If Studious Metsimus Had A 2015 Hall of Fame Vote...

On Tuesday, January 6, the National Baseball Hall of Fame will reveal its newest inductees to the public.  This year, there were 17 new candidates to consider, as well as 17 holdovers from previous years.  Notable first-timers include Randy Johnson and John Smoltz, as well as former Mets Pedro Martinez, Carlos Delgado, Gary Sheffield, Cliff Floyd and Tony Clark.

There are also two former Mets who are returning to the ballot in 2015 (Mike Piazza, Jeff Kent), making the other 15 holdovers jealous because they never got the support of Mets fans during their active days as a player.  Well, technically Kent didn't get the support of Mets fans, either, but at least he got the support of the writers of the show "Reno 911!", who clearly modeled the character of Lt. Dangle after him.

For the fifth straight year, Studious Metsimus has been denied an "official" vote for the Hall of Fame, a travesty that has been overlooked for too long.  But we ain't mad at'cha.  Instead, the staff of this site has joined heads to give you our unofficial vote, along with brief reasons why these players should be allowed to have plaques in Cooperstown.

As Mets fans, we should know quite a bit about travesties and being overlooked.  After all, of the 14 players who received fewer than 5% of the Hall of Fame votes in 2014, thereby removing them from this year's ballot, five of them were former Mets.  Moises Alou, Hideo Nomo, Armando Benitez, Paul Lo Duca and the beloved Kenny Rogers will no longer be considered by the BBWAA for Hall of Fame enshrinement.  But that doesn't mean that a former Met or two will be denied this year.

Here's the list of players I'd vote for if not for that stupid "you're just a blogger, not a ten-year writer for a respected publication" rule.

Randy Johnson

For the early part of his career, Johnson was the left-handed version of Nolan Ryan.  From 1990 to 1992 (the first three seasons in which Johnson made 30+ starts), the lanky southpaw averaged 221 strikeouts and 139 walks per season and he barely had a winning record (39-35) in those three campaigns.  Then 1993 happened, and the man who possessed a slider named Mr. Snappy exploded as a perennial All-Star.

For a ten-year period (1993-2002), Johnson was the most dominant pitcher in baseball, going 175-58 with a 2.73 ERA, 1.08 ERA and an incredible 2,928 strikeouts.  He also learned how to throw pitches a little closer to the plate, as his walked just 712 batters over the decade.

Johnson finished his career as the second-greatest strikeout pitcher of all time, behind Nolan Ryan.  The ten-time All-Star won five Cy Young Awards, finishing in the top three in three other seasons.  He also received MVP votes in nine seasons, an almost unheard of feat for a pitcher.  And of course, he shared MVP honors in the 2001 World Series (with Curt Schilling) when he won three games against the Yankees.

Mr. Snappy and the man who threw him is without question deserving of the call from the Hall.

Mr. Snappy crackled in the air and popped in the catcher's mitt.  (Photo by Elaine Thompson/AP)

Pedro Martinez

Although Martinez "only" won 219 games in his 17-year career, his Hall of Fame candidacy rests on all the No. 1s he racked up in his career.  Are you ready for this long list?

Martinez led the league in wins once, winning percentage three times, ERA five times, WHIP six times, strikeouts four times (excuse me while catch my breath ... okay, let's continue), strikeouts per nine innings five times, fewest hits per nine innings five times, strikeout-to-walk ratio four times, shutouts once and complete games once.

The former Met pitched in two World Series, winning it all as a member of the Red Sox in 2004.  He also posted an 86.0 WAR as a pitcher, which ranks him 17th all-time in that category.  Fourteen of the 16 pitchers ahead of him are already in the Hall of Fame.  A fifteenth should enter this year (Randy Johnson), while the sixteenth is Roger Clemens, who would be a shoo-in for the Hall if the specter of PEDs wasn't scaring voters away.

Pedro Martinez once threw Don Zimmer to the ground.  Now he should throw down at Cooperstown as a slam dunk first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Pedro Martinez sprinkled in some fun during a wonderful major league career.  (Photo by Frank Franklin II/AP)

John Smoltz

The Braves had two eventual 300-game winners in Hall of Famers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine.  But the most dominant pitcher during their era of greatness in the 1990s might have been John Smoltz.

