OT: 2026 MLB HOF Contemporary Era Candidates

[NedFromYork]

The below list needs to be whittled down to 8 for November. Then committee members can vote for UP to 3. Who you got?

Excluding PED users, for me my eight for the first cut, would be Hernandez, Mattingly, Murphy, Schilling, Whitaker, Lofton, Kent. And would then vote for Schilling, Hernandez, and Murphy. Should probably have Whitaker over Murphy but I really want Murphy in, lol. After those four, I wouldn't be against any of my other eight getting in over time. A solid case can be made for Dwight Evans as well, not against it, just not a big in favor either for me.

2026 Contemporary ERA Candidates

 

[harbest]

The only 3 I would immediately throw out are Belle, Bonds and Clemens. My final 3 would be Murphy, Hernandez, (pardon my Mets bias for showing) and Evans who I consider one of if not the best right fielder of his generation, post Clemente.

 

[Obliviax]

The below list needs to be whistled down to 8 for November. Then committee members can vote for UP to 3. Who you got?

Excluding PED users, for me my eight for the first cut, would be Hernandez, Mattingly, Murphy, Schilling, Whitaker, Lofton, Williams. And would then vote for Schilling, Hernandez, and Murphy. Should probably have Whitaker over Murphy but I really want Murphy in, lol. After those four, I wouldn't be against any of my other eight getting in over time. A solid case can be made for Dwight Evans as well, not against it, just not a big in favor either for me.

2026 Contemporary ERA Candidates

I wouldn't vote for Keith Hernandez if he had 5,000 hits, 700 HRs, and won 400 games as a starting pitcher. Everyone in CLE hates his guts. He's a creep. He signed a free-agent contract with no intention of playing. It was two years for $3.5m, which was big at the time. He showed up, said he was hurt and sat on the bench for two years. he played in 43 games and had 1 HR and 8 RBI. He later bragged to friends that he was shot, knew it, but wanted to get that last big contract. CLE soured on free agency, as a result, and has shied away from it ever since. There were also several "rumors" that made his character in Seinfeld believable.

Of all of the baseball players I know of, he is certainly in the bottom five in terms of respect in my mind.

 

[NedFromYork]

Nice har! That is some pretty high praise for Evans!

 

[Lionsfan1000]

Why would the same arguments that kept them out of the HOF during the initial consideration not still apply? The HOF isn’t the Hall of Very Good or the Hall of Great for a few years. It exists to honor long-term greatness. Unless there is a compelling argument that the long-term greatness of any of these players was somehow overlooked, I would not be in favor of any being inducted. Not a criticism
Of them but they just didn’t meet the standard.

 

[Lion_Backer]

I wouldn't vote for Keith Hernandez if he had 5,000 hits, 700 HRs, and won 400 games as a starting pitcher. Everyone in CLE hates his guts. He's a creep. He signed a free-agent contract with no intention of playing. It was two years for $3.5m, which was big at the time. He showed up, said he was hurt and sat on the bench for two years. he played in 43 games and had 1 HR and 8 RBI. He later bragged to friends that he was shot, knew it, but wanted to get that last big contract. CLE soured on free agency, as a result, and has shied away from it ever since. There were also several "rumors" that made his character in Seinfeld believable.

Of all of the baseball players I know of, he is certainly in the bottom five in terms of respect in my mind.

When he came to Cleveland did he ask you to help him move?

 

[Obliviax]

 

[NedFromYork]

Why would the same arguments that kept them out of the HOF during the initial consideration not still apply? The HOF isn’t the Hall of Very Good or the Hall of Great for a few years. It exists to honor long-term greatness. Unless there is a compelling argument that the long-term greatness of any of these players was somehow overlooked, I would not be in favor of any being inducted. Not a criticism
Of them but they just didn’t meet the standard.

I understand what you are saying, there are a good many Hall of Very Good players already in. In many cases, the advanced statistics available now that weren't considered first time around for many of these players warrants one last look.

 

[bvillebaron]

I understand what you are saying, there are a good many Hall of Very Good players already in. In many cases, the advanced statistics available now that weren't considered first time around for many of these players warrants one last look.

Why is that?

 

[NedFromYork]

Why is that?

Would you be able to elaborate? I don't follow. A lot of previous analysis was in looking at counting stats, batting average but not even OBP or OPS, awards that until recently were pretty subjective, lack of advanced defensive ratings and values. Now those tools are more developed and normalized with statistics such as WAR, OPS+, ERA+, etc, which allow for better comparison against peers and eras.

 

[bvillebaron]

Would you be able to elaborate? I don't follow. A lot of previous analysis was in looking at counting stats, batting average but not even OBP or OPS, awards that until recently were pretty subjective, lack of advanced defensive ratings and values. Now those tools are more developed and normalized with statistics such as WAR, OPS+, ERA+, etc, which allow for better comparison against peers and eras.

You mean they only started calculating OBP and OPS recently? By the way, whose version of WAR are you relying on?

 

[Obliviax]