Whose cap does Piazza wear in the HOF?

[BWebb]

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They managed to give him an MVP.

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Good point. It looks like I'm probably wrong.

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I don't think you are Evan. Being a huge Giants fan it wasn't well known that Kent was a douchebag because Bonds was there getting all the attention as an a-hole. Kent played the good guy routine very well for many years in San Fran. His reputation started to decline when he had his motorcycle accident in spring training and it has continued to go that way. Whether or not he is despised enough to be kept out of the hall is another question.

[TheNoodleMan]

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Either that was an unfunny joke, or a pointless statement about his defense. I'm not sure which.

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I'm pointing out that Catching has a lot to do with why he is considered an automatic HOFer. If he played 1st base, corner OF or DH would he still be a HOFer? Probably so, but it wouldn't be considered such a shoo in that we'd have a thread about what hat he should wear.
We had a thread about Larry Walker a couple months back. It wasn't about what hat hat he should wear. His career HR and batting Ave are remarkably similar to Piazza. Some of that is coors, but if he had been a below average defensive catcher he'd probably be considered a lock as well.

[Jack of Arcades]

If Johnny Bench were a 1B, corner OF, or DH, would he still be a HOFer? If Ozzie Smith were a third basemen, would he be a Hall of Famer?

[TheNoodleMan]

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If Johnny Bench were a 1B, corner OF, or DH, would he still be a HOFer? If Ozzie Smith were a third basemen, would he be a Hall of Famer?

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Those guys were above average defensively. Fielding your position well should help get you into the hall, merely playing the position (or playing it substanardly) shouldn't.

[Hornacek]

Noodle,

Do you think the HOF should accept DH's?

[TheNoodleMan]

I have no problem with DHs getting in, but they better be pretty damn good bacuse it basically says that anyone with those numbers should get in regardless of position.

[Jack of Arcades]

Oh, so it WAS a pointless statement about his defense! I'm so glad we cleared that up, it only took 3 posts of yours to say it.

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Fielding your position well should help get you into the hall, merely playing the position (or playing it substanardly) shouldn't.

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A player's value is how many runs he contributes at the bat, plus how many runs he saves with his glove plus how many runs he cotnributes with his baserunning. Every hitter is on the same level. However, every fielder is not on the same level. A poor fielding SS will be worth more with his glove than an above-average fielding 1B. You can't simply discount the runs he saves with his fielding just because he's a below average fielder.

[TheNoodleMan]

My point is that he wouldn't be considered a lock if he played another position. Do you dispute that? A one word answer will suffice.

[Triumph36]

Yes.

As a catcher, Piazza is forced to sit many games out. Give him those games and he has 50 more HRs and he's a lock.

Still, you can't compare across positions like that, as Jack is saying. No one knows how well Piazza would've hit had he been a 1B/DH his whole caree, for example.

[Jack of Arcades]

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My point is that he wouldn't be considered a lock if he played another position.

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No it isn't. Your point is:

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Fielding your position well should help get you into the hall, merely playing the position (or playing it substanardly) shouldn't.

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As for this:

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My point is that he wouldn't be considered a lock if he played another position. Do you dispute that? A one word answer will suffice.

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The best one word answer would be yes, because catcher is tricky. It's likely his numbers would've been better both on a rate and counting level if he did not have the strain of catching and the days off. However, his first 5 year stretch is comparable to Albert's, that's how good it was...