Jaffe on J. J. Hardy and the HOF Ballot

[SpOkane]

Hardy will always be one of my all-time favorite O's. Good read.

JAWS and the 2023 Hall of Fame Ballot: J.J. Hardy | FanGraphs Baseball

[Ohfan67]

Thanks for sharing!! Nice career write-up. 

[SpOkane]

22 minutes ago, Ohfan67 said:

Thanks for sharing!! Nice career write-up. 

That it was!

[PeteCanes]

For once in my life we got the second half of a great player’s career. 

[Frobby]

Jaffe is an excellent writer.  I don’t always read his write-ups of the players on the HOF ballot, but whenever I do, they’re always well done and thoroughly review the player’s career.   

As to JJ, he was a really key part of those 2012-16 teams.   It was fun watching the O’s infield in those years.  
 

[Moose Milligan]

While a lot of this article was year by year, blow by blow, "Hardy and the Brewers did this, followed up by his move to the Twins where he posted this slash line..." the summary, the last paragraph was very good.  Yes, he was one of his era's best shortstops.  

 

[Just Regular]

I liked the trivia about never playing an inning off shortstop in his career.

Ask him how much a for real good MLB shortstop needs "positional flexibility".

[Frobby]

8 minutes ago, Just Regular said:

I liked the trivia about never playing an inning off shortstop in his career.

Ask him how much a for real good MLB shortstop needs "positional flexibility".

That’s why Manny had to move to 3B.  Hardy didn’t know how to play anywhere but SS!  

[SteveA]

7 minutes ago, Frobby said:

That’s why Manny had to move to 3B.  Hardy didn’t know how to play anywhere but SS!  

Old dogs, new tricks, and so forth

Easier to train the big floppy eared puppy to play a new position, apparently accomplished in two or three days of secret practice in Bowie.

[Griffey]

JJ had just about the best internal clock of any SS I've seen recently.  Always seemed to know just how much time he had to make a play and if he needed to hurry a throw.

[OriolesMagic83]

Very good article.  I guess I was one of those who underappreciated the defense of Hardy.  I would never have picked him as one of the best defensive SS of recent years.

[Frobby]

26 minutes ago, OriolesMagic83 said:

Very good article.  I guess I was one of those who underappreciated the defense of Hardy.  I would never have picked him as one of the best defensive SS of recent years.

He wasn’t flashy.  Didn’t have great speed like Mateo, or an arm that wowed you.   But somehow he was always where the ball was and all the plays got made.   

[O's84]

And to think we got him for just Hoey.  Another one of Sweatervest's steals.

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, O's84 said:

And to think we got him for just Hoey.  Another one of Sweatervest's steals.

With an assist to Brady.

Edited January 11, 2023 by Can_of_corn

[OriolesMagic83]

11 minutes ago, O's84 said:

And to think we got him for just Hoey.  Another one of Sweatervest's steals.

Maybe bring back Sweatervest as a special assistant to Elias.