Hall of Stats

It’s time for Graham Womack’s Hall of Fame Project.

This month, the internet baseball world will vote for the 50 best players outside of the Hall of Fame. I’ve voted every year and last year I posted my ballot here.

Last time, I more-or-less decided to go with my own formula and pick the Top 50 players by Hall Rating. In the past year, I’ve introduced my personal Hall of Fame, which features several players who are in neither the Hall of Fame nor the Hall of Stats. As a result, I have a few changes from last year:

Last year included:

• Kevin Appier
• Bobby Bonds
• Sammy Sosa
• Deacon White

Of course, White was inducted. While Sosa is in my personal Hall, he’s right on the cusp. I opted to include some other players instead.

Here’s who made it:

• Ross Barnes: Barnes, who was voted the most recent SABR Nineteenth Century Overlooked Legend, was the best offensive player in the National Association. He had a short career, but his induction is long overdue.
• Charlie Bennett: Bennett was a star for Detroit and combined excellent offense (particularly for a catcher) with otherworldly defensive numbers (and a matching reputation).
• Bill Freehan: Something of a 20th century Bennett, Freehan is another catcher with pop, patience, and wonderful defense.
• Tommy John: He’s a bit more on the longevity side than I like to lean, but John’s entire story is way too important to be outside of the Hall.

Be sure to vote! I love seeing the results of these. I love collecting consensus around these things…