Jim Edmonds Delays His Hall Of Fame Argument

Thanks to Twitter and Fangraphs, one of the most popular things for baseball fans to is argue over a player's Hall of Fame candidacy years and years before said player appears on a ballot. After some careful research, I've concluded everyone is always wrong about everything. No matter how much time is spent on analysis, there is going to be some yahoo who still thinks pitcher wins and RBI determine the greatness of a player. We might as well just open the Hall of Debate.

For Jim Edmonds though, it looks like his five year countdown to gracing a ballot won't start for another year. Edmonds recently inked a minor league deal with the Cardinals that included an invitation to Spring Training...

Where Edmonds fits into the Cardinals' roster is unclear.

The team Will Carry several bench/outfielders into spring training, including Allen Craig and Jon Jay. Craig, a righthanded hitter, will also get playing time at third base. Jay, a lefthanded batter, can play all three outfield positions. Jay not only is the incumbent for the role that Edmonds could ostensibly take, Jay also has Edmonds' signature No. 15.

The 40-year-old missed all of the 2009 season and spent time with the Brewers and Reds in 2010. In 272 plate appearances, Edmonds hit 11 home runs and a .276/.342/.504 line. His 2.8 WAR was over a win more than Jay and Craig combined. I always liked Edmonds and was sad to see him leave Anaheim. But Adam Kennedy was a beast in that 2002 run to the championship.

It's never too early, right? If Edmonds were to retire today, would his resume pass the Hall of Fame eyeball test?

Jim Edmonds
393 HR, .284 AVG, .376 OBP, .537 SLG, .383 wOBA, 68.1 WAR

He has a case. But if Tim Raines can't get in, I wouldn't start writing a speech just yet. Baseball-Reference lists Ellis Burks, Duke Snider and Andruw Jones as Edmonds' closest comps. And of course, here is their cumulative WAR Grid by age.


Snider is in the Hall. Burks debuted and fell off of the ballot in 2010. Edmonds and Jones will have some pretty interesting cases. Jones was really, really good before mysteriously and completely falling apart. I did see him a little too often at the Pink Pony in Atlanta now that I think about it.

I'd have to think long and hard about giving Edmonds my imaginary vote but right now I'm leaning Hall of Famer. Plus, who knows what metrics we'll be using in five or six years or if we'll be enslaved by robots by then.

Time for Some Links

In between viewing tapes from the 1998 ALCS and the time in 1991 when he singled off one of the kids who had already grown facial hair (shaky camera work by Aunt Jo), Derwood will provide some links from around the baseball blogosphere. We call it Links From Around The Baseball Blogosphere.


The American Folklore Baseball League is a simulated league that includes the Bad News Bears and the Springfield Isotopes. How is Kelly Leak only hitting .279 for Chico's Bail Bonds? (AFBL)

Bruce Markusen at Hardball Times has a great piece on the new voice of black baseball, suggesting Mudcat Grant to take over for Buck O'Neil, who died in 2006. (Replacing Buck's Voice)

Funnybaseballcards.com presents the third round of its Nerdy Glasses and Mustaches collection. Three horrible Yankees included; just had another bad flashback. (Funny Baseball Cards)

The Caribbean World Series is underway. (Caribbean WS)

River Avenue Blues does fine work on the Yankees and here they take a peak at three starting pitching options for NY with Spring Training right around the corner. (Pitching proposals)

On the other coast, the guys at Duck Snorts do a great job blogging the Padres. Here they look at the 13 players who collected one hit in a San Diego uniform. This is the definitive John Roskos piece. (One-hit Wonders)

Andy Hangin' 'Em Up

After an off-season of speculation on whether he had pitched his last game in a big league uniform, Andy Pettitte will officially announce his retirement later today. Pettitte broke in in 1995 and was a big part of the Yankees dynasty in the late-1990s. I sat in the right field bleachers at old Fulton County Stadium and watched Pettitte shut out the Braves in game five of the 1996 World Series. One of my two greatest live moments as a Yankees fan. He went to Houston from 2004-2006, or what I like to call The Three Years I Spent Mumbling In The Attic, and finally returned to the Yankees before the 2007 season.

Since we're not discussing his time with the Astros-I'm down to just one patio chair and I need it for possum surveillance-his best season as a Yankee was 2007 when the lefty had a 7.6 WAR, 2.88 ERA and helped lead NY to the playoffs. One of his best years was in 2010 (1.27 WHIP, 3.28 ERA), which turned out to be his last.

I know the Pettitte-for-HOF discussions have already started, and despite my love for No. 46, I think he may fall a little short. A 50.2 career WAR is really good, but I don't think it's hall worthy. Still, as a Yankees fan I remember a lot of HOF Pettitte moments in the post-season. To name a few: 1998 division series; '98 World Series clincher in San Diego; '03 division series with NY down 1-0. He was fantastic in the 2003 World Series, which was canceled right before it ended; no winner declared. Pettitte won all three clinching games in the 2009 World Series run, and he was excellent in the final two post-season starts of his career (four ER in 14 innings against the Twins and Rangers last fall).

