William Jennings Bryan “Billy” Herman selected by the special Veterans Committee for the Hall of Fame (February 3, 1975)

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1975, Billy Herman, February 3, Hall of Fame, Second Base

William Jennings Bryan “Billy” Herman

On February 3, 1975, the special Veterans Committee selects second baseman William Jennings Bryan “Billy” Herman (Cubs, Dodgers, Braves and Pirates), skipper Bucky Harris (Senators, Tigers, Red Sox, Phillies and Yankees) and outfielder Earl Averill (Indians, Tigers, and Braves) to the Hall of Fame.

An outspoken Averill had informed his family to decline the honor if he was ever to be inducted posthumously; fortunately, he was enshrined in Cooperstown eight years before his passing.

Herman became a Major League coach with the Dodgers (1952–57) and Braves (now based in Milwaukee) (1958–59)—serving on five National League pennant winners in eight seasons. Pretty extraordinary.

Herman finished his career with a .304 batting average, 1163 runs scored, 47 home runs, 839 RBI, and 428 strikeouts. He won four NL pennants (in 1932, 1935, 1938, and 1941) but no World Series championships as a player (although he was a coach on the 1955 World Series champion Brooklyn Dodgers). His record as a Major League manager was 189-274 (.408). Herman holds the NL records for most putouts in a season by a second baseman and led the league in putouts seven times.

He also shares the Major League record for most hits on opening day, with five, set April 14, 1936.

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Does “The Crime Dog”, Fred McGriff, deserve to be in the Hall of Fame?

Tags

1993, 1997, All Star, Atlanta Braves, Fred McGriff, Hall of Fame, Home Run Derby, World Series

Fred McGriff

I really enjoyed watching Fred “The Crime Dog” McGriff. Fred was a very good baseball player for a long time. I think he does deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

Fred was an Atlanta Brave from 1993-1997. McGriff hit a home run in his first game with the Braves, who acquired him to replace the struggling Sid Bream in at first and provide an offensive spark, and was a key player in the Braves’ 51-19 finish to overtake the San Francisco Giants and claim first place in the National League West for a third consecutive season. He finished with a career high 37 homers and fourth place in the NL MVP voting. In the strike-shortened 1994 season, McGriff was batting .318 and had 34 home runs when play ended in August 1994. He won the All-Star Game MVP Award that year after hitting the game-tying home run for the National League, after the NL trailed 7–5 in the bottom of the ninth inning. McGriff was runner-up to Ken Griffey Jr. in the 1994 Home Run Derby.

Fred remained with the Braves in 1995 and continued to be a successful cleanup hitter. He hit two home runs in the 1995 World Series en route to his only World Series championship ring. Fred hit .295/.365/.494 with a career-best 107 RBIs on his way to another World Series appearance in 1996. With 22 home runs in 1997, McGriff appeared to be in decline. He was called out on strikes by umpire Eric Gregg on a pitch 3 feet outside thrown by Liván Hernández during the 1997 NLCS, which was the last significant event for McGriff as a Brave. The team allowed him to be picked up by the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays after the season.

He made 5 All-Star teams while winning 3 Silver Sluggers, 2 league home run titles (one in each league…the first to pull off that feat), and won a World Series ring. His career WAR of 52.4, while not earth-shattering by any means, is as good or better than 62 players CURRENTLY in the Hall, including Lou Brock, Sandy Koufax, Kirby Puckett, Ralph Kiner, Jim Rice, and Phil Rizzuto.

Not that long ago, his 493 home runs as well as his long and consistent career would have essentially guaranteed that he would have at the very least gotten strong consideration for enshrinement even if there are reasons he isn’t a lock.

My my, how times have changed. It is hard to figure out the Hall of Fame voting some days. OK, it is hard to figure it out on many days.

When the voting results were announced in 2015, McGriff, despite being a worthy candidate on paper, only appeared on 20.9% of ballots in his 7th year of eligibility. While a decent jump from the previous year’s 12.9%, much of that can be attributed to decreased number of voters this year due a recent purge of the voting members’ ranks. The end result is that while its not outside the realm of possibility he gets close to induction, its a long shot. The relative snubbing hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Johnny Evers is MVP for the 1914 World Series Champions

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1881, 1914, 1946, 1947, Frank Selee, Hall of Fame, Johnny Evers, July 21, March 28, MVP, Troy NY

Johnny Evers

John Joseph Evers was born on July 21, 1881 and was a second baseman and manager. He played from 1902 through 1917 for the Chicago Cubs, Boston Braves, and Philadelphia Phillies. He also appeared in one game apiece for the Chicago White Sox and Braves while coaching them in 1922 and 1929, respectively.

