The Players
These players made the cut. To learn more about how their strengths and weaknesses
were analyzed to determine their standing – Order the book here. Also, see the Runners Up.
1. Ron Santo, 3BPlayed from 1960 - 1974 predominantly for the Cubs
- Ranked no lower than seventh at 3B for the century, fourth*
- Second in career HR and RBI among batters having played in 1,000 games at 3B*
- Holds the NL record for leading his position in chances accepted (nine years)
- Five Gold Glove awards
- Reich Top 10 NL All-Star for 1960-1979 era
- Received recognitions in eight seasons
Comment: Would be the most qualified 3B ever inducted as a Veteran
2. Maury Wills, SSPlayed from 1959 - 1972 predominantly for the Dodgers
- Changed the game by revitalizing the tactic of stealing bases
- Had more career SB (586) than any player since 1920*
- 1962: Stole the most bases in a season (104, a century record at the time)
- Reich Top 10 M/L All-Star SS for 1960-1979 era and 1960’s
- NL MVP in 1962, third place in 1965 NL MVP voting
- More than 2,100 Hits and 1,000 Runs scored for his career
- Two World Series titles and three league pennants in four years**
Comment: Was the most important SS of his time
3. Gil Hodges, 1BPlayed from 1943 - 1963 predominantly for the Dodgers and Mets
- 370 career HR; 350+ through 1960
- Seven consecutive seasons with at least 100 RBI
- 3-time Gold Glove award winner
- Two World Series titles and six league pennants for the Dodgers**
- Two seasons with at least 40 HR; four other seasons with at least 30 HR
- Reich Top 10 NL All-Star for 1946-1960 era and for 1950's
Comment: Is the only remaining hitter not in the Hall of Fame having at least
350 career HR through era ending in 1960; all other such batters rank among
century’s top 100 players
4. Allie Reynolds, P
Played from 1942 - 1954 predominantly for the Indians and Yankees
- Six pennants and six World Series titles for the Yankees**
- During the six World Series seasons: regular season record of 102W-49L-31S
(.675 pct.), World Series record of 7W-2L-4S
- Only pitcher from 1901-1972 review period to hurl a combination of 11 (W+S)
in World Series play
- Eight seasons with a combination of at least 20 (W+S), including all six World
Series years
- Victorious in 63 percent of his regular season decisions and had 49 Saves (unofficial)
Comment: Selected mainly for his place in history as a contributor to winning teams
5. Joe Gordon, 2B
Played from 1938 - 1950 for the Yankees and Indians
- Classified as a groundbreaker: first middle infielder to combine substantial HR
achievements with superlative d efensive play
-Career AL HR leader (253), during his time period, for batters having played in
1,000 games at 2B
- Set the AL's positional seasonal HR record (32), which stood for several decades
- Reich Top 10 decade All-Star for the 1940’s
- Five seasons with at least 100 Runs or 100 RBI
- Received recognitions in seven seasons (MVP award, four other top 10 MVP
rankings and six TSN M/L All-Star selections)
- Five World Series titles and six pennants**
Comment: Ranked second to Rogers Hornsby in career home runs by any C, 2B,
SS and 3B*
6. Stan Hack, 3B
Played from 1932 - 1947 for the Cubs
- First at his position, from 1901-1960, in Runs scored
- Top five at his position from 1900-1949; top seven from 1901-1972
- Compiled at least: a career .300 B. Avg., .390 O.B. Avg.; 2,000 Hits, 1,000
Walks and 1,000 Runs
- Top five in career B. Avg. for 3B having played in at least 1,000 games from
1901-1972
- Received recognitions in seven seasons (three consecutive TSN M/L
All-Star selections)
Comment: Exceeded the minimum standards for a pre-1961 3B candidate for
the Hall of Fame, positional role for third baseman began to change in 1950's
7. Jim Kaat, P
Played from 1959 - 1983 for six teams
- Won 283 regular season career decisions
- 16 Gold Glove awards
- Three seasons with at least 20 Wins; five seasons with at least 15 Wins
- Best season in 1965 (league-leading 25 Wins)
- Four league pennants**
Comment: Won more games than any pitcher inducted as a Veteran
8. Bob Johnson, OF
Played from 1933 - 1942 predominantly for the Athletics
- 10 seasons with at least 100 Runs or 100 RBIs; 8 seasons with at least 100 RBI
- Exceeded at least: a career .290 B. Avg., .500 Slg. Pct.; more than 2,000 Hits,
250 HR, 1,000 Runs and 1,250 RBI
- Combined .899 O.B./Slg.
- Briefly ranked top 10 in career HR
Comment: Johnson and Jimmie Foxx were the only players to have at least
10 seasons with at least 100 RBI or 100 Runs from 1930-1949 and was most
productive batter from review period not to be inducted to date
9. Vern Stephens, SS
Played from 1941 - 1955 for five teams
- First SS to hit more than 200 career HR (247) or 30 in a season (39)
- Remained the AL's all-time SS career HR leader until 1991 (Cal Ripken Jr.)
- Received recognitions in seven seasons, including six top 10 MVP rankings
- 1949: Tied with Ted Williams for most RBI (159), most by any AL batter for
several decades
- 1944: Helped the St. Louis Browns win their only pennant**
Comment: Among 6 or 7 most productive batters at SS during review period
10. Wes Ferrell, P
Played from 1927 - 1941 for six teams
- Six 20-Win seasons, including two with 25
- Tied for fourth in most 20-Win seasons from 1920-1972; second from 1920-1939
- Holds the century record for most Home Runs (38) by a pitcher
Comment: Had more 20-Win seasons than any of the eight Hall of Fame pitchers
with fewer than 200 career Wins
** Was a regular on championship teams
top of page
These are the players that didn't make the cut. While the Reich Runners Up have significant weaknesses that kept them from making the Reich Top Ten, they also present many strong features which are discussed and expanded upon in the upcoming book, Waiting For Cooperstown: Baseball's Veterans (1901-1972) and the Hall of Fame – Order the book here.
Tony Oliva, OF
- Low career batting quantities for a Hall of Fame candidate
Ken Boyer, 3B
- Contender for major positional rankings, but falls short
- Except for career HR, notable but unexceptional positional batting features
Joe Torre, C
- Caught fewer than 1,000 games for his career
- Experienced his best seasons at other positions
Dick Allen, 1B
- Only seven seasons having played at least 125 games
- Only three seasons with at least 100 RBI
Roger Maris, OF
- Extremely low career batting and other features compared to most Hall of Famers
- Low in number of star quality seasons
Firpo Marberry, P
- Performed mainly in relief for only about five seasons of his 14-year career
top of page
The Reich Framework The Players Sam's Blog Discussion Media Order The Book Contact Home
Waiting for Cooperstown by Sam Reich; info@waitingforcooperstown.com