Whereas Greg Maddux would paint the corners with the precision of a surgeon and Tom Glavine would confuse umpires into calling strikes on pitches that were off the plate, John Smoltz would come right after the hitter.  He did it as a starting pitcher.  He did it even better as a relief pitcher.  But he was truly at his best as a postseason pitcher.

After a slow start to his career (78-75, 3.59 ERA, 1.24 WHIP from 1988 to 1994), Smoltz turned the corner in 1995 by going 12-7 during the strike-shortened campaign and striking out over a batter per inning for the first time in his career.  A year later, Smoltz won 24 games and the Cy Young Award.  Two years after that, Smoltz led the league in winning percentage (17-3, .850 win %) and finished fourth in the Cy Young vote.  Injuries kept him from pitching in 2000, but when he came back in 2001, he became the Braves' closer.  Smoltz saved 154 games in three-and-a-half seasons, including 55 in 2002, which is still tied for the all-time National League record.

Smoltz pitched in 41 postseason games, both as a starter and reliever, winning 15 games and saving four others.  The 15 postseason wins are the second-highest total in history.  Smoltz also posted a 2.67 lifetime ERA in October and struck out 199 batters, the most of any pitcher in postseason history.

Had he not lost four-and-a-half years to injury and closer's duties, Smoltz might have approached 300 victories (he won 213).  He should approach (and surpass) the 75% minimum needed to enter the Hall of Fame.

Mets fans should tip their caps to John Smoltz on the day he enters the Hall of Fame. (Rich Pilling/MLB Photos)

Among returnees on the ballot, I would vote for Mike Piazza (duh) and Craig Biggio (double duh, which is appropriate since doubles were his specialty, as he hit the fifth-most doubles in MLB history).

The other five votes I'd be allowed to cast (if I were allowed to cast any at all ... stupid BBWAA not letting me play in their sandbox) would go to Jeff Bagwell, Curt Schilling, Larry Walker, Edgar Martinez and Jeff Kent.

Lieutenant Dangle's doppelganger may not have been the friendliest guy in the world, but he sure put up great numbers (regardless of position) for a large chunk of his career.  And "dangle" in the fact that he did all this as a middle infielder, well, he deserves to be mentioned among the best to play the game, as do Bagwell, Schilling, Walker and Edgar Martinez.

 

If Studious Metsimus Had A 2014 Hall of Fame Vote...

On Wednesday, January 8, the National Baseball Hall of Fame will release the names of its newest inductees.  There are many worthy candidates to consider this year, including some whose careers may or may not have included a PED or two.

In addition to returnees like Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Mike Piazza, there are plenty of first-time nominees that should receive considerable consideration.  Those players include Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas and Mike Mussina.  Other first-timers on the ballot include former Mets Jeff Kent, Tom Glavine, Armando Benitez, Moises Alou, Paul Lo Duca, Hideo Nomo and Kenny Rogers.  And of course, making his 15th and final appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot is three-time World Series champion Jack Morris.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Studious Metsimus was not allowed to formally cast a vote for players we considered to be worthy of Hall of Fame enshrinement, but we're not bitter.  In fact, if it pleases the baseball writers who vote for the Hall of Fame, we'd like to send them a gift to let them know that there are no hard feelings because of our omission from their swanky club.  Please let us know when you receive the Jose Lima album we're sending you.  Unfortunately, it's on 8-track, but still, it's JOSE FRICKIN' LIMA!  Lima Time is hard to find!

Now, on to our votes!

Greg Maddux

As Mets fans, we know that Greg Maddux beat our team more than any other pitcher in history.  The Mad Dog finished his career with a 35-19 record against the boys in orange and blue.  But those 35 victories don't even represent 10% of his career win total.  Maddux won 355 games as a member of the Cubs, Braves, Dodgers and Padres.  That's the eighth-highest total in history and the most wins by any pitcher since Warren Spahn won 363 games in a career that ended nearly 50 years ago.

