LestersLegends.com

Photo courtesy of TSN Archives/Icon SMI

3rdStoneFromTheSun, a friend of mine from the Sporting News community, suggested Bobby Grich.  Here are my findings.

Played 1970-1986 (17 Seasons)
2008 Games
6890 At Bats
.266 Batting Average 
1033 Runs
1833 Hits
2919 Total Bases
320 Doubles
47 Triples
224 HRs
864 RBI
1087 Walks 
104 SBs

One .300 Season
Two 30 Double Seasons
One 30 HR Season
One 100 RBI Season

Playoffs:  24 Games, 16 for 88 (.182), 5 Runs, 3 Doubles, 3 HRs, 9 RBI, 5 Walks

Awards
4 Gold Gloves
1 Silver Slugger
6 All-Star Game Appearances
MVP Votes in 5 Seasons

Top Ten Finishes
On-base % - 5 Times
Slugging % – Twice (Led league in 1981)
OPS – Twice
Games - Twice (Led league in 1973)
At Bats – Once
Runs - Twice
Total Bases - Once
Extra-base Hits - 3 Times
Doubles - Twice
Triples -  Once
Home Runs – Twice (Led league in 1981)
RBI – Once
Walks – 6 Times
Hit by Pitch – 8 Times (Led league in 1974)

Hall of Fame Yardsticks:
Black Ink: Batting – 8 (273) (Average HOFer ≈ 27)
Gray Ink: Batting – 40 (600) (Average HOFer ≈ 144)
HOF Standards: Batting – 30.9 (254) (Average HOFer ≈ 50)
HOF Monitor: Batting – 42.5 (418) (Likely HOFer > 100)

Bobby Grich was an excellent fielding Second Baseman with a some Big League pop.  He twice set the fielding % record at Second Base.  First at .995 and later at .997.  He was named to six All-Star teams and took home four Gold Gloves.  Offensively, though, he never hit the milestones you need to.  He never scored 100 Runs in a season.  He never had more than 157 Hits in a season.  He had a couple of HOF worthy seasons in 1979 & 1981, but they were far too few.  I can see him in the Orioles and Angels Hall of Fames, but that’s as far as it goes.  His rankings in the HOF yardsticks support my claim that Cooperstown isn’t the right place for Bobby (unless they opened a Rawlings Wing in the HOF).

References
Baseball-reference.com
Baseball Library

Past Chronicles
Roberto Alomar
Richie Ashburn*
Harold Baines
Albert Belle
Pete Browning
Jim Bunning *
Bert Byleven
Joe Carter
Orlando Cepeda*
Rocky Colavito
Dave Concepcion
David Cone
Larry Corcoran
Mike Cuellar
George Davis*
Andre Dawson
Larry Doby*
Bobby Doerr
Jimmie Dykes (Player/Manager)
Dwight Evans
Rick Ferrell*
Chuck Finley
Steve Finley
Nellie Fox*
John Franco
Gary Gaetti
Steve Garvey
Luis Gonzalez
Dwight Gooden
Mark Grace
Charlie Grimm (Player/Manager)
Ron Guidry
Keith Hernandez
Orel Hershiser
Whitey Herzog (Manager)
Gil Hodges
Ralph Houk (Manager)
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Tommy John
Jim Kaat
George Kell*
Tom Kelly (Manager)
Jerry Koosman
Barry Larkin
Tony Lazzeri*
Mickey Lolich
Ernie Lombardi*
Fred Lynn
Sherry Magee
Roger Maris
Billy Martin (Player/Manager)
Dennis Martinez
Edgar Martinez
Bobby Matthews
Don Mattingly
Gene Mauch (Manager)
Bill Mazeroski*
Fred McGriff
Mark McGwire
Bid McPhee
Paul Molitor*
Jack Morris
Tony Mullane
Dale Murphy
Graig Nettles
Hal Newhouser*
Lefty O’Doul
Tony Oliva
Al Oliver
Buck O’Neill & Minnie Minoso
Dave Parker
Wes Parker
Lance Parrish
Boog Powell
Tim Raines
Willie Randolph
Pee Wee Reese
Jim Rice
Phil Rizzuto*
Brooks Robinson*
Pete Ro$e
Jimmy Ryan
Ron Santo
Curt Schilling
Red Schoendienst* (Player/Manager)
Ted Simmons
Enos Slaughter
Lee Smith
Rusty Staub
Dave Stieb
Harry Stovey
Alan Trammell
George Van Haltren
Arky Vaughan*
Mo Vaughn
Bobby Veach
Frank Viola
Lou Whitaker
Bernie Williams
Vic Willis*
Maury Wills 
 
* Signifies actual Hall of Famer

7 Responses so far | Have Your Say!

1. 

   Mo Morrissey
   June 29th, 2008 at 7:25 pm #

   Nice work, Ryan

2. 

   LestersLegends
   June 29th, 2008 at 8:30 pm #

   Thanks Mo.

3. Cooperstown Chronicles - Jesse Haines | 1800blogger
   May 7th, 2009 at 8:57 am #

   [...] John Franco Gary Gaetti Steve Garvey Lefty Gomez* Luis Gonzalez Dwight Gooden Joe Gordon Mark Grace Bobby Grich Charlie Grimm (Player/Manager) Ron Guidry Chick Hafey* Billy Herman* Keith Hernandez Orel Hershiser [...]

4. Cooperstown Chronicles - Stan Coveleski :: Elites TV
   May 13th, 2009 at 12:54 pm #

   [...] John Franco Gary Gaetti Steve Garvey Lefty Gomez* Luis Gonzalez Dwight Gooden Joe Gordon Mark Grace Bobby Grich Charlie Grimm (Player/Manager) Ron Guidry Chick Hafey* Jesse Haines* Billy Herman* Keith Hernandez [...]

5. Cooperstown Chronicles - Kiki Cuyler | Fantasy Sports Blog
   May 28th, 2009 at 7:49 am #

   [...] John Franco Gary Gaetti Steve Garvey Lefty Gomez* Luis Gonzalez Dwight Gooden Joe Gordon Mark Grace Bobby Grich Charlie Grimm (Player/Manager) Ron Guidry Chick Hafey* Jesse Haines* Billy Herman* Keith Hernandez [...]

6. 

   Anonymous
   August 17th, 2009 at 11:59 pm #

   Grich should be in the HOF, no offense Lester. I subtly disagree in that respect..

7. 

   LestersLegends
   August 18th, 2009 at 5:13 am #

   No offense taken. Just my opinion.