LestersLegends.com

Photo courtesy of TSN Archives/Icon SMI

I decided to profile Hall of Famer Earle Combs, who was enshrined by the Veteran’s Committee in 1970.

The Numbers
Played 1924-35 (12 seasons)
1455 Games
5746 At Bats
.325 Batting Average (42nd All-time)
1186 Runs
1866 Hits
309 Doubles
154 Triples
58 HRs
632 RBI
670 Walks
96 SBs

Eight .300 Seasons
Eight 100+ Run Seasons
Three 200 Hit Seasons
Eight 30+ Double Seasons
Nine 10+ Triple Seasons

World Series:  3 Rings, 16 Games, 21 of 60 (.350), 17 Runs, 3 Doubles, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 10 Walks

Awards
MVP Votes in 2 Seasons

Top Ten Finishes
Games – Once
At Bats – 5 Times (Led league in 1927)
Batting Average - 3 Times
On-base % – 5 Times
Slugging % – Once
OPS – Twice
Runs – 8 Times
Hits – 5 Times (Led league in 1927)
Total Bases – 3 Times
Doubles – Once
Triples – 8 Times (Led league in 1927, 1928 & 1930)
Walks – 3 Times
SBs – Once
Extra-base Hits – Twice 

Hall of Fame Yardsticks:
Black Ink: Batting – 7 (307) (Average HOFer ≈ 27)
Gray Ink: Batting – 78 (300) (Average HOFer ≈ 144)
HOF Standards: Batting – 37.0 (173) (Average HOFer ≈ 50)
HOF Monitor: Batting – 94.5 (164) (Likely HOFer > 100)

He clearly comes up short in the Yardsticks so why is it that Earle Combs is in the Hall of Fame?  Well, he set the table for Ruth and Gehrig hitting .325 and scoring a ton of Runs.  The argument could be made that anyone could score Runs with Ruth and Gehrig hitting behind them, but you have to get on to let them do their work.  I’m a little on the fence with Combs, but with that average with nearly 2000 Hits and his role in the Yankees’ Dynasty, and I’m reluctantly agreeing he deserves his Hall of Fame inclusion.

References
Baseball-reference.com

Past Chronicles
Roberto Alomar
Richie Ashburn*
Earl Averill*
Harold Baines
Dan Bancroft*
Jake Beckley*
Albert Belle
Jim Bottomley*
Pete Browning
Jim Bunning *
Bert Byleven
Joe Carter
Orlando Cepeda*
Rocky Colavito
Dave Concepcion
David Cone
Roger Connor*
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
Lefty Gomez*
Luis Gonzalez
Dwight Gooden
Mark Grace
Bobby Grich
Charlie Grimm (Player/Manager)
Ron Guidry
Chick Hafey*
Billy Herman*
Keith Hernandez
Orel Hershiser
Whitey Herzog (Manager)
Gil Hodges
Ralph Houk (Manager)
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Travis Jackson*
Tommy John
Bob Johnson
Addie Joss*
Jim Kaat
George Kell*
Joe Kelley*
George Kelly*
Tom Kelly (Manager)
Chuck Klein*
Jerry Koosman
Bill James & Pete Palmer
Barry Larkin
Tony Lazzeri*
Freddie Lindstrom*
Mickey Lolich
Ernie Lombardi*
Fred Lynn
Sherry Magee
Roger Maris
Rube Marquard*
Billy Martin (Player/Manager)
Dennis Martinez
Edgar Martinez
Bobby Matthews
Don Mattingly
Gene Mauch (Manager)
Bill Mazeroski*
Fred McGriff
Mark McGwire
Bid McPhee
Johnny Mize*
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
Vada Pinson
Boog Powell
Tim Raines
Willie Randolph
Pee Wee Reese*
Jim Rice
Phil Rizzuto*
Brooks Robinson*
Pete Ro$e
Amos Rusie*
Jimmy Ryan
Ron Santo
Curt Schilling
Red Schoendienst* (Player/Manager)
Ted Simmons
Enos Slaughter*
Lee Smith
Rusty Staub
Dave Stieb
Mel Stottlemyre
Harry Stovey
Sam Thompson
Alan Trammell
George Van Haltren
Arky Vaughan*
Mo Vaughn
Bobby Veach
Frank Viola
Mickey Welch*
Lou Whitaker
Bernie Williams
Vic Willis*
Maury Wills 
Hack Wilson*
Ross Youngs*
 
* Signifies actual Hall of Famer

6 Responses so far | Have Your Say!

1. 

   3rdStoneFromTheSun
   September 27th, 2008 at 5:34 pm #

   I agree…his BA, R, and rings squeeze him in barely…which is enough

2. 

   LestersLegends
   September 27th, 2008 at 5:55 pm #

   3rd – yep, just enough

3. 

   Mo Morrissey
   September 27th, 2008 at 10:09 pm #

   Like they say, what do they call the guy who graduated last in his medical school class? Doctor.

4. 

   LestersLegends
   September 27th, 2008 at 11:15 pm #

   Good one Mo.

5. Cooperstown Chronicles - Jesse Haines | 1800blogger
   May 7th, 2009 at 8:53 am #

   [...] Jim Bottomley* Pete Browning Jim Bunning * Bert Byleven Joe Carter Orlando Cepeda* Rocky Colavito Earle Combs* Dave Concepcion David Cone Roger Connor* Larry Corcoran Mike Cuellar Bill Dahlen George Davis* [...]

6. Cooperstown Chronicles - Stan Coveleski :: Elites TV
   May 13th, 2009 at 12:48 pm #

   [...] Jim Bottomley* Pete Browning Jim Bunning * Bert Byleven Joe Carter Orlando Cepeda* Rocky Colavito Earle Combs* Dave Concepcion David Cone Roger Connor* Larry Corcoran Mike Cuellar Bill Dahlen George Davis* [...]