Maddux was also a superior defensive player.  His 18 Gold Glove awards are the most for a player at any position.  What else did Maddux do that very few others accomplished on the mound?

His 740 starts are the fourth-highest total in major league history.  In an era where relief specialists have put starting pitchers on the bench after six or seven innings, Maddux completed 109 of his starts.  Only three other pitchers whose careers started after 1980 (Fernando Valenzuela, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson) finished with 100 or more complete games.  Maddux is also one of four pitchers, along with Ferguson Jenkins, Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling, to strike out 3,000 batters while walking fewer than 1,000.  And Maddux's career total of 3,371 strikeouts are the most of any of those pitchers.

Finally, in an era where very few pitchers reach 200 innings in a season, Maddux pitched 194 innings or more in 21 consecutive seasons.  Maddux is one of only 13 pitchers to throw more than 5,000 innings.  The other twelve are already in the Hall of Fame.

We don't even need to mention his unprecedented streak of 17 consecutive seasons with 15 or more victories, his four Cy Young Awards or his eight All-Star Game appearances.  He's a Hall of Famer, period.  The only thing that needs to be seen is whether or not Maddux breaks Tom Seaver's record for highest percentage of the votes cast.

Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images

And that's it for the first-timers.  I don't think anyone else gets in of those players who are on the ballot for the first time.

Frank Thomas, though never accused of taking steroids, falls in the same category as Jeff Bagwell (and both were born on the same day).  Thomas' numbers are good enough for the Hall, but it will take him a year or two to get in, especially with a crowded ballot like there is this year.

Jeff Kent was the best power-hitting second baseman of all time.  That being said, he put up most of his numbers with alleged steroid user Barry Bonds* protecting him in the lineup.  He also never had a 200-hit season, only scored 100 or more runs three times and reached 100 RBI twice without Bonds'* protection.  He played 11 of his 17 seasons without Bonds* as his teammate.  In those 11 seasons, Kent averaged 28 doubles, 18 homers, 75 RBI and 68 runs scored, to go with a .284/.347/.476 slash line.  For the record, Will Clark's career slash line was .303/.384/.497 and Bernie Williams' line was .297/.381/.477.  Both players are already off the Hall of Fame ballot.  In addition, both Clark and Williams played Gold Glove-caliber defense.  Kent did not.  And Kent wasn't a big fan of the media - the same media members who cast votes for the Hall of Fame.  He's not getting in this year.

Tom Glavine will get in eventually.  Just not this year.  Yes, he won over 300 games in his career, which pretty much guarantees a plaque in Cooperstown.  But his other numbers were not nearly as impressive as the ones put up by Maddux, his long-time teammate in Atlanta.  Glavine's career ERA of 3.54 is higher than almost every other pitcher already in the Hall.  The only reason it's that low is because of an eight-year stretch from 1991 to 1998 in which he posted a 2.96 ERA.  In half of his other 14 seasons, his ERA was above 4.00, including five seasons where it was 4.45 or greater.  Glavine is also one of a dozen pitchers to walk 1,500 batters in his career.  But Glavine is the only one of the 12 to never have a 200-strikeout season or lead the league in strikeouts.  He got the wins, but not much else.

Mike Mussina - unlike Glavine - was an excellent control pitcher, walking only 785 batters in 536 starts.  He also struck out 2,813 batters in 18 seasons, including four seasons of 200 or more strikeouts.  Mussina won 11 or more games in each of his last 17 seasons in the majors and lost more than 11 games only once.  So why isn't he getting into the Hall of Fame on his first attempt?  Well, his 3.68 ERA is even higher than Glavine, he only won 20 games once, and he was just so-so in the postseason (7-8, 3.42 ERA).  Like all the other first-timers mentioned above, Mussina will get in, but he'll have to wait a few years.

There are some returnees on the ballot as well.  The ones I would vote into the Hall are Mike Piazza, Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell and Larry Walker.  (You can read my takes on them by clicking here.)  But there is one other returnee who I didn't vote for last year, but would vote for this year, and it's not Jack Morris.  It's Curt Schilling.

