Andre Dawson had a career .323 on-base percentage. There are literally over 1,000 hitters in baseball history with 3000 plate appearances with a higher career OBP. Guys like Lance Johnson, Brook Jacoby, Willie Upshaw, Jesse Barfield, Willie McGee, Keith Moreland, Sid Bream, Tim Teufel, Marty Barrett, Carmelo Martinez, Jeffrey Hammonds and Kevin Stocker. Those guys all got on base more often than Andre Dawson.

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I've argued all over this thread why Rice doesn't deserve to get in. Puckett is in for sentimentality far more than on-field achievement.

Must we lower the bar further with Dawson?

I'm with you on Trammell though, he's probably one of the 12-15 best shortstops in MLB history.

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That's satire...right?

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It's a disgrace that Bert Blyleven isn't in. If he had 13 more wins he'd have been a first ballot guy.

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At no point was Walker the most feared hitter in the league. I'd argue that for a good 4-year span NOBODY wanted to pitch to Rice.

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1. Show me evidence or suggestion that Walker was on 'roids.

2. Rice played at Fenway Park, homes. Look at his road/home splits.

3. The "most feared" thing is subjective and stupid. Plus, he had 77 intentional walks in his career. He was in the AL's top 10 in intentional walks THREE TIMES in his career. It's meaningless and not supported by any evidence. For instance - in 1983, Rice had 10 IBBs, the most he ever had in a season. Ken Singleton had 19, Al Thornton 14, Harold Baines 13, Geoff Ogilvie 12, Don Baylor 11.

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I mean, shit, look at Bobby Doerr's career numbers:

G: 1865 AVG: .288 HR: 223 RBI:1247 OBP: 362, plus he was only successful stealing bases 46% of the time, but there will always be people who are going to argue up and down that he deserves to be in the hall.

It's an inexact science with voters with their own agendas. At the end of the day though, what they say goes, and I'd wager to say Walker makes the hall someday.

/soapbox

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My argument is that neither Rice nor Walker is a Hall of Fame guy. Rice is that "gateway" guy who makes guys like Walker look like Hall of Famers by comparison.

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I'm not saying Walker is not going to make the HOF; he most likely will. I'd just be careful about comparing him to Rice and saying Walker is "easily" an HOFer, seeing as it took the buffoons in the BBWAA 15 years to get Rice in. Walker will most likely have to wait just as long, maybe even waiting for the Veterans' Committee to get him in.

There are just a lot of people in the same era as him who have similar numbers. I just don't see him standing out enough to get 75%.

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Neither Rice nor Walker should be in...but if Rice is in, Walker should definitely be in.

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PumpPumpPumpPumpsieUp: BRB. Lynch mob at door.

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