MLB Hall of Fame Jeff Kent to Cooperstown

I never once saw Jeff Kent and thought “that’s a hall of famer right there”

But Mattingly and Murphy, I assumed both were already in

Does his dirt bike get in too? Remember that infamous story?

The average Jeff Kent season over 17 years was .290 BA, .356 OBP, .500 SA, 22 HR, 89 RBI, 78 runs scored. He was not chopped liver. Only about 100 or so people in the 150-year-plus history of MLB have slugged .500 for that length of a career. I can justify putting him in, I just think others should go in ahead of him.

I would vote for Murph or Mattingly but what’s killing them with the committee voters is they had relatively short peaks before injuries … Murph’s knees, Mattingly’s back … ruined them as Hall of Fame level players. But both of them hung around for six more years, Mattingly as an average player and Murph as a below average player.

I honestly haven't looked at his stats, or the analytics - just never thought he was a HOF when he played, doesn't mean he shouldn't be in though.

There was a stretch of nine years in his career where Kent had over 100 RBIs eight times, topping 120 RBIs three times, and the year he missed 100 he was at 93.

Honestly I probably didn’t think he was a Hall of Famer when I was watching him in real time, either, but those are clear Hall of Fame numbers. I just think Lou Whitaker should have gone in before him at 2B.

quote:

---

Doesn't have the numbers. Needed 400 HR's. Couldn't get there.

---

Which is absolutely stupid to set an arbitrary statistical plateau.

But my main point was that since Bonds and Clemens, who certainly have “the numbers” are excluded because they played the game “dirty”, Murphy’s being “clean” should equally be in his favor.

Guy was a two-time NL MVP and one of the most recognizable players of his era.

Well Bonds being out is the real travesty, not Kent being in.