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Updated as of 11/6/2023
1971 Topps 5 Thurman Munson
Nowbatting19.net Presents our HALL of FAME !
Nowbatting19.net Presents our HALL of FAME !
This page is dedicated to 39 players (so far) who ARE Hall of Famers in our book! Some of these players were the among the best players of their era. Some of these players' careers were cut short by injuries, or even death. On our previous site, Nowbatting19 dot COM, several players on our HALL of FAME page went on to Cooperstown, including Gil Hodges, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva, & Ted Simmons. So, CONGRATULATIONS to those players, or their families! It should not have taken so long! Time will tell if some of our players here will be enshrined in Cooperstown as well. Maybe, maybe not. It doesn't really matter! What matters is these players are still fondly remembered today by fans. If your favorite player was Thurman Munson, "NO-MAA!" (Nomar Garciaparra), or "Doc" Gooden, this page is for you!
Nowbatting19.net HALL OF FAME
1973 Topps 142 Thurman Munson
1974 Topps 340 Thurman Munson
Thurman Munson
Yankees Catcher 1970-1979
It goes without saying that Thurman Munson should have been enshrined in Cooperstown DECADES ago. At the time of his untimely death, Thurman Munson was the best catcher in the American League, right alongside rival Carlton Fisk (who IS in the Hall of Fame). Munson did not have the power of Fisk at the plate but was a terrific clutch hitter in his own right. Munson was a .292 hitter, lifetime. That is exceptional for a catcher, especially that era. Munson was also a terrific fielder, winning 3 Gold Glove Awards. He also won the American League Most Valuable Player Award (1976) & helped the Yankees win 3 consecutive Pennants and 2 World Series Championships He was the first Yankees Captain since Lou Gehrig, & the last Yankees captain before Derek Jeter. MLB should intervene & tell the National Baseball Hall of Fame to get its head out of its derrière because this player was and is a Hall of Famer.
Will Clark "The Thrill"
San Francisco Giants 1B
162-Game Avg, - .303, 36 2B, 23 HR, 99 RBI, 97 Runs, .497 Slugging%
1989 NLCS MVP - .650, 13 Hits, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR (Grand Slam), 8 RBI, 8 Runs
Runner up 1989 NL MVP Award
6x All-Star
1991 Gold Glove Award (1B)
As clutch as they come!
Rocco "Rocky" Colavito
Indians/Tigers OF
In just 13 seasons, "The Rock" socked 374 Home Runs with 1159 RBI
9x All-Star
4 seasons top 5 for MVP
Led AL with 42 HR in 1959
162 Game Avg. - 33 HR, 102 RBI
Fan favorite despite playing for mostly inferior teams
Don Mattingly
New York Yankees 1B
1985 AL MVP - .324, 48 2B, 35 HR, 145 RBI, 107 Runs scored
1984 AL Batting Champ (.343)
9 Gold Glove Awards
6x All-Star
162 Game Avg. - .303, 194 Hits, 40 2B, 20 HR, 100 RBI, 91 Runs
Fan Favorite!
Nomar Garciaparra
Boston Red Sox SS
1997 AL Rookie of the Year
2x Batting Champion (1999 .357, 2000 .372
6x All-Star
162 Game Avg. - .313, 197 Hits, 42 2B, 26 HR, 106 RBI, 105 Runs
Hit 3 HR (incl. 2 Grand Slams) with 10 RBI in one game
Fan Favorite!
