(Personally, I’d vote for ‘em both, but Murphy is about as borderline as you can get.)

With that kind of background, he should go play with the pros and run for Congress.

However, Roger Maris should never sniff the Hall as an official inductee. Roger Maris had a very nice major league career, and was a big piece of some world championship teams. What this does NOT make him, however, is worthy of Hall induction. If we start putting in guys with .260 career average, 275 home runs and 875 RBI (Maris’ career numbers), then you have turned the Hall into a joke frankly.

Let’s remember Roger Maris for what he did, and the amazing season he had. Let’s also not disrespect the members of the Hall of Fame who earned their way there with far superior play.

Roger Maris broke the 34 year old record of one of the greatest players ever, set one that stood for another 37 years (or still stands depending on your opinion), and did it under extreme conditions.
I know his career numbers weren’t good enough, but his 1961 season stands alone in baseball history, and it was a lot more meaningful to the game than the careers of some of the players whose names I’ve forgotten because their great numbers had no context.

My solution is two halls: a hall of fame and a hall of stats. (I’m not opposed to a third one for the assholes). The stats hall could have some clear standards with a little wiggle room to allow for good debates – and no character clause. The fame hall would be totally subjective.

I know that will never happen, so I say Roger earned his plaque in a slightly different way than Mickey did, be he did earn it.

My main point is be careful comparing some of the “old” stats to new stats. There have been thousands upon thousands of careers and what was phenomenal 75 yrs ago ain’t as impressive now.

And if my team needed the go ahead RBI with a guy on base I would want someone better than Joe Carter at the plate.

Let’s make it official – HOFA

And btw, before we have a referendum on Maris, we should discuss Dale Murphy. Also 2 straight MVPs, 399 career HRs on lousy teams, great center fielder. Why is HE not in?

The players who career numbers are most comparable to Maris aren’t hall of famers. Instead, Maris’ most similiar players are Bob Allison, Hank Sauer, Jay Buhner and Jesse Barfield. They were all very fine ball playes. But all good ball players that virtually no one would consider for the hall of fame (collectively, they nabbed a whopping total of 5 hall of fame votes).

If I tried to tell someone that I supported the hall candidacy of a player who had 3 30 home run seasons (one with more than 50). 3 100 RBI seasons, topped a .900 OPS twice, hit .260 for his career, was an above average but not great corner outfielder, knocked in and scored fewer than 1000 runs in his career, hit .217 for his career in the psotseason…why…I’d be laughed out of the room!

My problem with Wilson and the hall is that he had a Hall of Fame peak….and nothing else.

…so it’s not just a clever name!