[Skipscards]

Originally Posted by tyrith

Harold Baines peak season was 4.3 bWAR and he had a total of 38.8. The next lowest position player in bWAR whose career ended after 1980 was Jim Rice...at 47.7. His career bWAR is less Anthony Rizzo. The only reason why he even got to accumulation totals like he has is because he's 38th all time in plate appearances...three places ahead of Johnny Damon, who had 2700 hits, is only giving up 10 points of OBP and 30 of slugging, who played center field for most of his career, 400 SBs, and who didn't make it to a 2nd ballot on the BBWAA vote and who no one is arguing should be in the Hall.

I'm sorry, but Harold Baines being in the HOF is indefensible. Defense matters. Positions matter. The reasons why fWAR has Salvador Perez's career value as less than Will Smith's matter, even if can dispute the degree. And we are, fortunately, slowly developing at least a big chunk of the BBWAA electorate that isn't beholden to the arbitrary voting decisions of managers on Gold Gloves and players and fans on the ASG.

The Hall of Fame is not beholden to WAR. WAR is a framework. It’s a tool. It’s a singular statistic designed to measure a player’s value vs a replacement player. It’s not a Hall of Fame line of demarcation. It is not infallible. And it does not factor in to Veterans Committee selections.

Trust me, Baines belongs in the Hall. I could bore you with his case, but just trust me. He probably shouldn’t have gone in so quickly but he’s got a strong argument. I’m not sure why you are bringing up Defense as it relates to a DH. Clearly defense doesn’t matter for a DH. But for what it’s worth, before his knees gave out, Baines was a decent fielder with a very strong arm.