Dick Allen
Phillies/White Sox OF
1964 NL ROY (.318, 201 Hits, 38 2B, 13 3B, 29 HR, 91 RBI, 125 Runs)
1972 AL MVP & led league with 37 HR & 113 RBI
7x All-Star
Career .292, 351 HR, 1119 RBI, 1099 Runs in just 14 seasons
Maury Wills
Los Angeles Dodgers SS
1962 NL MVP (.299, 208 Hits, 10 3B, 104 Stolen Bases, Gold Glove Award)
6x Stolen Base Leader
7x All-Star
586 Career Stolen Bases
3x World Champion (Dodgers)
Rusty Staub
Astros/Expos/Mets OF
Career - .279, 2716 Hits, 499 2B, 292 HR, 1466 RBI, 1189 Runs
Postseason (1973 NLCS, 1973 WS) .341, 14 Hits, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 1.096 OPS
6x All-Star
Fan favorite despite playing for inferior teams
Dwight Evans
Boston Red Sox OF
Career - .272, 2446 Hits, 483 2B, 385 HR, 1384 RBI, 1470 Runs scored
8x Gold Glove Award winner (RF) with 157 Career Assists
3x All-Star
Fan favorite for Red Sox from 1972-1990
Member of 2 Pennant winners for Red Sox (1975, 1986)
Mark Fidrych
Detroit Tigers P
1976 AL ROY (19-9, 24 Complete Games, 4 Shutouts, 2.34 ERA)
2x All-Star
162 Game Avg. - 17 Wins, 11 Losses, 20 CG, 246 Innings pitched
Fan favorite everywhere he pitched: arm injury effectively ended his career after less than 2 seasons.
Dwight Gooden
New York Mets P
1984 NL ROY (17-9, led league with 276 K's in 218 IP, 2.6 ERA
1985 NL Cy Young Award (24-4, 16 CG, 268 Strikeouts, 1.53 ERA)
4x All-Star
1986 World Champion (Mets)
4x Top 5 for Cy Young Award
Career: 194-112, 3.51 ERA
Tommy John
White Sox/Dodgers/Yankees P
Career 288 Wins, 3.34 ERA, 162 Complete Games
Won 20 or games 3x in career
4x All-Star
Postseason: 6-3, 2.65 ERA, 3 Complete Games
Was first pitcher to undergo Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction (now called "Tommy John Surgery")
Roger Clemens "The Rocket"
Red Sox/Blue Jays/Yankees P
Career: 354-184, 3.12 ERA, 118 Complete Games, 4672 Strikeouts
Won a MLB record 7 Cy Young Awards
Won AL Cy Young & MVP Awards in 1986 - 24-4, 2.48 ERA, 10 Complete Games, 238 Strikeouts
Led AL in Complete Game and Shutouts in 1987 (18/7) & 1988 (14/8)
Struck out 20 batters in a 9-Inning Game, twice!
11x All-Star
2x World Champion with Yankees
Roger Maris
Yankees/Cardinals OF
1960 AL MVP - .283, 39 Home Runs, 112 RBI, Gold Glove Award (RF)
1961 AL MVP - .269, 61 Home Runs (MLB record), 141 RBI, 132 Runs scored
7x All-Star
3x World Series Champion - Yankees (2), Cardinals (1)
1967 World Series - .385, 10 Hits, including HR and 7 RBI
On 7 Pennant Winners in 12 seasons
162 Game Avg. - 30 HR, 94 RBI, 91 Runs scored
Kirk Gibson
Tigers/Dodgers OF
1988 NL MVP - .290, 106 Runs, 25 HR, 76 RBI, 31 Stolen Bases
2x World Series Champion (1984 Tigers, 1988 Dodgers)
Postseason: .282, 7 HR, 21 RBI, 9 SB, 13 Runs scored in 21 games
1981 World Series Gm 1 Walk Off Pinch-Hit HR in his only at-bat (injury)
As clutch as they come
Pete Rose
Reds/Phillies OF/INF
All-Time MLB Base Hit Leader (4256)
1963 NL Rookie of the Year
17x All-Star
1973 NL MVP - Led NL in Batting (.338) & Hits (230)
2x Gold Glove Award winner (OF) 1969-70
3x World Series Champion (Reds 2, Phillies 1)
Fred Lynn
Red Sox/Angels OF
Won 1975 AL ROY & MVP
1979 AL Batting Champ (.333)
Hit 3 Home Runs, Triple, Single w/ 10 RBI in one game (1975)
Postseason: .407, 22 Hits, 2 HR, 13 RBI in 15 games. 1982 ALCS MVP (.611 with 11 Hits)
9x All-Star - 4 ASG HR inc Grand Slam in 1983
4 Gold Glove Awards (CF)
Bert Campaneris
Oakland Athletics SS
Shortstop for 3 consecutive World Series Championships 1972-1974
6x Stolen Base Leader
649 Career Stolen Bases
2249 Career Base HIts
6x All-Star
Carl Furillo "The Reading Rifle"
Brooklyn Dodgers OF
One of the best right fielders in NL from 1946-1957.
