On July 27, first baseman/third baseman Dick Allen, outfielders Ichiro Suzuki and Dave Parker and pitchers CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. They will join the 351 players already immortalized, either for their performance on the diamond or their contributions to the game itself.
While many of the greatest players in MLB history have been enshrined in Cooperstown, there have been several who have yet to join their ranks. Let’s take a look at the biggest snubs for the Hall of Fame by position.
Catcher: Thurman Munson
The heart and soul of the New York Yankees in the 1970s, Munson was a fiery leader who was named the sixth captain in franchise history. A seven-time All-Star, Munson posted a .292/.346/.410 batting line with 113 homers and 229 doubles over parts of 11 seasons. The 1970 AL Rookie of the Year and 1976 AL MVP was just 32 years old when he died as the airplane he was flying crashed, trapping Munson in the wreckage.
First base: Keith Hernandez
Hernandez is better known for his appearance on “Seinfeld” and as a commentator during New York Mets’ broadcasts these days, but he is arguably the best defensive first baseman in MLB history. Hernandez won a record 11 Gold Glove awards at first, and his 120 runs saved is the most of any first baseman. A five-time All-Star and a 1979 co-NL MVP, Hernandez was a solid hitter as well, slashing .296/.384/.436 during his career with 162 homers and 426 doubles. His 60.3 bWAR is the most of any eligible first baseman not tied to PED allegations who is not already enshrined.
Second base: Lou Whitaker
Whitaker, by virtually any measure, should already be in the Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, he received just 2.9% of the vote in his only year on the ballot. A five-time All-Star, Whitaker was one of the best all-around second basemen of his era. He had a .276/.363/.426 batting line with 2,369 hits, 244 homers and 420 doubles while stealing 143 bases. Whitaker was the 1978 AL Rookie of the Year, won three Gold Glove awards and was a four-time Silver Slugger. His 75.1 bWAR is the sixth most of any second baseman in MLB history. His enshrinement is long overdue.
Third base: Buddy Bell
Bell had the misfortune of playing during the careers of two of the greatest third basemen in MLB history — Mike Schmidt and George Brett. Nonetheless, Bell had an impressive career in his own right. A five-time All-Star, he batted .279/.341/.406 with 2,514 hits, 201 homers and 425 doubles. Bell was a six-time Gold Glove winner and ranks third all-time in runs saved at the hot corner.
Shortstop: Bill Dahlen
One of the best shortstops of the dead-ball era, Dahlen is a forgotten great of the game. “Bad Bill,” so nicknamed due to his battles with umpires and fiery temperament, put up a .272/.358/.382 slash line with 2,461 hits, 413 doubles and 163 triples. Although his 975 errors at short are the second most in MLB history, he was considered an excellent defensive shortstop with great range during his playing days. His 75.3 bWAR is the sixth-best of any shortstop, helping revive his Hall of Fame candidacy.
Left field: Barry Bonds
Bonds faces an uphill climb to enshrinement due to suspicions of PED usage and his connection to the BALCO scandal. Nevertheless, no one can argue his greatness on the diamond. Bonds was a 14-time All-Star, a seven-time NL MVP, won 12 Silver Slugger awards and eight Gold Gloves. The single-season and career home run leader, Bonds boasted a .298/.444/.607 batting line with 2,935 hits, 762 homers and 601 doubles while stealing 514 bases. He is one of just eight members of the 300 homer/300 stolen base club and the only player in the 400-400 and 500-500 clubs.
Center field: Kenny Lofton
As was the case with Whitaker, Lofton had just one year on the Hall of Fame ballot, earning 3.2% of the vote. However, like Whitaker, Lofton is one of the best at his position in major league history. Although overshadowed by teammates such as Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez during his time in Cleveland, Lofton was a six-time All-Star and won four Gold Glove awards. He has a career .299/.372/.423 batting line with 2,428 hits, 130 homers and 383 doubles while stealing 622 bases. Lofton’s 68.4 bWAR ranks ninth in MLB history, the highest mark of anyone either not enshrined or eligible for induction.
Right field: Dwight Evans
Evans was the victim of timing. Had he played in the Moneyball Era, he likely would have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer due to his ability to work counts, get on base and hit for power. Overlooked for much of his career, the three-time All-Star had a .272/.370/.470 batting line with 2,446 hits, 385 homers and 483 doubles. An eight-time Gold Glove winner, Evans ranks in the top 20 all-time in putouts (4,247, third), assists (155, 15th), double plays (42, ninth) and runs saved (71, 13th) in right.
Starting pitcher: Roger Clemens
As is the case with Bonds, Clemens’ Hall of Fame case is hurt by PED allegations. Baseball history cannot be written without acknowledging Clemens’ place therein. An 11-time All-Star, Clemens won a record seven Cy Young awards, doing so in three different decades. He went 354-184 with a 3.12 ERA and a 1.173 WHiP over his 4916.2 innings, striking out 4672 batters, including a pair of 20-strikeout games — the only pitcher to strike out 20 batters in a game twice.
Relief pitcher: Firpo Marberry
One could argue that Marberry was the prototype for what became the closer role. Although he would function as a starter, including five years where he started most of his appearances, Marberry was a dominant force out of the bullpen. He twice reached double digits in wins and saves in the same season (1924 and 1926).
Overall, Marberry produced a 148-88 record while recording 99 saves, retroactively leading the AL seven times and leading the majors six times. He pitched to a 3.63 ERA and a 1.323 WHIP in 2,067.1 innings, ranking seventh in bWAR (31.7) among any pitcher with at least 60% of their appearances coming out of the bullpen.
