Jimmy Rollins: HOF?

OK. Bobby Grich, and then it can be put to rest.

Black Ink Batting - 8 (295), Average HOFer ≈ 27
Gray Ink Batting - 40 (634), Average HOFer ≈ 144
Hall of Fame Monitor Batting - 42 (463), Likely HOFer ≈ 100
Hall of Fame Standards Batting - 32 (278), Average HOFer ≈ 50

 

What does that have to do with the eye test?

 

The eye test tells me just about no one thought Bobby Grich was a HOFer in his career and none of his contemporaries are banging the drum for his inclusion.

 

Not a strong argument, Dick. He doesn't pass the eye test, AND the numbers bear it out,

 

Roberto Alomar:

Black Ink Batting - 3 (542), Average HOFer ≈ 27
Gray Ink Batting - 95 (244), Average HOFer ≈ 144

Craig Biggio

Black Ink Batting - 17 (135), Average HOFer ≈ 27
Gray Ink Batting - 104 (213), Average HOFer ≈ 144

 

Roberto Alomar, same thing. Next.

Craig Biggio? Closer. But he's borderline to me, too. He got points for being the face of a franchise. Bobby Grich could not claim that anywhere he went.

 

What does the eye test tell you about Bobby Grich that counteracts the fact that he got on base and hit for extra bases at a rate 25 percent better than his peers over the course of his 17-year major league career?

 

You do realize that Roberto Alomar is in the Hall of Fame, right?

 

So what? They were wrong. They didn't fully understand how baseball games were won and lost.

 

Get over your "eye test" obsession. So you don't like that. Fine.

And if the fact of Hall inclusion was an end-all argument, well ... no. Just no. Sometimes borderline calls get in.

 

I think Raines is a much more legitimate candidate than Rollins. 200 more hits, 30 points higher career batting average and he's fifth all-time in steals. Plus, while he didn't make the ASG the last 2/3 of his career, he still made it twice as many times as Rollins.

If we're narrowing this argument to infielders, there are probably much better arguments to make in comparison to Rollins than the one for Grich. If Rollins is Hall of Really Good, Grich is Hall of Pretty Good.

 

You brought up the "eye test." I didn't. You even "liked" other posts comments when they seemed to support it.

What does the eye test tell you about Bobby Grich that counteracts the fact that he got on base and hit for extra bases at a rate 25 percent better than his peers over the course of his 17-year major league career?