Tag: Mariners

2019 Hall of Fame Ballot (6-8)

Hall of Fame election season is upon us!  As members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America begin to publicize their ballots, we will gain a clearer understanding of this winter’s landscape leading into a January announcement of the class of 2019.  

Jay Jaffe’s JAWS system has become the closest thing to an accepted standard by which we can compare current candidates to players who have already been enshrined in Cooperstown.  

Today we continue our break down of the top-25 players on the 2019 Hall of Fame Ballot.

Check out the previous installments in the series:  

Players 9-10 by JAWS. Manny Ramirez and Andruw Jones

Players 11-15 by JAWS. Todd Helton, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Andy Pettitte, and Lance Berkman

Players 16-20 by JAWS. Jeff Kent, Roy Oswalt, Fred McGriff, Mariano Rivera, and Miguel Tejada

Players 21-25 by JAWS. Placido Polanco, Omar Vizquel, Kevin Youkilis, Derek Lowe, and Freddy Garcia

8.  Edgar Martinez

JAWS:  56.0 (55.6 Average HOF 3B)

Edgar Martinez was born in New York. As a child, he moved to Puerto Rico to live with his grandparents. Martinez remained in Puerto Rico through his teenage years and graduated from Dorado High School. In December 1982, at the age of 20, the Seattle Mariners signed him out of a tryout camp in his hometown. Edgar methodically climbed through the Seattle system and made his big league debut in 1987.

Although he debuted in 1987, by the end of 1989, Martinez had just 280 big league plate appearances to his credit. Despite his clear mastery of the Triple-A level, Martinez was stuck. Although the Mariners received virtually no production at third base during those years, it took the team until 1990 (Martinez’s age-27 season) to give him regular at-bats at the big league level.

Once his path to playing time was cleared, Martinez immediately established himself as an excellent offensive player, and credible third baseman. From 1990-1991, he averged 135 OPS+ and 5.8 bWAR. Edgar broke out in 1992, winning his first batting title (.343) and leading the league in doubles (46) en route to his first All Star selection, and a Silver Slugger.

A freak leg injury in a 1993 pre-season exhibition game limited him to just 42 games that season. Martinez was healthier, and more productive, in 1994. Still, he averaged just 116 OPS+ during his shortened age 30-31 seasons.

Heading into 1995, it was fair to wonder if Edgar Martinez’s best days were already behind him. Instead, Martinez ended up being the best offensive player on a resurgent Seattle club that won the A.L. West. He led the league in hitting, OBP, and OPS+ with a .356/.479/.628, 185 OPS+ line. His 121 runs and 52 doubles were also tops in the A.L. Seattle beat the Yankees in the ALDS, but lost in six games to Cleveland in the ALCS.

Rather than suffer a steep decline in his 30s, Martinez proved to be better with age. From 1995-2003, he averaged .321/.438/.558, 159 OPS+, and 5.2 bWAR. Playing almost exclusively as a Designated Hitter, Martinez cemented his legacy as one of the greatest hitters of his generation.

Seattle won the A.L. West again in 1997 and 2001, as well as the 2000 Wild Card, but never made the World Series during Martinez’s career. He retired after the 2004 season.

Hall of Fame?

Edgar Martinez spent his entire 18-year career with the Seattle Mariners. At a time when the team could not hang onto their other stars, Edgar was a consistently excellent, and stable force for their organization. He hit .312/.418/.515, 147 OPS+ for his career. He was a seven-time All Star who won five Silver Sluggers, and two batting titles. Edgar received MVP votes five times, peaking at third place in his historic 1995 season.

JAWS treats Edgar Martinez as a third-baseman, ranking him 11th all-time. In reality, Edgar served as Seattle’s DH in 1403 games, and made less than half that number of appearances in the field.

Although other Hall of Famers such as Frank Thomas and Harold Baines spent significant parts of their careers at DH, Martinez has spent the last ten years as the first pure DH to be a serious Hall of Fame candidate. His lack of defensive contributions, combined with his comparatively low counting stats stemming from his late breakthrough in the big leagues have held him back despite his excellent rate numbers.

After receiving 70.4% of the vote in his 9th season a year ago, it appears that Edgar Martinez will be elected by the BBWAA in his 10th, and final, year on the ballot. He would join former Mariners teammates Ken Griffey Jr. and Randy Johnson in representing a golden age of Mariners baseball in Cooperstown.

