There’s no individual honor quite as high for a professional baseball player as making it to the Hall of Fame. 268 former players – out of over 15,000 who have played in the Majors - have been enshrined into Cooperstown. There are also many players who had what appeared to be Hall of Fame careers, but for some reason or another, never were inducted. Sometimes the reason why is clear. Connections to Performance Enhancing Drugs has kept out many of the greats. However, in today’s presentation, we will count down the Top 10 Non-Steroid Related Hall of Fame Snubs. These are players who had careers with sustained excellence, plenty of awards and accolades, and no PED controversies to speak of, although some may have had some animosity with the media for other reasons. This is not to say I don’t believe some of the PED-connected players should be in the Hall, because I do – but at least the reason why they haven’t been enshrined is obvious. This list will also avoid players banned from the Hall like Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
#10 Dick Allen
Dick Allen
Dick Allen was simply one of the best hitters of his generation. He won a Rookie of the Year in 1964 and followed it with several seasons of offensive domination. Allen won an MVP Award in 1972 after hitting .307 with 37 home runs and 113 driven in. Allen was a 7-time All Star with 9 seasons of at least 85 RBIs and 10 of at least 20 home runs. Unfortunately, he only played 15 years and dealt with several injuries. He retired with 351 home runs, 1,848 hits and a .292 batting average. Falling short of 2,000 hits likely hurt Allen along with the fact that he was not popular with the media. However, for about a decade he was among the best in the game. From 1964 to 1974, he had the best OPS in baseball –
better than both Mays and Aaron. All things said, Dick Allen may not be a first ballot shoe-in, but certainly should have been inducted at some point before he passed away in December of 2020.
#9 Billy Wagner
Billy Wagner
In determining what makes a Hall of Famer, since there aren’t many guidelines that the Hall provides, one of the best ways to gauge that is by simple precedence. Based on previous inductions, it’s clear that relief pitchers – if they were good enough – can get in the Hall. Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Goose Goosage, Mariano Rivera, Lee Smith and Bruce Sutter have all been elected. Wagner stacks up extremely well against them and, statistically, is better than most of them. Only Rivera has a better Earned Run Average than Wagner’s career 2.31 ERA. Along with Smith & Hoffman, Wagner is a 7-time All Star. And he is better than both of them in nearly ever stat.
His WHIP and K/9 Ratio are better than every Hall of Fame reliever including Rivera. The only possible knock on Wagner is his poor Post Season performance – an ERA over 10 in 1l.2 innings, a fairly small sample size. Still, Lee Smith had an ERA over 8 in the postseason and it didn’t keep him out. Besides, the regular season is the bulk of a player’s career and if a player can get in without even playing in the playoffs, which they have, then a poor performance in a small sample size shouldn’t keep some one out. Billy Wagner was one of the best relief pitchers in baseball history and he belongs in the Hall of Fame.
#8 Lou Whitaker
Lou Whitaker
A 5-Tool Player who did almost everything well for 19 years, second baseman Lou Whitaker was insultingly thrown off the ballot after receiving less than 5% of the vote in 2001. With 2,369 hits and 244 bombs, he didn’t hit the major milestones, but he did help his team win games for 19 years, all for the Detroit Tigers. He won a Rookie of the Year award, was a 5-time All Star, 3-time Gold Glover and even won 4 Silver Sluggers. His career WAR on Baseball Reference is better than Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeter and Tony Gwynn among many other Hall of Famers. He also had over 1100 career walks and an impressive .363 career on base percentage, the same as Hall of Fame second baseman Craig Biggio. The top 3 players who compare to Whitaker in the Similiary Scores metric at Baseball Reference – Ryne Sandberg, Alan Trammel and Roberto Alomar – are all Hall of Famers. Unfortunately, the outlook isn’t too bright as Whitaker not only fell of the main ballot, but hasn’t even been considered yet by the Veteran’s Committee.