Evers was born in Troy, New York. After playing for the local minor league baseball team for one season, Frank Selee, manager of the Cubs, purchased Evers’s contract and soon made him his starting second baseman. Evers helped lead the Cubs to four National League pennants, including two World Series championships. The Cubs traded Evers to the Braves in 1914. That season, Evers led the Braves to victory in the World Series, and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. Evers continued to play for the Braves and Phillies through 1917. He then became a coach, scout, manager, and general manager in his later career.

Known as one of the smartest ballplayers in MLB, Evers also had a surly temper that he took out on umpires. Evers was a part of a great double-play combination with Joe Tinker and Frank Chance, which was immortalized as “Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance” in the poem “Baseball’s Sad Lexicon”. Evers was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1946.

Evers passed away on March 28, 1947.

 

Maddux ties Palmer with 268th career win (August 1, 2002)

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2002, Atlanta Braves, August 1, Bobby Cox, Greg Maddux, Hall of Fame, Jim Palmer

Greg Maddux

A sore neck didn’t stop Greg Maddux from another milestone.

Maddux pitched six shutout innings for his 268th career win, tying Hall of Famer Jim Palmer for 30th most ever, as the Atlanta Braves beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-0 August 1, 2002 to sweep the three-game series.”

“It’s cool,” Maddux said of the achievement, “but that’s not the reason I pitch. My biggest motivator is taking pride in what I do and enjoying the game. If I stopped to pat myself on the back, it wouldn’t be as good and I don’t do it.”

Maddux said he hurt his neck during batting practice, but told manager Bobby Cox he could pitch.

Maddux struggled with his control a bit early, throwing 52 pitches through three innings, including his first wild pitch of the season, but got out of two jams after the Brewers had two men on base in the first and third innings.

“It felt funny at times and it hurt my control a bit, but sometimes when you’re not 100 percent, it makes you better mentally,” Maddux said.

 

 

A question and answer session with John Smoltz

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Atlanta Braves, Hall of Fame, John Smoltz

John Smoltz Hall of Fame

A question and answer session with Major League Baseball Hall of Famer John Smoltz, the former Atlanta Brave pitcher, who is now a broadcaster with MLB Network.

When you were in the Atlanta Braves’ starting rotation with fellow Hall of Famers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, did you have hitting contests?

We did. We would come up with point systems and we took a lot of pride in getting a bunt down. And sooner or later, everybody hit a home run, which I never thought would happen from Glavine’s standpoint. When he hit a home run, I about passed out.

Who was the best hitter?

He probably was because he put the ball in play and could slap the ball down the left field line, it seemed like at will. But Greg was the same kind of not expected to do a whole lot, he found a way to hit and he could do little things as well.

I had the most power but it was probably foolish for me to think that every time I went up there, I could hit a home run but it was all I tried to do for the most part. Not every time, but you pick your moments and for me that’s what ended up tearing my left shoulder in 1997 and never got it fixed and never was a good hitter again at that point.

Is it true that at one time you were an accomplished accordionist?

I was, yeah, but that was 4 years old to 7 years old so based on what my parents tell me, the future was bright back then for that. But I’m sure they were glad that they allowed me to play baseball.

My parents were both accordion teachers. They both played and music was something that they instilled in me and I guess I was good at. I don’t really remember too much. … I could play the keys; I just couldn’t play the bass. For the most part, I can hear something and play it. I don’t read music anymore. It’s just something that taught me a lot when I was a kid. It taught me discipline and work habits, and it really did have an influence in what later became a sports career.

via A question and answer session with John Smoltz | Albany Herald.

Matt Diaz and C.J. Nitkowski on John Smoltz

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Atlanta Braves, C.J. Nitkowski, Hall of Fame, John Smoltz, Matt Diaz

John Smoltz

Here are a couple of comments from former team members on John Smoltz. A good man with a great heart.

