LOU WHITAKER career stats: WAR: 75.1 Batting Avg: .276 AB: 8570 hits: 2369 HR: 244 RBI: 1084 Almost identical numbers. Detroit Tigers fans will scream forever about how Lou Whitaker belongs in the Hall of Fame. or Heres a thing I didnt know until just a few years ago: before Jack Morris and Alan Trammell were elected to the Hall of Fame in December 2017, the 1984 Tigers and the 1981 Dodgers were the only two World Series champions who do not have a player in the Hall of Fame. Instead, Whitaker was a well-rounded ballplayer. I might be 99 and walking with a cane saying, Finally, what took you so long?' Even though Lous numbers are at least as good, or maybe better. So whats taken Trammell and Whitaker so long? 1 in a pregame ceremony, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The ballot was determined by the BBWAAs 11-person historical overview committee: Bob Elliott (Canadian Baseball Network), Jim Henneman (formerly Baltimore Sun), Steve Hirdt (Stats Perform), Rick Hummel (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), David OBrien (The Athletic), Jack OConnell (BBWAA), Jim Reeves (formerly Fort Worth Star-Telegram), Tracy Ringolsby (InsideTheSeams.com), Glenn Schwarz (formerly San Francisco Chronicle), Susan Slusser (San Francisco Chronicle) and Mark Whicker (Los Angeles News Group). Exclusive investigative reporting that fights for the truth, exposes corruption and gives voice to the voiceless all across Michigan. Lou Whitaker Stats, Fantasy & News | MLB.com Hall of Fame Announces Changes to Era Committees, Vote: 25 Best Players Not in the Hall of Fame, Reaching the BBWAA Standard, not just the Hall of Fame Standard, New Visual: Graham Womacks Top 50 Players Not in the Hall of Fame, Anticipating the 2014 Expansion Era Hall of Fame Ballot. How Many Baseballs Can You Hold In One Hand? Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. GitHub. Steve Garvey is one of only two players in the top ten snubbed from Cooperstown for a non-controversial reason. Asked whether he considered Morris a Hall of Famer, Whitaker said yes. Rookie cards, autographs and more. He ranks 18th all-time with 3,093 strikeouts, and every other eligible member of the 3,000-strikeout club has been inducted aside from Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling. Is there a case for Lou Whitaker for the Hall of Fame? But since Whitaker was much better on offense, they are very similar players. It's up to the Modern Baseball Committee to make sense of Whitaker's case, and there aren't great odds of that this year perhaps in 20 years when more sabermetricallyinclined people are on the committee. He was the 1978 American League Rookie of the Year in 1978 and made five straight AL All-Star squads (1983-87) with four Silver Slugger awards (best hitter at his position) and three Gold Gloves (best fielder). The standard it does have the top 17-25 men at every defensive position are in then Whitaker absolutely belongs. to do something fancy as opposed to making it look effortless. Since then history, while better for his inclusion, has felt imbalanced. Smiths career rWAR was 76.9 and Whitakers is 75.1. See the Asked whether he considered Trammell a Hall of Famer, Whitaker said, Of course.. They were joined at the hip in their careers, serving as the best and longest-tenured double play combination in baseball history. But that day will come.". Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. Lou Whitaker deserved more consideration for the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Hall of Fame Era Committees (formerly known as the Veterans Committee) but with the 1 in a pregame ceremony: "I couldn't be more honored to have No. The Hall of Fame features 340 members, including 268 former MLB players. Lou Whitaker - Baseball-Reference.com Kenny Pickett gets a big vote of confidence from one of his key receivers. Whitaker is one of five second baseman produce more than 200 home runs, 1,000 RBIs, 1,000 runs, 2,000 hits and 1,000 walks. Modern Baseball Era ballot He was a two-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger winner, and his 40.1 WAR is good for 38th all-time among third basemen, ahead of guys like Tim Wallach (38.5), Eric Chavez (38.2) and Troy Glaus (38.1). As for a good story, we cant ignore the man whose name I mentioned at the top of this post: Alan