Kurkjian: Orioles Have Best Group of Living Hall of Famers

[Don Quixote]

Tim Kurkjian offers up this piece on the best groups of living Hall of Fame players.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/78...l-fame-players

[Moose Milligan]

IMO, Frank Robinson should only count as an Oriole, he's wearing the Orioles hat on his HoF plaque.

[Don Quixote]

IMO, Frank Robinson should only count as an Oriole, he's wearing the Orioles hat on his HoF plaque.

I agree. He did great things when he was in Cincinnati, but being an Oriole is what he was best known for, and rightly so. Immense talent, immense impact, immense legacy.

[skanar]

One oddity in the column: Law says that Ripken is the "third-best" shortstop ever. Obviously Wagner is #1. Who does he have at #2?

Edit: Ernie Banks, maybe? I don't agree, but it's possible...

Edit again: Think I got it: Alex Rodriguez still counts as a SS.

[gtown]

One oddity in the column: Law says that Ripken is the "third-best" shortstop ever. Obviously Wagner is #1. Who does he have at #2?

Edit: Ernie Banks, maybe? I don't agree, but it's possible...

Edit again: Think I got it: Alex Rodriguez still counts as a SS.

Perhaps Arky Vaughan, one of the best little-known Hall-of-Famers.

[skanar]

Perhaps Arky Vaughan, one of the best little-known Hall-of-Famers.

Good guy to pick, but I just don't think he comes all that close. Nor do Larkin or Trammell, or Joe Cronin or Lou Boudreau. That leaves Ozzie Smith if you want to argue pure defense; Luke Appling, Robin Yount, and Jeter.

We've had the Jeter debate here before, and only Yankee fans defend him by the end of it. I could see an argument for Yount, but of course there's the split position dilemma.

The BBRef Elo Rater (which takes position but not defense into account) has the following list:
8. Honus Wagner
25. Cal Ripken
34. Ernie Banks
50. Robin Yount
55. Derek Jeter
64. Luke Appling
69. Arky Vaughan
80. Pee Wee Reese
91. Alan Trammell
93. Barry Larkin

[OsFan1987]

maybe hes counting Arod as a SS

[OFFNY]

I agree. He did great things when he was in Cincinnati, but being an Oriole is what he was best known for, and rightly so. Immense talent, immense impact, immense legacy.

Robinson still played 10 years for the Reds, racking up huge numbers for them, and won the Rookie of the Year in '56, MVP in '61, and also won the pennant in '61. He also won his only Gold Glove Award with them in '58. Regardless of where he is in our hearts, or which team he is remembered first and foremost for playing for, his time with the Reds was unquestionably legitimate enough for him to be a part of both teams' prominent history. If it were the Dodgers, the Angels, or the Indians, I would agree completely, but not the Reds.

[ScottP]

Imagine the Big Red Machine with Frank in RF? Thank goodness Bill DeWitt thought he was an "old" 30.

[Don Quixote]

Robinson still played 10 years for the Reds, racking up huge numbers for them, and won the Rookie of the Year in '56, MVP in '61, and also won the pennant in '61. He also won his only Gold Glove Award with them in '58. Regardless of where he is in our hearts, or which team he is remembered first and foremost for playing for, his time with the Reds was unquestionably legitimate enough for him to be a part of both teams' prominent history. If it were the Dodgers, the Angels, or the Indians, I would agree completely, but not the Reds.

Like I said, I agree that he did great things with them, which is part of the reason getting him here was such a coup. He was a beast. The Triple Crown, MVP, two more top-three MVP vote tallies, five All-Star selections, World Series MVP, All-Star MVP, four pennants, and and two World Championships he subsequently(!) got here in four fewer years, plus the impact in mindset and leadership, put that Orioles cap on his bust, though. He carried an already good team to the next level. I agree that he is a great figure in the Reds' long history, and Kurkjian had the prerogative to include him in the lists for both teams, but for me, when it comes down to the Hall of Fame, he is an Oriole.

[ShaneDawg85]

In a couple of years that title might go to the Braves with Maddux, Glavine, and Chipper down the road, not to mention possibly Smoltz.

[backwardsk]

That 1-2 combination of Musial and Gibson is tough to beat.

[OFFNY]

Like I said, I agree that he did great things with them, which is part of the reason getting him here was such a coup. He was a beast. The Triple Crown, MVP, two more top-three MVP vote tallies, five All-Star selections, World Series MVP, All-Star MVP, four pennants, and and two World Championships he subsequently(!) got here in four fewer years, plus the impact in mindset and leadership, put that Orioles cap on his bust, though. He carried an already good team to the next level. I agree that he is a great figure in the Reds' long history, and Kurkjian had the prerogative to include him in the lists for both teams, but for me, when it comes down to the Hall of Fame, he is an Oriole.

Robinson went into the Hall-of-Fame as an Oriole in 1982, and he can have an Oriole hat on his HOF statute. That doesn't mean that he therefore should not be considered a Red as well, a team in which he hit well over half of his career home runs with (324 out of 586). Playing 6 great years and playing in 4 World Series with the Orioles does not omit the fact that he first played 10 great years with the Reds.

[Frobby]

That 1-2 combination of Musial and Gibson is tough to beat.

I don't feel that Gibson had much on Palmer. You could argue for him being better, but it's close IMO.

[TonySoprano]

Notice the guy in the Reds cap behind Ted Williams.