McGwire: Why Not or Why Not?
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by user Harold Friend
Stan Musial and Mark McGwire were both first basemen. Stan Musial and Mark McGwire were both great power hitters. Stan Musial and Mark McGwire each had seasons in which they led their league in RBIs. Stan Musial and Mark McGwire were both World Champions. But being in the Hall of Fame is not something Stan Musial and Mark McGwire should have in common.
Stan Musial played for 22 seasons while Mark McGwire played for parts of 16 seasons. Musial's lifetime batting average was .331. McGwire's was .263. Before one attempts to denigrate batting average, no matter how one slices it, in 600 official at bats, Musial would get 199 hits. McGwire would get 158 hits. How many teams wouldn't be helped by an additional 41 hits a season?
Okay, you like on base average. Musial walked 1599 times, averaging 86 walks a season. McGwire walked 1317 times, averaging 114 walks a season. At first glance, it might appear that Musial holds an edge over McGwire, since Musial has a .417 on base average while McGwire's is .394, but it must be remembered that on base average includes hits, so Musial's huge edge in hits per season overcomes McGwire's edge in walks. No one can deny that the ability to reach base was almost but not quite equal between them.
But it must be noted that an edge in hits is much more valuable than an edge in walks. Musial had 3630 hits that included 2253 singles, 725 doubles, 177 triples, and 475 home runs. That adds up to 1377 extra base hits. McGwire's totals pale in comparison.
McGwire had a lifetime total of 1626 hits. That's it. Musial had almost as many EXTRA BASE HITS in his career as McGwire had total hits. Mark had 785 singles, 252 doubles, 6---yes---6 career triples, and 583 home runs.
Musial had a much longer career so let's compare their 162 game season averages, thanks to Baseball-Reference:
MUSIAL:
Hits 194
Runs 104
Doubles 39
Triples 9
HR 25
RBI 104
BB 86
SO 37
BA .331
OBA .417
SA .559
McGWIRE:
Hits 141
Runs 101
Doubles 22
Triples 1
HR 50
RBI 122
BB 114
SO 138
BA .263
OBA .394
SA .588
Examine the numbers carefully and don't be seduced by McGwire's average of 50 home runs a season. McGwire hit 49 home runs in his rookie year of 1987, which was one of his best, and then he hit 42 in 1992, but he was hurt much of the following three seasons, although he did hit 39 in only 317 at bats in 1995. Beginning with 1996, McGwire's totals were 52, 58, 70, and 65. The only valid argument for McGwire making the Hall of Fame are those four seasons. McGwire is to hitters and Koufax is to pitchers.
For McGwire, it was often a case of all or nothing at all. He hit only 252 doubles and 6 triples in his career. Compare that to other Hall of Fame first baseman. Lou Gehrig hit 534 doubles and 163 triples, George Sisler hit 425 doubles and 164 triples, Jimmie Foxx hit 458 doubles and 125 triples, Johnny Mize hit 367 doubles and 83 triples, and Eddie Murray had 560 doubles and 35 triples.
It is not being claimed that because McGwire didn't hit many doubles or triples that he isn't a Hall of Famer. It is being claimed that he was a one dimensional player who had six great seasons, some decent seasons, and four horrible seasons, which makes him a questionable Hall of Famer at best. McGwire had seasons in which he batted .231, .235, .201, and in his last season, .187.
Today, the discussion is whether allegedly performing actions not condoned by our society should keep McGwire out of the Hall of Fame. That is not the issue. Based on his career, should McGwire be a Hall of Famer? Based on the modern criteria of hitting at least 500 career home runs and hitting more home runs in a single season than Roger Maris, McGwire is a Hall of Famer. Based on the criteria of being a great all around hitter and fielder and not being a one dimensional player, McGwire is not a Hall of Famer. Did anyone say Harmon Killebrew?
References:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/lists/index.htm
Date
Mon 07/31/06, 9:44 am EST