Trammell. The heavily loaded plane crashed just off the Puerto Rican coast, and Clementes body was never recovered. Jason Beck. Comprehensive coverage of Michigan's auto industry, including in-depth analysis of Ford, GM, and Stellantis latest developments and innovations. Outside of a few votes thrown his way in 1983, Whitaker didnt get any MVP love; The only thing he ever led the league in was games played, and that was in the strike-shortened 1981 season. Utley had an amazing five-year peak where he racked up 39.7 WAR and helped bring the Philadelphia Phillies their first World Series title in 28 years. Lou Whitaker played for 1 team, the Detroit Tigers. He should come close to 100 percent of the vote. Rose has appealed for his ban to be lifted, but thus far, his pleas have been denied. OF Jos BautistaSP Bartolo ColnOF Matt Holliday3B David Wright. Lou Whitaker's HoF case by Joe Posnanski Despite his 12 All-Star selections, a World Series MVP for the 2004 Boston Red Sox, and being the Albert Pujols of his generation, Ramirez is the biggest snub coming from the Cleveland Guardians organization. What Happens If A Fan Touches The Ball In Play? Tram had the opportunity to be therefor a long time, Whitaker said. Find out more. WebHall call remains elusive for Tigers legend 8/06/2022 at 7:28 PM 8/06/2022 at 7:28 PM Sweet Lou's No. LOU WHITAKER Lou Whitaker Position Second Baseman Years 19771995 Hall Rating 145 Hall of Stats Inductee Hall of Merit Inductee Next Ballot Lou Whitaker is next Whitaker, Trammell, and teammate Jack Morris will all be eligible with the Modern Baseball Committee, a 16-member group of veteran players, executives, media membersand historians that meets twice every five years and considers players who made their most significant contribution to baseball between 1970 and 1987. There are no slam dunk Hall of Famers on the ballot for the first time in 2026. WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for Lou Whitaker Detroit Tigers Baseball Hall Fame 1979 Topps Card 123 Louis Sweet at the best online prices at eBay! Lou Whitaker Rookie Related Hall of Fame Baseball Cards from 1988 His stellar postseason work should help elevate a Hall of Very Good career to serious Cooperstown consideration. His snubbing has to do more with attitude than anything on the field. Don't miss a beat with our sports coverage, featuring the Lions, Tigers, Red Wings, Pistons, Michigan and Michigan State, as well as exclusive access to USA TODAY Sports+. This article covers the top five baseball players never to receive an induction into the prestigious Hall of Fame. ARLINGTON, Texas Yankees captain Aaron Judge missed his third straight game with a mild hip strain, and New York wont decide until Monday at the earliest whether he will go on the injured list. Everyone back in the 70s or 80s or even as late as 2001, the year he appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot would agree that being on base is better than making outs, but far more weight was placed on batting average back then and far too little weight was placed on walks. Heck, even if you say the Hall messed up, like, 8-10 of those calls per position and thus the bar should not be so low, Whitaker still belongs. With 3,166 hits, five Gold Glove Awards and a 93.5 career WAR total that ranks third all-time among third basemen behind only Mike Schmidt (106.8) and Eddie Mathews (96.1), Beltr should cruise into the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot. They are awesome. Louwhitaker018. In his upcoming "Cooperstown Casebook," which will be out in June,Jaffe writes, Like Grich, Whitaker faces an uphill battle, because as longtime Tigers beat writer Tom Gage reminded his supporters in 2015, reconsiderations dont start at the bottom.. If you dont know the answer to that after reading this far I cant help you. Why: Morris, who had 254 wins, pitched a 10-inning shutout in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series and topped out at 67.7 percent of the BBWAA vote in 2013, doesnt need too many people to make his case at this point. He might have the best chances of anyone on the committees ballot this fall. Im walking pretty good, walking pain free, Bauers said. Remarried since 2010, hes active as a Jehovahs Witness, back in line, back in step (and) attending my meetings.. (More Thanks). The