January 09, 2007
Hall of Fame Day
At 2 PM EST the Hall of Fame announces the results of this year's election. I was just looking at Cal Ripken's stats. I had forgotten how low he finished in OBA for his career, just .340. Part of that tainted memory is the odd way Ripken's career unfolded. He peaked very early in his career, ages 22 and 23. And while he continued to put up great season throughout his 20s, he only reached that peak one more time, at age 30 in 1991. After that, he spent 10 seasons having a useful but unspectacular career.
Part of it, too, is the way baseball evolved in his career. During the 1980s, his OBAs were very good compared to the league average. But the wave of offense that hit in the 1990s didn't catch Cal. He was declining while offense in the game was shooting up. His likely partner in induction, Tony Gwynn, was able to catch that wave, hitting better in his 30s than he did in his 20s.
And looking at all this again makes me wonder if the streak should have stopped in 1984. When Ripken put up consecutive .370+ OBA, .510+ Slugging at ages 22 and 23, he should have had serious upside in front of him. Maybe a .420 OBA, 40 home season when he peaked in his mid to late 20s. I really wonder how many injuries he played through that took a toll on his batting stats.
Still, I'll put him in the Hall. He was a great offensive player for a shortstop, especially in the day when no one expected offense from the position. Along with Trammell, he helped change the mindset that a shortstop was a small, light hitting player with a great glove. He showed that you can be big and powerful, and still play the position extremely well. He wasn't as good as I remember him being, but he certainly deserves induction.
When I think about Ripken, I think of a Catch-22. I think if it weren't for The Streak, he would be left off a number of ballots, probably not making it in on the first ballot. But I also think that if it weren't for The Streak, his numbers would have been better.
I'd say he's an easy first-ballot HOFer even without the streak. You have to remember that he was also a well above-average defensive SS for much of his career. According to BPro's historical WARP rating, Ripken ranks 16th all time -- one of the top 20 players in history. He's certainly one of the top 2 or 3 SS. The streak is gravy......
I agree that Cal should be in the HOF. But not just on the streak alone - include the fact that was and still is such an outstanding man of integrity with a top-notch reputation that you could always let your kids look up to. That says alot in these days of the "me, me, me" generation.
When I think of Ripken, I think of "me, me, me". For him, it was ALL about The Streak. So what if his numbers, and the team, suffered, just as long as he played every single game. That's the epitome of selfish.
Exactly right on the streak, Sab. It was a diva maneuver, to hell with the team.