Photo by Jay Drowns/Getty Images

One of the reasons I said Greg Maddux would make the Hall of Fame was because he was one of four players with 3,000 or more strikeouts and fewer than 1,000 walks.  But Curt Schilling's 4.38 strikeout-to-walk ratio is the greatest of all-time (since 1900).  That means no strikeout pitcher in the history of the game had better control than Schilling.  Schilling also led his league multiple times in various categories.  He led the league in wins twice, starts three times, innings pitched twice, strikeouts twice, WHIP twice, and K/BB ratio five times.  Schilling never won a Cy Young Award (neither did Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan or Bert Blyleven), but was the runner-up for the prize three times and finished fourth in another season.  He was also a six-time All-Star, representing three different teams in the Midsummer Classic.

As good as Schilling was in the regular season (216 wins, 3.42 ERA), he was even better in the postseason.  In 19 postseason starts, Schilling went 11-2 with a 2.23 ERA and 0.97 WHIP, striking out 120 batters while walking only 25.  He also shared the World Series MVP Award with Randy Johnson after leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to the crown in 2001.  Like Jack Morris, Schilling helped three teams reach the World Series.  Schilling's teams in Philadelphia, Arizona and Boston won three times in four World Series appearances.

Morris was also known as a top postseason pitcher, but his October numbers (7-4, 3.80 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 64 strikeouts, 32 walks) weren't even close to the numbers puts up by Schilling.  In the regular season, Morris also had a higher ERA (3.90 to Schilling's 3.46) and lower winning percentage (.577 to Schilling's .597), while having 25% fewer strikeouts and almost twice as many walks as Schilling.  It's true that Morris' 162 wins in the 1980s were more than any pitcher in baseball, but he also had the third-most losses in that time period.  Meanwhile, in Schilling's best ten-year stretch (1997-2006), he won 155 games, a number that was only surpassed by Randy Johnson (176), Greg Maddux (168), Pedro Martinez (158).  But 18 pitchers had more losses in those ten years than Schilling did.  Plus, the only pitchers with more strikeouts than Schilling in that ten-year period were Johnson and Martinez, and only Martinez posted a lower OBP against him than Schilling.

It all boils down to this.  Schilling was far more dominant than Morris ever was, and he was superior to Morris (and just about everyone else) when it came to postseason pitching.  Schilling should get in before Morris.  Case closed.

And that also closes this year's Studious Metsimus Hall of Fame vote.  To recap, my vote would include Greg Maddux, Curt Schilling, Mike Piazza, Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell and Larry Walker.  It's quite possible most of those players won't get in this year.  It's also possible some might never get in.  But this is just my opinion.  If you don't like it, I'm sure I can find another 8-track featuring the late Jose Lima for you.  That way, we all win!

If Studious Metsimus Had A 2013 Hall of Fame Vote...

On Wednesday, the National Baseball Hall of Fame will release the names of its newest inductees.  It will most certainly be the most scrutinized class of all time, considering all the new nominees that have been linked to steroids.  Players like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa have all had their names liked with performance-enhancing drugs.  Although their numbers scream out for inclusion in Cooperstown, how they achieved those numbers is up for discussion.

In addition to Bonds, Clemens and Sosa, other first-time nominees include former Mets Mike Piazza, Julio Franco and Shawn Green.  Also nominated for the first time are Curt Schilling, Kenny Lofton, Craig Biggio, David Wells, Steve Finley, Reggie Sanders, Jeff Cirillo, Woody Williams, Rondell White and Ryan Klesko.

Players who received at least five percent of the vote in previous years are allowed to reappear on this year's ballot.  Those players include Jack Morris, Jeff Bagwell, Lee Smith, Tim Raines, Alan Trammell, Edgar Martinez, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Mark McGwire, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Rafael Palmeiro and Bernie Williams.  For Dale Murphy, it will be his 15th and final time on the ballot.  Should he not be elected to the Hall of Fame, he would be removed from next year's ballot.

This is the third consecutive year that Studious Metsimus was not allowed to formally cast a vote for players we deemed worthy of Hall of Fame enshrinement, but we ain't mad at'cha.  In fact, if it pleases the BBWAA, we'd like to send them a gift to let them know that there are no hard feelings because of our omission from their swanky club.  Please let us know when you receive the 1979 Mets highlight video (on Beta, of course), which is autographed by the one and only Richie Hebner.

