Most Deserving Players Not In Cooperstown

The reason Mattingly deserves to be inducted is because during the 80's and into the early 90's the Yankees were bad, not just bad embarrassing. So for Mattingly to achieve over 2,000 hits and get over 200 home runs deserves to inducted. Mattingly was the 1985 AL MVP, and was voted to six-All star games, and racking in nine-Gold gloves, and winning three Silver Slugger awards. With helping to to keep the Yankees viable, and help the Yankees get back to contention. Mattingly is number five for me.

Jack Morris was born in St Paul, Minnesota on May 16, 1955. Morris over his career won 254 Major League games, and posted 3.90 ERA, and accumulated 2,478 strikeouts. Even though Morris never reached the 300 win plateau that most starters need to reach in order to be voted into the Hall of Fame, but one thing that Morris has that most pitchers do not have is four World Series rings. Morris pitched in the 1984 World Series, and who could forget Morris game seven performance in the 1991 World Series(that alone should be enough for Cooperstown), and then Morris would help the Toronto Blue Jays win back-to-back World Series in 1992-1993. Hopefully someday we will see Morris in the Hall of Fame wearing that Detroit Tiger hat.

During a 15-year career, Oliva batted .304 with 220 home runs, 947 RBIs, 870 runs, 1,917 hits, 329 doubles, 48 triples, and 86 stolen bases in 1,676 games played. Oliva was elected to the All-Star game his first eight seasons, surpassing Joe DiMaggio's previous record of six. Even though Oliva might not have the greatest numbers to be inducted, but what he did for the Twins was usher in a whole new type of baseball, and continues to be a face of the franchise, and is a great ambassador for baseball. Oliva should have a plague in a hall where his former teammates Carew, Killebrew have one.

I can already hear people asking you want to induct a guy with a career .260 average and who never hit over 300 home runs and did not bat in 1,000 RBIS? But take a look at where he played, Cleveland Indian from (1957-1958), and then Kansas City Athletics (1958-1959), and then finally breaking out with the Yankees from 1960-1966, and ending his career with the St Louis Cardinals 1967-1968. Besides playing with the Yankees, Maris never had a true team to play for. And now take a look at his accomplishments, seven time All Star selection, a three time World Series champion and a two time AL MVP. We know most of his career he had Mickey Mantle batting behind him, but with one season of 61 home runs, which is amazing given the fact that Maris did it clean, should have given him a first ballot ticket to Cooperstown.

All I have to say is 4,256 career hits. That alone should be enough to override any ones argument. There are only two hitters to ever hit over 4,000 career hits, Rose and Ty Cobb. We all know Rose is banned from baseball, and can not get inducted, but they should override that ruling. Rose has been voted to 17-All Star games, three time World Series champion, and the 1973 NL MVP. It is a shame that baseball has banned the best hitter to ever play in the Majors. Rose should be placed along side Ty Cobb in Cooperstown.