{"id":12729,"date":"2011-03-13T20:31:14","date_gmt":"2011-03-14T03:31:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.seamheads.com\/?p=12729"},"modified":"2011-03-13T20:31:14","modified_gmt":"2011-03-14T03:31:14","slug":"just-how-good-was-jeff-bagwell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2011\/03\/13\/just-how-good-was-jeff-bagwell\/","title":{"rendered":"Just How Good was Jeff Bagwell?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jeff Bagwell appeared on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this year (2011).\u00c2\u00a0 He should have been a first-ballot inductee into the Hall<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 Instead, he received only 42% of the vote.\u00c2\u00a0 This is a result that defies rational explanation and, unfortunately, only reinforces the perception that the BBWAA at times does not know what it is doing.\u00c2\u00a0 (The \u00e2\u20ac\u0153rumor\u00e2\u20ac\u009d was that some writers \u00e2\u20ac\u0153suspected\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jeff of taking steroids \u00e2\u20ac\u201c even though he has never seriously been named in any of the steroids stories.)<\/p>\n

The CAWS Career Gauge suggests that Jeff Bagwell had the #7 best career of any first baseman <\/strong>in the modern era (since 1920).\u00c2\u00a0 And he is the #36 best position player<\/strong> of the same era.\u00c2\u00a0 These are conclusions that cry out for induction into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.<\/p>\n

Bill James\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Win Shares system is the most comprehensive tool available to understand how good a season<\/strong> a player had.\u00c2\u00a0 It includes offensive and defensive contributions and adjusts for all relevant factors.\u00c2\u00a0 The CAWS Career Gauge (Career Assessment\/Win Shares) uses win shares to measure how good a career<\/strong> a player has had.<\/p>\n

Here are the top ten first basemen of the modern era (since 1920).\u00c2\u00a0 The first number is career win shares, the second is core value (the win shares for the ten best seasons) and the third is the CAWS score (the career score) [CAWS = CV + .25(CWS \u00e2\u20ac\u201c CV)].\u00c2\u00a0 Hall of Famers are in bold type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nPlayer<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n Years<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nCWS<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nCV<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nCAWS<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1.<\/strong><\/td>\nLou Gehrig<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n1923-1939 <\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n489<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n384<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n410<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2.<\/strong><\/td>\nJimmie Foxx<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		1925-1945 <\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n435<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		325<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		353<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3.<\/em><\/td>\nAlbert Pujols<\/em>
\n<\/span><\/td>\n		2001-<\/span><\/em><\/td>\n347<\/em><\/span><\/td>\n347<\/em><\/span><\/td>\n347<\/span><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4.<\/strong><\/td>\nWillie McCovey<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n1959-1980<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n408<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n285<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n316<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5.<\/td>\nDick Allen<\/span><\/td>\n1963-1977<\/span><\/td>\n342<\/span><\/td>\n304<\/span><\/td>\n314<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\nEddie Murray<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n1977-1997<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n437<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n273<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n314<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7.<\/td>\nJeff Bagwell<\/span><\/td>\n1991-2005<\/span><\/td>\n388<\/span><\/td>\n287<\/span><\/td>\n312<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8.<\/strong><\/td>\nJohnny Mize<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		1936-1953<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n339<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n296<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		307<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9.<\/strong><\/td>\nHarmon Killebrew<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		1954-1975<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n374<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n279<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n303<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10.<\/td>\nMark McGwire<\/span><\/td>\n1986-2001<\/span><\/td>\n342<\/span><\/td>\n283<\/span><\/td>\n298<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

You will note that Jeff Bagwell is ranked ahead of Hall of Famers Johnny Mize and Harmon Killebrew.\u00c2\u00a0 This puts him in very good company indeed.\u00c2\u00a0 You will note that Mark McGwire is #10 on this list.\u00c2\u00a0 Of course, his involvement with steroids is preventing him from even coming close to election to the Hall.<\/p>\n

And your eyes are not deceiving you.\u00c2\u00a0 That is Dick Allen (baseball\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s most under-appreciated superstar)<\/em> tied with Eddie Murray for 5th<\/sup> place.<\/p>\n

Now, the question is: Where does this score place Jeff Bagwell in comparison to the best position players of the modern era?<\/strong> As I mentioned above, he is #36 on the complete list.\u00c2\u00a0 Here are the players who are ranked just above and just below him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nPlayer<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nPOS. <\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nCWS<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nCV<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nCAWS<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
33.<\/strong><\/td>\nEddie Murray<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n1B<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n437<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n273<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n314<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
34.<\/strong><\/td>\nCal Ripken Jr.<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nSS<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n427<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n276<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n314<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
35.<\/strong><\/td>\nRobin Yount<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nSS<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n423<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n278<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n314<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
36.<\/td>\nJeff Bagwell<\/span><\/td>\n1B<\/span><\/td>\n388<\/span><\/td>\n287<\/span><\/td>\n312<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
37.<\/strong><\/td>\nAl Kaline<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nRF<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n443<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n268<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n312<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
38.<\/td>\nKen Griffey Jr.
\n<\/span><\/td>\n		CF<\/span><\/td>\n403<\/span><\/td>\n278<\/span><\/td>\n309<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
39.<\/strong><\/td>\nJohnny Mize<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n1B<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n339<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n296<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n307<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
40.<\/strong><\/td>\nCharlie Gehringer<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n2B<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n383<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n280<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n306<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
41.<\/strong><\/td>\nPaul Molitor<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\nDH<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n414<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n270<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n306<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
42.<\/strong><\/td>\nDuke Snider<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nCF<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n352<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n289<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n305<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

One look at these names and even a casual baseball fan recognizes that Jeff is in very select company.\u00c2\u00a0 You will note that Bagwell\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s core value of 287 is behind only Johnny Mize and Duke Snider on this list.\u00c2\u00a0 We are not talking here about a marginal Hall of Famer.\u00c2\u00a0 Bagwell is the real deal \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a true baseball superstar<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Let us hope that by the next election the BBWAA gets its collective head together and elects Jeff Bagwell to the Hall of Fame \u00e2\u20ac\u201c where he certainly belongs.<\/p>\n

Thank you for your time.<\/p>\n

Mike Hoban
\nProfessor Emeritus \u00e2\u20ac\u201c City U of NY
\nAuthor of A GOOD CAWS: A Hall of Fame Handbook <\/strong>(2011)
\nhttp:\/\/booklocker.com\/books\/2968.html<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jeff Bagwell appeared on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this year (2011).\u00c2\u00a0 He should have been a first-ballot inductee into the Hall.\u00c2\u00a0 Instead, he received only 42% of the vote.\u00c2\u00a0 This is a result that defies rational explanation and, unfortunately, only reinforces the perception that the BBWAA at times does […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hall-of-fame","category-prof-hobans-hall-of-fame-blog"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12729"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12729\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}