by Mean Dean » Wed Jan 25, 2012 12:42 pm
[url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/posadjo01.shtml]Posada[/url] is eerily similar to [url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/simmote01.shtml]Simmons[/url], IMO:[list:d7921e025f][*:d7921e025f]Switch-hitters[*:d7921e025f]Great bats for catchers[*:d7921e025f]No huge seasons, but consistently either the best-hitting catcher in the league or damn close[*:d7921e025f]Mediocre fielders[/list:u:d7921e025f]You can't expect catchers to lead the league in offensive categories; only [i:d7921e025f]really[/i:d7921e025f] great hitters like Piazza are going to be able to do that. But Simmons led all catchers in career hits when he retired, and although I'm not gonna check right now, I'm sure Posada's career 121 OPS+¹ is among the best at the position. These are two of the better-hitting backstops in history.
I like to try to identify a player's "prime" and judge players based on that, since I don't think mediocre seasons are relevant to the HOF.
Simmons from 1972-1983 (1,732 games) had a 126 OPS+ and 52.2 offensive Wins Above Replacement (WAR).
Posada from 2000-10 (1,422 games) actually had a better OPS+, of 127.
Now, that's in fewer games, so it's less impressive (adding up to 43.7 offensive WAR for Jorge). And we are leaving a 1971 season where Simmons got MVP votes out of that calculation. (Posada's 1998 was not bad either, however.) Simmons was better, but I maintain they are in the same ballpark. I think if you agree with me that Simmons should easily be in, then Posada has to be at least borderline and someone who should be carefully considered.
¹ i.e., once everything is adjusted for league average, stadium, etc., he created about 21% more runs than average.
Last edited by
Mean Dean on Wed Jan 25, 2012 12:47 pm, edited 3 times in total.