With the finalists announced for the Baseball Hall of Fame, here’s a look at the guys that I think should get in.
Derek Jeter, like his longtime teammate, Mariano Rivera, should no doubt be a unanimous selection. If not, he’s definitely a lock. Jeter holds a career average of .310 and was selected to 14 All-Star games, has five Gold Gloves, and is a five-time World Series Champion.
He’s my case for five other finalists on the list who are also Cooperstown-worthy.
Paul Konerko
The man known on the southside of Chicago as simply Paulie should also get the call.
Konerko was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round of the 1994 draft. He would spend two seasons with L.A. and one season with the Cincinnati Reds.
The rest of his 19-season career would be spent as first baseman for the White Sox. During his 16 seasons with the pale hose, he was selected to the All-Star Game six times. He hit 439 homers and had a career .279 batting average while being a member of the Don’t Stop Believing 2005 World Series champion team.
Omar Vizquel
Vizquel played 24 seasons with the Mariners, Indians, Giants, Rangers, White Sox, and Blue Jays in the major leagues. He played until the astonishing age of 45. During that time, the shortstop compiled 11 Gold Gloves, three All-Star selections, and a career batting average of .272 while hitting .290 or better five different times.
Curt Schilling
Schilling played 20 seasons, spending time with the Orioles, Astros, Phillies, Diamondbacks, and Red Sox. He was a six-time All-Star and member of three World Series Championship teams, and he amassed 3,116 career strikeouts.
Barry Bonds
The all-time leader in home runs in a single season, along with most career home runs, was among the most-feared hitters … ever. Even when his team was down by four or five runs in the latter part of a game with nobody on base, he would be intentionally walked. Of course, he is also the all-time leader in walks.
Some career numbers that stick out the most are his walks (2,558), strikeouts (1,539), batting average (.298), hits (2,935), and home runs (762). That’s more than one home run for every four hits.
Bonds was a seven-time MVP and a 14-time All-Star in his 22-year career. Every at-bat during his chase of the single-season record interrupted other games so the world could watch it live. The same thing happened when he was chasing the all-time career total.
Roger Clemens
Seven Cy Young awards, 11 All-Star games, over 4,600 career strikeouts, and over 350 career wins. Not to mention, he’s a two time World Series Champion.
PEDs or not, Barry Bonds, the most feared hitter ever, and Roger Clemens, the most dominant pitcher of his era, deserve to be in. There are, after all, some who’ve made it into the Hall of Fame who were under the same cloud as Bonds and Clemens are.