7.  Scott Rolen

JAWS:  56.9 (55.6 Average HOF 3B)

Scott Rolen was born and raised in Southern Indiana. After graduating from Jasper High School in 1993, Rolen was a second round draft pick of the Philadelphia Phillies. By the time his first full professional season had concluded, Rolen was already recognized as one of the top prospects in baseball. He was ranked in Baseball America’s Top-100 prospects three straight seasons beginning in 1995.

Rolen made his big league debut in 1996, and became an everyday player in 1997 at the age of 22. He won the N.L. Rookie of the Year in 1997, producing 4.5 bWAR and 121 OPS+.

He was better still in 1998. Rolen combined a 139 OPS+ with Gold Glove defense to produce 6.7 bWAR. It was his best season with the Phillies.

In seven seasons with Philadelphia, Rolen hit .282/.373/.504, 126 OPS+, and produced 29.3 bWAR. The Phillies failed to make the postseason during Rolen’s tenure. With their star third baseman heading towards free agency, the club traded Rolen at the 2002 deadline to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Upon arriving in St. Louis, Rolen became a driving force in the Cardinals’ runaway effort to win the N.L. Central. A contract extension kept Rolen in St. Louis for six seasons. He would go on to hit .286/.370/.510, 127 OPS+, and produce 25.9 bWAR. The Cardinals made the playoffs in four of his six seasons, won two National League pennants, and the 2006 World Series.

After 2007, coming off his second down year in three, the Cardinals swapped Rolen for Toronto third baseman Troy Glaus. Rolen rebounded in Toronto, but with the Jays out of contention in 2009, they traded him to the Cincinnati Reds in July.

Rolen spent the final three-plus seasons of his storied career in Cincinnati. Although he had just one star caliber season for the Reds, he did contribute to two N.L. Central titles.

Hall of Fame?

In his 17-year career, Scott Rolen hit .281/.364/.490, 122 OPS+. He was a consistently excellent defensive player, and finished his career 12th in games played at third base. Rolen was a seven-time All Star who won eight Gold Gloves, and one Silver Slugger. He received MVP votes four times, including a fourth place finish in 2004.

Rolen ranks as the 10th best third baseman by JAWS, one spot ahead of Edgar Martinez. Unlike Martinez, Rolen is a full-fledged third baseman, and ultimately the superior overall player. Every eligible third baseman ranked above him is in the Hall of Fame.

After receiving just 10.2% of the vote in his first year on the ballot, Rolen faces an uphill battle in the coming years. The early publicly available returns indicate he should gain some ground this year, but his election is hardly imminent, or certain.

Rolen was a superior overall player to several players who are currently tracking better than him in the voting. Ultimately, I suspect that Scott Rolen will gradually gain support, and eventually earn induction in Cooperstown.

6.  Roy Halladay

JAWS:  57.5 (61.8 Average HOF SP)

Roy Halladay was born and raised in the Denver, Colorado area. A 1995 graduate of Arvada West High School, Halladay was selected 17th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays that June. Halladay performed well in the low minors, and was pushed aggressively through the Blue Jays system. He reached Triple-A during his age-20 season, and made his big league debut the following year.

Like the Blue Jays organization, the scouting community agreed that Halladay was a premium prospect. Baseball America ranked him 38th, or better, each season from 1997-1999. In retrospect, it’s easy to see that Halladay may not have been as well prepared for the big leagues as it appeared at first glance. His strikeout/walk numbers in the high minors were unremarkable– a trend that followed him to the big leagues.

After he was battered for 19 games in 2000, Halladay carried a 5.77 ERA through 231 innings. He was sent all the way back to High Class-A in 2001. It was during his return to the minors that Halladay famously overhauled his mechanics and mental approach. By the time he returned to the big leagues in July, he was a completely different pitcher. He finished the season with 105.1 big league innings at 145 ERA+.

In 2002, Halladay proved that his transformation was permanent. He made the All Star team, and led the league with 239.1 innings at 157 ERA+.

In 2003, he upped the ante with 266 innings, also leading the league with 22 wins, nine complete games, and a 6.38 K/BB ratio. He was again an All Star, and won 26 of 28 first place votes for the Cy Young.