“People are going to say that John Smoltz was the most competitive player they played with and a selfless teammate. … Those are true, but I hope in all the celebration of his accolades on the field, we don’t lose track of John Smoltz off the field. This is where he challenged me the most. He is a good man with a great heart.”

— Former Braves teammate Matt Diaz

 

And more …

 

“I say this about John; he is the most gifted athlete I have ever shared a uniform with. He can do more than just throw a baseball, as many people know. He is also a tremendous person, and I believe his strong passion to be great in that area rivals his passion to be a great pitcher.”

–Former teammate C.J. Nitkowski

via MLB – John Smoltz: A Hall of Fame tribute.

Hall of Famer John Smoltz in his own words

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2015, Atlanta Braves, Hall of Fame, John Smoltz

John Smoltz Hall of Fame

John Smoltz has a good sense of who he is. Here are some of his thoughts.

Smoltz in his 2012 book “Starting and Closing: Perseverance, Faith, and One More Year

I think it’s pretty clear that my career wasn’t all about natural talent; I wasn’t sprinkled with any magic dust. I wasn’t the fastest or the strongest or even the smartest, but I would argue that whatever I lacked in sheer talent, I made up for along the way with tenacity and perseverance; a lot of my success was achieved by constantly learning, adapting, and overcoming obstacles.

In January 2015, at his Hall of Fame news conference

To say the least, [converting to closer] was the hardest thing I’d ever done, the fast track of trying to learn on the job, faster than I was ready for. What most people don’t understand is that I failed miserably in the beginning [as full-time closer], and in failing miserably it motivated me, much like the rest of my career, to rally. I gave up eight runs in two-thirds of an inning, I believe against the Mets, and I got booed. And I struggled that whole month due to a thumb injury. And at the end of the year, 55 saves kind of answered a lot of those questions. And kind of made people forget about me as a starter, which at that time was a little tough to swallow.

During his tour of Cooperstown four weeks after being elected to the Hall

The Hall of Fame is a pretty incredible place filled with some elite people, and it’s hard to feel like you’re part of that. I think the biggest thing is that when I walk in this room I may not have the most eye-popping stats, but I have one of the most unique careers.

Smoltz after winning the World Series in 1996

This is for everyone who doubted us. People said I couldn’t make the transition back to starting. People said we had too many rookies again. But we proved everybody wrong. This is really something to celebrate.

Smoltz in 1998

Why not chase what some see as impossible? Why not believe in yourself? Why not dare to be great … even if it means being different?

 

 

John Smoltz first Tommy John pitcher to Hall (2015)

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1974, 1999, 2000, 2015, Atlanta Braves, Hall of Fame, John Smoltz, Tommy John

Tommy John Surgery

Had John Smoltz not received a call from Tommy John in 1999, he might not have gained the distinction of being inducted into the Hall of Fame. He is officially become the first player inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Smoltz received this call as he attempted to return from this elbow surgery during the 2000 season, one in which his struggles as a starting pitcher transitioned him toward his brief stretch as a dominant closer. His frustration led him to contemplate retirement until he received some motivation from John, whose name is attached to this surgery because of the extended success he had after undergoing it in 1974.

‘I’m telling you, don’t [retire], you’ve got a lot of career left,” Smoltz said. “He was saying he pitched for 11 years [after the surgery] and it motivated me to go through the process. There wasn’t as much history then as there is today. It’s a no-brainer today as far as success rate, and I’m glad for it.”

via John Smoltz first Tommy John pitcher to Hall | MLB.com.

John Smoltz adds humor to Hall of Fame speech

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2015, Hall of Fame, John Smoltz

John Smoltz

John Smoltz did not intend for his Baseball Hall of Fame induction speech to run as long as it did. But it only seemed fitting that the last man to wear No. 29 for the Braves’ organization spent a little more than 29 minutes extending gratitude and drawing some laughs with that same sense of humor that made him such a beloved teammate during his legendary pitching career.

“The best way to describe my career is unique. I can’t think of any other word. It’s unique in every way. I have fingerprints on my career from all of those who have touched me and impacted me and helped me along the way. It is a huge army that got John Smoltz from Lansing, Michigan, to where I am today.”

via John Smoltz adds humor to Hall of Fame speech | MLB.com.

