The following essay is the next in an ongoing series of articles about the contemporary role of the Hall of Fame as a cultural institution and as a benchmark for measuring baseball’s changing standards of excellence over time. Previous articles in the series may be found here: Hall of Fame Part I , Setting a New Standard

Painting the Corner with a Career: A Look At Alan Trammell

The most notable shortstop on the current HoF ballot is Alan Trammell, an almost-MVP and a Lou Boudreau-type player in his own right. Our statistically obsessed age produced MVP George Bell ahead of Alan Trammell in 1987 in a very close vote - 332 points to 311 (Bell had 16 first place votes, Trammell had 12). Bell’s superb power numbers (.308-47-134) edged out Trammell’s incredible season (.343-28-105) during the pre-A-Rod-Nomar-Jeter-Tejada shortstop era. Despite a nearly identical OPS, 21 steals, 50% more walks and 50% fewer strikeouts, and 205 hits, Trammell lost the real numbers game — i.e., the home run derby — while playing 151 games at shortstop. Cal Ripken’s first MVP season (1983) produced numbers only nearly identical to Trammell’s (.318-27-102); Trammell, however stole 20 bases and Ripken struck out almost twice as often (97) as he walked (58). Ripken’s 1991 numbers (.323-34-114) saw Cal walk more than K and even steal a career high 6. Did Trammell need an iron man streak to get the MVP? Postscript: George Bell, a fine player during his 12-year career, was eliminated from the HoF ballot in his first year of eligibility with only 1.2% support.

Let’s compare Trammell, a player that many consider a “near-great,” to Reese, since they had nearly the same number of at-bats, and set aside comparisons to Ripken, who by all accounts is truly in a league of his own.

Statistically, Trammell has the edge. Even if you don’t consider that about 1/3 of Reese’s triples would be doubles today, Trammell’s slugging is still 50 points higher and his stolen base totals equal those of the speedy Reese. A six-time all-star, Trammell was comparable to a good NL-style player, also leading the league twice in sacrifice hits (and finishing high five times in that category), earning a reputation as a superb fundamental player in the field and at the plate. In 1984 he was also the World Series MVP, hitting .450 with a .800 slugging percent and 2 homers.

Trammell’s numbers are therefore not only similar to those of Reese, but also exude the Rizzuto-like MVP presence of a team leader. Why isn’t Trammell a Hall of Famer? Support for Trammell has declined slightly, from 15.68% in 2002 to 14.11% in 2003, but he remains on the ballot. Was his defense that objectionable? Four gold gloves is quite good, especially against Tony Fernandez in his prime, Cal Ripken twice, and then the amazing Omar (Vizquel). Surely he was the best defensively at his position for half a decade. So where’s the beef? 1990 was Trammell’s last full, healthy season. He played 101 games in 1991 at age 33, then only 29 games in ’92. After something of a comeback year in ’93 (he only played 112 games, but hit .329-12-60 with 8 steals and only three errors at shortstop, although 1/3 of his games were at third base where he made 5 errors), he was injured often and also played games as a DH. While his defense was not at all poor, his hitting suffered in his final two years. Trammell’s career, had it not been derailed by a half-decade of injuries, surely would have been stronger. In case you were wondering, DHing didn’t help Trammell get more at-bats: he only DH’d in 59 games. He was a player.

Let us now compare Trammell with Lou Boudreau, since Boudreau, according the Hall of Fame’s own website, “combined defensive prowess, solid hitting and managerial acumen to attain Hall of Fame recognition.” Now, Trammell certainly had every bit of the offense and defense of Boudreau; however, his present managerial career (as skipper of the abysmal 2003 Tigers) may prove his undoing if this comparison is at all prognostic 1. Let’s at least look at their playing careers:

For easier comparison, here are the career numbers averaged per 162 games:

Looking at these numbers we see that Boudreau was one of the best doubles hitters of his time (he actually led the league 3 times), giving him equal slugging to Trammell, plus he was a better hitter, striking out rarely and drawing a lot of walks. In fact, not only could Boudreau execute the fundamentals well, he finished in the MVP voting Top-Ten eight times, winning in 1948 (and finishing 3rd in 1947). On the other side, Trammell was an excellent baserunner who also had very good speed before his injuries, and played 25% more than Boudreau. Comparing Trammell to Boudreau, one might ask, was Trammell as good, or “just a bit outside?” It seems that Trammell cannot pass the Reese-Rizzuto dynasty test, for the fact that Detroit was never a dynasty in the 1980s, though they did field many good teams consistently, and he and teammate Lou Whitaker were a part of the reason. But is that good enough, and would it have been good enough for Lou Boudreau, who died in August of 2001, a year before Trammell’s first year of eligibility? And should we say that Pee Wee was better merely because he played on many pennant winning Brooklyn teams, loaded to bursting with Hall of Famers?

The final problem for Trammell is temporal. Boudreau may not be a fair comparison since he and Trammell were not contemporaries but it is instructive to look at what the ex-Tiger shortstop is up against. If we compare Trammell to Pee Wee, Scooter, and even Boudreau or Joe Tinker, one might find good reason to induct Trammell. However, many critics are forced to compare Trammell to sure-fire HoFer and mega-legend Cal Ripken. Although Trammell was sometimes great, but mostly very consistent for a very long time, the career of Tony Fernandez, a first-timer in 2007, is instructive with respect to Trammell’s uncertain status. Trammell’s career numbers look more like those of Fernandez than of Ripken, and this, perhaps, is what convinces only 15% of the voting sportswriters in America that he is a Hall of Famer. Let’s take a look, and also compare the achievements of two other HoF-caliber contemporaries at shortstop:

