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“Albert Belle and Other HOF Worthy Players” Photo Gallery
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Today we welcome the first guest post from Daniel McNamara. Daniel makes an interesting case that the surly slugger, Albert Belle, is Hall-of-Fame worthy based on his performance between the white lines. I don’t expect everyone to agree, after all Belle was a controversial character, but it makes for an interesting discussion. I hope you’ll take a couple minutes to read Daniel’s post. And be sure to check out the photo gallery for a few other players who have a case for Hall consideration. Feel free to add some of your own.
ALBERT BELLE FOR THE HALL OF FAME
Of all the cases of current Hall of fame exclusions, maybe none is more glaring than the case for Albert Belle. It’s well known that Belle was no favorite among writers, teammates, or management. According to accounts from writers and teammates, he was outspoken, rude, and even nasty at times. With that said, for the twelve seasons in which he played, few hitters in major league history have been as dominant as Albert Belle.
Starting in 1992, Belle posted eight consecutive 30 home runs, 100 RBI seasons. From 1992-1999, Belle averaged 40 home runs and 125 RBI, with very impressive averages of .302 for batting and .586 for slugging, and a jaw-dropping .969 OPS. Belle was not just a home run hitter either. He averaged 173 hits over those eight seasons with 103 runs scored, and an impressive .382 on-base percentage.
As a way of comparison, during that same eight-year stretch, with all three hitters in their prime, Albert Belle averaged more home runs and RBI than Frank Thomas, a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, and Barry Bonds. Bonds averaged 38 home runs with 106 RBI, while Thomas averaged 33 home runs and 113 RBI. In 1994, albeit a strike-shortened season, Belle posted an unbelievable .357 batting average with an even more unbelievable .714 slugging average, plus 36 home runs and 35 doubles in slightly over 400 at-bats.
The following year, 1995, was a truly historic season for Belle, as he posted the only 50/50 season in major league history: 52 doubles with 50 home runs. Throw in a triple, and Belle’s 1995 is one of only 15 seasons in baseball history of 100 extra-base hits. His total of 103 extra-base hits is good for sixth all-time on the single-season list. He almost reached 100 extra-base hits again in 1998, finishing with a total of 99. To put this accomplishment in a bit of context, none of the greatest sluggers in the game, including Ruth, Gehrig, Williams, and Hornsby, ever had a 50 double/50 home run season. Belle stands alone.
ALBERT BELLE’S CAREER TOTALS
Belle played twelve seasons in the majors with 5,853 at-bats, a short career compared to most Hall-of-Famers. However, there are current members who played for similar lengths of time, including Ralph Kiner, Joe DiMaggio, and Hank Greenberg. When comparing Belle’s career totals to these players, it’s easy to see that his performance is right there with these all-time greats.
AB HR Total EBH RBI BA/SLG
Belle 5853 381 791 1239 .295/.564
DiMaggio 6821 361 881 1537 .325/.579
Kiner 5205 369 624 1015 . 279/.548
Greenberg 5193 331 781 1274 313/.605
Overall, Albert Belle appeared in twelve seasons, playing ten full seasons (meaning, ten seasons of 100 games or more). In 1989 he played in only 62 games and in 1990 only nine games. That means all of his power hitting was compiled in only ten full seasons: 381 home runs, 389 doubles, eight consecutive seasons of 30 home runs and 100 RBI, and nine seasons of 28 or more home runs. Belle won two slugging titles, and one OPS title. He had seven seasons of .540 or higher slugging, with the career high .714 in 1994, as mentioned above. Over his full seasons, Belle tops out at an unbelievable .690 slugging in his historic 50/50 season in 1995.
Considering some of the questionable Hall-of-Fame inductions in recent years, Larry Walker, Harold Baines, among only a few others, it seems for the most part the writers get it right. One wonders why it is that Belle has yet to be voted in. His offensive performance was clearly at a Hall-of-Fame level.
This writer is left to surmise that Belle’s exclusion is rooted in the personal feelings that some writers have for Belle, as the result of his virulent behavior over the course of his career. Judging only from his career totals, performance only, Belle was clearly a Hall-of-Fame hitter. Hopefully, the writers, sooner rather than later, will put aside their personal feelings and vote this man into the Hall where he belongs.
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Daniel McNamara
Photo Credits: All from Google search
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