Sunday, April 22, 2012

Hall of Fame Voting

So here are the players who will be getting my vote, along with the case that I'm making for them.

Dennis Pratt:  11 All-Star apps, 11 Silver Sluggers, 2 Gold Gloves, 4 MVPs, 4 World Series Rings.  More All-Star appearances, Silver Sluggers, and MVPs than anyone else in Feller history. Postseason Career: 147 games, 42 HR, 115 RBIs, .320 AVG, .410 OBP, .607 SLG.  Pratt is one of a handful of players in this world's history who should be an automatic vote.  (If you have any reservations, please let me know, and I'll send you volume 1 of my "Ode to Dennis Pratt".  I'll continue sending the subsequent volumes until you are convinced.)
Kirk DiFelice:  3 All-Star apps, 1 Cy Young, 1 World Series Ring.  His 243 wins are 5th most in Feller history.  His 313 quality starts are 7th.  3459.0 innings pitched are 6th.  Those numbers help to put him near the top of the list of starting pitchers this world has seen.
Steve Daly:  6 All-Star apps, 2 Cy Youngs, 1 World Series Rings.  Daly doesn't rank in the top 10 for any career totals as a starting pitcher.  What he does have on his resume is 2 Cy Young Awards, and the fact that only two starting pitchers have more All-Star seasons than him.
Matt Michaels:  8 All-star apps, 6 Silver Sluggers, 1 Gold Flove, 2 MVPs, Rookie of the Year, 2 World Series Rings.  It can be difficult for a "Middle of the Diamond" player to rack up huge counting stat totals, as shown by Michaels' respectable totals in hits (2145) and HRs (368).  Along with Lonnie Lo Duca, Michaels is at the top of the list in production for centerfielders.