Johnny Damon: Hall of Famer?

Johnny Damon: compiler?

 

Better than terrible humor.
And, Azrael, produce the body.
You want to contest his purity, offer evidence contrary.
I am not his general physician. I don't know what you'd like me to proffer.

 

'Clean player' was the first HoF argument you chose to make on Johnny Damon's behalf in the original post. Prove it.

 

to answer the question while the threadjack rages on, my simple, 'NO,' should be more than sufficient. 8)

 

He's not there yet. If he can finish strongly, gets 3,000 hits, he might make it. Good argument but he's like a cake in the oven, he's not done yet.

 

He's 231 hits away from 3000 according to the original post. He'll be 39 in one month.

Can he make it?

 

And speaking of the Indians, a moderately more legitimate question about two players for the Hall of Fame, now that their careers are about finished. How do you measure Jim Thome and Omar Vizquel?

For your consideration, Thome stands at 612 home runs (seventh in the history of the game), a .555 slugging percentage (23rd) and a .402 on-base percentage (53rd). Over a 14-season period from 1995 through 2008, he hit 511 home runs and finished sixth or better in league OBP nine times and 10th or better in league slugging percentage 10 times. He has eight 30-100-100 seasons and a 147 career OPS+. Also, he hit 17 career postseason home runs in 67 games. According to Baseball Reference, the 10 players to whom he compares most closely are Sosa, Thomas, Schmidt, Mantle, McCovey, Killebrew, McGriff, Manny Ramirez, Reggie Jackson and Griffey Jr.; five of those players are HOFers and at least two more will be.

Vizquel has won 11 Gold Gloves, including nine straight. Only seven players have ever won more (Maddux 18, Kaat 16, B. Robinson 16, I. Rodriguez 13, O. Smith 13, Clemente 12, Mays 12), including just one shortstop. Among those players, Robinson, Smith, Clemente and Mays are HOFers, and Maddux and Rodriguez will be. Career totals include 2,876 hits (40th in the history of the game), 1,445 runs (78th) and 404 steals (70th). He also has 256 sacrifices, good for 35th all time, and over a 19-season stretch from 1989 through 2007, he led his league in sacrifices four times and finished ninth or better 13 times. Of the eight players to whom he ranks most similarly according to Baseball Reference, six are HOFers (Aparicio, Maranville, Smith, Appling, Reese, Fox). He also has 23 postseason steals in 57 games, good for third all time behind only Kenny Lofton and Rickey Henderson.

 

thome, yes, omar, no, only because his autobiography was titled Omar! (yes, with the exclamation point)

 

Jim Thome is on the absolute-lock level. He's got all the numbers, and sports writers and players love him.

 

Thome should get in easily.

Neither Damon nor Vizquel belongs.