#7 Sherry Magee
Shery Magee
A forgotten player from the early 20th Century, Left-Fielder Sherry Magee, who mostly played for the Phillies, had an extraordinary career in which he lead the league in Runs Batted In four times, maxing out at 123 in 1910. He also led the league in batting average in 1910, hitting .334. Magee could also fly, stealing over 20 bases ten times, including 55 in 1906. He could run down fly balls like no on else and was known for his stellar defense as well. Sherry Magee was a superstar of the deadball era, always giving 100% with an intense passion for the game. Unfortunately, that passion sometimes turned to anger, and he once decked an umpire during an argument over a third strike call. It’s likely he wasn’t too popular with the press, which may explain his lack of a plaque in Cooperstown. In 1920, after an amazing 16 year career, he chose to play in the Minor Leagues instead, to avoid playing for the greedy owners he wanted nothing to do with. On the All-Time list of left-fielders, Sherry Magee is 15th in WAR, higher than Willie Stargell. The only players above him that are not in the Hall of Fame are Manny Ramirez, Barry Bonds and Pete Rose.
#6 Scott Rolen
Scott Rolen & Albert Pujols After The 2006 World Series
For many, Scott Rolen is a borderline candidate but if you dig deeper into the numbers, he seems like a shoe-in for me. Rolen is a Rookie of the Year who was elite for over a decade offensively and defensively. He won an incredible 8 Gold Glove Awards, more than any third baseman in history besides Nolan Arenado, Mike Schmidt and Brooks Robinson. Rolen also made 7 All Star Teams and won a Silver Slugger. Statistically, he is in the top 10 WAR All Time list for Third Basemen. Every eligible player above him is in the Hall of Fame. He was also fantastic during the 2006 World Series, hitting .421 with 3 doubles and a home run, helping the Cardinals bring a ring to St. Louis. The bottom line with Rolen is, he was one of the best defensive third baseman in the game for well over a decade while being a premiere hitter, retiring with a .281 batting average and over 300 home runs. If Ozzie Smith can get in on his defense alone, how is Scott Rolen being held out?
#5 Todd Helton
Statistically, Todd Helton is a Hall of Famer. He hit .316 for his entire career with an On-Base-Percentage of .414 and over 2,500 hits to go along with 3 Gold Gloves, 4 Silver Sluggers and 5 All Star Selections. In 2000, he had an unbelievable season, hitting .372 with 147 RBIs, 216 hits and 42 home runs. Looking at Career OPS, he is incredibly 23rd on the All Time List, not just for first basemen, but for every MLB Player ever. His OPS is higher than Willie Mays. Enough said. How is he not in the Hall of Fame? The only explanation is he is being kept out because he played his entire career at Coors Field, which is absolutely insane. Major League Baseball has a team in Denver. This is where they play their home games. Besides, Helton hit .287 and 187 home runs on the road and was a dangerous hitter no matter where the game was being played. Furthermore, his teammate Larry Walker was recently inducted. Yes, Helton was much better at home, but to me, the bottom line is he had a Hall of Fame career and was among the best in the game during his career on both sides of the ball and he should have a plaque in Cooperstown.
#4 Keith Hernandez
Keith Hernandez
Perhaps the best defensive first baseman in the history of the game played for 17 years, collected over 2,100 hits and retired with a batting average of .296 and on base percentage of .384. Keith Hernandez also won an insane 11 Gold Gloves. Just on those facts alone, he should be in the Hall of Fame. However, let’s add a few more facts. Hernandez made 5 All Star Teams, won 2 Silver Sluggers, 2 World Series rings and even a National League MVP Award in 1979 when he hit .344 while leading the league in doubles. It is truly unbelievable that Hernandez never received more than 10.4% of the vote on the Hall of Fame Ballot. He has a better career WAR than fellow first basemen David Ortiz, Harmon Killebrew and Orlando Cepeda. This is one of the most baffling cases I’ve ever seen as far Hall of Fame snubs go. He may not have been the most likable player ever, but the stats speak for themselves. Keith Hernandez should be in the Hall of Fame.
