I first blogged about this yesterday, when Fox Sports' website The Buzzer touted Ian Kinsler for Cooperstown. Stating that I refused to give it the cheap publicity of linking to the post, I does not currently belong in Baseball Hall of Fame conversation, and will not be there when he ends his career. I added that he's not even, yet, in the Hall of Very Good discussion range.
Well, Fox, perhaps taking pages from Faux News on how to gin up cheap PR, has today touted Torii Hunter. Again, no linking by me, though I'm going to up the sarcasm level via the over-the-top hashtagging. And again, not even close to HOF level candidacy!
OK, the "anti-talk," in brief.
First, a career OPS+ of 110 minimum is a sine qua non in my book. Hunter, currently 111, barely makes it. And, he had no single outstanding year. His top year, by OPS+, was 131. Solid but not eye-popping.
Another sabermetric stat I have been turning to more and more is WAA. 30 is my minimum and 35 is preferred, though I more flexible on this. Hunter hasn't even broken 20.
Second, some counting stats. Barely over 2,000 hits. Just an outside shot, as I see it, at 2,500 career. No shot at 400 career HRs. Not that good, nor that frequent, of a base stealer.
Third, "counting sabermetrics." He's well short of HOF Standards and HOF Monitor baselines. And his JAWS, for center fielders, leaves him behind the likes of ... Johnny Damon, Ellis Burks and Brett Butler, for doorknob's sake.
Fourth, he doesn't pass the eyeballs test.
And, I'm going to continue to skewer Fox, and to start calling it Faux Sports, as long as it keeps up this nonsense.
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