Good/great forgotten players of yesteryear

[navamind]

Jimmy Wynn



.250/.366/.436, 129 OPS+, hit .269/.436/.507 with 148 walks and a 166 OPS+. An amazing year, but somewhat overshadowed by seasons from McCovey (209 OPS+!), Aaron and Clemente.

 

[navamind]

Let's also throw in one of Wynn's teammates, Davey Lopes.

Career .263/.349/.388 hitter with a 107 OPS+, also stole 557 bases while getting caught only 114 times. Accumulated 42.4 WAR over his career and finished 6th in the NL in 1975. Pretty amazing for a guy that didn't play his first full season until he was 28 years old. He even stole 47 bases at the age of 40 while getting caught only 4 times! He also gave a brilliant effort in the 1978 WS by batting 8-26 with 3 home runs, 7 RBIs and 2 stolen bases.

 

[navamind]

John Kruk was a damn good hitter.

.300/.397/.446, 134 OPS+, finished 2nd in the NL in OBP twice and top 10 in OPS+ four times.

also hard to believe he looked like this:

 

[msgkings322]

Greg Luzinski

 

[podsox]

Carlos baerga

 

[msgkings322]

Jesse Barfield

Rusty Staub

 

[broncosmitty]

I'll submit my usual - Jim Kaat. Take a look at his numbers, then go ask one of these faggots today to do what Kaat did. They would file a grievance

Why would young guys have an issue with winning 16 consecutive Gold Gloves?

 

[Indrid Cold]

John Kruk was a damn good hitter.

.300/.397/.446, 134 OPS+, finished 2nd in the NL in OBP twice and top 10 in OPS+ four times.

also hard to believe he looked like this:

"Hey lady...I'm a baseball player, not an athlete."

 

[Indrid Cold]

Greg Luzinski

Speaking of rotund

 

[Indrid Cold]

Why would young guys have an issue with winning 16 consecutive Gold Gloves?

Nah, being nicknamed "Kitty"!!!!!

 

[navamind]

Gil McDougald. Hit .276/.356/.410 with a 110 OPS+ and 40.7 WAR from 1951-1960 with the Yankees, playing 2B/SS/3B. Finished in the top 10 in the AL in WAR four times.

 

[Pure Steel]

Jim Rice.....

 

[Indrid Cold]

Gil McDougald. Hit .276/.356/.410 with a 110 OPS+ and 40.7 WAR from 1951-1960 with the Yankees, playing 2B/SS/3B. Finished in the top 10 in the AL in WAR four times.

Bill James once wrote that the only reason that Stengel's infield defense did not collapse with the Yanks from the way he constantly shifted players around was that Gil McDougald could play brilliantly at any position

 

[Indrid Cold]

Let's also throw in one of Wynn's teammates, Davey Lopes.
Career .263/.349/.388 hitter with a 107 OPS+, also stole 557 bases while getting caught only 114 times. Accumulated 42.4 WAR over his career and finished 6th in the NL in 1975. Pretty amazing for a guy that didn't play his first full season until he was 28 years old. He even stole 47 bases at the age of 40 while getting caught only 4 times! He also gave a brilliant effort in the 1978 WS by batting 8-26 with 3 home runs, 7 RBIs and 2 stolen bases.

Some sportswriter commented that Davey walked like he was severely arthritic late in his career, but would then steal second so beautifully that there wouldn't even be a throw.
I think Lopes played with Ron Cey in LA and Chicago, but I'd have to check that.
Cey didn't look like a ballplayer at all, but he was also a darned good one for a long time.

 

[kburjr]

Cecil Cooper

 

[navamind]

Jackie Jensen had a nice little run with the Red Sox, batting .282/.374/.478 with a 123 OPS+ and 22.4 WAR over 7 seasons. He won AL MVP in 1958 though it's a pretty egregious selection. He batted .286/.396/.535 with a 148 OPS+, 35 home runs and 122 RBIs that year.

 

[obxyankeefan]

Jimmy Piersall

 

[navamind]

Max "Camera Eye" Bishop. Career .271/.423/.366 hitter in 12 seasons (1924-1935). Finished in the top 10 in OBP eight times and with the 16th highest OBP of all-time (.423). Also finished in the top 10 in walks ten times and led the AL in 1929. 37.4 WAR over his career. He was the perfect fit at leadoff for lineups featuring the likes of Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Mickey Cochrane.

His 1929 stat line is pretty bizarre. .232/.398/.316 with an 83 OPS+. How often do you see someone finish with such a high OBP despite such a low BA, and how often do you see someone finish with such a pedestiran OPS+ despite a high OBP?

 

[obxyankeefan]

Sam Rice

Has a negative Dwar but Walter Johnson once said that he would not be the pitcher he was without Sam Rice's defense.

 

[Pure Steel]

Jimmy Piersall

Anthony Perkins who plays Jimmy Piersall in Fear Strikes Out, might be the biggest spaz ever to play an athletic role in a movie......The throwing scenes were very painful to watch......Like the movie though.....