Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Season 25 Hall of Fame Candidates, Part One

Yet again, the time for Hall of Fame voting is upon us. Yet again, there are a plethora of legitimate Hall candidates. In light of that, here is a 2-part primer on some of the top candidates.

The Consensus Candidates

Every season, a number of us try to encourage voting for a group of consensus candidates. Look, there are a number of really good options. If we knock off a few every season, we'll get through your preference eventually.

Einar Cabrera - Cabrera spent 20 seasons pitching in the major leagues, primarily with the Cleveland Grey Sox Senators/Toronto Elite Thunder Bolts franchise. In 713 pitching appearances (541 starts) he put up a 257-137 record, with a 3.65 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP (and 9 saves). He went to the All-Star Game 6 times, and won a Gold Glove once. Cabrera's 257 wins are fifth all-time in the league, and the three eligible pitchers are already enshrined in the Hall. He also sits fourth all-time in strikeouts with 2,797.

Benito Flores - Flores pitched for seven franchises in his 18 years in the majors. In 584 appearances (550 starts), Flores went 239-156 with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. He went to the All-Star Game 6 times, and hurled a no-hitter next long after a trade to the Texas Coyotes in Season 17.

Weldon Hughes - Hughes pitched 15 seasons in the majors, with all but 14 of his 495 games pitched in the uniform of the Pawtucket Paw Sox. Hughes went 225-108 with a 3.42 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. He went to 7 All-Star Games and won World Series Rings in Seasons 8 and 13. In Season 8, Hughes won the NL Cy Young Award after going 24-5 with a 2.73 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP, allowing just a .203 average to opposing batters. He won a second NL Cy Young Award for a Season 11 with a 25-3 record, 2.62 ERA and 0.98 WHIP, and a .205 opposing average.

In Part Two, I'll cover other top candidates.

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