STRAT PLANET
Are the Halls Getting Narrow?
by Robert Lawrence Shaw
 
      On Sunday, July 23rd Carlton Fisk and Tony Perez were inducted into the
Hall of Fame at Cooperstown.  Carlton Fisk is one of the greatest offensive
and defensive catchers in Major League history.  Tony Perez is one of the most
consistent hitters in baseball history.  However, are they more deserving than
former Mets Gary Carter and Keith Hernandez?
     Last year, while Carlton Fisk and Tony Perez made the Hall of Fame, by
being represented on at least 375 ballots, Gary Carter only received 248
votes, and Hernandez failed to receive half of the necessary votes in order to
be inducted.  All four athletes have many similarities and few differences.
Most importantly, all of these players have won championships and for a
period, dominated the game as much as anyone at their position.
     Gary Carter was the premiere catcher from the late 1970s throughout the
mid-1980s.  He made 11 All-Star teams while posting 328 homeruns and 1,225
RBIs.  These numbers are very similar to Fisk.  The greatest difference is
that Fisk played many more seasons and therefore was able to rack up a few
more in each category.  However, Carter played more Hall of Fame quality
seasons, and was as much a winner in 1986, as Fisk was in 1975.
     It is surprising that Carter isn’t able to gain greater support from the
sportswriters (the ones responsible for choosing the Hall of Famers),
considering Carter played in the mecca of sports media.  Playing in New York,
is no easy task.  The fact that Carter first gained his stardom in the more
tranquil Montreal proves that his transformation to a star in one of the
world’s loudest cities was no easy task.  Although Carter was always a great
diplomat of the game, it was his play on the field that won most of his fans.
His tears and smiles won the heart of New York in 1986, as his hard work
behind as well as at the plate paid off with a World Series title.  Carter won
three Gold Glove Awards and was in the top three in MVP voting twice.  His
numbers place him with the elite at his position.  As one of the greatest
all-around catchers of all-time, Carter deserves to be enshrined in the Hall
of Fame.
     Keith Hernandez is a former MVP, World Series champion, and 11-time Gold
Glove Award winner.  However, these awards do not tell enough about Hernandez.
Keith Hernandez may be the greatest defensive first basemen of all time.  He
was also a solid hitter, a proven winner, and an excellent individual.
Perhaps his defense alone should earn him a plaque in Cooperstown.  The fact
that Hernandez provided some offense was a bonus.  Hernandez batted over 300
six times in his career, including a league-leading .344 in his 1979 MVP
season.  Keith had more than 15 homers in four seasons and more than 90 RBIs
in six seasons.  Equally impressive are Hernandez’ five consecutive seasons
with double-digits in stolen bases (a rarity for first-basemen).
     The intensity inspired by Keith Hernandez played a vital role in the
Cardinal’s triumph in the 1982 World Series, and in the Mets’ amazing
championship in 1986.  Hernandez World Series stats are impressive with 12
RBIs in 14 games played.  However, it was more than numbers that Hernandez
brought to the table.  It was Hernandez who challenged the young and
inexperienced Mets in the mid-1980s.  He taught them that winning should be
their main priority, and that the off-the-field matters are far behind in
significance.  Hernandez continues to contribute to the game of baseball.  In
spring training, 2000, Hernandez spent months working with Todd Zeile of the
New York Mets.  Voting Hernandez into the Hall of Fame would be well-deserved
recognition for the entertainment, talent, and passion that Hernandez brought
to the game.
     Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter are similar in that they both played enormous roles in the New York Mets’ 1986 World Series Championship.  Unfortunately, they also share a similarity in that they are not in the Hall-of Fame, despite the Hall
of Fame caliber of play that they have contributed.

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