MLB Power Rankings: The biggest Hall of Fame snub for every team
By Tim Boyle
10) MLB Power Rankings: Cleveland Guardians, Manny Ramirez
Controversy followed Manny Ramirez plenty. He’s never going to get into the Hall of Fame. Despite his 12 All-Star selections, a World Series MVP for the 2004 Boston Red Sox, and being the Albert Pujols of his generation, Ramirez is the biggest snub coming from the Cleveland Guardians organization. He is as equally a Boston Red Sox legend, but one equally as controversial player takes that spot in this week’s MLB Power Rankings.
9) MLB Power Rankings: Los Angeles Dodgers, Steve Garvey
Let’s not spoil everything but reveal a little more about the rest of this list. Steve Garvey is one of only two players in the top ten snubbed from Cooperstown for a non-controversial reason. It seems the voters have been getting things mostly correct. Garvey is one of the great Los Angeles Dodgers and the 1974 MVP. He consistently played every game, reached 200 hits, and hit for good power while playing Gold Glove defense. It’s astonishing he never did get into the Hall of Fame. In fact, he never got higher than 41.6% of the vote which happened on the first try.
8) MLB Power Rankings: Texas Rangers, Rafael Palmeiro
Rafael Palmeiro is one of the guys we can partly blame as to why Garvey didn’t get into Cooperstown. Did voters naively see what other first basemen were doing and appreciate them more? Palmeiro played some of his best years with the Texas Rangers on his way to hitting over 500 home runs and surpassing 3,000 career hits. We know why he isn’t in Cooperstown. PEDs strike again.
7) MLB Power Rankings: Detroit Tigers, Lou Whitaker
Detroit Tigers fans will scream forever about how Lou Whitaker belongs in the Hall of Fame. His 75.1 WAR is among the best and greater than many already in Cooperstown. Whitaker was overlooked through most of his career, possibly because he didn’t do any one thing at a Hall of Fame level. Instead, Whitaker was a well-rounded ballplayer. Shockingly, he only received 2.9% of the votes during his one and only year on the ballot. It’s criminal.
6) MLB Power Rankings: Arizona Diamondbacks, Curt Schilling
The Arizona Diamondbacks haven’t been around long and yet they have a very worthy Hall of Fame snub. Curt Schilling had great years with the Philadelphia Phillies prior and the Boston Red Sox after. However, it was with the Diamondbacks when Schilling peaked. His snubbing has to do more with attitude than anything on the field. Outspoken in more ways than one, Schilling’s postseason greatness should have been enough to get him votes. Instead, he’s off the ballot and he will never get in.