BunkoSquad SportsBlog: Jose Canseco retired this week

May 15, 2002

Jose Canseco retired this week

Jose Canseco retired this week after a wild, wacky career. And now the debate begins: is Jose a Hall-of-Famer or not? Joe Morgan sums up some of the pros and cons. If I had a vote (which, amazingly, I don't) I'd say yes. Without a doubt. Some will look only at the numbers: he finished short of 500 home runs, his career tailed off dramatically after 1993 or so, he was a full-time DH for the second half of his career.

But, as I've said before, it's a Hall of Fame, not a Hall of Numbers. From 1987 to 1993, Canseco was one of the most talked-about players in the majors. He was the first 40-40 man, balancing insane power (remember, kids, 40 home runs was a big deal then) with speed and a general wow!-inspiring quality every time he took the field. He passes the grandkids test too: my yardstick for Hallworthiness is "Is this a guy you'd tell your grandkids you saw play?" Jose had some unfogettable moments: some good (that home run he hit at SkyDome in the '92 Playoffs left Canadian airspace somewhere over Baffin Island), some bad (remember when the Rangers let/made him pitch in a blowout and he hurt his arm?), and some just surreal. Name another Hall-of-Fame candidate who's ever had a ball bounce off his head for a home run. The point is, when Jose was in the game, you knew. And that's what the Hall of Fame should be about.

So it got me thinking. Which current players are headed for Cooperstown? There are some locks, there are some younger players who will be locks if they keep up their current pace, and some borderliners. Here's my list. (The Hall has a list of recently-retired players and when they will be eligible. I won't deal with them at this time.)

AL East: Rickey Henderson and Roger Clemens are mortal locks. Wouldn't it be perfect if Roger hucked a bat into the stands during his speech? Of the younger guys, Pedro, Nomar, Mariano Rivera, Jeter, and probably Manny Ramirez are certainly on the right road. I think they're all in, provided their careers don't completely fall apart. Mike Mussina has an outside chance, and Jason Giambi can certainly get there, particularly if he helps win a World Series or two. Most of the current Devil Rays won't even be allowed to buy a ticket to the Hall.

AL Central: No one really stands out. Frank Thomas has a case, but the fact he's played DH almost exclusively will keep him out, I think. Some of the more jingoistic Cleveland fans say Omar Vizquel is as good a shortstop as 2002 inshrinee Ozzie Smith, but Vizquel fails the grandkids test where Ozzie doesn't.

AL West: Pudge Rodriguez for sure. Ichiro and Troy Glaus bear watching, and Juan Gonzalez is an interesting idea, but falls short. The most interesting case involves Edgar Martinez. Sure, he's been a DH most of the time, but the man is a hitting machine. I'd vote for him just for consistently finishing in the Top 5 list of "guys you don't want to face in the 9th with the bases loaded".

NL East: Greg Maddux. Robbie Alomar. Tim Raines (still with Florida). All in. Piazza and Vlad Guerrero sure look like they're headed there. Chipper Jones and Scott Rolen have started down the path. Some question marks are Andres Galarraga (sorry, but I say no) and the other 2 jewels in the Atlanta pitching crown. It would be nice if Maddux, Smoltz, and Glavine could go in as an entry, but individually, I think only Maddux passes the grandkids test. Mo Vaughn had better start hitting homers in bunches.

NL Central: Automatic slots go to Sammy Sosa, Junior Griffey, and (I think) Jeff Bagwell. None of the young stars (JD Drew, Kerry Wood, Brian Giles) has yet taken that first major step towards Cooperstown. Bud Selig and the Brewers organization should be voted in specially for making money, while simultaneously contending every year and keeping fan interest high. Sorry! I forgot to turn my sarcasm filter on.

NL West: Barry Bonds, Randy Johnson, and Curt Schilling are in. Borderline candidates (all, frankly, longshots) include Jeff Kent, Luis Gonzalez, and Larry Walker. Kevin Brown is an interesting puzzle, but I think his general non-recognition factor keeps him out. Trevor Hoffman just might squeak in, now that Sports Illustrated has named him the best closer ever. (Guess they forgot to run that by Dennis Eckersley.)

So it's open for debate. Let me know if you think I slighted Fred McGriff, Kenny Lofton or Rich Garces (who I'd definitely cast a sympathy vote for). Or anyone else.

Posted by michaelf at May 15, 2002 11:12 PM

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