Played in 7 different World Series, winning World Championship in both Brooklyn (1955) & 1959 (Los Angeles).
1953 NL Batting Champion (.344)
Lifetime .299 batting average.
2x All-Star (consider NL had Aaron, Mays, Clemente during that era)
Fan favorite for Brooklyn Dodgers fans
Don Newcombe
Brooklyn Dodgers P
As one of the first African Americans to play in the Major Leagues, "Newc" won 1949 NL Rookie of the Year Award. He was 17-8 with a 3.17 ERA, 19 Complete Games & 5 Shutouts.
1956 NL Cy Young Award & Most Valuable Player Awards (27-7, 3.06 ERA, 18 Complete Games, 5 Shutouts
Member of 3 Brooklyn Dodgers Pennant Winners & 1955 World Championship team (First in Brooklyn)
3x 20+ Win Seasons
Missed 2 years in his prime for Military Service
Billy Martin (Manager)
Twins/Tigers/Rangers/Yankees/A's Manager
1253 Career Wins, .535 Wiinning% as a Manager
Martin's teams finished in first place 6x. He won 2 Pennants & 1 World Serries Championship (1977 Yankees)
4X AP Manager of the Year (1974, 1976, 1980, 1981)
Sporting News Manager of the Year 1981
Lyman Bostock Jr.
Twins/Angels OF
Batted .323 in 1976 & .336 in 1977
Llifetime .311 Batting Average
After signing big contract with the Angels in 1978, Bostock was having a slow start. He asked Angels owner Gene Autry to take back his check for the month. Autry declined, so Bostock donated it to charity. Who does this??? Lyman Bostock Jr. did
Lyman Bostock had played only 4 seasons when he was murdered during 1978 season
Tony Conigliaro
Boston Red Sox OF
1965 AL Home Run Leader (32)
Youngest player to100 career HR (age 22)
1967 All-Star
Suffered severe beaning in 1967, later causing him to retire at age 26
Won 1969 Comeback Player of the Year Award, after missing entire 1968 season
Boston Red Sox fan favorite
Steve Garvey
Dodgers/Padres 1B
1974 NL MVP
10X All-Star incl. 1974 ASG MVP as a write-in player
4X Gold Glove Winner (1B)
Had 200 or more hits in a season 6X
Lifetime 2599 Hits, 440 2B, 272 HR, 1308 RBI, 1143 Runs, .294 Batting Avg.
1981 World Series Champion & 5X on Pennant Wining Team
Lifetime .338 in Postseason, incl. 75 Hits (8 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 31 RBI, 32 Runs) in 55 Games played
Bo Jackson
Royals/White Sox OF/DH
Bo Jackson was one of the first athletes to play 2 major Professional sports: Football & Baseball. Bo Jackson's career with both was ended prematurely due to injury. But in this prime, Bo was the best athlete on the planet! He could hit with power, run, field and throw. Bo appeared on many highlight films in both his NFL and MLB careers. Over a 162 Game Schedule, Bo averaged 33 HR, 97 RBI & 18 Stolen Bases
"Sudden" Sam McDowell
Cleveland Indians P
5x AL Strikeout Leader incl. career high 325 in 1965
6x All-Star
Won 20 games in 1970 with 2.92 ERA, 19 Complete Games, 304 Strikeouts, 305 Innings Pitched! Incredible!
Won 144 games with inferior teams his entire career!
