WGOM Half-Baked Hall

Half-Baked Hall: 1945 Results

10 Comments

Sorry we're moving at a snail's pace here. My hours at work should abate sometime around July which will help. Also, maybe hungryjoe will have a computer by then.  I'm not bothering to create crappy plaques this time around. Maybe they'll get made later.

I also have to mention I completed spaced the pitchers who retired in 1943. Carl Hubbell sent me an angry tweet. That will be rectified on the next ballot.

Elected

Four guys make it on the first ballot.

Jimmie Foxx (100%)
Al Simmons (94%)
Joe Cronin (83%)
Paul Waner (83%)

Remaining on the Ballot (12 Players)

Gabby comes ever so close again. Then again, he has that automatic votes shaven off for being a catcher. Bill Terry's got a fightin' chance. Otherwise, looks like we got a bunch of guys just holdin' on. Klein has the highest debut of those not elected.

Gabby Hartnett (72%) +1
Bill Terry (67%) +2
Wes Ferrell (44%) +15
Chuck Klein (44%)
Sam Rice (44%) +3
Pie Traynor (39%) +4
Waite Hoyt (33%) +9
Bob Johnson (33%)
Earl Averill (28%) -7
Heinie Manush (28%) +10
Hack Wilson (28%) -13
Tony Lazzeri (17%) -7

Falling Off the Ballot  (13 Players)

For maybe the first time ever, Joe Sewell strikes out. With the voters anyway. Firpo's case to be the first reliever elected to the Half-Baked Hall also peters out. Lloyd Waner watches his brothers coattails ride off into the distance.

Red Faber (61%) -10
Joe Sewell (50%) +3
Wally Schang (44%) +3
Firpo Marberry (22%) -2
Babe Herman (17%)
Lloyd Waner (17%)
Dolph Camilli (6%)
Paul Derringer (6%)
Van Mungo (6%)
Lon Warneke (6%)
Tony Cucinello (0%)
Harlond Clift (0%)
Willis Hudlin (0%)

Graphs

Ballots

10 thoughts on “Half-Baked Hall: 1945 Results”

  1. Wes Ferrell up 15%? SSS and all, but that feels notable – particularly considering Ferrell's not what you'd call an easily evaluated player.

    On the positive side of his pitching, there's the 48.8 rWAR & 116 ERA+ Over 2600 innings. On the negative side, there's the career 4.23 FIP, & 1.481 (!) WHIP.

    Ferrell was no Dean Chance at the plate. A pitcher with a 100 OPS+ in 1345 PA is excellent, particularly when you consider Wes Ferrell never got to face Wes Ferrell. (Seriously, that's 5th all time, with a minimum of 200 PA.) Who knows how he would've held up if given more exposure, and almost all of his value as a hitter is tied to positional scarcity, but you wouldn't feel bad about sending him out to hit in a non-DH league.

    I'm curious to see where this goes, since presumably he'll be on the ballot for a little while longer.

    1. I almost commented on that but until someone gets above 50% I don't get too excited.

      I'm voting for Ferrell only because of his awesome bat. I'm not too worried about his FIP as he pitched in a super crazy offensive era, though even then he wasn't dominant like Grove or Hubbell. But he added 13 wins with his bat despite only have two seasons worth of plate appearances. The positional adjustment is not nothing; it's there for a reason. His contribution with the bat was significant.

      1. I certainly don't mean to scoff at his hitting as merely good for a pitcher. A middle infielder with an essentially league average bat is a pretty great thing to have on a roster. A better than league average starting pitcher who swings a league average bat – especially in a pre-DH, high percentage of CG era of the game – is an awesome asset.

        I actually found myself wondering what would be better: giving such a pitcher a spot in the lineup when he starts, or DHing for him with an iron-gloved batsman and utilizing a banjo-hitting defensive replacement at that position. I suppose the answer probably depends on what position the sub is playing and how much better he is than the slugger, the type of pitcher (power/finesse, FB or GB), and - most importantly? - how large the difference between the pitcher's OPS+ and the sub's.

      2. until someone gets above 50% I don't get too excited.

        Players who got less than 50% yes votes on any ballot and were still eventually inducted into the HBHOF?

        There are only 2 SelectShow

  4. The only player to get over 20% on their first ballot but not have a second ballot?

    'Not the luckiest man on the face of the Earth' SelectShow

    1. Holy Crap! Have we really been at this for two years!?

      Ross Barnes sez "Yep!"

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