Detroit Tigers need their own Hall of Fame "What am I supposed to say, now I'm up there (on Comerica Park wall), that I belong in the Hall of Fame?" WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1990 Score #75 Lou Whitaker Detroit Tigers at the best online prices at eBay! More than this, in his career, Bonds hit 762 home runs, also a professional baseball record.2022 was Bonds last year of eligibility for Hall of Fame voting, and he was once again denied the honor. All rights reserved. So, when will Lou finally get into the Hall of Fame? Whitakers best season was likely 1983, when he hit .320 with 12 homers, 40 doubles and drove in 72 runs to finish eighth in AL MVP voting. He finished his career with a line of .276/.363/.426, which translates to a 117 OPS+, which was outstanding for a second baseman of his era. Schilling has no PED allegations, but has seen his Hall support drop (after coming within 16 votes of induction in 2021) following hateful remarks he made in retirement toward Muslims, transgender people, reporters and others. Whitaker's chances seemed better in 2019, when he was the only Tiger under consideration and committee members included former opponents George Brett, Rod Carew, Dennis Eckersley, Eddie Murray, Ozzie Smith and Robin Yount, not to mention former Tigers president/general manager Dave Dombrowski. Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball, Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE. The second baseman only had one season where he had more than 80 RBI and only had more than 20 homers four times. 30 Apr 2023 02:06:19 Concussions forced him out of the crouch shortly after he turned 30 and he had a good-not-great second half of his career, but his .306/.388/.439 batting line and impressive list of accolades that includes 2009 AL MVP honors should be enough to eventually earn him the call. Among position players eligible for induction, only Barry Bonds and Bill Dahlen had a higher WAR. Exceeded rookie limits during 1978 season, View Player Bio Whitaker was Rookie of the Year in his 1977 season, and he never really slowed down after that. October 1, 1995 I had the opportunity to play in the major leagues, Whitaker said. When Posey hung up his spikes following the 2021 season, I wrote an article trying to answer where he fits all-time among catchers. People love good stories. With 3,166 hits, five Gold Glove Awards and a 93.5 career WAR total that ranks third all-time among third basemen behind only Mike Schmidt (106.8) and Eddie Trammell was elected to the Hall by the veterans committee as part of the class of 2018 (along with fellow Tiger Jack Morris). Whitaker had a long, steady career, but did not have an identifiable peak during which anyone argued that he was the best or among the best players in the game. With 703 home runs (fourth all-time), 2,218 RBI (second all-time), 1,914 runs (12th all-time), 3,384 hits (10th all-time) and 101.7 WAR (29th all-time), he is a legitimate candidate to make a run at 100 percent of the vote. Jack was probably the best starter in the game. Also on the ballot were guys on this and previous years Modern Baseball Era ballots such as Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Tommy John, Steve Garvey, and Don Mattingly. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images), Manny Ramirez was a pure hitter only left out of Cooperstown because of alleged PED use. It probably comes down to shortstop being a bit more glamorous and Trammell having a couple seasons that put him in the MVP mix, Darowski wrote. Only seven times in MLB history has a catcher won the batting title, and three of those belong to Mauer. After these adjustments, the 43.0 WAA becomes 43.3 adjWAA. That is the MOST underrated skill in baseball, and most underrated players are strong in that. While neither ever won an MVP Trammell was robbed in 1987 they led the Tigers to the 1984 World Series title and the 1987 AL East crown, and served as the heart and soul of a Tigers team that finished above .500 for 11 straight years during their primes. Free shipping for many products! and We'll make our best guess at who will be a first-ballot selection, who will eventually get to the necessary support after a few years on the ballot, and who could stick around for a few years but will ultimately wind up in the Hall of Very Good. Wright was on a potential Hall of Fame trajectory before spinal stenosis limited him to only 77 games after his age-31 season. The reception was much better than his lone year on the writers Hall of Fame ballot, where he received just 2.9 percent of the vote for the 2001 class and was taken off future ballots. Whitaker had stats and accomplishments over his 19-year career that not only stood the test of time, but seemed strengthened by it. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. Dive deeper into the news and sports stories that matter most with our exclusive podcasts, featuring analysis and reporting from our team of experts. Who Are The Best Baseball Players Not In The Hall Of Fame? 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. He collected 244 career home runs and 1,084 career RBIs.He and teammate Alan Trammell were known for consistently turning double plays. He was going to take you to the eighth or ninth inning.. Lou Whitaker was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 5th round of the 1975 MLB June Amateur Draft from Martinsville HS (Martinsville, VA). Of those 268, 20 were primarily second basemen, and Whitaker's WAR total sits seventh among theirs, behind only Charlie Gehringer (84.8), Rod Carew (81.2), Joe Morgan (100.4), Nap Lajoie (106.9), Eddie Collins (124.4) and Rogers Hornsby (127.3). Respected baseball historian, statistician and executive Bill James has also supported Whitakers cause, noting him and Dahlen as the best players not currently in the Hall. Hes an underwhelming candidate by sabermetrics, but that seems unlikely to work too much against him with the committee. Whitaker has 77 TZ in his career (0 is league average, just like with DRS) so he averaged just over 4 TZ per season. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. He retired as a lifetime .286/.330/.366 batter with 2138 hits, 39 home runs, 352 doubles, 67 triples, 829 runs scored and 707 runs batted in. Asked of the possibility, Whitaker said, Tell you what, itd be great., Cooperstown chances for Morris: 75 percent. "My friends would say, Now hold up, Lou.' Mandatory Credit: Harry How /Allsport. Has A Baseball Player Ever Played In The World Series For Two Different Teams? Twitter Bonds received 260 of 394 votes (66%), Clemens 257 (65.2%) and Schilling 231 (58.6%). Garvey is one of the great Los Angeles Dodgers and the 1974 MVP. Whitakers best season was likely 1983, when he hit .320 with 12 homers, 40 doubles and drove in 72 runs to finish eighth in AL MVP voting. Pedroia was on his way before injuries derailed his career in his 30s. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Theres a chance not a great one, but a chance that Whitaker, Trammell, and Morris could all be voted into the Hall of Fame in December. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Flipboard (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). Hall of Stats: Lou Whitaker That should vault him to a first-ballot induction. Detroit Tigers hail Lou Whitaker; he's ready for Baseball Hall of Fame The average WAR for Hall of Fame second baseman is 69.4. Its not quite as good but its the best we have for the time. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. All are on the IL, along with six pitchers. Instead, Decembers committee ballot features eight players Albert Belle, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly, Fred McGriff, Dale Murphy, Rafael Palmeiro, and Curt Schilling who mostly starred after Whitakers prime was through. About page. Join our linker program. They both retired as Tigers and never played an inning for another team. During the regular season, he tallied 200 wins, 2,488 strikeouts and 43.5 WAR. What good is it for me to go to people and be whining or crying or saying, I deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Joined: 01/31/2012 MGoPoints: 11784 Log in or register to post comments Ryne Sandberg (inducted in TallyWolverine Ryno2317 He came off, what, last few years or whatever. Whitaker was a five-time All-Star, won three Gold Gloves, and won a World Series with the Tigers.However, despite all of that, Whitaker has never been voted into the Hall of Fame, repeatedly being snubbed by the selection committee. For that you can blame the BBWAA too, as an oversight committee of that guild was responsible for coming up with