A very good player, as I would put it, has retired from Major League Baseball after a 17 year career. He showed moments of brilliance, and was an integral part of his team's success throughout his tenure. This man is Jorge Posada, and he was a catcher for the New York Yankees. Now that he has officially retired, a large debate is about to open up as to whether or not he should be inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
In 5 years Jorge will be eligible to be inducted, and will appear on the Ballot for induction. None can argue that Jorge had a very good career, and will go down as a top 5 Yankees catcher, if not top 3. However, there are many teams in the MLB who have never had a catcher inducted into the Hall of Fame, and because of that I feel his ranking among all-time Yankees catchers is an argument that cannot be used -- what can be used are his accolades.
5x All Star.
5x Silver Slugger.
Finished 3rd in MVP in 2003.
4x World Series Champion.
What stands out to me is the Silver Slugger -- 5x is a very good accomplishment. What pushes Jorge away from the Hall is only making the All Star Game 5 times. You cannot define a player based on just his accomplishments, though must compare him to the other catchers during his career. It is what defines the Hall of Fame -- connecting the best players from generation to generation.
Fortunately for us, there is a website that makes our search for comparable players much easier -- it is Baseball-Reference.com. Simply, Baseball-Reference says the following players during Jorge's career can be compared: Javy Lopez & Benito Santiago. Santiago had a career average of 18 HRs per season, and an OPS of .722. Jorge had career averages of 24 HRs and .848 OPS. Much better numbers. However, Santiago was a better defensive catcher, and also earned a Gold Glove 3 times. He was selected to the All Star game 5 times, won the Silver Slugger award 4 times, and was Rookie of the Year in 1987. His accolades are far superior despite his career averages, which can be attributed to playing more seasons.
When we compare Jorge to Javy Lopez, Lopez was a career .828 OPS and averaged 28 HRs per year. Jorge was more consistent throughout his career, although Javy at times was far superior, having eclipsed 1.000 OPS twice in his career, and once hit 43 HRs. My point here is simple -- there are two other catchers not even being conidered for the Hall of Fame, who had very similar career to Jorge Poada during Jorge' time in the MLB -- and yet there are till 3 catchers during his generation that are far, far superior.
Mike Piazza & Ivan Rodriguez.
To me, the purpose of the Hall of Fame has become lost over time. When taking a close glance at the inductees when the Hall was opened, it's apparent that the purpose is to connect the best of each generation through time. The Hall is a living timeline that welds each generation together through history, never to be forgotten. If you cannot put a player at the top 3 of his position in his generation, he has no belonging in the Hall of Fame. This is not the "Hall of Good Players". It is the Hall of Fame. The best of the best. Just take a look at the first year of Inductees -- 6 players:
Cy Young
Walter Johnson
Ty Cobb
Honus Wagner
Christy Mathewson
Babe Ruth
They were the best at their time. They were players you had to see. Nobody would ever debate their talents -- when you can debate a player's belonging in the Hall of Fame, that should immediately eliminate them from the ballot.
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