[natejeffries]

I'm completely lost on a couple things.

Your saying guys who played at the turn of the century or before besides a few pitchers couldn't play today?

I guess we should just kick them out of the Hall of Fame because they might have played against guys who were shorter than players who played today.

I guess Jose Altuve should be kicked out of baseball and sent back to 1897 because at 5'6, he just doesn't comport with the physical specimens of today who are so much more gifted than Willie Keeler, who at 5'4 struck out five times in a 152 game season in 1906 when they had the same rules as today while Mike Trout strikes out 184 times but I digress...

Jacobystealshome - always good for a spirited debate but I have to disagree with your analysis.

1. Kent is one of the five best hitting second basemen of all time.
I disagree.
Here are eight guys better:: Rogers Hornsby, Charles Gehringer, Rod Carew, Nap Lajoie, Eddie Collins, Ryne Sandberg, Jackie Robinson and Frankie Frisch.

2. Not sure what you mean about Mattingly

3. "Lofton isn't even in the same sentence as Raines"
I disagree.

Check this out.

Raines career batting average: .294
Lofton career batting average: .299

Raines on-base percentage: .385
Lofton on-base percentage: .372

Raines slugging average: .425
Lofton slugging average: .423

Raines runs: 1,571
Lofton runs: 1,528 (in 400 fewer games)

Raines 90-run seasons: 8
Lofton 90-run seasons: 12

Raines doubles: 430
Lofton doubles: 383 (in 400 less games)

Raines triples: 116
Lofton triples: 113

Raines rank in assists from left field: 15th
Lofton rank in assists from center field: 15th

Not in the same sentence? If they didn't have different last names I would think they are twins.

4. As far as Schilling goes, all you need to know is look at his strikeout numbers.

Schilling's best strikeout total before age of 31 was 186.
At the age of 31, he strikes out 319
At the age of 32, he strikes out 300.

Then the magic disappears.

In 1999, he strikes out 152 in 180 innings.
In 2000, he strikes out 168 in 210 innings.

Then the magic returns again..

In 2001, at the age of 35, he strikes out 293 in just 256 innings.
In 2002, at the age of 36, he strikes out 316 in 259 innings.
In 2003, at the age of 37, he strikes out 194 in 168 innings.
In 2004, at the age of 38, he strikes out 203 in 226 innings.

Basically, this guy went from an average young pitcher with glimpses of talent, to an often-injured nobody to Nolan Ryan, back to an average pitcher, back to Nolan Ryan.

Did I mention this guy looked exactly like Roger Clemens or that the seesawing of his numbers in his 30's mirror Clemens?



5. Both Franco and Reardon were better or equal to Smith in several significant categories. They were far superior in WHIP, which is perhaps the most important category of them all. Smith has been on the ballot for years garnering up to 50 percent of the vote while Franco and Reardon couldn't get the five percent to stay on more than a year. This makes no sense.

6. My main problem with Bagwell is that he has admitted to andro use which I believe to be only the tip of the iceberg with him. He went from hitting no more than 20 homers in each of his first three seasons to nailing 39 in the strike-shortened season of 1994 (he would have hit 50). McGriff was steady and consistent throughout most of his career and led the league twice with 36 homers and 35 homers when that actually meant something.

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