Here’s the deal, gang, Ripken and Gwynn are locks, but the numbers show that if one of them didn’t have a certain streak (and some other players did)…we’d have a whole different Hall.
Enter Albert “Don’t Call Me Joey” Belle:
Give my man a better relationship with the media and the longevity of one Cal Ripken and his stats rival Ruth, Aaron and Bonds…no shit.
Let’s look at the numbers…provided Belle played in the same amount of games Ripken. Basically, what I did was unscientifically take Belle’s number of games, divide them into Cal’s and multiply Belle’s stats. Not the BEST indicator of potential, but I’m here to plead a case…not win a Pulitzer.
Belle…through 3001 games instead of 1539.
HITS…3366 (good for 9th all-time). Did you know that EVERY player (37 of ’em) NOT named “Pete Rose” that has garnered more than 2800 hits and has been eligible for the Hall has made it in?!? Not in (yet)…but with more than 2800 hits: (Ripken, Gwynn, Rickey Henderson, Rafael Palmeiro, Craig Biggio, Harold Baines and Barry Bonds).
DOUBLES…758 (good for second all-time). More than Rose, less than Tris Speaker…’nuff said.
HOME RUNS…743. Do I need to go into this? 8 out of Belle’s last 10 seasons (and in reality, he only played 7 or 8 complete seasons), he hit 30+. Oh…this includes 36 in 106 games in the strike shortened 1994 season…not too shabby. By the way, Hall of Fame sluggers Tony Perez, Orlando Cepeda, Ralph Kiner, Johnny Mize and Hank Greenberg ALL have fewers homers than Belle’s 381.
RBIs…2416 (200 more than Babe Ruth, 120 more than Aaron). Over Belle’s last 10 years, he knocked in 95+. Fuck…the guy was a machine.
AVG.…295. Respectable. Trust me…there are FAR worse batting averages in the Hall. And yes, I’m looking at you Mike Schmidt and Reggie Jackson!
MVP AWARDS…none. The year Belle finished second to Mo Vaughn…EIGHT points separated them. Anyone for an east coast bias? Belle’s average was 17 points higher AND he had 11 more homers. 50 HR PRIOR to 1998 was pretty special, folks…give it up!
I’ll stop as I know I just gave some of you a TON of numbers to digest. Sure they are all hypotheticals, but they support the point I am making…and that is all that matters. For a true test of Belle’s worth, compare his ACTUAL career stats to Ralph Kiner and Hank Greenberg (both of whom had similar careers) and he dwarfs them.
Next up…Dale Murphy anyone? How about Jim Rice? Any other DOMINANT players you can think of for me to compare to the greats…I will! By the way, if anyone EVER wants to argue the numbers of Ryne Sandberg versus Craig Biggio, Jeff Kent and Roberto Alomar…step up.
***Note: Since this blog was originally written, Belle received less than 5% and was taken off subsequent ballots.***
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