#3 Andruw Jones
Andruw Jones
Similar to Todd Helton and Keith Hernandez, Andruw Jones was elite on both sides of the ball. The difference is, he smashed over 430 home runs along the way. How does a player who won 10 Gold Gloves and hit 430 home runs not get enshrined into Cooperstown? In the mid 2000’s, broadcasters were already referring to Jones as “the future Hall of Famer.” He had by 2007 won his 10th Gold Glove and averaged 33 bombs a year over the previous 11 years. There is no doubt if he had retired after 2007 or 2008, he would have already been inducted. Unfortunately, his career went on and Jones struggled with injuries, stringing together 5 mediocre years to finish off his career. Those 5 years are apparently all the voters remembered. The fact is Andruw Jones had more Defensive Wins Above Replacement than any outfielder in the history of the game – including Willie Mays. When you add that to the fact that he retired with 434 home runs, the decision is easy. Jones also finished 2nd for MVP in 2005 and would have easily won it if not for an All-Time season by Albert Pujols.
#2 Curt Schilling
Curt Schilling
Although I can’t pretend Curt Schilling is without controversy, he was never banned from the game and was never suspected, as far as I know, of PED usage. His career is almost without question Hall-of-Fame worthy. Schilling struck out over 3,100 batters during his 20 year career that included 6 All Star Selections and 2 seasons where he led the league in wins. However, his best moments came during the postseason. Schilling is both an NLCS and World Series MVP and had historic moments with both the Red Sox and Diamondacks. He had a career 11-2 Postseason record with a remarkable 2.23 ERA. If Schilling’s regular season performance doesn’t get him in, his postseason performance should easily take him over the top. However, his controversial comments and opinions since his retirement have appeared to keep him out. I know many out there believe he should be kept out because of some of his statements, but he earned his plaque in the Hall of Fame, which celebrates his baseball career. It is not the Hall of Wonderful People or the Hall of People Who Never Say Controversial Stuff On Twitter. Political and religious opinions should not change the fact that Curt Schilling is a Hall of Famer
#1 Fred McGriff
Fred McGriff
My #1 Hall of Fame Snub of all time is the Crimedog, Fred McGriff. McGriff played right smack dab in the middle of the steroid era and stayed clean. Does he get rewarded for hitting 493 home runs with a .284 career average while resisting the temptation to roid up? Negative. If he had hit a mere 7 more home runs, would have gotten in because voters are not smart enough to understand that a number ending in zeroes is objectively no more important than any other number? Probably so. In fact, if there was no strike in 1994, he would have easily surpassed 500. Fred McGriff consistently hit 30+ home runs and 100 RBIs year after year after year. He finished his career with huge numbers including 2,490 hits and 1,550 RBI. Not one player who isn’t connected to steroids hit more home runs and drove in more runs during the 90’s. McGriff also hit .303 with 10 bombs and 37 RBI in the postseason, helping the Braves win it all in 1995. McGriff was also a class act, great with the fans, polite with the media and never seemed to have an enemy. If the voters insist on not voting for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens because of steroids, then don’t they have to give more credit to those who stayed clean and still put up Hall of Fame numbers albeit not bloated and video game numbers.. because he didn’t do steroids! Fred McGriff is my easy #1 Hall of Fame of all time and it makes me feel literally sick that he fell off the ballot. Veteran’s Committee, do the right thing and put Fred McGriff in the Hall of Fame.
There you have it for my Top 10 Hall of Snubs of all time, not counting Steroid and Banned players. Feel free to yell at me in the comment section down below about who I left off or who I put on who is obviously not a Hall of Famer. And of course, how I know nothing about baseball and lost all credibility. Thank you all so much for your amazing support; hit that thumbs up button and have a fantastic day.
