Hornsby, remember, he did play 10 + years for the Cardinals, and actually came back to the Cards at the end of his career for a cup of coffee, leaving them ultimately for a managers spot with the Browns.

Early in his career he played several positions before ending up at 2cd. There’s no doubting his reputation, but if it was as bad as we’re making it out to be, I think Branch Rickey would have dealt him much earlier, and he had chances to do that.

He got traded in part because in 1926, while he guided the Cards to their 1st WS title, he had a down year at the plate. That, coupled with Rickey’s notorious dumping of players while their value was high, and the fact that he wasn’t the easiest player to get along with all contributed to the trade.

It did not go over well, but the Cards did turn it into Frankie Frisch, who also should be in this discussion as one of the best 2B ever to play the game.

And, just for fun, in Colorado: .374/.421/.695/1.115, 1 HR every 3 games. Take that, Larry Walker!
The player will be voted on for HOF soon: http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/bsplit.cgi?n1=piazzmi01 and I’ve long held that the worst decision made by a free agent ever was Piazza’s signing the long term contract with the Mets. At the time, his batting average in Colorado was over .400. I contend he should have gone to the Rockies on a two year contract for less than going rate, earned his two MVPs, and squashed forever the arguments about whether or not he is a HOF caliber catcher and the best hitting catcher of all time.
And that’s why Jim Rice does not deserve consideration for the HOF. Piazza has better road splits than Rice’s home splits, better home splits than Rice’s road splits, played half his games in ball parks that cost him 80 points off his OPS instead of playing half his games in a ballpark that earned him 131 points of OPS, and played catcher instead of left field. And some folks have said publicly that Piazza won’t get their HOF votes. Well, if Piazza’s not a complete and total lock, Rice doesn’t deserve to get in.

And since I’m ranting, there *is* a good way to use Catcher’s ERA independently of the pitchers throwing the ball. Simply compare CERA to team ERA. Parrish, for example, had a great rep with the Detroit teams, but IIRC he consistently had a CERA worse than the team ERA. Piazza’s CERA was consistently better than his team’s ERA, even with his weak arm. Calling a great game does not get adequate credit because it’s so hard to find, but Piazza has that going for him as well.

As for the rest of the post, of the batters not in the HOF who have had their chance to get elected (i.e. not Rickey) I’d go with Tim Raines as being most deserving.

As for Jim Lefebvre and his ROY, remember, the Dodgers won 97 games (and eventually the World Series) and he played 157 of them at an important defensive position. He led the team in home runs. Nobody on the team slugged .400 (okay, Drysdale did, but none of the hitters did), and nobody got on base at .375, and yet they won it all. So I imagine Lefebvre got some ROY votes based on arguably being the most valuable hitter on the pennant winner, jobbing Joe Morgan. It’s worth noting that Lefebvre’s sophomore season was far better for another pennant winner: 24 homers, .460 slugging, OPS+ of 126, and even some MVP votes. And that was effectively it for him; four average years, two mediocre years, and gone. One of the wonders of baseball is how somebody peaks at age 24.

I think Kirby cracked under the stress of losing his vision and his baseball career early; he had grown up in the public housing projects of Chicago and had spent his entire adult life playing baseball; I think he imploded psychologically; I think he deserves sympathy.

If you will feel happy on the day he is elected to the HOF, then you will feel kind of like a dope on the day AFTER he is elected to the HOF.

I’m just sayin’.

Nor was his grabbing a woman and dragging her into a restroom to feel her up. or threatening to kill his wife.

Not that I would consider any of it in a HOF vote.

He was coming up the sidewalk, while my son and I were walking down it.

As we approached, my nine-year-old son said, “Hi.” Kirby responded by saying, “How ya doin’, man?” and gave an almost imperceptible smile.

The vast quantity of grace, charm and humility that Kirby exuded in that briefest of exchanges was unforgettable.

I need to take severe exception to your calling into question Kirby Puckett’s HoF credentials over at cnnsi.com!

Kirby reached 2,000 hits at the second fastest pace in history; he hit for power, average, and stole bases; his 1988 season was one of the best of all time; his lifetime BA – .318 – was extraordinarily high; he won six Gold Gloves in centerfield; AND, he led his (small-market) team to two highly improbable World Series victories in five years

On top of all that, he was so charismatic and lovable that he was the de facto King of Minnesota.

Kirby Puckett absolutely deserves to be in the HoF.

How dare you impugn him! Trust me, Bernie Williams was a very good player — but he was no Kirby, not by a long shot.

–A Minnesota Native