[Yahoo Sports] Jeff Bagwell's case for the Hall of Fame

List five National League first basemen all-time that are better than Jeff Bagwell.

...and by "are better than", I don't mean "hit more home runs than".

 

You had me at "hello." :grin:

 

How often to the voters seem reasonable? I figure he won't go in the first ballot because the writers are idiots, or maybe because they will want to put the killer Bs in together.

 

i really can't believe the author wouldn't mention the astrodome at all. that's just poor journalism.

 

the astrodome issue is overrated.

in 94 frank thomas hit 22 home home runs and 16 away

bagwell the same year 23 home 16 away

 

The other issue is that by the 1990's, the fences at the astrodome ahd been moved in considerably from where they were in the 70's. Not only were the power alleys deep but you had to basically get it over a 16 foot wall, into the stands- by the 90's, the fences had been moved in and lowered to a more normal height.

 

So imagine what he would have had if he hadn't been playing in the Dome?

Interesting article from 2007 on Jeff...

http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2007/01/baseball_immort.php

 

now, there's an intelligent article.

 

home and away splits are simply not good enough to dismiss an obviously pitcher-friendly park, even with its reduced dimensions, as "overrated". *many* hitters hit better at home. how much better can certainly be influenced by the dimensions of the park.

 

i think he should make it, but because he wasn't as big of a "name" player as some other guys he might be overlooked a few times

 

yeah, he may have hit a gazzilion.

Look, I'm not criticizing Bagwell, I like him a lot actually. Someone pointed out the home away splits a few years ago on this site to me, and what you simply can't say is that he was hurt by the numbers based on actual stats.

your, "what he may have done" senario is speculation.

 

Absolutely!

Based on the tenor of my response to the idiot columnist, I can understand why my response to you may have come across as defensive, but it wasn't intended as so. I recognize we're all fans here. That said, I still think that dismissing the pitcher-friendly park based on home-and-road splits ignores the home field advantage, which I don't think is entirely valid--just oversimplified.

Well, of course it is. *Every* hypothetical scenario is speculation. But it's not wild speculation. And while the home/road splits certainly are factual and not speculation, again they ignore other factors that make a difference. It's just too oversimplified to be valid, IMO.

 

Sounds like you, me, Leroy, I am sure MadMax, and many others might have to stage a get-together in this non-unlikely scenario!

 

He juiced up. No thank you.

 

Show me evidence and proof and I'll believe you.

 

It still irks me that McGwire was chosen as the top 1st basemen for that All-Century Team. Not saying that Bagwell was the top 1st basemen but his overall game/skills were far better than McGwire's.

 

No can do. Baseball writers won't be able to do it either. Bags should get into the HoF, just not on the first vote (but that is a Baseball writers thing which makes little sense).

 

How many home vs. road games had been played in 1994 before the strike?

EDIT: Never mind. Looks like it was about even.

 

idiot.

 

Looking at one season to define a career is overrated.