Bobby Bonds
Giants/Yankees/Angels OF
Clubbed 332 Home Runs, 1024 RBI & 1258 Runs Scored in his short career
461 Lifetime Stolen Bases
3x All-Star
3x Gold Glove Award winner (OF)
162 Game Avg. - 29 HR, 90 RBI, 110 Runs, 40 Stolen Bases
Luis Tiant
Indians/Red Sox P
229 Career Wins incl (4) 20-win seasons!
Led AL in ERA twice (1.60 in 1968, 1.91 in 1972)
162 Game Avg. - 15-11, 3.30 ERA, 224 Innings, 12 Complete Games per season
Postseason: 3-0, 2.86 ERA, 3 Complete Games, 1 Shutout
Denny McLain
Detroit Tigers P
Won 1968 AL Cy Young & MVP Awards (31-6, 1.96 ERA, 28 CG, 6 Shutouts, 280 Strikeouts in 336 innings pitched!)
Won 2nd Cy Young Award 1969 (24-9, 2.80 ERA, 23 CG, 9 Shutouts)
3x 20-game winner
162 Game Avg. 16-11, 3.39 ERA, 13 CG, 4 Shutouts
Vida Blue
Oakland A's P
Career: 209-161, 3.27 ERA, 143 Complete Games
1971 NL Cy Young & MVP Awards (24-8, 1.82 ERA, 24 CG, 8 Shutouts, 301 Ks in 312 IP)
Won 17 or more games 6x, including 20 or more 3x
6x All-Star, 3x World Series Champion
Sparky Lyle
Red Sox/Yankees P
Relief specialist who won Cy Young Award in 1977 (13-5, 2.17 ERA, 26 Saves, 60 games finished!
3x All-Star 2x World Series Champion
2x World Series Champion
Postseason: 3-0, 1.69 ERA, 1 Save
238 Career Saves
Dave Parker
Pirates/A's/Reds OF/DH
Career: 2712 Hits, 526 2B, 75 3B, 339 HR, 1493 RBI, 1272 Runs
1978 NL MVP (.334, 32 2B, 12 3B, 30 HR, 117 RBI, 102 Runs, 20 SB, Gold Glove
2x Batting Champion (.338 in 198, .334 in 1978)
7x All-Star (1979 All-Star MVP)
2x World Series Champion
Bill Bucker
Dodgers/Cubs/Red Sox OF/1B
Won 1980 NL Batting Championship with a .324 average
Led NL in 2B in both 1981 & 1983
Career: 2 715 Hits including 498 2B & batted .289
Batted .300 in his 8 years with the Cubs
Stole as many as 31 Bases until serious leg injury while with the Dodgers
Dave Concepcion
Cincinnati Reds SS
Career: 993 Runs, 2326 Hits, 950 RBI, 321 Stolen Bases, .267 Avg.
9x All-Star
5 Gold Glove Awards
2x World Series Champion
Postseason: .297, 30 Hits, 4 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 13 RBI
Along with Bench, anchored infield of "Big Red Machine" during 1970's
J.R. Richard
Houston Astros P
2x NL Strikeout Leader with 303 in 1978 & 313 in 1979
Won 20 games in 1976 & 18 games from 1977-79
ERA Champion 1979 (2.71 ERA)
162 Game Avg. - 16-11, 3.15 ERA, 11 Complete Games, 238 IP, 221 Ks
1980 All-Star, then a stroke ended his career at age 30
Career: 107-71, averaged 8.37 K's per 9 innings pitched!
Curt FLood
St. Louis Cardinals OF
7 Gold Glove Awards (OF)
2X World Series Champion
3X All-Star
Career cut short when he filed a lawsuit against MLB challenging Reserve Clause. Flood was only 31
Lifetime .293 with 1861 Hits in 12 seasons
Champion for Free Agency
Ken Boyer
St. Louis Cardinals 3B
1964 AL MVP. Led Cards to World Series with 185 Hits, 24 HR, 119 RBI, batting .295
1964 World Series Champion, Belted Grand Slam HR to win Game 4
11 All-Star Game appearances
5 Gold Glove Awards (3B)
162 Game Avg .287, 22 HR, 91 RBI
Herb Score
Cleveland Indians P
1955 AL Rookie of the Year
16-10, 2.85 ERA, 11 Complete Games, led AL with 245 Ks in 1955
1956- Went 20-9, 2.53 ERA, 16 CG, 5 Shutouts (led AL), 263 Ks (led AL)
2x All-Star
Struck by line drive in 1957, which led to early retirement at age 29
Fernando Valenzuela
Los Angeles Dodgers P
Won 1981 ROY & Cy Young, 13-7, 2.48 ERA & led NL w/ 8 Shutouts
Led NL with 21 Wins in 1986
Led NL in Complete Games 3x (11,20,12)
Fan Favorite & 6x All-Star!