John Smoltz did it right and he did it clean – Hall of Fame 2015

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Atlanta Braves, Hall of Fame, John Smoltz

John Smoltz

John Smoltz has heart. He loves to play and compete. He would do anything to help the team win. That is just who he is.

As a baseball fan and someone who loves the Braves. I appreciate how John approached his lively-hood. Special and rare!

Special admiration should be reserved for: The pitcher who somehow squeezes a 22-year, Cy Young-punctuated career out of a right limb that has endured five surgeries, including Tommy John (before it was really cool) … the guy who transitions from starter to closer when it appears his career might be over and then, as if to prove everybody else an idiot again, manages to transition back to starter … the pro athlete who turns down more money in free agency because he wants to stay home and not lose the relationship he has with his manager.

via John Smoltz did it right and he did it clean | www.ajc.com.

John Smoltz: Some of his greatest games

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2015, Hall of Fame, John Smoltz, July 26

John Smoltz

Officially inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 26, 2015, it would be hard to pick out his “greatest games”. So here is a very partial list.

Oct. 5, 1991 – Smoltz went the distance to beat the Astros 5-2 as the Braves coined the NL West title on the penultimate day of the season, the first of many big postseason performances.

Oct. 17, 1991 – Against the Pirates, on the road, in Game 7 of the NLCS, Smoltz pitched a six-hit shutout with eight K’s in a 4-0 victory, good for a Game Score — the metric Bill James designed as a simple way to measure the effectiveness of a pitcher’s start — of 82. He threw 123 pitches — 82 for strikes — but more important, this was the game that got the Braves’ dynasty rolling and established Smoltz as the team’s postseason ace.

Oct. 27, 1991 – Ten days later, Smoltz, then 24, battled Minnesota’s Jack Morris — the young gun versus the grizzled veteran — in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. Smoltz tossed 7⅓ scoreless innings for the Braves, while his elder pitched a 10-inning shutout in a game that finished 1-0.

Sept. 6, 1998 – Smoltz’s best Game Score was a 93, not in his Game 7 performances against the Pirates in the 1991 NLCS or the 1991 World Series against the Twins. Not Game 5 of the 1996 World Series against the Yankees. But rather this regular-season game against the Mets. Smoltz struck out 13, walked none and pitched a three-hitter that could easily have been a perfect game. The Mets had a bit of a rough lineup that night, with Lenny Harris hitting fifth and Jorge Fabregas hitting sixth, and Larry Vanover had a very wide plate — six of the strikeouts were looking — but this 3-0 win was dominance at its finest.

June 7, 1999 – Down 3-0 early in the game, Smoltz smacked a three-run home run — the fifth and final homer of his career — off Dave Eiland to tie the game. Then, in his next at-bat, he singled. He finished 2-for-3 in a 9-5 win for the Braves.

Sept. 27, 2002 – Smoltz pitched 1⅓ innings to preserve a win for Greg Maddux and notch his 54th save of the season, setting a new National League record. Smoltz would finish with 55 saves, a mark equaled the following season by Eric Gagne of the Dodgers.

May 24, 2007 – Smoltz pitched seven shutout innings in a 2-1 win against the Mets to record the 200th win of his career, making him the only pitcher in MLB history with 200 wins and 150 saves. The losing pitcher that night: Tom Glavine.

April 22, 2008 – Smoltz struck out the Nationals’ Felipe Lopez in the third inning to record his 3,000th career strikeout, becoming the 16th pitcher to reach the milestone. Smoltz would finish with 3,084 strikeouts, ranking him 16th all-time.

 

“Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing.” ~Warren Spahn

Tags

1957, 1973, Cy Young Award, Hall of Fame, Warren Spahn

Warren Spahn – Milwaukee Braves

Warren Spahn had a pretty straight forward approach to pitching. He once described his approach on the mound: “Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing.” He seemed to have something there.

He won more games than any other left handed pitcher with an amazing 363. He won more than any post 1920 live ball era. Generally he is thought to be the best pitcher ever. Of course, he played for the Braves while they were in Boston. He played for 21 seasons. All of that was in the National League.

For 13 different seasons, he won 20 games or more. Even when he was 42, he could go 23-7. He won the Cy Young Award in 1957 and was runner up three times. He made it into the Hall of Fame in 1973.

And, did I mention, he played for the Braves?

