Scott Rolen, Hall of Famer…

[Moogy]

Murphy had a really good run of a few years, and then he quickly fell off to be an average (or worse) MLBer due to knee issues. He contributed 45.4 WAR in a 9 season stretch. And despite playing in parts of at least 18 seasons, he finished with 46.5 WAR total. That means for the rest of his time, he was, essentially, a replacement value player.

Rolen had 70.1 career WAR, playing in 142 fewer games than Murphy (and his 46.5 career WAR). Rolen's best 9-year stretch saw him post 46.3 WAR in that time, better than Murphy's best 9-year stretch. Rolen also posted the single best season between the 2 players, with a 9.2 WAR season (Murphy's best was a 6.6, and Rolen beat that one other year, as well). Rolen was also still generally pretty darned good outside of his "peak."

Would Murphy have continued on and been better than Rolen had his knees held up? Perhaps. But, as is, Rolen was clearly the better player.

 

[PhillyBillyReprise]

RICHIE ALLEN? Should be in the hof.

The Wampum Flash
I grew up in Columbia, PA who lost to Wampum in the State basketball championship game.

AB. 6332
H. 1848
HR. 351
BA. . 292

 

[Electric Lion]

How many Gold Gloves did Jim Rice win? Zero. Scott Rolen won 8. The HOF is not just about offense.

Point taken. But at the end of the day gold gloves are a judgment from managers and coaches as opposed to statistics at the plate. Another poster said it best, he was good, not great.

 

[manatree]

Point taken. But at the end of the day gold gloves are a judgment from managers and coaches as opposed to statistics at the plate. Another poster said it best, he was good, not great.

75% is managers & coaches. 25% is some sort of SABR metric.

In my opinion, Rolen was a good, but not a an all time great, HoF worthy player.

 

[Moogy]

For comparison it took Jim Rice to his last year of eligibility to get in. Jim freaking Rice, the most feared hitter in the American League for a 10-12 year stretch. For that stretch hit over .300 every year except for four (lowest was .280) and more than 20 HRs every year, leading the league three times and winning an MVP. Rolen hit over .300 exactly twice in 17 years and after age 29 only had two seasons of 20 HR, one with 22 and another 20. This election is baffling. If he's in, shouldn't Fred Lynn and Don Mattingly be in too? Did anyone ever when watching him play say "yeah, that's a HOFer right there?" The answer is no. And yet he's in. SMH.

We've come a long, long way in understanding the value of a player's performance since the 80s. No one really cares about batting average anymore (by itself). We can even understand the value of defense, without relying on the opinions of outside parties for things like Gold Glove awards. We look at the totality of what they've done, rather than being a league leader, or what-have-you, in a particular statistical category.

Rolen played 17 years and compiled 70.1 WAR. Rice played in 16 seasons, and played 51 more games in his career, and only compiled 47.7 in WAR. That's a huge difference. Rolen was clearly better over his career.

Mattingly produced 42.4 career WAR. Fred Lynn 50.2.