Michael Knisley and John Shea debate Andre Dawson’s Hall of Fame credentials over at ESPN. Dawson, to my way of thinking, is the very definition of a borderline candidate. Check out his list of Top 10 most similar players according to Baseball-Reference:

Billy Williams (133 OPS+)
Tony Perez (122)
Dave Parker (121)
Al Kaline (134)
Harold Baines (120)
Dwight Evans (127)
Ernie Banks (122)
Dave Winfield (130)
Luis Gonzalez (119)
Vada Pinson (110)

As a point of reference, Dawson’s OPS+ was 119. Anyway, five of these guys have been enshrined in Cooperstown: Williams, Perez, Kaline, Banks, and Winfield. Of those five, three were clearly superior players: Williams, Kaline, and Winfield.
The other …read more

Stupid fun for a Tuesday…

Every hitter likes fastballs, just like everybody likes ice cream. But you don’t like it when someone’s stuffing it into you by the gallon. That’s what it feels like when Nolan Ryan’s throwing balls by you.
–Reggie Jackson
The designated hitter rule is like letting someone else take Wilt Chamberlain’s free throws.
–Rick Wise
This is a game to be savored, not gulped. There’s time to discuss everything between pitches or between innings.
–Bill Veeck
Baseball fans love numbers. They love to swirl them around their mouths like Bordeaux wine.
–Pat Conroy
I became a good pitcher when I stopped trying to …read more

My latest article at Hardball Times, Revisiting the 1973 draft, is now up for your viewing pleasure. Dave Winfield was drafted as a pitcher? Eddie Murray as a catcher? Who knew…