After injuries in 2004-2005 limited him to just 274.2 total innings, Halladay resumed his dominance of the American League in 2006. He finished his Blue Jays career with four straight top-five Cy Young finishes, and 930.1 innings at 142 ERA+.

Halladay’s tenure in Toronto came to a crossroads after the 2009 season. Despite his individual brilliance, Halladay had been unable to elevate the Blue Jays to the playoffs at any point in his career. In December, Toronto traded him to the defending champions, the Philadelphia Phillies.

Halladay was brilliant in his initiation to the National League in 2010. He led the league with 21 wins, 250.2 innings, and 1.1 BB/9. The Phillies won their fourth straight N.L. East title. Halladay threw a no-hitter in the NLDS opener against the Reds, but the Phillies fell to the Giants in the NLCS. After the season, Halladay won the Cy Young, making him just the fifth player to have won the award in both leagues at the time.

He was similarly excellent in 2011, pacing the N.L. in ERA+ (163) and FIP (2.20). The Phillies won the division again before losing to the Cardinals in the NLDS. Hallday finished second in the Cy Young race.

Injuries took their toll on Halladay after 2011. In his last two seasons, he struggled to remain on the mound, and was mostly ineffective when he did. He retired after his age-36 season.

Hall of Fame?

In his 16-year career, Roy Halladay established himself as one of the greatest pitchers of his generation. He finished with a record of 203-105 and 131 ERA+. He was even more superb in the 11 seasons in the middle of his career. From 2001-2011, he was 175-78 with a 148 ERA+.

Halladay was an eight-time All Star. He led the league in wins twice, and innings four times during his career. In addition to his two Cy Youngs, he finished fifth, or better, another five times in his career including two second-place finishes.

JAWS ranks Halladay as the 43rd best starting pitcher in history. The system is structured to reward peak level dominance, which is essential to Halladay’s case. What he lacks in longevity, and counting stats, he makes up for with his marvelous 11-year peak.

Roy Halladay died tragically in a plane crash on November 7, 2017 at the age of 40.

I have previously mentioned that I prefer to give considerable weight to peak level brilliance when evaluating Hall of Fame candidates. Roy Halladay is a poster boy for the reasons why. Anyone who watched him pitch during his peak knew they were witnessing a Hall of Fame career. Even if he doesn’t check all of the boxes for counting stats, there is little doubt he was one of the best pitchers of his era.

Roy Halladay appears poised to be elected to the Hall of Fame this winter, on the first ballot.

Omar Vizquel: Hall of Famer?

JAWS:  36.2 (55.0 Average HOF SS)

Omar Vizquel was signed as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela by the Seattle Mariners in 1984.  A slightly-built switch-hitting shortstop, Vizquel’s glove work carried him through the minor leagues.  He made his big league debut with Seattle in 1989.

As the primary shortstop in Seattle from 1989-1993, Vizquel was a consistently above-average defender who often struggled mightily at the plate.  He won his first Gold Glove in his final season with the Mariners.  After the 1993 season, Vizquel was traded to the Cleveland Indians.

In Cleveland, Vizquel’s skill set proved particularly valuable.  The Indians teams of that era were marked by incredibly deep offensive lineups and suspect pitching.  They could afford to carry Vizquel’s bat in exchange for his steadying presence at shortstop.

From 1995-2001, the Indians made the playoffs six times in seven seasons with Vizquel at shortstop.  They won the American League in 1995 and 1997, but were defeated by the Braves and Marlins respectively in the World Series.

By 1996, Vizquel’s offense had developed to the point where he would often flirt with league-average production.  Never much of a power hitter, Vizquel managed to leverage good contact skills, control of the strike zone, and improved base running into some decent offensive years along the way.

Vizquel spent 2005-2008 with the San Francisco Giants.  By the end of his Giants tenure, he was 40 years old and clearly declining.  His defense was still solid– if not what it had been at his peak– but his offense had regressed to the point where he was no longer playable every day.  He spent 2009-2012 with the Rangers, White Sox, and Blue Jays before retiring after his age-45 season.

Hall of Fame?

Vizquel is one of the most interesting cases among the current candidates.  He received 37% of the vote in his first year on the ballot last year, so there is clearly some staying power here. 

