The Keltner List

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

1. Was he ever regarded as the best player in baseball? Did anybody, while he was active, ever suggest that he was the best player in baseball?

 

Probably not. Thurman Munson won the MVP award in 1976, but he was far from the best candidate. Voters love RBI hitters on pennant winners. George Brett was a more deserving player that season.

 

2. Was he the best player on his team?

 

In 1974 he tied Bobby Murcer for the team lead in Win Shares. Otherwise he was never the best player on his team. He was the third best player on the '77 squad, and eighth best on the '78 squad.

 

3. Was he the best player in baseball at his position? Was he the best player in the league at his position?

 

Munson was a comtemporary of Johnny Bench, so obviously he wasn't the best catcher in baseball. In the American League, he was perhaps the best catcher in the early 70s, but Fisk took over in 1977.

 

4. Did he have an impact on a number of pennant races?

 

In 1976, the Yankees won the AL East and Munson won the MVP. He hit .233 in August and .291 in September. He drew one walk in September, garnering a LOWER OBP than batting average.

 

In 1977, Munson hit 362/380/533 in September as the Yankees won the division by 2.5 games.

 

In 1978, Munson slugged .340 and .311 in August and September respectively as the Yankees stormed from 14 games out to beat the Red Sox.

 

5. Was he good enough that he could play regularly after passing his prime?

 

No, given the circumstances. But let's assume the plane crash didn't happen. Munson slugged .373 in 1978, and .374 in 1979. Munson was clearly on the decline at the age of 32.

 

6. Is he the very best baseball player in history who is not in the Hall of Fame?

 

Not by a longshot.

 

7. Are most players who have comparable statistics in the Hall of Fame?

 

None of Munson's most similar players are in the Hall.

 

8. Do the player's numbers meet Hall of Fame standards?

 

No. Munson scored zero on the Black Ink test, 46 on the Gray Ink test, and meets just 29.5% of HOF standards.

 

9. Is there any evidence to suggest that the player was significantly better or worse than is suggested by his statistics?

 

If you believe in chemestry, he was the "captain" of two World Series teams. He also won three Gold Gloves.

 

10. Is he the best player at his position who is eligible for the Hall of Fame?

 

No. That honor goes to either Ted Simmons or Joe Torre.

 

11. How many MVP-type seasons did he have? Did he ever win an MVP award? If not, how many times was he close?

 

Munson won one MVP award, and finished seventh in 1975 and 1977.

 

12. How many All-Star-type seasons did he have? How many All-Star games did he play in? Did most of the players who played in this many All-Star games go into the Hall of Fame?

 

Munson played in seven All-Star games.

 

13. If this man were the best player on his team, would it be likely that the team could win the pennant?

 

Probably not. The Yankees didn't win until they signed Catfish Hunter.

 

14. What impact did the player have on baseball history? Was he responsible for any rule changes? Did he introduce any new equipment? Did he change the game in any way?

 

None apparent.

 

15. Did the player uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider?

 

Generally. He was considered a mean player by some of his teammates, but that did not appear to effect his play.

 

Conclusion: Munson wasn't really the best catcher in the league even during his prime, so its hard to buy into the argument that he would make the Hall if the tragedy was avoided. His career was in decline at the time of the accident. Munson hit 113 home runs, but hit just nine in his last season and a half. Munson would have been lucky to reach 150 home runs. He never led the league in any offensive category. I do not want to disparage the image of a deceased player, but Munson was not a Hall of Fame quality player.

[Guest Anglesault]

I think he was injured on and off towards the end. I don't know if it's fair to say he was really declining or if those were the results of nagging injuries and he would have gotten back to form in 80.