Now, on to our votes!


Mike Piazza

Well, duh.  Who didn't see this pick coming?  There's no doubt Piazza belongs in the Hall of Fame as the best hitting catcher of all time.  But those who have a predisposed aversion to back acne would beg to differ.

Piazza spent the majority of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.  He also had a one-week tour of duty with the Florida Marlins and rode off into the sunset after one-year stints with the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics.  In 16 seasons in the major leagues, Piazza was a 12-time All-Star and 10-time recipient of the Silver Slugger Award.  Since the inception of the award in 1980, no other catcher has won it more than seven times and only Barry Bonds won more (12) at any position.  In addition, no catcher hit more home runs than Piazza (396 HR as a catcher, 427 HR overall) and no backstop has a higher career slugging percentage than Piazza (.545).

But power wasn't all Piazza was known for at the plate.  He was also an outstanding contact hitter.  In an era where striking out 150 times in a season is commonplace, Piazza never struck out more than 100 times in a season.  In fact, Piazza had almost twice as many hits (2,127) as strikeouts (1,113) in almost 7,000 career at-bats.

Piazza led his teams to the postseason five times.  He reached the playoffs as a Dodger in 1995 and 1996, as a Met in 1999 and 2000, and as a Padre in 2006.  In 2000, when Piazza reached his only World Series, he had an outstanding post-season, hitting .302 with six doubles, four homers and eight RBI in 14 games for the Mets.  Piazza also walked nine times in the 14 games to register a .403 on-base percentage.  His ten extra-base hits gave him a spectacular .642 slugging percentage.

Mike Piazza will reach the Hall of Fame.  His numbers say he should be a first ballot Hall of Famer.  The writers might say otherwise.


Craig Biggio

In the past, 3,000 hits was a surefire way to make it to the Hall of Fame.  Of course, in this questionable era of inflated offensive statistics, that may no longer be the case.  But Craig Biggio should not be bunched in with the Bondses and Palmeiros of this era.  Biggio belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Craig Biggio scored 1,844 runs in his 20-year career.  That's good for 12th in MLB history.  He reached the 100-run plateau eight times in his career and led the league twice.  He also collected 668 doubles, a number surpassed by only four players (Tris Speaker, Pete Rose, Stan Musial, Ty Cobb).  Of the top 13 players on the all-time doubles chart, 11 are already in the Hall of Fame.  The other two are Pete Rose (who is not eligible for enshrinement) and Craig Biggio.  Biggio led the NL in doubles three times and had seven 40-double seasons.

Biggio began his career as a catcher before moving to second base and center field.  He won five Silver Slugger Awards, earning his first as a catcher in 1989.  His other four came as a second baseman for the Astros in 1990s.  Second base was also where Biggio won all four of his Gold Glove Awards.

Biggio was also an outstanding base stealer, swiping 414 bags over his career, including a league-leading 39 steals in the strike-shortened 1994 season.  In 1998, at the age of 33, Biggio stole a career-high 50 bases, just one year after stealing 47.

Finally, Biggio finished his career with 1,014 extra-base hits, hitting 291 homers and 55 triples in addition to his 668 doubles.  He is one of only 34 players to reach 1,000 extra-base hits.  Of those 34 players, 21 are in the Hall of Fame.  12 of the other 13 are either still active, not yet eligible or wagging their fingers at Congress (even Redd Foxx thinks Rafael Palmeiro was a big dummy).  The other is Craig Biggio.

One more thing.  He also had 3,060 hits.  He's good enough for me.  He should be good enough for the Hall of Fame voters.  And if anyone thinks he used PEDs to help his power rise from a single-digit home run hitter in four of his first five seasons to a player who hit 20+ HR in eight of last 15 seasons, just look at Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski's home run numbers, especially what he did during the seventh to tenth seasons of his career.  Those same people probably wouldn't have voted him in either.


