3 MLB Hall of Fame position players who made Cooperstown with the weakest resumes

When we think of Baseball Hall of Famers, we think of home run sluggers like Harmon Killebrew, high-average hitters like Tony Gwynn, Gold Glovers like Johnny Bench, and those who could do it all like Hank Aaron. But beyond the normally lauded accomplishments like those listed above, there are some HOF inductees who seem to be head-scratchers.

That isn’t to say these are HOFers who shouldn’t be HOFers. If someone is inducted into the Hall of Fame, it’s usually for a reason. But with so many great players passed over for the HOF honors, it calls into question the decision-making process that valued those with weaker resumes over bona fide stars.

Let’s take Paul Konerko for instance. Over his 18 years in the majors, Konerko hit 439 home runs with a .279 batting average. He posted seven seasons of home run totals over 30 (two of which were 40+) and 4 seasons of .300+ batting averages. For the vast majority of his career, Konerko was a great hitter. However, Konerko isn’t in the HOF. Why?

In several different eras, Konerko’s career might justify a plaque in the Hall of Fame. However, it depends heavily on the era in which one plays and, unfortunately, Konerko played during the steroid era. While Konerko might have played clean, several MLB stars that used PEDs to boost their numbers crowded the field, taking votes from clean players only to fall short. While many PED users remain on the ballot, Konerko, on the other hand, fell off in his first year.

Speaking of eras in baseball, a lot of what qualifies one to be a Hall of Famer is their contributions in their specific era. We can look at a player’s stats and wonder why they aren't in Cooperstown, but when it comes down to it, the numbers for that era may have been historically low such as the dead ball era.

With that said, here are a few players that didn’t really outperform their peers in standard statistics and whose selections give credence to the argument that Hall-of-Fame voters have been too selective with Konerko and others like him. But do keep in mind, excellence on the field spans beyond the stat line and these three are in the HOF for doing something out of the ordinary for their respective eras.

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3. Phil Rizzuto

Phil Rizzuto was a beloved Yankee shortstop and Yankees’ broadcaster for numerous years. Three years were taken from his baseball career to fulfill his call to serve in the Navy during World War II. His entire 13-year career (1941-1942 and 1946-1956) was spent with the New York Yankees.

In that time, Rizzuto only hit 38 home runs never exceeding seven in a single season. His main niche was as a skilled bunter. He led baseball in sacrifice bunts four years straight. But neither his home run total nor his bunting prowess tells the full story. Rizzuto garnered MVP votes eight times, winning the award in 1950. That year, he hit .324 with seven home runs, both career highs and one of two times he hit for a .300+ average. Rizzuto retired with a career .273 batting average.

But perhaps Rizzuto wasn’t selected for the two years that saw his average climb well above most others. Rizzuto also happened to be one of the best defenders at the time and for that fact, one of the best in MLB history. Unfortunately, the Gold Glove award was established in 1957, the year after Rizzuto retired.

Padding Rizzuto’s Cooperstown resume was the fact that he was apart of the Yankees during their very own era. Rizzuto saw the Yankees through nine World series matchups, winning seven of them. Overall, Rizzuto was more of an average hitter. But his defense and small-ball skills were enough to earn him a spot in the HOF. Rizzuto was voted in by the veteran’s committee in 1994.

2. Ray Schalk

Of every hitter in Cooperstown, Ray Schalk has the smallest home run total and the lowest career average. At this point, it looks easy to pick on Schalk. But before anyone does that, let’s explore what makes Schalk a Hall of Famer.

Schalk started his career in the Dead Ball Era, which explains a lot. The Dead Ball Era was a dark time in the sport for hitters as ballparks were very deep and poorly lit. The balls were soft and overused making them difficult to drive for a long distance. Even worse, the pitchers were allowed to do as they pleased with the balls; scuffing them, spitting on them, and dumping tobacco juice on them to make them darker.

But Schalk wasn’t much better offensively when the Live Ball Era came about. He never hit more than four home runs in a single season and his batting average topped out in the .280s. Schalk retired after 18 years with 11 home runs and a .253 average.

But it wasn’t either of these unremarkable stats that justify Schalk’s HOF status. Schalk was known for revolutionizing the position of catcher. As explained on the Hall of Fame website itself:

“Schalk pioneered aspects of the catcher’s position often taken for granted. An active part of the infield, he was believed to be among the first catchers to back up throws to first base on ground outs or third base on throws from the outfield. He also recorded putouts at every base over the course of his career, even second base, and he led AL catchers in fielding percentage five times and caught stealing percentage three times.”

Like Rizzuto, Schalk was a great defender. And, for a brief time, Schalk was a base-stealing threat accruing 30 in one season. Schalk garnered MVP votes four times. While players with his stats might not survive long in the majors in today’s game, he was important to his era and to what catching is today. Schalk was inducted in 1955 by the Veterans Committee.

1. Rick Ferrell

Unlike the others on the list, catcher Rick Ferrell was just a good defender, not a great one or revolutionary one. For two seasons, he led the league in passed balls, though he was dealing with an unusual slate of pitchers. The one major difference offensively between him and the others on this list is that Ferrell posted four seasons’ worth of averages higher than .300 (with a qualifying number of plate appearances) reaching as high as .315 in 1932. His one major achievement was holding the record for most games caught having accumulated 1806, a record he would hold until 1988.

Ferrell retired having played 18 years (1929-1945 and 1947) posting a career .281 average with 28 home runs. While a good hitter, Ferrell topped out at eight home runs in one season. He received MVP votes four times in his career and was an eight-time All-Star.

While good, his batting average doesn’t usually qualify anyone for a spot in the HOF. Several hitters that exceeded his batting averages and hit home runs at a far greater rate have been passed up for the honor. By all indications, it seems that Ferrell was inducted solely because of his consistency and longevity behind the plate. Today, Ferrell is fourteenth on the list in terms of games caught. Only four players who have caught more games are in the HOF (Yadier Molina is yet to appear on the HOF ballot).

But, like Schalk, Ferrell was very important for his era, doing something that stood out from other catchers. That is why he is in the HOF.