BOGGS AND SANDBERG
Boggs is automatic with his 3,000 hits and lifetime OBP of .415. The case for Ryne Sandberg seems to lie in the Ozzie Smith area of great middle infield glove man who also put up numbers we hadn’t seen at 2B with 282 homers and a .285 batting average. Other than the HR his numbers are equivalent to Don Mattingly who was a great defensive 1B. One year Mattingly turned something like 50 363 double plays. Mattingly probably never makes it unless through Veterans committee chaired by Mike Pagliarulo. Nowadays it's not strange to see SS and 2B with power. Sandberg was rare.
Jim Rice seems to be a tweener. Though he didn't put up numbers mirroring the steroid kids currently check-swinging homers, I remember him as one of the most dominant sluggers of his time period. He career slugging percentage is .502. He needed 18 homers to reach 400 and that may keep him forever outside.
Andre Dawson has the 400 homers but isn't doing him any good. Maybe it was the way he promised to enter the hall under the uniform of the last team that let him play. Too presumptuous.
Rich Gossage threw 90 innings or more 5 times as a reliever. How many closers do that today.
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