On Sunday at Cooperstown, six great players – Chipper Jones, Alan Trammell, Trevor Hoffman, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome and Jack Morris – were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. It's one of the holiest days of the baseball calendar every year, so let's take advantage of the highlights and take-away festivities of 2018
Jones Jones
Jones has accumulated 2,726 hits in 19 seasons with the Braves; 468 home races; 549 doubles; and 85.2 WAR, a MVP award from NL (1999); and eight All-Star appearances. He was elected to the Hall in the first round of voting (97.2% of the vote) and became the 17th player of the third main goal to be registered.
Let's make it official:
During his speech, Jones of course took the time to recognize his former manager (and now co-Hall of Famer) Bobby Cox:
family you might think: [19659007] Chipper Jones says that their little boy, who is due at all times, will be called Cooper in the honor of Cooperstown
– Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) [2999011] July 29, 2018
What 39 Suffice it to say that Chipper will not forget the summer of 18.
Alan Trammell
Here is an essential feeling of Trammell's time on the podium:
Is not it the truth ? Trammell was a shortstop player who has spent more than 18,000 defensive innings at this post. On the set, he is the author of a 110 OPS + at a time when we were not used to shortstops doing anything other than using their glove and sometimes their wheels on the basics . Trammell has accumulated 2,365 results; 652 additional strokes; 236 steals; and 70.7 WAR. In addition, he won four gold gloves and made the team six times. Despite these strong and indisputable references, Trammell was expelled in his 15 years on the BBWAA ballot. Fortunately, the Committee of the era of modern baseball has corrected the obvious mistake in electing Trammell.
So, consider this as late …
… And very deserved. Now, maybe they'll go around Lou Whitaker in one day.
Trevor Hoffman
Hoffman, thanks in large part to one of the great changes in the history of baseball, has accumulated 601 saves over his 18-year career (only Mariano Rivera has more rescues) by converting 89% of its Opportunities. He also scored 140 ERA + and recorded more strikeouts (1,133) than innings (1,089.1). Seven times Hoffman made the All-Star match, and four times he finished in the top six of the NL Cy Young poll. Hoffman in his career compiled a war of only 28.1, but Hall voters showed a preference for badessing relief by other means.
Time plate:
Before Hoffman took the microphone, Chipper gave him a kick:
In addition, Giants manager Bruce Bochy skipped Sunday's game for Hoffman's big day:
Bochy directed Hoffman for his peak years with the Padres. Vladimir Guerrero
One of the great bad-ball hitters of all time, Guerrero in his career has collected 2590 hits. 449 home races; 447 doubles; 181 bases stolen; nine All-Star appearances; eight money sluggers; a strong hit line of .318 / .379 / .553; and a war of 59.4. Guerrero made the second round.
Plate:
And with that, Guerrero becomes the first player to enter the hall by wearing a hat of angels (even if he spends more time with the Expos). In addition, Guerrero becomes the first Dominican player to enter the Hall of Fame. As one might expect, his homeland was very much in his mind while he was talking to the crowd at Cooperstown:
Remember that it was a double day for Chipper Jones and his family? Sunday's Guerreros also had more than "just" an induction into the Hall of Fame:
Not a bad day, that.
Jim Thome
Thome was one of the big hitters to "take and rake", well, never. The beloved slugger has spent 22 years in the greats, and on the way he has split 612 circuits (!); attracted the seventh march of all time (1,747); and reaches the base more than 4000 times. Thome also overcame 1,000 more base moves for his career and built a WAR of 72.9. He was elected to the Hall in the first round of voting.
Here is Thome's plate:
You will notice block C on the Thome Indians hat. They did not wear this motif during Cleveland's time in Thome, but Chief Wahoo's controversial logo is of course disappearing. Thome has already said that he did not want Wahoo on his plaque from the Hall of Fame .
In his heartfelt speech, Thome treated his former coach of the Phillies and coach and director of the Indians, Charlie Manuel:
And the quote from Thome's speech:
Yes, another good left-handed puncher was watching.
Jack Morris
Morris did not really make the cut in his 15 years on the BBWAA newsletter, but the committee that voted in Trammell also gave Morris the nod. During his 18-year career, Morris has won 254 games; struck nearly 2,500 batters; scored 175 complete games; tilted at a BPM of 3.90; and seven times finished in the top 10 Cy Young vote. In 1991, Morris also created one of the great pitching performances of the World Series history by beating the Braves in ten 10-run innings against the Braves in the seventh game.
There is this mustache and the old English D from Detroit. Should we listen to Morris tell a battle with Carl Yastrzemski? You bet we should:
And now for the lasting image:
Congratulations to these six legends for reaching the pinnacle of the sport.