This time I’m looking at SS Chip Puckett, the stalwart Omaha infielder. Monger played 18 seasons, and is a shoe-in for the Cyclone Hall. But should he be in the Big One?
First we’ll look at the indicators:
JAWS 49.7 vs. SS HoF average 67
Gray Ink: 2 (23)
Black Ink 74 (112)
HOF Standards 49 (54)
HOF Monitor 120 (133)
These are not great, but not so bad that I’d discount him. He doesn’t hit the bar on any of them, but he’s within shouting distance, and someone’s got to be below average, right?
Puckett carries some bling around with him in the form of:
- 4 Zimmer Awards
- 6 All-Star appearances
- 3 Championship Rings (2 Playoff Round MVPs)
Looking at his position mates, we see this:
| Rank | Player | WAR | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bopper Kengos* | 129.37 | 1996-2018 |
| 2 | Rafael Rodriguez* | 80.72 | 1992-2011 |
| 3 | Waichirou Moronobu* | 74.36 | 1995-2012 |
| 4 | Jonathan Archer* | 64.53 | 2015-2032 |
| 5 | Chip Puckett | 61.64 | 2034-2054 |
| 6 | Jared Gillstrom* | 60.57 | 2026-2043 |
| 7 | Roman Empire* | 59.52 | 1997-2014 |
| 8 | Mark Wareham | 54.38 | 2030-2048 |
| 9 | Doug Glover* | 53.40 | 2012-2026 |
| 10 | Kenji Masaki | 52.34 | 1995-2011 |
| 11 | Robert Menzies# | 51.97 | 2041-2054 |
At the top level, Puckett looks like he belongs quite easily. And I’m inclined now to add him to my ballot. But note something else, too. His 61 WAR came across 20 seasons, whereas the other guys in his zone (Archer, Gilstrom, and Empire) did it in 17. So my gut feel is probably about this. Puckett burned brightly, but not as brightly as some of the other guys. On the other hand, Puckett’s last years were pretty ugly things. So go figure.
A few notes on his leaderboard totals:
- Puckett #2 for hits, doubles, and triples from a shortstop.
- Despite the above, he is only #58 in lifetime SLG among shortstops. He had very little power.
- Puckett is listed as the #1 base stealer among shortstops, but something is clearly wrong there because Zebidiah Williams has something to say about that.
Here are his Bill James questions:
1. Was he ever regarded as the best player in baseball?
No. Not really close.
2. Was he the best player on his team?
No. But he was always in the top couple.
3. Was he the best player in baseball (or in the league) at his position?
Well … Puckett never won a Puckett, but he did carry home several Zimmers. I don’t know that this counts as the best in his position.
4. Did he have an impact on a number of pennant races?
Three rings and two Series MVPs pretty much checks this box
5. Was he a good enough player that he could continue to play regularly after passing his prime?
Yeah. Through age 35, anyway.
6. Is he the very best player in baseball history who is not in the Hall of Fame? (Remember, this was written before the heart of the PED era)
No.
7. Are most players who have comparable career statistics in the Hall of Fame?
There are similarities, so I’ll say yes. But it’s a bit borderliine. Maybe James Monger would be in his camp if Monger had the five or six seasons Puckett had at sniffing 5+ WAR.
8. Do the players numbers meet Hall of Fame standards? (“Hall of Fame standards” are another James invention, the results are listed on every player page on Baseball Reference, you can see what the numbers are by which James calculates those “standards” by visiting Baseball Reference here)
Close, but not quite. If I squint hard I can let it pass.
9. Is there evidence to suggest that the player was significantly better or worse than is suggested by his statistics?
No.
10. Is he the best player at his position who is eligible for the Hall of Fame but not in?
Yes. Mark Wareham is eligible, too, but I don’t see him making it. Sad, really. With that Eye, Wareham coulda been a Simpson.
11. How many MVP-type seasons did he have? Did he ever win an MVP award? If not, how many times was he close?
Zero.
12 How many All-Star-type seasons did he have? How many All-Star games did he play in? Did most of the other players who played in this many go into the Hall of Fame?
Six-time All-Star. Solid.
13. If this man were the best player on his team, would it be likely that the team could win the pennant?
Probably not, but it depends. I think I’m stumbling on the word “likely.” I’d say it’s possible, but not likely. Puckett was a great wingman, IMHO, but needed another big gun to make the team run.
14. What impact did the player have on baseball history? Was he responsible for any rule changes? Did he introduce any new equipment? Did he change the game in any way?
Well…his dad was The Puckett, and his story made great copy. So I’m not sure he changed that game so much as did his part to make this world great as it is.
15. Did the player uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider?
We will stipulate he was an upstanding baseball citizen.
Off Topic
Bottom line assessment – As I’ve noted, I can see voting for Puckett now. I still don’t love the long string of 3-4 WAR. I would much prefer to see a short, susteained period of 5, 6, or 7. But the guy was just solid all the time, and I think – given the above – that’s good enough. I would guess he’d be in @7teen’s tier 3 or tier 4 of the Pantheon, but that’s still a Hall of Famer.
