Let's Refigure Hall of Fame Vote By Using WAR
PLUS: RYU RETURNS TO KOREA WITH 8-YEAR DEAL THAT LASTS THROUGH AGE 44
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Pregame Pepper
Did you know…
Boston is paying Liam Hendriks $2 million not to pitch in 2024. The former White Sox closer, recovering from August Tommy John surgery, signed a two-year Red Sox contract with a 2026 option but is extremely unlikely to throw a pitch this season . . .
Defense be damned: the Miami Marlins suddenly have a good-hit, no-field DP tandem of Luis Arraez at second base and Tim Anderson at shortstop . . .
Speaking of middle infielders, Amed Rosario found buyers so scarce that he took a Tampa Bay deal even after the Rays told him he’d be nothing more than a utilityman . .
Bobby Witt Jr.’s contract could keep him in Kansas City through 2037 since the 11-year deal contains three options worth a combined $89 million . . .
Witt can also opt out of the deal anytime from 2030-2033.
Leading Off
Going to WAR To Fix The Hall of Fame
By Paul Semendinger
Let's begin this article with a very clear statement of the obvious:
There are players who are not in the Baseball Hall of Fame who deserve to be there.
Over the years, the Hall of Fame has tried, in many different ways, mostly through select committees, to fix this problem. Often times the committees exacerbate the problem.
A few years ago, both Ted Simmons and Thurman Munson were on the same ballot. Simmons got in, Munson did not. To many, that seemed unfair. To many, it made no sense.
When they played, Munson was seen as the better player. I don't want to debate that point, that is not the focus of this article, rather it is just an example of how when a committee votes, the results create more (not less) debate and more (not less) confusion.
The committees often seem to elect compromise choices rather than the best players. We end up with players who were pretty darn good but not great. The great players are left out of the Hall of Fame while better contemporaries remain on the outside looking in.
As long as there are various committees to look back over baseball history — to meet, discuss, and select candidates — this pattern will continue. The baseball world, with this approach, will continually be underwhelmed when the committees announce their selections.
I have a simple solution to all of this.
I'll admit that it's not the best solution. But it is also the most straight forward and fair approach:
The Hall of Fame should use a standard baseball performance measurement, one that is universally accepted as legitimate, and starting with the three highest-ranked players currently not in the Hall of Fame, and whose eligibility through the BBWAA has passed, and include them, four at a time, into the Hall of Fame.
One can use lifetime home runs, batting average, OPS+, ERA, pitcher wins, or any other statistic so long as they keep with that standard, always. The standard cannot change from year-to-year.
In short, the Hall of Fame should decide on a statistical standard and use that to enshrine the most deserving players who the BBWAA and the select committees overlooked for one reason or another.
My proposal would be to use Wins Above Replacement (WAR).
Yes, I know WAR has its detractors. That's fine. If they want to use a different measuring tool, as long as it stays consistent, that's also fine. But, without debating the merits of WAR, let's simply look how this would play out beginning in 2025 (using Baseball-Reference's WAR):
2025 WAR Selections: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Pete Rose, Curt Schilling
(I left out Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Clayton Kershaw, Mike Trout, and etc... because they are either still playing, not yet eligible for the BBWAA vote, or are still on the ballot.)
OH BOY! Now I did it. My proposal immediately brings up PEDs and gambling and one of the most divisive players/personalities in recent Hall of Fame debating.
I don't wish to have those debates here. They are discussions for another time. So, let's move past them and stick with the next highest WAR players for the simple and express point of seeing what a process like this would look like:
2025 WAR Selections: Zack Greinke, Jim McCormick, Bill Dahlen, Lou Whitaker
That sounds like a very fair and very balanced list of inductees. Each has a lifetime WAR over 75. These aren't borderline candidates by this measure, they're slam dunks. (Most experts conclude that 60 WAR is borderline.)
Opponents of my plan would probably claim that I'm watering down the Hall of Fame. But, in actually, I wouldn't be. I'd be including players who others missed for whatever reasons. Those are four very worthy players.
Let's continue with the next few years of selections (assuming that any player not eligible or still on the ballot above these players would be elected by the BBWAA):
2026 WAR Selections: Bobby Grich, Rick Reuschel, Kenny Lofton, and Graig Nettles
All of these players have a WAR of 67.9 or better. The Hall of Fame is no less prestigious with these players being included.
Let's continue:
2027 WAR Selections: Kevin Brown, Dwight Evans, Tony Mullane, Buddy Bell
2028 WAR Selections: Luis Tiant, Willie Randolph, Reggie Smith, Ken Boyer
2029 WAR Selections: David Cone, Jack Glasscock, Tommy John, Sal Bando
We're still, by the way at 61.5 WAR or better...
This process also allows the baseball community to learn about forgotten players like Jack Glasscock who (according to the SABR Biography Project) "is considered by many to have been the best shortstop of the nineteenth century, earning him the accolade “King of the Shortstops.” It seems to me that this forgotten player deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
But, if the argument is that this process selects too many players too quickly, then the process can be reduced to just three WAR players each year. (To be honest, I wanted to use three as my measurement, but I figured it was best to group the first four players together to get those debates out of the way at the start.)