In his 24-year career, Omar Vizquel was an 82 OPS+ hitter.  He was an above-average offensive player just twice.  His entire Hall of Fame case rests on the defensive side of the ledger.

Searching For Context

Only eight players have won more career Gold Gloves than Vizquel’s 11.  Of those eight, only Jim Kaat (16x at pitcher) and Keith Hernandez (11x at first base) are not in the Hall of Fame. 

By bWAR, Vizquel is the ninth-best defender of all-time.  The great Orioles shortstop Mark Belanger is the only player rated higher than Vizquel who is not in the Hall of Fame.

Vizquel Among Shortstops

Proponents of Vizquel’s candidacy say that his defensive prowess is more than enough for him to be considered a Hall of Famer.  Their argument typically centers around the number of Gold Gloves, indelible memories of highlight plays, and the reality that other elite defensive shortstops such as Ozzie Smith, Luis Aparicio, and Rabbit Maranville were elected with similarly unimpressive offensive numbers.

Omar Vizquel is not Ozzie Smith.  This is the most common comparison drawn by Vizquel’s supporters, and it simply doesn’t work.  Smith is the preeminent defensive player in baseball history and is ultimately without peer.  Smith was also the better hitter at a career 87 OPS+, and a superior base runner.  Vizquel doesn’t have to be Ozzie Smith to be worthy of the Hall of Fame, but that false equivalency is an important point to correct.

Two comparisons that actually work out pretty well for Vizquel are with Aparicio and Maranville.  All three produced identical 82 OPS+ marks for their respective careers.  Aparicio actually claims a rather significant offensive edge as a result of being a consistently above-average base runner.  Vizquel and Maranville rank as similarly average base runners.  The three are also very similar in most modern interpretations of their defensive play.

The closest active comparison to Vizquel is probably Los Angeles Angels shortstop, Andrelton Simmons.  Simmons will enter his age-29 season as the premier defensive shortstop in baseball, and a career 92 OPS+ hitter.  Simmons will almost certainly accrue more defensive value than Vizquel by the time his career has concluded, and could potentially accomplish that feat as soon as this coming season.  Unless you believe that Simmons is a slam dunk Hall of Famer in his own right, it probably makes sense to pump the breaks on Vizquel.

Conclusion

I’m generally not a “Small Hall” kind of guy.  I prefer to err on the side of generosity.  I think the Hall of Fame as an institution benefits from honoring a wide variety of players.  

In the end, I can’t quite get there on Vizquel.  He would be among the 2-3 least impressive shortstops in the Hall of Fame if he were selected.  If you merely aspire to find candidates that clear the lowest bar at their position, you can find dozens of players who could be included.  I don’t necessarily believe that any new Hall of Famer has to raise the average bar for his position either, but Vizquel is too far from that mark for me.

I always admired Vizquel’s skills.  There are a handful of his defensive plays that I can recall vividly from memory, and I can’t say that for more than maybe a couple of dozen players in history.  At the same time, I never felt like Omar Vizquel was a truly elite player at any point during his career.  

I don’t want to come off as a Vizquel basher, or dismissive of his accomplishments.  Omar Vizquel was a great player.  I don’t believe he was a Hall of Famer. 

That doesn’t mean we should forget about him either.

Omar Vizquel Career Highlights from Major League Baseball

2019 Hall of Fame Ballot (21-25)

Hall of Fame election season is upon us!  As members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America begin to publicize their ballots, we will gain a clearer understanding of this winter’s landscape leading into a January announcement of the class of 2019.  

Jay Jaffe’s JAWS system has become the closest thing to an accepted standard by which we can compare current candidates to players who have already been enshrined in Cooperstown.  

In the coming weeks, we will break down the top-25 players on the 2019 Hall of Fame Ballot.

We begin with the players who rank 21-25 by JAWS.

25.  Freddy Garcia

JAWS:  30.9 (61.8 Average HOF SP)

Freddy Garcia was signed as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela by the Houston Astros in 1993.  In 1998, the Astros packaged him with Carlos Guillen and John Halama to acquire future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson from the Seattle Mariners.  Johnson made 11 dominant starts for Houston, helping them to the NL Central championship before signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks after the season.  Garcia and Guillen would each end up among the greatest players in Mariners history.