Moving your brother around (1878)

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1878, Boston Red Caps, Double Play, ERA, Ezra Sutton, George Wright, Hall of Fame, Harry Wright

Harry Wright – Boston Red Cap manager

Imagine your brother being the manager? Well, Harry Wright managed his brother George for the Boston Red Caps (now known as the Atlanta Braves) in 1878. He decided to move him back to short stop from second base. He moved Ezra Sutton from short to third base. The move paid off, as sometimes they do. George led the league in team fielding at .947 for the only time in his Hall of Fame career.

The Red Stockings led the league in double plays with 48. They also placed second in ERA with 2.32 to Cincinnati. Their move to end up in first was real. It was Harry’s third season and he would have his second championship in a row.

And he had his brother with him.

Harvard, as in Harvard Nebraska (1893)

Tags

1893, 1913, 1929, 1969, 2008, Billy Southworth, Boston Braves, Hall of Fame

Billy Southworth

Billy Southworth was born William Harrison Southworth. The year was 1893 and that was in Harvard, Nebraska. He died in 1969. He saw a lot of baseball for sure. He played the game and managed. He was a right fielder and center fielder. He was a player  in 1913, 1915 and from 1918 to 1929. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was a player for the Boston Braves from 1921 to 1923.

Southworth turned to managing in 1929. He then took a break until 1940 and kept going until 1951. He managed for the Boston Braves from 1946 to 1949 and then again from 1950 to 1951.

He was finally inducted into the hall of fame in 2008.

Unlike me, he decided to play baseball against his father’s wishes. He didn’t do too bad. He batted .300 three times in his career.

No more Rabbit (1934)

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1934, 1954, Bill McKechnie, Boston Braves, Hall of Fame, March 28, New York Yankee, Rabbit Maranville

Rabbit Maranville

It was a so so season for the Braves in 1934 but the worst part of it was losing Rabbit Maranville. They had a 78-87 record finishing 16 games behind in fourth place. It was Bill McKechnie’s 5th season but this went the way most of them did during his tenure.

Rabbit Maranville, even at age 42, was playing some pretty good ball so there was hope as the season started. It was his 24th season and he had become a Boston and National legend.

“When Rabbit Maranville breaks a leg right at the start of the opening of the season, that constitutes America’s greatest crisis, and if anybody reading this had to ask who Rabbit is, then you should be made to show your citizenship papers.” — Will Rogers

So, on March 28th, Rabbit’s career came to an end when he broke his leg sliding home on a double steal during an exhibition game with the Yankees. The leg was set on the field while Rabbit smoked a cigarette. He didn’t play that year at all. Maranville was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954 in his 14th year of eligibility. His election came just months after his death at age 62.

13 isn’t a bad number – Billy Southworth’s 13 season career

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Billy Southworth, Boston Braves, Hall of Fame, Joe McCarthy

Billy Southworth

Billy Southworth had a 13 season career. He almost batted .300 (actual was .297) which is pretty good. He also had 53 home runs, 138 stolen bases and 1,296 hits. He played for the Boston Braves from 1921 to 1923.

He also did very well as a manager. He was the Boston Braves manager from 1946 to 1949, 1950 to 1951. His .597 record is second to all time record holder Joe McCarthy’s .615. He had four first place finishes and won two World Series. He really helped the Braves in the 1940’s. Getting into the Hall of Fame in 2008 proved it all.

Great player. Great manager.

John Smoltz elected to the Hall of Fame (January 6, 2015)

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2015, Hall of Fame, January 6, John Smoltz

You have to love this. The Atlanta Braves’ Big 3 pitchers of the 1990s will be reunited in Cooperstown. What a glorious reunion that will be.

John Smoltz was elected Tuesday (January 6, 2015) to the National Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the largest class in 60 years. Smoltz joins former teammates Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, who were inducted last year alongside former Braves manager Bobby Cox, among baseball’s immortals.

John Smoltz

As part of a dominant starting rotation for the Braves in the 1990s that included Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, Smoltz helped make Atlanta perennial contenders, highlighted by a championship in the 1995 World Series. Though predominantly known as a starting pitcher, Smoltz was converted to a reliever in 2001, following his recovery from Tommy John surgery, and he spent four years as the team’s closer before returning to a starting role. In 2002, he became only the second pitcher in history to record a 20-win season and a 50-save season (the other being Dennis Eckersley).

