Robinson Cano: HOF?

[Dick Whitman]

11 seasons

230 HRs

1,953 hits

.307/.355/.494

126 OPS+ (Ryne Sandberg: 114; Joe Morgan 132; Robbie Alomar 116)

6 All-Stars

4 Top 5 MVP

5 Top 6 MVP

2 Gold Gloves

8 straight seasons, 157-plus Games Played

 

[LongTimeListener]

Without a doubt.

Next.

 

[swingline]

If Cano is, then so is Jim Edmonds:

17 seasons

393 HRs

1,949 hits

.284/.376/.527/.903

132 OPS+ (Cano: 126; Ryne Sandberg: 114; Joe Morgan 132; Robbie Alomar 116)

4 All-Stars

2 Top 5 MVP

8 Gold Gloves

1 Silver Slugger

60.3 WAR

1 World Series Championship

 

[JC]

I didn't realize Edmonds was a second baseman.

The answer is yes, this one is easy.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

If Lou Whitaker ain't in, Robinson Cano ain't in ... yet.

 

[heyabbott]

If Lou Whitaker ain't in, Robinson Cano ain't in ... yet.

No. If Sandberg is in, so should Whitaker. Cano and Alomar are better comparisons. Cano is not a HOF defensive player, but his overall game, should he continue on his trajectory, make him a worthy HOF.

Until Raines is in, the Hall is a fraud

 

[Songbird]

Robinson Cano is not a Hall of Famer.

 

[JC]

Robinson Cano is not a Hall of Famer.

Why?

 

[Songbird]

Because he's very good. I guess I'm basing what I said on what I think will be his continued slide in Seattle.

If he's great for the first 9 years but decent to pedestrian for 5 years after that, is that Hall worthy?

And I get he was top 5 MVP candidate last year.

 

[swingline]

I didn't realize Edmonds was a second baseman.

Doh! Read right over that.

 

[Dick Whitman]

July: .337/.398/.622
August: .311/.367/.444

 

[JC]

Because he's very good. I guess I'm basing what I said on what I think will be his continued slide in Seattle.

If he's great for the first 9 years but decent to pedestrian for 5 years after that, is that Hall worthy?

And I get he was top 5 MVP candidate last year.

He'll likely retire as the best 2B of his generation.

Continued slide? No doubt that will start at some point but I don't see it yet.

 

[Moderator1]

So placing in the top 5 of MVP voting a few times is a Hall qualification? Shouldn't you win it now and then? I still maintain the Hall is for REALLY REALLY REALLY GREAT and not REALLY REALLY REALLY VERY GOOD. Cano is a hell of a player. But he doesn't have any of the alleged automatics (500 HR, 3,000 hits though he may get that eventually).

 

[JC]

How many second baseman do? It's the numbers at the position he plays that will get him in.

 

[Dick Whitman]

So placing in the top 5 of MVP voting a few times is a Hall qualification? Shouldn't you win it now and then? I still maintain the Hall is for REALLY REALLY REALLY GREAT and not REALLY REALLY REALLY VERY GOOD. Cano is a hell of a player. But he doesn't have any of the alleged automatics (500 HR, 3,000 hits though he may get that eventually).

Second basemen with 3,000 hits:

Craig Biggio (3,060)
Rod Carew (3,053)
Eddie Collins (3,315)
Nap Lajoie (3,242)

Most home runs appears to be Rogers Hornsby, with 301. Didn't get to 3,000 hits.

Cano isn't automatic just yet, but among current guys with 10-plus years in, I'd rate the chances of eventual enshrinement like this:

Locks if they retired today
1. Pujols
2. Cabrera
3. Ichiro

The rest
4. Cano
5. Felix
6. Beltre
7. Mauer
8. Sabathia
9. Tulowitzki
10. Ortiz
11. Beltran
12. Greinke
13. Buehrle
14. Utley
15. Verlander

 

[Songbird]

Felix would easily be voted in above Cano.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Felix isn't much of a winner.

 

[Dick Whitman]

So placing in the top 5 of MVP voting a few times is a Hall qualification? Shouldn't you win it now and then?

You always bring this up, but there are plenty of Hall of Famers who never won an MVP. For example:

• Ozzie Smith.
• Carlton Fisk.
• Tony Perez.
• Gary Carter.
• Roberto Alomar.
• Kirby Puckett.
• Ron Santo.
• Lou Brock.
• Luke Appling.
• Billy Williams.
• Wade Boggs.
• Paul Molitor.
• Al Kaline.
• Duke Snider.
• Craig Biggio.
• Dave Winfield.
• Tony Gwynn.
• Eddie Murray.
• Derek Jeter.
• Eddie Matthews.
• Mel Ott.

Cano is great. But as we age, we are less easily impressed.

If you were 11 years old, you would laugh that this is even a question.

 

[swingline]

C'mon, ****, you're not really saying the standard is based on an 11-year-old's opinion, are you?

 

[Dick Whitman]

C'mon, ****, you're not really saying the standard is based on an 11-year-old's opinion, are you?

No. The opposite, really.

I'm saying that's why you can't use the, "Feels like a Hall of Famer" standard. Because what "feels like" a Hall of Famer is quite different when you are a wide-eyed, bicycle-riding kid compared to a grizzled suburban dad.

If my dad were still around, he'd scoff at the idea that Robinson Cano is better than Ryne Sandberg. And then he'd scoff at the idea that Ryne Sandberg was better than Nellie Fox.