Holdovers Jeff Bagwell and Larry Walker

I could go on and on about why I feel they should be getting themselves plane tickets for Cooperstown in late July, but I'll just direct you to what I wrote about them last year when I felt they had a strong case for candidacy.

Jeff Bagwell, despite many people's beliefs concerning his connection to PEDs, received a nearly 15% increase in votes from his first time on the ballot in 2011 (41.7%) to his 2012 level (56.0%).  Meanwhile, Larry Walker had a more modest increase from his first time (20.3% in 2011) to his second (22.9% in 2012) and will probably use up much of the 15-year eligibility period if he is ever to make it to Cooperstown.  Bagwell will make it to the Hall someday, if not this year.  Walker might need to sway the voters with some of his patented Canadian charm, a big ol' helping of poutine and his slogan "at least I'm not Jason Bay, eh?"

This is how a Hall of Famer should always hit.

Just like every other year, several players will fall short of enshrinement.  Jack Morris, who was on two-thirds of the voter's ballots last year, might fall short again this year.  However, because the writers will intentionally leave off those players who are allegedly linked to steroids, Morris might get an extra vote or twelve.

The same thing applies to Lee Smith, Tim Raines, Edgar Martinez and Alan Trammell.  All four were among the greatest players at their positions in the era in which they played.  But none of the four are all-time greats in my opinion (except maybe Martinez, although he might always be overlooked because he was primarily a designated hitter).

In Trammell's case, his longevity contributed to his overall offensive numbers.  Yes, he was a six-time All-Star who won four Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers, but it took him until his 20th season to record his 1,000th RBI and he never quite made it to 200 HR, finishing with 185.  In two decades, Trammell only reached 70 RBI in a season three times.  Meanwhile, his double play partner in Detroit, Lou Whitaker, had six 70-RBI campaigns in 19 seasons, was a five-time All-Star, won three Gold Gloves and four Silver Sluggers.  It should also be noted that Whitaker was off the Hall of Fame ballot after his first year of eligibility, receiving only 2.9% of the vote.

The players listed above might make it someday, if not this year, as might most of the players suspected of using PEDs.  But I think only Mike Piazza and Craig Biggio will be elected this year, with Jeff Bagwell and Larry Walker deserving spots but perhaps having to wait longer.  Jack Morris was an all-time '80s great and terrific post-season pitcher, but might be shut out until his 15th and final year on the ballot in 2014.

Regardless of who gets in, it will be an historic Hall of Fame class, to say the least.

Need A Right-Handed Bat? Call Carlos Quentin

Entering the final game before the All-Star Break, the Mets are 46-39, tied with the San Francisco Giants for the second and final wild card spot.  However, after the Washington Nationals, there are seven teams separated by 2½ games vying for four playoff spots, with the Mets smack-dab in the middle of that crowded pack.

There are too many teams jockeying back and forth for playoff positions, so the Mets are going to need to do something to help them pull away from the competition.  Clearly, their top need remains in the bullpen, but Bobby Parnell has been stepping up recently.  Tim Byrdak has been solid all year.  Since returning from the DL two weeks ago, Ramon Ramirez has not given up an earned run in 5⅓ innings.  And Frank Francisco was finally doing well before he got hurt last month (1.35 ERA, .176 BAA in his last 13 appearances prior to his DL stint).  The bullpen could use a lefty here, a pitcher not named Miguel Batista there.  But getting a right-handed bat might be just as pressing a need for the Mets.

Earlier today, Twitter and radio personality (not to mention podcaster extraordinaire) Mike Silva tweeted the following:

Mets have scouts following Padres big interest in Carlos Quentin. Pads want a couple prospects back. Name mentioned most is Michael Fulmer.
— Mike Silva(@MikeSilvaMedia) July 8, 2012

Carlos Quentin has always had a strong bat.  However, he is prone to injuries.  Ever since his first taste of the big leagues as a 23-year-old in 2006, Quentin has never played more than 131 games in a season.  However, when healthy (as he is now), he can be quite productive.