And I'm not sure if you heard, but the Yankees rotation has a bunch of question marks heading into the 2011 season. Mainly

1. Sergio Mitre?

Pettitte going one more season would've calmed Anthony in Poughkeepsie's nerves a little bit, yet for Pettitte's sake it's probably a good time to call it a career. 38-years old, 16 seasons, over 3,000 innings, and that left elbow seemed ready to explode. The wear and tear takes its toll on a player. I should know: I played one season on the JV team at age 15 and retired before the next season's try outs when Coach Smith pretended to speak Spanish and sprayed me with a house.

Pettitte will go down as the second-greatest left-hander in Yankees history, behind Whitey Ford and just ahead of Ron Guidry. Not bad for a 22nd-round draft pick.

More Mustache Silhouette T-Shirts Please

This could be the greatest line of MLB T-shirts I've ever seen. I'm more of a beard guy than a mustache guy but I can't deny the awesomeness of these shirts. The shirts feature the silhouettes of famous mustachioed players from the 1970s, 80s and 90s. You can find the 13 shirt collection under Nike's Cooperstown Heritage line for $20 a pop. If there was a Vlad Guerrero Angels version, I would have already been out $20.

Instead, this is the order that I plan on purchasing my private collection.

1. Michael Jack Schmidt

I lived in Marlton, New Jersey for six years growing up. Philadelphia was basically the next town over. We took a field trip to the Vet when I was a youngster and I'm pretty sure running on that turf ruined my little league career. My knees were never the same.

2. Roland Glen Fingers

This probably would have been cooler as an Oakland shirt but the old school Brewers logo and colors were pretty sweet. Plus that is the only facial hair I've never sported out of this collection. I'm not proud of any part of that last sentence.

3. Oswaldo José Guillén Barrios

Provided that is Ozzie Gullien. I can't be completely sure since Nike didn't label any of these and it gets a little tricky in some places. Maybe my boy Mike at The Golden Sombrero can give me an educated guess.

3A. Johan Alexander Santana Araque

Um, that's is Johan, right? Dave Brown was guessing Kirby Puckett but that has to be Johan. Definitely Johan. Probably. It's Johan. Maybe. (UPDATE: Nike says it's Kirby)

3B. Jeffrey Robert Bagwell and Kenneth Gene Caminiti combo

Hey Jeff and Ken, if this is modeled after you, please raise your hand. Bagwell it is. Too soon? Lighten up, people. (UPDATE: It's Jeff)

Derwood's Birthday Present, Don Mattingly

If that's not Mattingly, I'm going to get an earful tomorrow. If it is Mattingly, I'm not sure I can afford the $20 for the shirt anyway. It turns out the financial foundation of this site is tied up in some ponzi scheme litigation. (UPDATE: It's Don)

[hat tips to Big League Stew and Chitwood & Hobbs]

Why Is Vlad Guerrero Still Homeless?

Vladimir Guerrero is coming off of a rebound season in 2010 hitting 29 home runs and a .300/.345/.496 slash line. But he was signed to just a one-year deal with Texas and now he's stuck in free agency limbo while the market dries up around him. Guerrero doesn't have many potential landing spots remaining since he didn't opt for the Six Million Dollar Man surgery and runs like an arthritic deer on ice. I love Vladdy but watching him play the outfield in the World Series was embarrassing for everyone involved.

The Orioles seem like the most logical destination because, well, they have officially offered Vlad a deal. The O's are standing pat and aren't willing to budge from their $4.5-5 million offer. But, Buster Olney reported that the famous mystery team has surfaced...

The Vladimir Guerrero talks will gather some momentum in the next 48 hours, one way or another. The Orioles have an offer on the table; last week, Guerrero's side informed them that they had an offer worth $8 million in play. It's not clear which team would have made the $8 million offer.

In this case, I'm inclined to believe the mystery team is actually a figment of the Guerrero camp's imagination. MLB Trade Rumors identified four potential fits for the 35-year-old DH in the Orioles, Blue Jays, Rangers and Angels. It's hard to imagine any of those teams offering $8 million for what would basically have to be a part time designated hitter.

If you take a closer look at his bounce back 2010 numbers, there's cause for more trepidation in offering Vlad a lucrative deal. All you have to do is look at his splits. So maybe the Angels would offer him $8 million and perhaps a couple of extra years to boot.

Vlad has always crushed the ball in Arlington and that certainly gave his 2010 season a boost.

Split	PA	H	2B	HR	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Home	336	98	16	16	.315	.354	.527	.881
Away	307	80	11	13	.284	.336	.461	.796

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/3/2011.

He gave up 31 points of batting average, 18 points of on base percentage and 66 points of slugging percentage. It's not the worst split I've ever seen but it's not an encouraging sign for an aging hitter.

Split	PA	H	2B	HR	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1st Half	354	103	14	20	.319	.364	.554	.919
2nd Half	289	75	13	9	.278	.322	.426	.748

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/3/2011.