He is the only pitcher in major league history to top both 200 wins and 150 saves. In 2008, he became the 16th member of the 3,000 strikeout club. Smoltz left the Braves after 2008 and split his final season with the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. Since retiring as a player, he has served as a color commentator and analyst on television.

Smoltz threw a four-seam fastball that was clocked as high as 98 miles per hour, a strong, effective slider, and an 88–91 mph split-finger fastball that he used as a strikeout pitch. He also used a curveball and change-up on occasion, and in 1999, he began experimenting with both a knuckleball and a screwball, though he rarely used either in game situations.

Dave Bancroft proves a great player may not make a good manager (1924-1927)

Tags

1891, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, April 20, Casey Stengel, Dave Bancroft, Hall of Fame

Dave Bancroft – Boston Braves

Dave Bancroft was a shortstop with the Braves (then in Boston) from 1924 – 27. He was born in Sioux City, Iowa on April 20, 1891. He was a righty in all ways.

Dave helped shape a theory that “great players don’t make good managers”. He was an amazing shortstop. He could also hit very well with 2004 career hits.

But no matter what, the Hall of Famer couldn’t make it as a manager in his four year run as a player/manager.  But we probably ought to be fair. The two managers before him couldn’t do it either for seven years. Nor could a host of managers after him for 20 years including Casey Stengel.

Rabbit Maranville and the Deadball Era

Tags

1912, Boston Braves, Hall of Fame, Rabbit Maranville

Rabbit Maranville

Standing only 5’5″ and weighing a good deal less during the Deadball Era than his listed playing weight of 155 lbs., Rabbit Maranville compiled a lifetime batting average of just .258. He played for the Boston Braves from 1912 to 1920.  After several other stints as a player, he was back to the Braves from 1929 to 1933 plus 1935.

He is known as much for his zany escapades and funny stories as for anything he accomplished on the diamond. His outstanding glove work kept him in the big leagues for 23 seasons and eventually earned him a plaque in Cooperstown.

“Maranville is the greatest player to enter baseball since Ty Cobb arrived. I’ve seen ‘em all since 1891 in every league around the south, north, east, and west. He came into the league under a handicap–his build. He was too small to be a big leaguer in the opinion of critics. I told him he was just what I wanted: a small fellow for short. All he had to do was to run to his left or right, or come in, and size never handicapped speed in going after the ball.” ~~Boston Braves manager George Stallings.

Dale Murphy and his bid to be in the Hall of Fame

Tags

2013, Dale Murphy, Hall of Fame

Dale Murphy – Atlanta Braves

Will Dale Murphy ever make it to the Hall of Fame? I’m thinking not. He was on the ballot for 15 years and didn’t make it in 2013.  He is now off the ballot.

I’m always kind of optimistic. Not really frustrated, I think because my percentage hasn’t really been knocking on the door, you know? I think if it’d been at 60 percent for five years, it might be different. I know my percentage is pretty low and you need 75. And I’m not really close. To be honest, I thought my percentage would be higher over the years. It hasn’t been high. I tend to feel like I’ll get a bump this year. There’s been some talk about guys that played in the ’70s and ’80s, that there might be some revisiting of their careers [by voters], and I have some people that have been supportive. So we’ll see. I appreciate the support and I try to stay optimistic. ~~Dale Murphy

Dale Murphy first appeared on the writers’ ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999, the earliest possible year of consideration. He has failed to gain election, joining late New York Yankees outfielder Roger Maris as the only Hall of Fame-eligible recipients of multiple MVP awards not in the Hall. His failed candidacy has drawn particular notice due to his reputation as a clean-living player whose career was immediately followed by baseball’s scandal-plagued “steroids era”.

Baseball writer Rob Neyer feels that the former MVP’s candidacy has been hurt by a career that “got a late start and suffered an early end.” Stuart Miller, baseball writer for the New York Times, also notes the “sharp decline” in production that plagued Murphy after the age of 31 in arguing, “Players who were great for a short time do not receive much [Hall of Fame] recognition.” Finding “one of baseball’s best players in the 1980s” to be “undervalued,” Miller nonetheless writes that the Brave great “is typically considered a ‘close but no’ guy.”

