Heard a good Dewey Evans story today from Artie Lange on Sternthology circa 2009 (the Baba Booey pitch). He was talking about Yankees / Red Sox fans. Evans finished his career (he said Cleve but it was actually Balt) and during that last season they were visiting Yankee stadium. Before the game Balt was taking BP and Evans was standing around the cage with everyone else. This New Yorker apparently made his way down to the first row and starts screaming repeatedly, Hey Evans! Hey Evans! Your son is the Elephant Boy! Turns our Evans' son has NS disease--ie, something similar to Rocky Dennis disease. Evans rightly goes apeshit and starts after the guy but his teammates are holding him back. While he's held back the guy's yelling Fuck You, you won't do shit cuz I'll sue you. That sort of thing. I had no idea about Evans' kid--that is truly sad. In any case--the guy yelling from the stands? None other than.... Donald Trump.

If you put Morris in, they get in too.

I’m not sure if you’re being sarcastic or not but I don’t believe in using the guys who squeak in as a deciding factor. If you do then it effectively guarantees that the HOF will be eventually diluted to the point that the Mark Graces of the world get in.

Once they put in Rizzuto, Mazerowski and Ozzie Smith they lost all credibility..it really doesn't matter anymore.

Once they put in Rizzuto, Mazerowski and Ozzie Smith they lost all credibility..it really doesn't matter anymore.

Having seen the 2017 Chicago White Sox, I will say that infield defense is pretty important.

No doubt Defense is important, if you want to be in the HOF you should have to play outstanding D and have an outstanding bat.

Mazeroski and Rizzuto don't belong in the Hall of Fame. Defense matters for catchers, shortstops, and centerfielders. Ozzie Smith doesn't belong categorized with the two aforementioned guys. He was a super elite defender at the most important position on the field. Aparicio would be similar. Those guys are deserving Hall of Famers based mainly upon their defense.

Rizzuto was a shortstop. Mazeroski has been rated by some as the best defensive second baseman ever and had one of the biggest hits in the history of the game. I totally understand your points, though, but I am fine with Mazeroski being inducted. Rizzuto seemed like a solid damn player, but....probably more of a HoFer as an announcer. Was in like every World Series, but...

Maybe you guys just don't like second wave immigrants. Funny how racism rears its ugly head even here.

I hate the guy but even I hope that isn't true. But if it is, nothing's too bad for the prick.

Wow, why do you dislike Dwight Evans so much?

I know Rizzuto was a shortstop but nowhere near the level of guys like Aparicio and Smith and Vizquel, who may not even get in. Let's face it. He's in because he played short for great Yankee teams.

I understand the homer in 1960 helped Maz's case. I don't have a problem with that. Probably the second most famous homer ever, certainly at the time. But I couldn't really say Maz was much better than Frank Bolling, a guy most people have never heard of.

Rizzuto definitely got that Yankee bump. His peers oten say that he was one of the greats, but then again, peers often exaggerate in retrospect.

Dewey Evans embodies what I cannot stomach in most Boston/numbers fans. His career was solid, but to fit their fairy tale all kinds of metrics were dreamed up to promote his(for them) glorious status. He was never anything more than Bosox Mattingly or Billy Williams with less power. His glove was great, but nowhere near the growing mythological greatness that it is today.

Solid career, no doubt. But had he played at Comiskey, he would have had even less power--a 10 HR/30 doubles/.266 player. Well....maybe not....Evans is pretty old.....perhaps he could have used that Sox Sod to chop a few balls over the third baseman's head early in his career.

This morning they said Thome is a first ballot lock, yet I always thought he would have to wait along with Bonds and Clemens (maybe not as long because he's not a dick). Was he considered clean(er)?

I hate the Cardinals, but come on, Ozzie Smith belongs in the Hall of Fame.

To hear it told now, he was the greatest right fielder in history maybe aside from Clemente or some other ancient. Always took the best route to the ball in apparently the world's impossibly toughest right field in baseball history. And that his arm is still underrated, even in his late 60's.

Oh, and did I forget to mention just how clutch a hitter they say now he really was?

I hate Boston fans.

No.

If Ozzie is in, you have to put Omar Vizquel in (better defensively and better offensive numbers), and we know he is not getting in.

Not better defensively.

Ozzie is borderline. Omar is just below.

what the hell is going on in this thread? Questioning if Ozzie Smith should be in the HOF?

Not really surprising. He's definitely in the top 10 HoFers who get questioned.


Who was a better baseball player, John Olerud or Vizquel?

Hard to compare.....but Vizquel.

Just something I thought of watching a HoF roundtable last night. Olerud, clearly not a Hall of Famer, but in their prime who would you be more excited about if your team got him?

Olerud Id think.

Just something I thought of watching a HoF roundtable last night. Olerud, clearly not a Hall of Famer, but in their prime who would you be more excited about if your team got him?

Olerud Id think.