10 thoughts on “Half-Baked Hall: 1946-1947 (plus some we forgot)”

1. Hey, nibs. I'll write yours if you write mine?

   1. in my defense, it's nibs's fault

2. I suppose I should put a deadline for writeups.

   Let's say next Friday.

   1. Looks like that didn't work.

3. William Benjamin “Ben” Chapman

   1930 – 1946; Outfield and Third Base

   Career .302/.383/.440 - 114 OPS+ good for 41.3 WAR over 15 seasons.

   Known as an outstanding defender, the four-time All Star finished 15th in MVP voting as a 22-year-old in 1931 and 20th as a 24-year-old in 1933. Led the AL in stolen bases in 1931, ’32, ’33 and ’37 (he also led the league in ’31, ’32, & ’33 in times caught stealing). Won the World Series with the Yankees as an everyday outfielder (nearly evenly split between the corner spots) in 1932.

   Was having the worst first half of his career due to illness (.266/.338/.432 – 91 OPS+) when he traded to the Senators in June of 1936 for Outfielder Jake Powell.* Following the trade, Chapman put up some of the best numbers of his career, slashing .332/.431/.486 – 132 OPS+ and 3.8 WAR … in 97 games. The Yankees went on to win the World Series that year (and again in 1937, ’38, ’39, ’41 &’43) with Powell batting .302/.366/.424 – 97 OPS+ and 1 WAR in ’36 and winning championships with the Yankees again in the following two seasons.

   Chapman bounced around after that, spending a couple years each with Washington, Boston, Cleveland, Brooklyn and Philadelphia, with another year in Washington and one with the White Sox, but his last year as an everyday player was 1940.

   Of interest, Ben Chapman picked up some pitching duties as his career waned, starting 16 games between 1944 - 46 and throwing 141.1 innings to the tune of an 8-6 record, 4.39 ERA, 3.90 FIP and 1.542 WHIP.

   Not a Hall of Famer in real life or for the HBHOF (IMO) and, unfortunately, is best known for something he did following his days as a player. From his SABR Bio:

   More than anything, Ben Chapman is remembered these days for the vitriol he heaped on Jackie Robinson in April of Robinson’s first year in the majors. Chapman was the Phillies’ manager that day in 1947 and “decided to make Robinson’s color an issue and encouraged at least three of his men to do the same.” The verbal assault unnerved Robinson, but had the effect of bringing Robinson’s teammates more fully behind him. Dodgers GM Branch Rickey later said, “Chapman did more than anybody to unite the Dodgers. When he poured out that string of unconscionable abuse, he solidified and unified thirty men … Chapman made Jackie a real member of the Dodgers.”

   *In part, the Yanks were making way for an up-and-coming center fielder: Joe DiMaggio. One could say that Chapman was moved twice—once by the Yankees to make room for DiMaggio, and once a very few years later to make room on the Red Sox for Ted Williams.

4. Vernon Louis “Lefty” Gomez
   aka “Goofy”

   1930 – 1943; Pitcher

   Career 189-102 Record with a 3.34 ERA, 125 ERA+, 3.88 FIP & 1.352 WHIP, good for 43.1 WAR over 14 seasons.

   A 5-time World Series winner with a 6-0 record (2.86 ERA, 1.311 WHIP) including 4 Complete Games in 7 WS starts. Lefty was an All Star every year from 1933 – 1939 (7 times). He finished 3rd in MVP voting in 1934 (highest pitcher), 5th in ’33 (again, highest-placed pitcher), 9th in ’37 (2nd highest pitcher) and 30th in voting in ’38.

   He led the American League in wins twice: 1934 (26 Wins with 25 CG’s and 6 Shut Outs – also league-leading!) & 1937 (21 W, again with 25 CG’s and a league-leading 6 SHO’s). He led the League in Strikeouts three times: 163 in 1933, 158 in ’34, and 194 in ’37. In total, Lefty struck out 1468 batters 2503 innings. Played only 1 season game with a team other than the Yankees, his last year in the majors (1943) was as a 34-year-old with the Washington Senators, who released him in mid-July.

   Inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee in 1972, having topped out at 46.1% of the Writer’s vote in 1956. JAWS doesn’t like him, but Black Ink and Gray Ink say he’s in or close. Similarity scores have his stats closest to Bob Lemon (meh) and Tom Glavine in his ages 32 & 33 years.

   If not for the stretch of great to very good to good years (four 20+ Win seasons and three other 15+ Win seasons), the multiple MVP Awards consideration and post-season record, I’d argue this fella would be borderline.* As it stands … well, you’ll have to make up your own mind, but I like this bit about his personality enough to let it sway me (From his SABR Bio):

   Through it all he was quick with a quip, for example, attributing his success to “clean living and a fast outfield.” Once after an inning in which three hard hit balls were run down and caught by his outfielders, he said, “I’d rather be lucky than good.” After he finally retired from baseball he was called upon to fill out a job application form. In the “reason for leaving last employment” blank, Lefty wrote, “Couldn’t get anybody out.”

   and

   Much of his humor was self-deprecating. An example was when Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon in 1969, and he and NASA scientists were puzzled by an unidentified white object. Upon hearing of it, Lefty said, “I knew immediately what it was. It was a home run ball hit off me in 1937 by Jimmie Foxx.”

   *As if contributing to a team winning 5 World Series’ in the span of 7 years, and winning 6 World Series games at a 2.86 ERA clip while losing none is nothing…

   1. Sounds like Lefty should've had a post-pitching career in the broadcast booth. Here's one more, per his Repository entry:

      [H]e was notorious for poor hitting even by AL standards. Late in life, Gomez commented, "I never even broke a bat until last year when I was backing out of the garage."[5] His career OPS+ of -7 is the fifth-worst in baseball history among players with at least 1,000 plate appearances.

      1. Heh - I agree.

5. Ernie Lombardi

   Ernie Lombardi is the human trivia answer. Who caught Johnny Van Der Meer's back to back no-hitters? Ernie Lombardi. Who was the last catcher to win a batting title before Joe Mauer? Ernie Lombardi. Who holds the MLB record for hitting into double plays every 25.3 at bats? Ernie Lombardi. Who did Bill James once call the slowest man to ever play baseball well? Ernie Lombardi.

   Lombardi played catcher for 17 years, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds. He was a 7 time all star and had a .306 batting average. Career OPS+ of 126 and a career WAR of 45.9.

   Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1986.

   Dude was huge 6'3" 230 pounds although he ballooned to 300 pounds in the later years.

   Cool Name Bro? Yeah kind.

   I'd vote him in.

6. Curt Davis

   Davis was a pitcher for 13 years mostly for the Phillies, Cubs, Cardinals, and Dodgers.

   Career totals for 429 games pitched include a 158–131 record, 281 games started, 141 complete games, 24 shutouts, 111 games finished, 33 saves, and an ERA of 3.42 in 2,325 innings pitched. His new fangled stats were ok (WAR 37.3, ERA+ 116). He pitched in one World Series game.

   Seems like a boring guy with no fun stories or feats. He had good control and was leader in bb/9 innings for a couple of seasons.

   Cool Name Bro? Not even close although his nickname was Coonskin. Depending on the context, that could be cool.

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