Are there more current/unelected HOF'ers

[Pavelb1]

...then at any point in history? By unelected, I mean also recently retired.

Derek Jeter
Alex Rodriguez
Mike Mussina*
Manny Ramirez
Jim Thome
Frank Thomas
John Smoltz
Curt Schilling*
Tom Glavine
Greg Maddux
Randy Johnson
Pedro Martinez
Ken Griffey Jr.
Roger Clemens**
Barry Bonds**
Sammy Sosa**
Mark McGwire**
Rafael Palmiero**
Vlad Guerrero
Jason Giambi**(I think he'll reach 500)
Gary Sheffield**
Trevor Hoffman
Pudge Rodriguez
Jim Edmonds*
Albert Pujols (early days, but...)
Jeff Kent

I'm sure I've forgotten a ton

*Debatable
**May not get in for awhile. Giambi and Palmiero may never get in.

EDIT:I somehow forgot Mariano Rivera, and after looking at a page 2 article about the same thing, I see I forgot Bagwell and Biggio too. Apparently 1965 had 35 future HOFers playing.

[metsguy234]

Stick Trevor Hoffman on that list... and Carlos Delgado

[metsguy234]

And if you have Edmonds on that list, you should probably also have Steve Finley, who is shockingly similar to Edmonds, with better speed, but not quite as good defense.

[RedsoxRockies]

You forget Mike Piazza

[metsguy234]

You forget Mike Piazza

I should've noticed that!

[Pavelb1]

I should've noticed that!

Piazza is also on the Page 2 guys list...about the only other one on his list I missed that I agree with will be Ichiro. He had this to say about Andruw Jones: (I think it was written in 2005)

"He's 28 and has 282 home runs -- only Alex Rodriguez (381), Juan Gonzalez (301), Hank Aaron (298) and Frank Robinson (291) had more through the same age. Ten Gold Gloves? Six hundred home runs? I don't see how he can be denied."

[reflections]

Piazza is also on the Page 2 guys list...about the only other one on his list I missed that I agree with will be Ichiro. He had this to say about Andruw Jones: (I think it was written in 2005)

"He's 28 and has 282 home runs -- only Alex Rodriguez (381), Juan Gonzalez (301), Hank Aaron (298) and Frank Robinson (291) had more through the same age. Ten Gold Gloves? Six hundred home runs? I don't see how he can be denied."

Jones getting 600 isn't a sure thing anymore.

[kenny1234]

And the sheer number of them will probably keep some of them out of the HOF. I have my doubts about Thome, Sheffield, Edmonds, Palmeiro, Mussina, Smoltz, Schilling along with a few of the steroid cases (such as Sosa that would definitely get in if it weren't for steroids). Some will say that players should get in regardless of who else is on the ballot. I disagree - the fact that there are many good pitchers should keep borderline cases such as Mussina and Schilling out. To me a player such as Thome or Sheffield doesn't belong strictly on a comparison to their contemporaries. I admit I would prefer a smaller HOF - I would be happy if the Hall admitted an average of two players per year. That means that you pretty much have to be in the top 10-15 players in the league for a sustained peak along with decent career value. And if that happens - a lot of these players aren't getting in.

[dps]

History would suggest that there were at least 40 players active in the majors in 2008 who will get into the Hall. Of course, a few of them might well have been kids that got a cup of coffee in a late-season call up, or other young players who haven't done anything of note so far.

[HoustonGM]

Of course it seems like there's more active Hall of Famers now than ever before...that's because, there is, because there's more players now than ever before.

And if you have Edmonds on that list, you should probably also have Steve Finley, who is shockingly similar to Edmonds, with better speed, but not quite as good defense.

They are not similar in the least bit. There is absolutely nothing similar about Steve Finley and Jim Edmonds, except that they were both center fielders. They were completely different players. I have no idea how you even come to the conclusion that were "shockingly similar", let alone similar at all.

[RedsoxRockies]

And the sheer number of them will probably keep some of them out of the HOF. I have my doubts about Thome, Sheffield, Edmonds, Palmeiro, Mussina, Smoltz, Schilling along with a few of the steroid cases (such as Sosa that would definitely get in if it weren't for steroids). Some will say that players should get in regardless of who else is on the ballot. I disagree - the fact that there are many good pitchers should keep borderline cases such as Mussina and Schilling out. To me a player such as Thome or Sheffield doesn't belong strictly on a comparison to their contemporaries. I admit I would prefer a smaller HOF - I would be happy if the Hall admitted an average of two players per year. That means that you pretty much have to be in the top 10-15 players in the league for a sustained peak along with decent career value. And if that happens - a lot of these players aren't getting in.

Thome is one of the best power hitters in history. He has one of the best HR's per at bats totals in history.

[metsguy234]

Of course it seems like there's more active Hall of Famers now than ever before...that's because, there is, because there's more players now than ever before.


They are not similar in the least bit. There is absolutely nothing similar about Steve Finley and Jim Edmonds, except that they were both center fielders. They were completely different players. I have no idea how you even come to the conclusion that were "shockingly similar", let alone similar at all.

Both had 300 or so HR, both were CF, both had above average defense.

[metsguy234]

And why is everyone considering Sosa as a steroid case? I've never heard any Sammy Sosa-steroids suspicion.

[RedsoxRockies]

Both had 300 or so HR, both were CF, both had above average defense.

And that is where the simularities end...

[metsguy234]

And that is where the simularities end...

Those are really the only places (besides speed) where people could be similar on a baseball field...