Baseball Hall of Fame Pyramid- Third Basemen

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For a good part of baseball history there was a lack of great third basemen. Maybe more so than any other position. When I became interest in baseball in the late 60’s, I would get books to read on the history of the game. At age 9 my grandparents fed my baseball obsession by taking me to the Baseball Hall of Fame. At that time-1970 the consensus was that the best third baseman in baseball history was Pie Traynor. I was great with that because he played for my Pirates. That gave the Pirates the best third baseman and shortstop-Honus Wagner. Also at that time Pie old and near the end of his life. On Saturday nights on a Pittsburgh TV station they had studio wrestling. Pie Traynor always did a commercial on that show. He’d say “Who Can A-Mer-I-Can”

Anyhow at that time the all -time team seemed to consist of P-Walter Johnson C-Mickey Cochrane or Yogi Berra 1b-Lou Gehrig 2b-Rogers Hornsby 3b-Pie Traynor SS-Honus Wagner and the outfield usually Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker {Mays and Aaron were still active players} In the last 40 years those other players are still considered either at the top or near the top all time at their positions. Pie Traynor has taken a free-fall.  Most baseball historians no longer have him even in the top ten at the position. I think this has happened for a few reasons. A big influx of talent at that position- led by Mike Schmidt and George Brett and 2- all the new stats that have come along since 1970 and all the ways they look at stats nowadays. Pie’s stat’s haven’t held up well. Now even a few players from his generation are ranked ahead of him. Pie Traynor has become the J.Edgar Hoover of baseball players. {When Hoover died in 1972 he was feared and respected for the most part. In the past forty years we have learned that Hoover was in fact a sick, demented and dangerous man and most historians I think would agree he was a slimeball whose name should be removed from the FBI Building in Washington D.C.} Well we have no rumours of Pie Traynor being behind any illegal wire taps and I don’t think he dressed up in women’s clothing and went to parties. OK I have  gone off on a tangent, back to the issue at hand- the third basemen and the Baseball Hall of Fame Pyramid.

Level 1-Freddie Lindstrom/Ed Williamson/George Kell/Gary Gaetti/Lavy Cross/Heinie Groh/Tommy Leach/Buddy Bell/Bob Elliott/Sal Bando/Ron Cey

Level 2-Al Rosen/Craig Nettles/Pie Traynor/Jimmy Collins/Matt Williams

Level 3-Home Run Baker/Stan Heck/Darrell Evans/Judy Johnson/Ray Dandridge/Ken Boyer/Edgar Martinez

Level 4-Eddie Mathews/Wade Boggs/Brooks Robinson/Paul Molitor/Ron Santo/ {Chipper Jones will  be at this level in a few months after he retires}

Level 5-Michael Jack Schmidt/ George Brett

George Brett-one of my favorite players ever.

 

6 responses to “Baseball Hall of Fame Pyramid- Third Basemen”

  1. nettles is the only player ever to ground out to every infielder at once, when the superball bat shattered.

    not saying i disagree but i think you might have to sell me on gary gaetti. do not get me wrong i liked gaetti, he was a solid clubhouse guy etc, i just do not think HoF when i hear his name. just looked up his stats. 360 homers and 1300+ rbi. batting average is low, but i think i can be convinced to change my mind.

    with the talent he had and wasted it ken caminiti was on his way here, alas to never be.

    no argument with schmidt and brett at the top.

    • There are a number of players I have put in ‘the hall” at level 1- who we wouldn’t think of as hall of famers as the hall is now. with the pyramid- i think the hall can be expanded a bit to include guys who were stars..but maybe not what you’d think hall of famer…if say gaetti got in- as a level 1..he’s in the hall but level 1..no one is going to confuse him with george brett..they are on different levels..i thought about caminiti..

  2. i can see that. like i said when i hear the name gaetti i did not think HoF, but i look at his stats and intangibles, MVP, a ring, gold gloves (although these can be a joke) i can see him as a level 1 guy.

    • his career kind of fell off early. without looking at the record he was going well then around age 30 there was a decline in production and he never got it back. .. I know you are anxious to see if Buddy Bianacalana and U.L. Washington make the cut at shortstop!! lol

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