nominees. Lester starred when the lights shined brightest with a 1.77 ERA in 35.2 career World Series innings en route to a pair of rings with the Boston Red Sox and a third as the ace of the staff for the Chicago Cubs in 2016. Boone said the best-case scenario has Judge returning sometime during the three-game series against the Guardians. However, he's behind Lou Whitaker (75.1) and Willie Randolph (65.9), both of whom are not enshrined. Marvin Miller, the longtime director of the MLB Players Association who negotiated the first collective bargaining agreement in the sport, joined him with 12 votes. All of which is to say: a second baseman with pop, patience or outstanding but unsexy defensive ability was almost guaranteed to be discounted by the biases of the era, and Whitakers game hit all three of those things harder than just about anyone else. In or Out: Voting on the Next 5 MLB Hall of Fame Classes On Tuesday, the Detroit Tigers finally announced a date for the number retirement ceremony for Tigers legend Lou Whitaker. The Best 11 Second Basemen of All Time The six men in front of him Rogers Hornsby, Eddie Collins, Napoleon Lajoie, Joe Morgan, Rod Carew, and Charlie Gehringer are all Hall of Famers. Win Expectancy, Run Expectancy, and Leverage Index calculations provided by Tom Tango of InsideTheBook.com, and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. Curt Schilling had great years with the Philadelphia Phillies prior and the Boston Red Sox after. Rafael Palmeiro is one of the guys we can partly blame as to why Garvey didnt get into Cooperstown. Oh, and it didnt help that there were six future Hall of Famers on the 2001 ballot off of which Whitaker fell: Dave Winfield and Kirby Puckett were elected that year and Gary Carter, Jim Rice, Bruce Sutter, Rich Gossage, Jack Morris and Bert Blyleven would make it in subsequently. I'm sure that day will come. The insult was compounded when, in 2017 the last time the Modern Baseball Era Committee dealt with this current era Whitaker wasnt even included on the dang ballot. Let's start with a look at the first-time eligibles for 2024. 145, Many behind him, including Ryne Sandberg, Roberto Almoar, Craig Biggio, Nellie Fox, Joe Gordon, and Bobby Doerr are Hall of Famers. Santana received only 2.4 percent of the vote in his lone year on the ballot, so the odds are stacked against King Felix. from the SABR BioProject, More Lou Whitaker Pages at Baseball Reference. Was Mickey Mantle The Fastest MLB Baseball Player? by Dan Holmes on November 17, 2019. Its going to happen, Trammell said Friday. Lou Whitaker Dick Groat Passes Away - MLB Trade Rumors WebOn Dec. 31, 1972, Clemente boarded a small plane en route from Puerto Rico to Nicaragua to assist with earthquake relief. My God, man, hes overqualified. Most impressively, he holds the all-time MLB hit record, at 4,256 career hits.This statistic alone would surely guarantee him Cooperstown status if not for a betting scandal he was engrossed in during his years as Cincinnatis manager. Instead, it unfortunately seems that Whitakers legacy as a baseball player is simply underrated. However, if the Cooperstown voters continue their typical trend of denying PED users induction, this 14-time All-Star will never make the cut, as Rodriguezs biggest scandal (aside from his demeanor) was his being found guilty of using PEDs in 2013. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Nolan Ryan Houston Astros 1999 Hall of Fame Induction 8x10 The Arizona Diamondbacks havent been around long and yet they have a very worthy Hall of Fame snub. Traditional stats also dont shine as much of a light on Whitaker as sabermetrics do. By extension, he could have better odds with the Modern Baseball Committee. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Between now and then we will take a look atthe ten candidates, one-by-one, to assess their Hall worthiness. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. Many thanks to him. Nearly three decades after his final game, Lou Whitaker took another swing and a miss on Monday. Did voters naively see what other first basemen were doing and appreciate them more? McLain Athletic Hall of Fame class includes TU baseball trio WebOn Dec. 31, 1972, Clemente boarded a small plane en route from Puerto Rico to Nicaragua to assist with earthquake relief. Rookie Road may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Trammell hopeful Sweet Lou joins him in Hall. Read about his career at MLB Trade Rumors. . What Is The Fastest Possible Baseball Pitch? HappSP Derek HollandOF Jon JaySP Scott KazmirSP Jon LesterC Jonathan LucroyRP Andrew MillerC Buster PoseyC Wilson RamosOF Josh Reddick3B Pablo SandovalSP Ervin Santana3B Kyle SeagerRP Joakim SoriaRP Tony Watson1B/3B Ryan ZimmermanSP Jordan Zimmermann. After all, Whitaker produced 75.1 WAR, according to Baseball Reference, tied with Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench for 82nd in MLB history. Three players from the University of Tulsas baseball glory days are in this years McLain Athletic Hall of Fame class. The same goes for Holliday, who had a career that most closely resembles Moises Alou, Magglio Ordez and Shawn Green, according to Similarity Scores at Baseball Reference. It is nearly impossible to narrow down players that deserve to be in the Hall of Fame but are not on the shortlist. I think a lot of folks on that committee will look at him differently than previous voters did, both as far as looking at his whole game the way I outlined above and by looking at all that has been said about his being overlooked in the past. in Brooklyn, NY RP Steve CishekUT Brock HoltC Yadier Molina1B Albert PujolsC Kurt SuzukiC Stephen Vogt. He received votes from six of the 16 committee members, just half of the 12-vote total needed for induction. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. If your Hall of Fame standard is I only want the best of the best the guys who we can call immortals in the Hall of Fame, then sure, Lou Whitaker is probably not your man. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. Roger Clemens was a Major League Baseball pitcher for 24 years (1984-2007), spending most of his career with the Boston Red Sox. WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for Lou Whitaker Detroit Tigers Baseball Hall Fame 1979 Topps Card 123 Louis Sweet at the best online prices at eBay! WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1978 Topps 3 CARD ROOKIE LOT .JACK MORRIS(2) LOU WHITAKER..HALL OF FAMERS TIGERS at the best online We played, we won.. much time with injury, but he did have some bangs that cost him, with his otherwise excellent 1988 season consisting of only 115 games. Now thats unfair right there, he said. The Baseball Hall of Fame released its ballot for the Contempory Baseball Era committee, covering players who starred in MLB from 1980 forward and the longtime Detroit Tigers second baseman was left off. Beyond WAR, Whitaker played for 19 seasons, winning the Rookie of the Year award, making five All-Star teams, winning three Gold Gloves and winning the Silver Slugger award four times. The Hall of Fame Emoni Bates draft stock update: Can he play his way back into the lottery? MLB Power Rankings: The biggest Hall of Fame snub for every team He doesn't have the counting numbers of a Hall of Famer, but his peak performance could be enough to keep him around on the ballot for a few years. Whitaker was a member of the 1984 World Series team, a five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, three-time Gold Glove winner, and the 1978 Rookie of the Year. Rose was often referred to as Charlie Hustle for his speed on the bases. The list above represents the five best baseball players who are not in the Hall of Fame, from the best on down. Whitaker might have gotten to 3,000 hits if hed stuck around baseball beyond age 38. Its time to fix that. Johnny Bench and Ivan Rodriguez are the only catchers in MLB history to be inducted in their first year on the ballot, so it's an uphill battle in general at the position. Nearly two decades after Whitaker was one-and-done on the Hall of Fame ballot, the Tigers second baseman fell short on Sunday in his first turn on the Modern Era Committee ballot. Dick Groat Passes Away - MLB Trade Rumors Trammell and Morris stumped then for Whitakers induction to the Hall. Or any era. Its time for Lou Whitaker to be in the Hall of Fame. At the time of the reworking of the process, it was thought that Whitaker had a shot at being included on this Decembers ballot. Whitaker was also remarkably consistent. Whitaker was a great defender too. Lou Whitaker
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