2 years ago
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Why is Ozzie Smith in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, while Alan Trammell, who out hit him and also was a Gold Glove winner, is not?
Alan Trammel played 20 years in the American league, all for the Detroit Tigers. He finished with a .285 lifetime batting average, 185 home runs, 2,365 hits, 1,231 runs scored, 236 stolen bases and 1,993 RBIs spending most of his time as a 2 hitter in the lineup. When he was asked to bat clean-up for the 1987 season, he produced 28 home runs, knocked in 105 runs and scored 101, he also had a .343 batting average. The rest of his career he played the typical number 2 hitter, advancing runners and setting up the 3 and 4 batters. He was the consummate team player, giving up his own stats for the benefit of the team. He made all star in 6 years, was World Series MVP in 1984, he won 4 gold gloves and 3 Silver Slugger awards. In contrast, Ozzie Virgil played 19 seasons for 2 teams, with a .262 lifetime batting average. He had 580 stolen bases, 28 home runs, 793 RBIs, and 1,257 runs scored. He won 13 gold gloves and one silver slugger award and was selected to the Hall of Fame. He played in 15 All Star games, but remember, at the same time Trammel was up against Robin Yount and Paul Molitor also at the SS position in the American League. Defensively Trammel finished with a .967 fielding percentage to Smith’s .965. Is Smith a Hall of Famer because of his backflips?
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You certainly make a compelling argument about Trammell. I think both should be in the Hall of Fame. Ozzie definitely does, 13 Gold Glove awards no matter how he hit should put anyone into the Hall of Fame. Smith's fielding percentage is slightly lower, really not significant, just .002. I think Ozzie had a better range, probably got to way many more balls than Trammell during the course of his career. Ozzie Smith had a range factor of 5.22 compared to the league average of 4.78. Range factor is assist and putouts per nine innings. Trammel's range factor of 4.47 was slightly below the league average. Smith was the best defensive shortstop in the National League nearly every season he played while Trammell was only a few times. On the other side of the coin, Trammell was far and away a better offensive player overall and the best offensive shortstop in the AL several times. Smith was never the best offensive shortstop in the National League. Smith deserves his Hall of Fame status, but so does Trammell. Maybe playing in Detroit has hurt his chances? I don't know but he certainly deserves way more consideration than 22.4% of the votes he received in 2010. Something about playing in Detroit because Lou Whitaker and Jack Morris, both deserving, haven't made it either. Hopefully eventually they all get in, might have to be by the Veteran's Committee.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Alan_Trammell.jpg
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