In six seasons with Seattle, Freddy Garcia went 76-50 with a 114 ERA+, accumulating 18.7 bWAR.  He was a two-time All Star with the Mariners and led the American League in ERA (3.05) and innings (238.2) in 2001.  

With Garcia approaching free agency, the Mariners dealt him to the Chicago White Sox in June, 2004.  From 2004-2006, Garcia made 82 starts for the White Sox, remaining consistently above-average in the process.  He was a key piece of the 2005 World Series Champion White Sox.

Chicago traded Garcia to the Phillies after the 2006 season.  From 2007-2013, Garcia bounced around to six teams including a return engagement with the White Sox in 2009-2010.  In 2011, he made 25 starts at 119 ERA+ to help the Yankees win the A.L. East.  Overall, he struggled to remain both healthy and effective for much of his final seven seasons.

Hall of Fame?

Freddy Garcia is one of the best pitchers in the comparatively short history of the Seattle Mariners.  He will be listed on the all-time Mariners starting rotation here on Franchise Phenoms.  He also holds a special place in the hearts of White Sox fans for his role in ending their franchise’s World Series drought.

As his JAWS ratings would suggest, Freddy Garcia clearly falls below the standard for Hall of Fame starting pitchers.  Garcia is probably one-and-done on the ballot.  At the same time, he will be fondly remembered by the fan bases of at least two franchises, and that is what we’re all about at Franchise Phenoms.

24.  Derek Lowe

JAWS:  31.5 (61.8 Average HOF SP)

Derek Lowe was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 8th round of the 1991 draft out of Ford High School in Dearborn, MI.  Lowe made his big league debut with the Mariners in 1997.  That July, he was traded with Jason Varitek to the Red Sox for Heathcliff Slocumb.  Slocumb made minimal impact on the Mariners while Lowe and Varitek would become Franchise Phenoms for Boston.

In eight seasons with the Red Sox, Lowe would go on to be one of the best pitchers in Red Sox history.  Lowe began his career as a versatile, mult-inning arm before becoming closer, and eventually shifting to the starting rotation for the second half of his Red Sox career.  He was a two-time All Star, once as a reliever, and once as a starter.  He led the league in saves in 2000, and finished third in the Cy Young voting as a starter in 2002.  In 1037 innings, he posted 127 ERA+ and 19.4 bWAR.

Lowe was the winning pitcher in Game Four of the 2004 World Series, as the Red Sox finished off a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals and dispelled the Curse of the Bambino. 

Following the 2004 season, Lowe signed a four-year contract to join the Los Angeles Dodgers.  With the Dodgers, Lowe was largely the same pitcher he had been in Boston.  He was a key piece of L.A.’s staring rotation, throwing strikes and racking up ground balls.  He finished his Dodgers tenure with 120 ERA+ and 13.3 bWAR.  Lowe helped the Dodgers to the postseason in 2006 and 2008.  

In 2009, heading into his age-36 season, Lowe signed a free agent deal to join the Atlanta Braves.  Although he remained durable, he was less effective during his three years in Atlanta.  In 2012-2013, Lowe concluded his career by bouncing from Cleveland to the Yankees, and finally to Texas.

Hall of Fame?

Derek Lowe holds an important place in Red Sox history.  His role on the 2004 World Series winners will ensure him a place in Red Sox lore.

Lowe had an excellent 11-year stretch in Boston and L.A. where he was above-average in every season but one.  For all of his reliability and sustained success, he was seldom dominant.  Aside from 1999-2000 out of the bullpen, and his third-place Cy Young finish as a starter in 2002, Lowe was most often not recognized among the very best pitchers of his generation.

Like Garcia, Lowe falls well short of the Hall of Fame standards for staring pitchers and figures to have a short stay on the ballot.  His immortal status in Boston will remain his true legacy.

23.  Kevin Youkilis

JAWS:  31.9 (54.7 Average HOF 1B)

Kevin Youkilis was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 8th round of the 2001 draft out of the University of Cincinnati.  As a minor leaguer, Youkilis was made famous beyond his prospect status when he was dubbed “The Greek god of Walks” in Moneyball.  

Youkilis made his big league debut for the Red Sox in May, 2004.  He played a supporting role in the team’s improbable run to its first World Series championship since 1918. 

Youkilis was a slightly above-average hitter from 2004-2007.  His plate discipline translated nicely, but he failed to show the home run power desired for a corner player.  