Quentin began the season on the disabled list, not making his debut with the Padres until May 28.  But once he returned to the team, his bat came along with him.  In 32 games this year, Quentin has batted .273 with 7 doubles, 7 HR and 17 RBI.  He makes excellent contact, striking out 18 times in 110 at-bats, and also has a keen eye at the plate, as evidenced by his .403 on-base percentage.  He is also not afraid to lean in on the plate.  In 2011, Quentin led the majors when he was hit by pitches 23 times.  Despite the fact that he has yet to reach his 30th birthday, Quentin has been hit by 105 pitches, which would make Ron Hunt and Craig Biggio proud.

Although Quentin has a .253 career batting average, he has always been at his best in clutch situations.  With runners in scoring position, he has a lifetime .281 batting average.  He is also a .324 career hitter with a runner on third and less than two outs, meaning he doesn't just make productive outs to drive in runs - he extends rallies by getting run-scoring hits.

There is always a question mark with Quentin when it comes to his health.  But when he's on the field, he's an above-average player who makes solid contact and can hit the ball out of any ballpark.  Think about this.  In only 110 at-bats, Quentin has hit seven home runs playing half of his games at Petco Park.  That's second on the team in homers, one behind team leader Chase Headley, who has hit eight home runs in 311 at-bats.  Headley has needed almost three times the number of at-bats Quentin has to hit one more home run.  Imagine what Quentin can do playing half of the season's remaining games at the more hitter-friendly Citi Field than in spacious Petco Park.

Finally, as a right-handed hitter, Quentin would help improve the Mets' chances against left-handed pitchers.  The Mets are an awful 12-20 in games started by southpaws, as opposed to a 34-19 record when facing a right-handed starter.  Quentin would combine with David Wright and Scott Hairston (who would move over to right field to give Lucas Duda a day off against a left-handed starter) to form a potent right-handed middle of the batting order against southpaws.

Carlos Quentin is available and the Padres are serving him up on a trade bait platter.  The Mets should reel him in before someone else snags him away.  He could be the equalizer the Mets need whenever their opponent starts a left-handed pitcher.

Mike Francesa And The Case of Roberto Alomar vs. Craig Biggio

Earlier this afternoon on WFAN, Mike Francesa was talking about the Hall of Fame vote when a caller asked him about his opinion on Craig Biggio's chances to get into Cooperstown now that Roberto Alomar was elected. To my surprise (and the caller as well), Francesa said that Biggio should not be elected into the Hall of Fame.

The caller vociferously disagreed with Francesa's statement that Alomar was superior to Biggio in every way, leading Mike to huff and puff and blow the caller's opinion down.

Between every other sentence ending with "Alomar hit 20-something points higher than Biggio" (despite the fact that Robbie's career batting average was .300 as opposed to Biggio's .281, a difference of 19 points on every planet not inhabited by Francesa), Francesa went on to toss random stats on why Alomar was far better than Biggio and why Biggio is not a Hall of Famer. He said:

• Alomar won 10 Gold Glove Awards to Biggio's four.
• Alomar made 12 All-Star teams to Biggio's seven.
• In Alomar's best season, he drove in 120 runs; Biggio's career-high was 88.
• Alomar hit .313 in 58 postseason games; Biggio hit .234 in 40 playoff games.

Okay, I'll give Francesa the benefit of the doubt on the last comparison. Alomar was a better postseason player than Biggio. As a result, his teams were better. Alomar won two World Series and played in the League Championship Series five times. Biggio, on the other hand, didn't even make it to the NLCS until his 17th season in the majors. Overall, he appeared in two League Championship Series and one World Series (losing to the White Sox in 2005).

But the caller was not trying to argue that Biggio was better than Alomar. Rather, he was merely attempting to say that Biggio should join Alomar in the Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible to do so in 2013.

All Francesa did was run down the list of categories that Alomar was better in. Not once did he look at the stats that Biggio was better than Alomar in. In addition, he made no consideration of certain variables that would bring down Biggio's numbers.

For example, when Francesa mentioned that Alomar drove in 120 runs in his best season (1999), he did not say that Robbie was Cleveland's #3 hitter that year (149 starts in the three-hole). The year Biggio drove in 88 runs (1998), he was the Astros' leadoff hitter in 155 games. Many hitters drive in 120 runs or more hitting third in the batting order. Not too many hitters can drive in as many as 88 runs batting leadoff. In addition, Biggio was hitting directly behind the pitcher for most of his career, while Alomar played the majority of his career in the American League, where everyday players bat in the ninth spot.

