All-Time Positional Rankings

[HoustonGM]

I smell Anti-Ron Cey bias.

I just ranked Cey myself, and I have him coming up behind Nettles and Boyer. He matches Nettles on peak, but Nettles crushes him on career, and Boyer beats him on peak and is slightly ahead on career.

On my shortlist of third basemen I have to rank are Tommy Leach, Tony Perez, Al Rosen, Bob elliott, Sal Bando, Toby Harrah, and Pie Traynor. I've also changed my above rankings (again), and they're probably going to change some more by the end of the night.

[HoustonGM]

I'm now moving on to first basemen, so the list in the first post is "final".

[justanewguy]

I have a feeling Steve Garvey is not in the HoM either.

[HoustonGM]

Not close, heh. This past election, he wasn't mentioned on anybody's 15 player ballot.

Here are the first basemen I'll be ranking:

Cap Anson, Jake Beckley, Dan Brouthers, Will Clark, Roger Connor, Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, Hank Greenberg, Keith Hernandez, Harmon Killebrew, Buck Leonard, Willie McCovey, Mark McGwire, Johnny Mize, Eddie Murray, George Sisler, Joe Start, Mule Suttles, and Bill Terry


And if you're interested: the Hall of Merit Plaque Room.

[metsguy234]

They voted Ken Boyer for the Hall? WTF?

[HoustonGM]

They voted Ken Boyer for the Hall? WTF?

Boyer is basically the consensus worse third basemen in there. Meanwhile, the real life Hall's worst third basemen is probably Freddie Lindstrom. Compare those guys, why don't you?

Also, the real life Hall has severely underrepresented third basemen, with only 10 non-Negro League inductees.

[bucher34]

I'm ranking only the guys that the HoM has inducted. Ventura's first year on the ballot is next year.

Woops, sorry, I knew that just wasn't thinking. Kind of an aside, do you think Ventura will make the Hall? I think he should, but I don't know if he will.

[HoustonGM]

He definitely won't.

[bucher34]

Fair enough.

[HoustonGM]

That's not meant as a knock against him. He has a way better case than most people would probably think, but there's simply no way the BBWAA is going to give him much consideration. If I had to bet, I'd put my money on him falling off the ballot immediately, getting somewhere between 2 to 4 percent of the vote.

[RedsoxRockies]

Hey, do you think Moe Berg will get elected?

[bucher34]

That's not meant as a knock against him. He has a way better case than most people would probably think, but there's simply no way the BBWAA is going to give him much consideration. If I had to bet, I'd put my money on him falling off the ballot immediately, getting somewhere between 2 to 4 percent of the vote.

I would slightly agree, but he may surprise you. I'm still pushing for him. But if not, atleast I still have the Big Hurt.

[kenny1234]

Also, the real life Hall has severely underrepresented third basemen, with only 10 non-Negro League inductees.

The question is why? Is it that there have been relatively few players with the specific talents to be put at third base - basically decent defense, but not good enough for shortstop? Or is it something else? My feeling is that defense at 3rd is significantly underrated - even with newer fielding metrics.

[bucher34]

The question is why? Is it that there have been relatively few players with the specific talents to be put at third base - basically decent defense, but not good enough for shortstop? Or is it something else? My feeling is that defense at 3rd is significantly underrated - even with newer fielding metrics.

Take Ventura for example

[RedsoxRockies]

The question is why? Is it that there have been relatively few players with the specific talents to be put at third base - basically decent defense, but not good enough for shortstop? Or is it something else? My feeling is that defense at 3rd is significantly underrated - even with newer fielding metrics.

Well, part of it was that the first half of the century had few offensive players. The offensive level was equal too or lesser then that even of 2B. However, 3B has definatel been overlooked