<<The three best players I saw with my own eyes - Pete Rose, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemons - are all not in the HoF. >>
Without making a value judgment (and ever hopeful that we can avoid namecalling), I would add Lefty O'Doul to this list. His career batting average would be 4th, if he had enough at bats. More to the point, he virtually single-handedly spread the popularity of baseball overseas, both before and after WWII. Both Joe and Dom DiMaggio said he was the best hitting instructor they'd ever had, by far. And you can add Shoeless Joe Jackson, supposed gambler, who had a higher BA and OPS in the world series that he supposedly threw, than he did during the season and his career. Shoeless Joe has the third highest career batting average at .358.
Without making a value judgment (and ever hopeful that we can avoid namecalling), I would add Lefty O'Doul to this list. His career batting average would be 4th, if he had enough at bats. More to the point, he virtually single-handedly spread the popularity of baseball overseas, both before and after WWII. Both Joe and Dom DiMaggio said he was the best hitting instructor they'd ever had, by far. And you can add Shoeless Joe Jackson, supposed gambler, who had a higher BA and OPS in the world series that he supposedly threw, than he did during the season and his career. Shoeless Joe has the third highest career batting average at .358.
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