Vlad also tired down the stretch and hit .220/.242/.271 in the playoffs. Splitting time might keep him fresher but surely $8 million is too much to pay for a part time hitter.

Let's take a quick look at the projections for Vlad which assume he's going to be an everyday DH.

Bill James
586 PA, 26 HR, .304/.363/.505, .373 wOBA

MARCEL
562 PA, 22 HR, .284/.335/.466, .345 wOBA

James seems high but let's split the difference and call Vlad a .360 wOBA hitter as a full time DH. That would be exactly what his wOBA was in 2010 when he was a 2.6 WAR player. That would make him worth about $10 million for 2011. But as I said, if he signs anywhere but Baltimore, he is likely to be a part time hitter.

The $8 million offer would make sense for one team but, unfortunately for me, that team hasn't been thinking clearly this off-season. Dave Cameron suggested that the Angels sign Vlad but his reasoning makes too much sense for the Halo's front office. The Angels could get some nice production from Guerrero at DH but, more importantly, his playing time could prevent Bobby Abreu's 2012 option from vesting. It's almost too good to be true like a magical clause that could void Vernon Wells' contract.

My guess is that this plays out for another few days and the Orioles kick it up to around $6 million and sign him.

Indians Equipment Leaves For Spring Training Friday

Is this really news? I think I've identified the slowest news stage of the off-season. It's this week. The biggest baseball news was that Rob Neyer left ESPN for SB Nation. Other than that, I think most baseball scribes were filling their time by making up variations of snowpocolypse on Twitter. Except for the guys at Fangraphs* who crank out tons of words everyday because I'm pretty sure Dave Cameron is running that place like it's a sweatshop with whips and arms chained to laptops.

But I officially realized we're in the news doldrums of the baseball year when Paul Hoynes scraped the bottom of the barrel for this gem...

This winter can't last forever, right?

One of the sure signs that the snow will eventually stop and the ice will melt takes place Friday when the Indians' equipment truck leaves Progressive Field for Goodyear, Ariz., to prepare for spring training.

I like Hoynsie but if we don't get that man some real baseball to write about soon, I'm afraid Cleveland fans can look forward to a series of articles about the condition of the carpet in the clubhouse.

Hurry up, Spring Training.

*Obviously, I know BP, BA and a ton of other places are still cranking out awesome content but still...

Watch Canseco Lose A Home Run Contest

Jose Canseco has become somewhat of a mascot for us here at Off Base. What can I say? I have a soft spot for wildly delusional lunatics. Canseco was our third choice, though, after we found out the Noid has a serious cocaine problem and Clara Peller died in 1987.

Even though Canseco believes he could still DH and lead the AL in home runs, no major league team offered him a job. Baffling, because he seems like he'd be a sweetheart of a teammate and wouldn't draw any unwanted attention to the franchise. Or steal training equipment.

So Canseco is taking his slugging prowess to the glamorous world of travel softball. In this video that he tweeted today, Canseco takes on hillbilly softball legend (if that's a real thing) Jeff Hall in a home run contest.



I love Jose Canseco but I really hope this softball thing doesn't work out for him because I'm pretty sure his next career move would be cage fighting an ostrich.

Chipper Jones Hit A Ball Out Of Its Skin

Chipper Jones is already putting on an impressive pre-spring training performance as he attempts to comeback from an injury riddled 2010 season. Larry tore the cover off of a ball Tuesday during batting practice when he was striking balls with great vengeance and furious anger...

While hitting in an indoor batting cage at Turner Field, the 38-year-old third baseman hit a baseball with enough force to unravel the stitching and leave the cover hanging loosely from the ball’s core.

“I think this one’s done,” Jones said, pausing to hand the ball to a team official before continuing his hitting session.

I once tore some skin off of my hands in a batting cage when I was 12 so, yeah, I'm pretty bad-ass too. Of course, the first thing I do when I'm writing a post about a player is open up their Fangraphs page. Turns out the 38-year-old Brave has had a pretty Hall of Fame career.

Obviously, I knew how good Jones was/is since I lived in Atlanta for 15 years and the fair weather fans would beat that into my brain. But sometimes you just need to reflect on a player's career stats to truly appreciate them. Or at least I do in this crazy sabermetric/Internet world we live in today.

Jones has 436 home runs and a .306/.405/.536 career slash line. While he spent some time in the outfield over the years, we're going to pretend like he's a 3rd baseman for the following WAR Grid and WAR Graph. First up, the 3rd base WAR Grid and click to enlarge.



If you really squint because you're too lazy to click, Mike Schmidt is clearly number one on that list followed by Alex Rodriguez, Eddie Mathews, Wade Boggs, Brooks Robinson and George Brett. So here's the cumulative WAR Graph by age for Jones, Mathews, Boggs and Brett.



If Jones isn't already a Hall of Fame lock, which I think he might be, another semi-healthy year or two and the HOF bust carvers can get to work.