Bill James, father of sabermetrics, says of Murphy, “It certainly wouldn’t offend me to have him in the Hall of Fame. I just wouldn’t advocate it.” James’ “current metric for Hall induction was 300 Win Shares (a complex mathematical equation weighing what players contribute to their team’s victories)….” Murphy stands at 253 Win Shares. James ranks eight Hall of Famers below Murphy.

However, others contend, “Murphy’s incredible nine-year run in Atlanta was every bit as good as anyone else during his era.” Neyer notes that the explosion of power during the steroids-fueled era that began after Murphy’s retirement may have caused Murphy’s numbers to pale in comparison for many voters. Some have argued that Murphy’s reputation for clean-living may encourage voters to “look more favorably on what Murphy did without using performance-enhancing drugs.” (Murphy weighed in on the steroids issue in asserting that career home run leader Barry Bonds “without a doubt” used performance-enhancing drugs.) Sports Illustrated’s Joe Posnanski has endorsed Murphy as an “emotional pick . . . a larger-than-life character who signed every autograph, spoke up for every charity and played brilliant baseball every day for mostly doomed teams.”

Nonetheless, though he continues to earn the requisite 5% to remain on the ballot, Murphy averaged only 13.6% average over the first twelve years of voting. (Election to the hall requires 75%.) In the first decade of his eligibility, he “peaked at 23% in 2000 and fell to 11.5% in 2009.” Moreover, as writers may only vote for ten players each year some have argued that the candidacy of stars from the 1980s—such as Murphy, pitcher Jack Morris, and outfielder Tim Raines–will become imperiled as a wave of more recently retired players with more statistically impressive credentials become eligible in the 2010s. Noting his low vote totals, Murphy has said, “Since I’m not that close [to election] … I don’t think about it that much.”

National Baseball Hall of Fame trio (Cox, Glavine &Maddux) transformed Atlanta Braves (July 27, 2014)

Tags

1995, 2014, Atlanta Braves, Bobby Cox, Frank Wren, Greg Maddux, Hall of Fame, John Schuerholz, July 27, Tom Glavine, World Series

Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame Trio

The Atlanta Braves knew how to loose. The had, to some extent, built a culture of loosing. But they had a plan. They worked the plan. And the plan became reality.

Today (July 27, 2014), in Cooperstown, N.Y., nobody is laughing at the Braves. And that success story that includes a 1995 World Series championship, five National League pennants, 14 consecutive division titles and a host of individual honors. They were transformed.

Who are the men who helped transform the Atlanta Braves so remarkably?

1. Bobby Cox was the general manager in the 1980s when the club began to draft, cultivate and stockpile talent in the farm system, and became the manager who put it all together on the field.
2. Left-handed pitcher Tom Glavine was one of the talented draft choices taken in 1984 and groomed in the minor leagues.
3. Right-handed pitcher Greg Maddux was a 1993 free-agent acquisition that paid huge dividends.

Cox managed the Braves from 1978-’81, and then returned in 1986 as the general manager.

“When I got there, we made a decision to develop a strong farm system, All of our budget went into scouting, and there was little for the big club. We spent a lot of money on that plan, A plan can be a great plan and fail. Fortunately, our plan worked.” ~~Bobby Cox

It was a great plan and they worked it. My guess is that it would still work for many teams today, including the Braves. In 1990, Atlanta had the worst record in the major leagues. In 1991, the Braves went from worst to first, winning the National League West and the NL pennant. The fairy tale ending fell just short when the Braves lost to the Minnesota Twins in Game 7 of the World Series.

John Schuerholz was a another piece of the plan and came over from Kansas City in 1990 as general manager, and Cox moved from the front office back to the dugout.

“What Bobby started and John finished brought winning baseball to Atlanta and the Braves, They transformed this franchise.” ~~General Manager Frank Wren

So what does Tom Glavine think of all this?

“I am not a historian and know some teammates gone into the Hall of Fame, But not together, like this on the first ballot. I know this is a big deal. And from a personal level, to have the others here is pretty cool. We were really good, And we were good for a long time, and we had good players.” ~Tom Glavine

And then there is “The Professor”, Greg Maddux. He’s here at the end of 23 seasons, 355 wins, more than 5,000 innings, four Cy Young Awards and 97.2 percent of the Hall vote, all built and maintained on the 100,000 pitches that resulted from them.

“Good control makes you smart. You throw the ball where you want to throw it, you look smart.” ~~Greg Maddux