Four Gold Gloves and five all-star appearances make Fernandez, who was known for his great range and arm, certainly no weaker than Trammell in that department, and Fernandez did hit lifetime .395 in 11 WS games with a .327 career post-season average. If Trammell cannot meet the standard, Tony Fernandez also has little chance, especially without the big hardware of the Detroit shortstop, less power, and several inconsistent seasons where he moved around, changing teams erratically from 1990-2001. After his second stint in Toronto, injuries limited his playing time in certain years, though his last 3 or 4 years were among his best offensively. But what chance will either Trammell or Fernandez have, should they remain on the ballot at a time when cultural memory views them by the standards of 19-time all-star (and “iron man” Übermensch) Cal Ripken, the winner of MVPs in two different decades — or against the current crop of superstar shortstops Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and the superb-hitting Nomar? Trammell is surely a stronger candidate than Fernandez, but aren’t you surprised at how close Fernandez’s numbers come to Alan Trammell’s? I was. And I do remember Fernandez as the best defensive shortstop in the AL for a few years during his first stint in Toronto.

To play Devil’s Advocate, let’s ask how a great defensive shortstop like Omar Vizquel stacks up against the best: Ozzie Smith. Vizquel is only 36 years old and still can play, having earned nine straight Gold Gloves (A-Rod deservedly won his first one last year), and has at least a couple good seasons left. There is time for Vizquel to reach Ozzie Smith in Runs, Hits, RBI, and possibly Doubles, while holding a better lifetime average (Smith did have good BB/K numbers). Sure, Ozzie Smith and Luis Aparicio stand out as special shortstops, but would you deny Omar for only stealing 300 bases (Aparicio had 506 and also hit exactly .262, same as Ozzie, over 18 seasons) or only winning 9 Gold Gloves for a team that came close, but never won the World Series, and then began a natural defensive decline?

Ok, I’ll get more to the point: should any player who wins nine consecutive Gold Gloves and produces a very solid offensive career be denied a spot in the HoF— no matter what position he played (Cf. Don Mattingly)? If phenomenal defense and good offense mark a HoF shortstop, Vizquel is one.

Although I do consider Vizquel a Hall of Famer, some do not. Cleveland’s lack of great starting pitching is why the Indians never reached the potential that everyday position players like Vizquel, Ramirez, Thome, Lofton, and the rest gave them. Plus, they had to beat the Yankees. It is not Omar’s fault that, like Reese and Rizzuto, he is remembered as a catalyst and defensive bastion, but unlike Reese and Rizzuto, played for a would-be dynasty. Or, to take a contemporary example, imagine first what Omar would be if he could hit like Jeter! Then imagine what he would be if he fielded like Jeter — a good player, but not a Hall of Famer.

I hope that Omar Vizquel does get another chance at a World Series ring, because he is so much fun to watch. Just as Rizzuto and Reese made defense exciting for fans of the 40s and 50s, Vizquel reminds us that a great defensive play is far more exciting than a 379 ft. home run off a pitcher recently promoted from the minor leagues. When I watch the game, I watch for great defense: there are enough guys today who can hit the ball 450 feet — and plenty of track stars who can steal a base — but can anyone catch a well-hit ball? What does one watch for on television highlight films? Jim Edmonds making a diving catch. Nobody cares about the double down the line or the telegraphed home run. It is the diving stop and off-balance throw, the full-extension running catch, the runner gunned-down at the plate by a perfect throw from right field, the acrobatic double-play by the middle infielders — or a stolen home run. During Ichiro’s rookie year there was one play they showed again and again and again on every channel for a month: Ichiro gunning down a runner advancing to third. That is baseball — hit, and catch and throw.

Just for fun: here is one final comparison with a still active National Leaguer: Alan Trammell vs. the beloved 1995 NL MVP and three-time Gold Glove shortstop Barry Larkin, also touted as a future Hall of Famer:

Larkin is a truly excellent defensive shortstop who managed to win three straight Gold Gloves after the untouchable Ozzie Smith legacy and was considered the best all-around shortstop in the NL—if not in all of baseball—from the early to mid-1990s 2. An 11-time all-star, Larkin hit over .300 nine times, and was the NL MVP in 1995. In almost 1000 fewer at bats (at the time of this writing), Larkin produced as much or more offense than Trammell. It will be interesting to see how Larkin finishes his career and how his numbers at 8300 AB will compare to his best contemporaries. Like Boudreau, Larkin was a slightly better hitter than Trammell (about ten points higher), and had a better OBP and had more power than either. Add his great defense, a World Series title, and you have a likely Hall of Famer. How much far below Larkin is Trammell? The key here is that Larkin already has had a couple more great years offensively (Trammell did hit over .300 seven times, and was double digits in SB thirteen times) and always played superb defense. Looking at the percentages rather than the raw numbers is helpful here.

Next in the series I will take a look at Alan Trammell's double-play partner, Lou Whitaker

1 Boudreau managed Cleveland, Boston, K.C., and spent one year with the Cubs with a lifetime 1162-1224 (.487) record. Though he took Cleveland to the WS during his 1948 MVP year, Boudreau never had another team finish above third in 16 seasons as manager, and he had a winning record only 6 six times. Nonetheless, he is remembered as a great managerial innovator, engineering, for one thing, the now famous “Ted Williams shift,” used against lefty pull hitters all across the game. If you don’t know what this is, just watch any Major League infield defend against Jason Giambi the next time the Yankees are in town.

2 I’ll take Larkin over Ripken as the best “all around” shortstop because he was durable and hit for very good power with a consistent .300+ average and excellent speed. Like Ripken, he was the Reds franchise player, and an MVP, but he was more gifted than Ripken defensively, and Ripken rarely hit .300 and rarely stole a base. During his Larkin’s best years, the Reds won a World Series.

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