If we went with three WAR players per year, it would be quite a while before we ever reached players without Hall-Worthy statistics. (And, if the PED debate was ended and those players were also let in, this process would take even longer.)
2025: Zack Greinke, Jim McCormick, Bill Dahl
2026: Lou Whitaker, Bobby Grich, Rick Reuschel
2027: Kenny Lofton, Graig Nettles, Kevin Brown
2028: Dwight Evans, Tony Mullane, Buddy Bell
2029: Luis Tiant, Willie Randolph, Reggie Smith
2030: Ken Boyer, David Cone, Jack Glasscock
2031: Tommy John, Sal Bando, Tommy Bond
Once and for all, over a very long (but very fair process) the Hall of Fame would be able to include the worthy players who have been left out and/or forgotten.
It's time we do this. It's time for the Hall of Fame to be the place where all the best players are recognized — doing so only enhances the sport.
Let's go to WAR to fix the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Dr. Paul Semendinger runs the Yankees site Start Spreading the News. His latest book 365.2: Going the Distance, A Runner's Journey will come out on March 12, 2024.
Cleaning Up
Unwanted In USA, Ryu Takes 8-Year Korean Deal
By Dan Schlossberg
Every year, the free agent market yields surprising results.
This is no exception, with dozens of players — including several top stars — still unsigned.
Nothing surprises more, however, than the decision of Hyun Jin Ryu to return to his native Korea. The veteran lefty had hoped to stay in the majors but didn’t receive any enticing offers. Once he let it be known he’d return home, the Hanwha Eagles offered him an eight-year, $12.4 million contract — 17 billion in Korean currency.
The deal takes him through his age 44 season — you read that right — but contains an opt-out clause that would allow him to return to the U.S. majors (ancient left-handed starters are always in demand, as Rich Hill proves).
In the meantime, Ryu’s take is by far the biggest deal in the history of the Korean Baseball Organization.
He broke into the pros with the Eagles in 2006 at 19, taking the league’s MVP award as a rookie with a 2.23 ERA over 201 2/3 innings pitched.
The solid southpaw had an excellent MLB career, mostly with the Dodgers, allowing 3.27 earned runs per nine innings over 186 appearances. He tossed 1,055 1/3 innings, fanned 934, and won 78 games. Ryu made nine playoff starts over five separate seasons, working to a 4.54 ERA in 41 2/3 frames, and was a Cy Young Award finalist twice. He even received a few MVP votes in 2019 and 2020.
Ryu, who also pitched for Toronto, oddly won 14 games in a season four times but never more than that. The 6’3” southpaw, a portly presence at 250 pounds, has a .619 career winning percentage. He split six decisions in post-season play.
Tough Ryu’s signing is the biggest surprise of the current free-agent season, others certainly come close.
How about all the players — including Cy Young and MVP recipients — who never signed? We’re talking about you, Blake Snell and Cody Bellinger.
And even less expensive but still servicable players — namely Michael Lorenzen and Adam Duvall — couldn’t find homes either. It’s hard to imagine their careers are over.
Spring injuries should open a few doors, however. Already, the No. 1 starter for the New York Mets, Kodai Senga, is on the shelf with shoulder woes — initially billed as arm fatigue. But how can an arm be fatigued after resting all winter?
So, Scott Boras, are you pleased with yourself or are you embarrassed that keeping your clients from signing is costing them (and you) big bucks?
At least Hyu Jin Ryu has a home.
Former AP sportswriter Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ covers the game for Here’s The Pitch, forbes.com, Memories & Dreams, Sports Collectors Digest, USA TODAY Sports Weekly, and other outlets. His Hank Aaron biography comes out just before the 50th anniversary of No. 715 in April. Book Dan to speak via ballauthor@gmail.com.
Timeless Trivia
“Every year you climb the stairs. For some people, it might seem we’re going backwards but I bought into the concept of a long-term deal. I am not here for one or two years. I see that we are moving in the right direction. We have changed people along the way but that is part of the process. I’m fully onboard.”
— Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor on his $341 million deal that runs through 2031
Spring training is the only time of year when every team is 0-0, exhibition games don’t count in the standings, and optimism reigns supreme . . .
The 2023 Mets finished 29 games out of first place in the NL East and traded away future Hall of Famers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander . . .
Their top slugger, first baseman Pete Alonso, has hit more home runs since his 2018 debut than anyone else in the majors but is a free agent this fall and a client of notorious superagent Scott Boras, who routinely encourages his clients to test the market . . .
The Mets will retire the numbers of Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden this season.
Know Your Editors
HERE’S THE PITCH is published daily except Sundays and holidays. Benjamin Chase [gopherben@gmail.com] handles Monday and Tuesday editions, Elizabeth Muratore [nymfan97@gmail.com] does Wednesday and Thursday, and Dan Schlossberg [ballauthor@gmail.com] edits the weekend editions on Friday and Saturday. Readers are encouraged to contribute comments, articles, and letters to the editor. HTP reserves the right to edit for brevity, clarity, and good taste.