4x Top 5 or less for Cy Young Award
Won 174 career games, 3.54 ERA
Postseason: 5-1, 1.98 ERA, 2 CG
World Series Champion 1981
NEW!
Dave Stewart
Athletics/Blue Jays P
Four 20+ Win Seasons in a row (1987-1990)
3x World Champion
Postseason: 10-6, 2.84 ERA, 3 CG, 1 Shutout
1989 World Series MVP & 2x ALCS MVP (1990, 1993)
1989 All-Star
4x Top 4 or less for Cy Young Award
NEW!
Bob Welch
Dodgers/Athletics P
Career 211-146, 3.47 ERA
1990 AL Cy Young Award- 27-6, 2.95 ERA.
2x All-Star
162 Game Schedule Avg.- 15-10, 3.47 ERA
2x World Champion as player
Won 137 games in the 1980s (3rd best in A.L.)
NOTES- A couple players here have been rumored to have been involved with PEDs, but never actually tested positive for them during their careers. These guys can be an ass (I don't know), but I have them here because of what they did on the field. Not because they were or are jerks.
Pete Rose. Yes, the guy may be a complete jerk. And he gambles (or gambled, I don't know, or care). Pete Rose, the player is a first ballot HOFer. No doubt. MLB has a "holier than thou" attitude about morals, and want to believe in how clean the game is and other such BS. They probably believe in Tinker Bell & Fairies too. What really irks me is their stance on gambling. MLB has banished "Shoeless" Joe Jackson & Pete Rose for gambling. Yeah? So, who is MLB now allowing to sponsor them...SPORTSBOOKS. NFL too. Do you really think all Professional sporting events, are legit? If so, you must believe in fairies too.
The Hall of Fame voting for MLB is done by sportswriters, some who never picked up a ball in their life. And if you think sports writers don't have grudges, racial issues, you must believe in fairies too. They need to change that whole system because it SUCKS. I also don't understand the Veteran's Commitee, or whatever they call it now. How is it possible that players like Gil Hodges, Ron Santo have to wait until they are DEAD & BURIED before they are voted in? What the hell took Tony Oliva & Ted Simmons so long? And are you waiting for the widow of Thurman Munson to pass away before you FINALLY put him where he belongs? Cooperstown.
All that being said, this is my Hall of Fame so I make my own rules, and I don't judge players for the kind of people they are. That's their business. This is strictly based on what a player did on the field, nothing else. Some of these players were dominate for a decade, sometimes more, sometimes less but they ALL had an impact on the game, even if it was just one season! It's kind of like the movie "The Natural" starring Robert Redford. He is out of baseball, comes back and leads his team to victory. Great fiction, right? The "Comeback Player Award" is now called "The Tony Conigliaro Award." Why? Tony came back against all odds, they could make a movie about it. Gimpy Kirk Gibson in the 1989 World Series was not even in the starting lineup and was questionable for the entire series. What happened? Pinch hit walk off HR in the 9th. It was his only at-bat in the World Series. And it deflated the Oakland A's like a balloon. Detroit rookie phenom Mark "The BIrd" FIdrych made baseball FUN in 1976. Talking to the baseball and telling it where to go. Running off the field after every inning like he was the happiest kid on the planet. And I think he was! Do you know that there was a substantial increase in ticket sales on the days he pitched, and this wasn't just in Detroit. EVERY American League ballpark! Same with Fernando Valezuela in 1981. I can go on and on about each player here.
Questions? Comments? Send us an email to Nowbatting19@yahoo.com Thanks for visiting!
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