Ex-Dodgers Having Trouble Making Hall

The Dodgers appeared to finally get some luck last year, having one of the best players in baseball (Manny Ramirez) fall into their lap late in the 2008 season, with them not having to give up much in return and without them even having to pay him the rest of his salary that year. This good luck propelled them into a first round season series win, their first postseason success in two decades.

This good luck enjoyed by the group of current Dodgers does not appear to be making its way to former Dodgers as four deserving retired Dodgers; Tommy John, Gil Hodges, Steve Garvey and Maury Wills all seem to be routinely halted in their quest to make the Baseball Hall of Fame. Growing up as an Angel fan, it appeared that the Dodgers always got all the breaks. That doesn't seem to be the case for these ex-players. I will break down why I believe each one has a strong case to make the Hall of Fame, using statistics from baseballreference.com, starting with:

Tommy John-John posted a 288-231 career record. His win total ranks 26th amongst all pitchers. His detractors say he was a compiler, only reaching his lofty stats based on the fact that he played till the age of 46. But the fact is that many great pitchers are pitching today at that age and still having trouble reaching that many wins. The surgery which bears his name, 'Tommy John Surgery,' makes that all possible and he was able to have an excellent pre and post 'Tommy John Surgery' career. It should be noted that while he pitched until the age of 46, he lost time while he was recovering from his surgery. While he didn't have great stats his last year in baseball and was released, two years before that he was 13-6 for the Yankees, showing that he was not just hanging on late in his career, but pitching successfully. During his career John managed top 10 finishes in his league in wins 6 times, in winning percentage 10 times (including 7 in the top 5), in shutouts 7 times(including leading the league 3 times), in ERA six times (including an incredible 1.98 in 1968). He also enjoyed postseason success with a 2.65 ERA. Baseball expert Bill James created a scale to determine who was likely to be a Hall of Famer, based on their statistics. Using the scale, with 100 being a likely Hall of Famer, James stated that John scored 111, making John a more than likely Hall of Famer, based on his statistics, using James' Hall of Fame Monitor.

Gil Hodges-Hodges appears to be the greatest hard luck case. He has the highest vote total (63.4%) of any baseball player who failed to make it into the Hall of Fame and must now be voted in by the veterans committee. He again had bad luck in 1993, when he fell one vote short of making it by the veterans committee. During his career, he was an eight time All-Star and finished in the top 10 in total bases seven times as well as in the top 10 in home runs 10 times to go along with 14 grand slams. He was also known to be an excellent fielder, winning 3 gold gloves. His 370 home runs might not seem like a huge amount for a first baseman, but in his own era it was enough to rank him 11th on the all-time home run list. He died early at age 48 and therefore voters did not have to face his wrath when they failed to select him for the Hall of Fame. If he had a voice to express why he should be in the Hall of Fame, he most likely would have been voted in by now.

Steve Garvey-When Steve Garvey retired, virtually every article about him referred to him as Future Hall of Famer Steve Garvey. After all, he was a 10 time all-star who managed to finish in the top 10 in MVP voting five times, winning the award once. He was also known for his fielding (four gold gloves), consistency (getting 200 hits six out of seven years during one stretch) and durability (still holding the NL record for consecutive games played). He finished in the top 10 in Hits 10 times, the top 10 in RBI's seven times, the top 10 in Total Bases 9 times and the top 10 in doubles six times. Garvey's career numbers include a .294 batting average, 272 home runs and 2599 hits. Using his Hall of Fame monotor statistic Bill James gives him a score of 130.5, with a score of 100 representing that of a likely hall of famer. His 130.5 goes well beyond that. Garvey appears to be the victim of not living up to the perfect image he created early in his career and in recent years has been portrayed as someone who had kids out of wedlock, failed to pay child support and who has had financial problems. But if things like that kept people out of the Hall of Fame, the cherished hall would be a lonely place. Based on his career stats and what he meant to the Dodgers in the 70's and early 80's, he belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Maury Wills-Maury Wills statistics might not jump out at you at first glance, but as a shortstop, he needs to be compared statistically to players of his era at the middle infield positions. He measures up favorably in almost every category to Phil Rizzuto of the Yankees, who is in the Hall of Fame. He revolutionized the game of baseball, breaking Ty Cobb's single season record for stolen bases, which had stood for 47 years and changing the way the game of baseball is played by his example. He finished in the top 10 in stolen bases 11 times, including leading the league 6 times. For his career, he batted .281, with 2134 hits and 586 stolen bases. When legendary Los Angeles sportswriter Jim Murray was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, he questioned how someone like him could be elected to the Hall, while the Hall failed to honer such a great player as Maury Wills.

So why have so many ex-Dodgers come so close to making the Hall of Fame, but have so far failed to get in. Well maybe the writers and veterans committees truly believe that these players are not worthy of induction. Or maybe it is because there are so many ex-Dodgers who appear to be almost equally derserving of getting into the Hall of Fame, it has divided the efforts of Dodger fans and the Dodger organization to rally on their behalf, as Pittsburgh did on behalf of Bill Mazeroski. Perhaps there's an anti-west coast bias, with the later start times of games on the west coast preventing east coast writers from watching as many west coast games or highlights, if they were availible at all. Perhaps there's some jealosy for the Dodger organization, which seems to consistently draw 3 million fans every year no matter what they do. Perhaps it's lingering resentment over the Dodgers move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. Perhaps it's just bad luck. Or perhaps it's because of baseballs love affair with milestones. If Tommy John had managed another 12 wins to bring him to 300 wins and Garvey had managed another 401 hits to bring him to 3000, they would have both been surefire Hall of Famer's, perhaps both making it in their first year of eligibility. But because they fell just short, they're doomed to be also-rans forever. Some of them have been hurt by their numbers being compared to later players who played during the steroid era. Gil Hodges 370 homers is easy to overlook today, but if you keep in mind that that total was good enough for 11th place on the all time home run list at the time of his retirement, it is an impressive Hall-worthy feat. Likewise, Wills stolen base totals look puny today largely due to the fact that his influence on the game began an era of using the stolen base as an offensive weapon. When his totals are compared to his contemporaries, his accomplishments are impressive. Of the four that I mentioned, the only one who should get a boost when compared to todays players is Tommy John, with John's win, complete game and shutout totals looking more impressive as all but the very elite of current pitchers able to reach his marks (he is tied with Roger Clemens for 26th place on the All-Time Career Shutouts List). Whatever the reason is for these players not making it, I'm hopeful that some, if not all, of the above players will someday make their way into the Hall of Fame.