In the 2007 playoffs, Youkilis was a monster.  He hit .500/.576/.929 in Boston’s seven game series win over the Cleveland Indians in the ALCS.  The Red Sox swept the Colorado Rockies in the World Series to earn their second championship in four seasons.

Then the power started to show.  From 2008-2011, Youk was one of the best offensive players in baseball.  He averaged 142 OPS+ and 5.5 bWAR per season during that stretch.  He was an All Star in three of those four seasons, and twice got MVP votes finishing third in 2008, and sixth in 2009.  With Youk as a driving force, Boston made the playoffs again in both 2008 and 2009.

By 2012, the 33-year-old Youkilis was slowing down.  The Red Sox traded him to the White Sox in June.  He was better in Chicago, but nothing like the player he had been the previous four years.  He played 28 games with the Yankees in 2013, but injuries severely limited him.  Youk played 21 games in Japan in 2014, but never returned to the big leagues.  

Hall of Fame?

Kevin Youkilis enjoyed a surprisingly short 10-year career in the Major Leagues.  His distinctive nickname, facial hair, and batting stance all contributed to a cult following in Red Sox Nation.  96% of his career bWAR was accumulated in parts of nine seasons with the Red Sox.  He was a three-time All Star, and won a Gold Glove at first base in 2007.

I will confess to being mildly startled by the realization that Youk played more career games at first base than at third.  His career 123 OPS+ would look considerably better at the hot corner.  Either way, a 10-year career is seldom enough to earn a place in Cooperstown.  

Like Garcia and Lowe, Kevin Youkilis was a great player who will be fondly remembered for his role on championship teams, but not a Hall of Famer.

22.  Omar Vizquel

JAWS:  36.2 (55.0 Average HOF SS)

Omar Vizquel is the first truly interesting case in this exercise.  Now in his second year on the ballot, Vizquel showed nicely last winter, earning 37% of the vote.  As an 11-time Gold Glover and three-time All Star, Vizquel clearly has some staying power.

Vizquel is one of the best defensive players in baseball history.  What makes his candidacy interesting is that it is almost entirely dependent on defense. 

In his 24-year career, Omar Vizquel was an 82 OPS+ hitter.  He was an above-average offensive player just twice.  This type of candidate is rare, and Vizquel figures to be one of the more polarizing figures on the ballot in coming years.

As a result, I am devoting an entire separate piece to asking the question:  Is Omar Vizquel a Hall of Famer?

21.  Placido Polanco

JAWS:  36.9 (57.0 Average HOF 2B)

Placido Polanco was born and raised in the Dominican Republic.  After finishing high school in Santo Domingo, Polanco came to the United States.  He attended Miami-Dade Junior College in Florida where he was drafted twice.  First, in the 49th round by the White Sox in 1993, and then again in the 19th round by the Cardinals the following year.

At the tender age of 22, Polanco made his big league debut with the Cardinals during Mark McGwire’s home run chase in 1998.  Never much of an offensive player in the minors, it took Polanco time to acclimate to the big leagues as well.  He was a part-time player until 2001, and failed to post a single above-average offensive line in his five seasons with the Cardinals.

At the 2002 trade deadline, Polanco joined left-hander Bud Smith as the headliners in a package that landed Phillies Franchise Phenom Scott Rolen in St. Louis.  Polanco elevated his offensive game in Philadelphia by gradually unlocking a little more power and patience.  He became a consistently above-average hitter with the Phillies from 2002-2005.

In June, 2005 the Phillies traded Polanco to the Detroit Tigers for closer Ugueth Urbina.  Polanco had the best seasons of his career in Detroit from 2005-2009.  In 2007 he earned All Star, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger honors for the first time in his career at 31 years old.  He won his second Gold Glove at second base for the Tigers in 2009.

Polanco returned to Philadelphia from 2010-2012.  In 2011, he made his second All Star team and won his third Gold Glove, this time at third base.  He finished his career with the Marlins in 2013.

Hall of Fame?

Placido Polanco played 16 seasons in the big leagues.  He was most often an average player, but occasionally a star. 

Never the best player on his own team, much less the league, Polanco figures to join Garcia, Lowe, Youkilis, and probably 10 others as one-and-done’s on this year’s ballot.