massive hitters parks.

Hence the use of the parka adjusted OPS+. Adjusting for park, Beltre was still right at league average. There is no mathematical debate about that fact.

[Mike D.]

Beltre did fit a lot of "storylines" into his, err...storied career.

Not many guys can claim to be all of:

• Top prospect
• Young star
• Disappointment
• Breakout star (48 HR year)
• Big FA signing (SEA)
• Reclamation project (BOS)
• Big FA signing (TEX)
• Superstar
• Sure thing future Hall of Famer