Craig Biggio played in 2,850 games over his major league career. He was the Astros' leadoff hitter 1,564 times and their #2 hitter 754 times. That's over 2,300 games batting in a spot in the order where you're not expected to be an RBI guy. Yet Biggio found a way to drive in 1,175 runs over his major league career, which Francesa failed to mention was MORE THAN the 1,134 runs Roberto Alomar drove in over his career. Oh yeah, both Alomar and Biggio started their careers in 1988 so they perfectly overlapped each other.



What else did Francesa overlook while he was pounding his chest over Alomar's superiority to Biggio? Let's consider these five items:

1) Biggio scored 1,844 runs in his career to Alomar's 1,508. Only 12 men in baseball history have scored more runs than Biggio. All of them are in the Hall of Fame except for Pete Rose, who is ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration. By contrast, Johnny Damon has scored more runs (1,564) than Roberto Alomar and I don't think the Hall is going to be calling Damon five years after he retires.

2) Craig Biggio hit 668 doubles in his career, while Alomar hit 504. It is true that Alomar is one of only 51 men to ever surpass the 500 double plateau, but Biggio's total is fifth on the all-time list, surpassed only by Tris Speaker, Pete Rose, Stan Musial and Ty Cobb. If they sound like Hall of Famers, that's because they are (except for the man who liked the horsetrack a little too much).

3) Biggio hit 291 HR as opposed to Alomar's 210. Whereas Alomar only had three seasons of 20+ HR, Biggio produced eight such seasons. In fact, Biggio had as many 20+ HR seasons after his 38th birthday (three) as Alomar had in his entire career.

4) For as great a hitter as Alomar was, he only won four Silver Slugger Awards over his career. Biggio did him one better by winning five. Maybe Biggio's extra Silver Slugger Award had something to do with the fact that he picked up over 1,000 extra-base hits over his career (1,014 to be exact) compared to Alomar's 794.

5) Alomar's career fizzled out after he was 33. Once he turned 33, he only hit .262, with 58 doubles, 20 HR, 116 RBI, 167 runs scored and 28 stolen bases. After Biggio turned 33, he hit .266, but had 279 doubles, 139 HR, 469 RBI, 724 runs scored and 68 stolen bases. Biggio actually started driving the ball more as an elder statesman than as a spry youngster.


Now let's stop comparing the two and just focus on Biggio. Tell me these numbers aren't Hall of Fame-worthy...

.281 batting average, 1,844 runs scored, 414 stolen bases, 668 doubles, 55 triples, 291 HR, 1,175 RBI (mostly as a leadoff hitter, which by the way, was the position in the order Rickey Henderson batted out of. Henderson had 1,115 RBI despite the fact that he played five more seasons than Craig Biggio.)

I feel like I'm forgetting something. Something's missing up there that would shut Mike Francesa up regarding his anti-Craig Biggio shpiel. Ah, yes. Now I remember. Come closer to your screen so that you can't miss it.

CRAIG BIGGIO HAD 3,060 HITS!!

The last time I checked, if you had 3,000 hits, you were going to the Hall of Fame, assuming that you weren't on the permanently banned list (you're such a dummy, Pete Rose) or tested positive for steroids. (Don't point your finger at me, Rafael Palmeiro. You know I'm talking to you.)


Alomar didn't make it to 3,000 hits, calling it a career after picking up 2,724 safeties. Even if Mike Francesa ignored all of the other statistics, surely the 3,000+ hits for a non-gambling, non-PED using Biggio would have been enough to make him change his mind on his Hall of Fame candidacy.

But alas, we're talking about Mike Francesa here. Whatever he says is gospel. Who are we to disagree with him? He's the one with the radio show. We're just little ol' sports fans.

Be thankful he's not in charge of the Hall of Fame Committee. If he was, Craig Biggio would have to pay his way to Cooperstown to see all the players he should be enshrined with.