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High Heat Stats went and presented a list for our edification. The countdown of the top ten went like this:
10. Jose Rijo
9. Dave Clark
8. John Valentin
7. Mike Jackson
6. Shane Mack
5. Eric Plunk
4. Steve Reed
3. Tony Phillips
2. Kenny Lofton
And #1? A fella who was almost certainly under-appreciated. The Royals have quite the history of developing Hall of Very Good pitchers.
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I’m getting on the Kenny Lofton HOF bandwagon.
My boy's got CLOSER MENTALITY!
Pithy.
by Lies and Perfidy on Jan 21, 2012 1:07 PM EST reply actions
Not enough peak seasons.
Really, only five or six of them. The rest of his career was mediocre. He doesn’t have the counting stats except for stolen bases.
He did have a knack for getting himself on playoff teams, though. 11 playoff years for six different teams.
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by Al Yellon on Jan 21, 2012 3:01 PM EST up reply actions
Or maybe: pretty good team + kenny lofton = playoffs
by J0SER on Jan 21, 2012 5:54 PM EST up reply actions
BULL
Lofton had 8 straight seasons of 4 bWAR or better. Six of those seasons were 5+. Two were 7+.
His counting stats are impressive too. 2428 hits. 113 Triples. 622 stolen bases. He has a career .299/.372/.423 slash line. And that’s for a guy who never hit more than 15 home runs in a season. Over 17 years, he has a higher career OBP, SLG and OPS than Ichiro Suzuki. He has 4 gold gloves and racked up more than double the amount of dWar in his career than 8 time gold glover Ryne Sandberg (11.5 for Lofton, 5.3 for Sandberg) in only one more season.
Lofton should be in.
"Perhaps the worst comment I've ever seen on LL." - sanford_and_son.
by Ride the Apocalypse on Jan 21, 2012 7:16 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Expanding upon this...
Disregarding Lofton’s cup of coffee in 1991 (79 plate appearances, -0.1 bWAR) he played 16 seasons.
In his first 8, he was a superstar. He accumulated 46 bWAR in those years, averaging out to 5.75 WAR per season.
In his last 8, he was a solid player. He accumulated 19.4 bWAR in those years, averaging out to 2.425 WAR per season.
So, in the prime half of his fairly long career, he was almost three times as good as the average Major League starting position player. And, during the decline half of his career, he was a little better than the average Major League starting position player.
A cup of coffee, 8 straight seasons of super-stardom and 8 straight seasons afterward of solid, above average play. This kind of performance deserves to be rewarded with a Hall of Fame induction.
"Perhaps the worst comment I've ever seen on LL." - sanford_and_son.
by Ride the Apocalypse on Jan 21, 2012 9:50 PM EST up reply actions
I was in KC last summer to see the Cubs play there
… on the day they inducted Kevin Appier into the Royals’ Hall of Fame. Brought in his family, former teammates, gave gifts, a plaque, heartfelt speeches…
The Royals might not be that good a team, but they put on a great ceremony.
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by Al Yellon on Jan 21, 2012 3:03 PM EST reply actions
Every year for her birthday, a little girl wants a pony
Her parents buy her something else instead, and throw a big party to distract her — clowns, balloon animals, ice cream, lots of friends. And it works, she has a great time.
But when she goes to bed that night, she still doesn’t have a pony.
by J0SER on Jan 21, 2012 5:57 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
And the grows up and is glad she didn’t have a pony crapping all over the yard.
by Phrozen on Jan 21, 2012 7:47 PM EST up reply actions
I remember a story on ESPN.com
before the 2008 season. It was probably Page 2 where they do their light-hearted stuff. They had T-Shirts with what should have been the real slogans of all 30 MLB teams. The Tampa Bay Rays shirt said “Laugh While You Still Can.”
That should be the Royals slogan this season. “Laugh While You Still Can.” The Rays arrived a year early. I don’t expect the Royals to arrive this year, but it wouldn’t shock me.
by Josh Timmers on Jan 22, 2012 3:08 AM EST up reply actions
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