Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
March 19, 2005
Remember the Alomar

It looks like Roberto Alomar's career is over. After playing one inning last night, in his first game in over a week, Alomar went home. An annoucement is expected today.

This was the same thing that happened to him in the Puerto Rican Winter League this off season. It's time to start the Hall of Fame discussion. He's very close. He came up at a young age which allowed him to have impressive career numbers despite a rapid decline in his mid-30's. He went from 37 win shares in 2001 to 15 in 2002 and slid further from there. A steady decline would have made him a lock by now. But the injury killed the longevity portion that goes into Hall voter's calculations.

Looking at the 1990s, Alomar's prime years of production (1990-1999), his comptemporaries are Knoblauch, Biggio and DeShields. They all played over 1200 games at second base, but I think we can dismiss Delino as not being nearly the hitter the other three were. In looking at their batting stats, Alomar does not stand out as much as I thought he would.

1990-1999AlomarKnoblauchBiggio
Batting Avg..308.297.295
On-Base Avg..382.386.386
Slugging.462.417.438

If fact, given that Biggio spent most of the decade in the Astrodome, I'd give Craig the nod as the best offensive second baseman of the decade. Alomar may get points for defense, but I don't think it's enough. Win shares confirms this, giving Biggio the 2nd highest total of the decade behind Bonds! (Biggio 287 (2nd), Alomar 243 (7th) and Knoblauch 208 (T-15th).)

My guess is that people will remember Alomar's post-season heroics, and that will give him the push he needs to gain election. But at some point, Craig Biggio should go in as well, as the best second baseman of the 1990s.

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Posted by David Pinto at 09:01 AM | Injuries | TrackBack (2)
Comments

David, too bad Chuckles does not read your blog. He would have known about his injury this winter. Right now it just seems like the Robby a star of 90s and the one in Rays camp are two complete different players. I hope at sometime I can get back the memory of the one that played for Toronto. Right now I can't.

Posted by: David at March 19, 2005 10:44 AM

Wonder if the "spitting" incident will affect Alomar's chances at the HOF.

It shouldn't, but baseball writers are known to do some strange things.

Posted by: Chad at March 19, 2005 02:40 PM

I'll bet he gets in eventually, though he might have to wait a few years after he's eligable.

Posted by: sabernar at March 19, 2005 04:46 PM

Interesting that both Alomar and Biggio have an OPS+ of 116. If you look at their Black/Grey Ink and their HOF Standards/Monitor (all on baseball-reference.com, they are both short on the Ink, but both are right at or over the HOF Standards & HOF Monitor. And if you look at Similar Batters, Biggio's most similar batter is Alomar, and, of course, vice versa. So I would venture to guess that they are pretty equal as far as offense go. This is an excellent page to compare their offensive stats:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/friv/scomp.cgi?I=biggicr01:Craig+Biggio&st=career

FYI, the other similar batters for Biggio are Whitaker, Morgan, Sandberg, Larkin, Trammell and Yount.

Posted by: sabernar at March 19, 2005 04:52 PM

BOTH alomar and biggio had great gloves and biggio won at catcher too.

both should go in the HOF.

the only thing against biggio is his HORRIBLE post season numbers (shudder)

i don't think that the spitting thing should keep alomar out of the hall. he lost his temper ONCE, paid the price and he and hirschbeck became friends...

i STILL wonder why alomar went from great to lousy when he went to the mets. i've never heard anyone who could come up with any ideas?????

Posted by: lisa gray at March 19, 2005 06:18 PM

Both men clearly belong, Biggio's poor postseason performances notwithstanding. In all of the uproar over Bill James' questionable decision in the New Historical Baseball Abstract to place Biggio 5th all time among second basemen (Alomar being ranked 10th), James' painstaking demonstration that, yes, more often than not Craig Biggio was a better player than Ken Griffey Jr. during the time when both players were at their peak got overlooked. Alomar wasn't quite that good, but he was one hell of a second baseman. Given the Sandberg precedent, one or both of them might have to wait a few years, but in the end they'll both have their plaques.

Posted by: M. Scott Eiland at March 19, 2005 07:11 PM

While Robbie mentioned his back and his legs, my guess is his eyes affected his decline as much as anything else. His decline was so quick it is not just lost bat speed. He did not benefit from the career extending effects of the clear or the cream like some guys. He definitely belongs in the Hall of Fame, best second baseman I've seen.

Posted by: LargeBill at March 19, 2005 11:26 PM

So does this mean we can also finally let Ryno in? Check those numbers, especially the defensive numbers, like chances per game and others. If you think Alomar deserves it, I think Sandberg is even more qualified.

Posted by: Londo at March 21, 2005 03:55 PM

Sandberg is going in this year.

Posted by: Lurkerson at March 22, 2005 08:56 PM
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