Todd & Other Baseball Gurus.....

[War Machine Dawg]

With all the success our baseball team is having, I got to thinking about some of our great players & their MLB careers. Obviously, Raffy has the numbers, but is a long shot to get into the HoF at this point. The Thrill is my all-time favorite MSU player, but he doesn't quite have the numbers. So, 2 questions:

1. Why was Bobby Thigpen's career so short? I'm assuming it was injuries. Still, he had 200 saves in 9 seasons. That's a "milestone" save number.

2. Any chance Buck Showalter could get into the Hall as a manager? His career hasn't been lengthy, but it's been very good. He's got 1100+ wins in 15 years.

/Numbers from baseball-reference.

[SaltyDawg]

I don't consider myself a guru, but knowledgeable. Anyways:

Buck Showalter only has a .515 winning %. I'd say if he keeps that winning percentage (may have to improve it to around .535ish) and gets to 1500+ wins he'd be in. He's won Manager of the year twice, but hasn't won a World Series or really had any playoff success- which hurts his chances.

[Will James]

Buck definitely has a chance if he sticks around. The O's have a very good nucleus offensively already and when Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman get rolling, watch out.

[Todd4State]

Thigpen battled arm injuries after 1990. Buck needs to win some World Series titles for him to get in the HOF. I'd keep an eye on Papelbon. If he continues to rack up saves, he'll get consideration.

[Will James]

Thigpen battled arm injuries after 1990. Buck needs to win some World Series titles for him to get in the HOF. I'd keep an eye on Papelbon. If he continues to rack up saves, he'll get consideration.

Since 2005, when Papelbon came into the league, he is 2nd only to Mariano Rivera in RP WAR.

FIP, the stat that looks at just K, BB, and HR, measures just what the pitcher solely controls. Since 1969, when the lowered the mound, Papelbon is 3rd in this category behind only Strasburg and Rob Dibble.

His SIERA (FIP + takes ground balls and fly balls into account) is very good too. Since 2005 he is 3rd only to Wagner and Joe Nathan.

If Paps doesn't get injured and keeps this up he will be a HOF Lock

[Homedawg]

Since 2005, when Papelbon came into the league, he is 2nd only to Mariano Rivera in RP WAR.

FIP, the stat that looks at just K, BB, and HR, measures just what the pitcher solely controls. Since 1969, when the lowered the mound, Papelbon is 3rd in this category behind only Strasburg and Rob Dibble.

His SIERA (FIP + takes ground balls and fly balls into account) is very good too. Since 2005 he is 3rd only to Wagner and Joe Nathan.

If Paps doesn't get injured and keeps this up he will be a HOF Lock

I get it. If you have good numbers in all those stats then you are probably good. And paps is. However, 75% of the people with a ballot don't have a clue what in the hell all that means. Number of saves is the big number, obviously. Blown saves is another small factor. Albeit, much, much smaller factor. All that other stuff well.....I do agree he has a shot to make it. But a lock, not hardly. Riveria is a lock. Paps has a shot, but he's not going to pitch effectively into his 40's either.