[FuzzyRussianHat]

The 1947 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame Class had only one inductee, but a no-doubter in CF Jax Sanders, who got in with an impressive 98.2%. Two others crossed 60%, but not the 66% required for induction. 1B Balta Llama got 61.4% on his second try and CL Noah Pugliese had 61.1% on his fourth go. Eight others made it above 50%.



Getting dropped after his 10^th ballot was SP Sebastian Pentland. The 1927 American Association Pitcher of the Year, over 17 seasons between Boston, San Francisco, and Indianapolis, he had a 235-208 record, 3.70 ERA, 4087.1 innings, 3135 strikeouts, and 82.6 WAR. His longevity and totals were solid and by the metrics, he’s actually at or above the average in each category. Still, the lack of dominance and accolades sank him as Pentland peaked at 43.1% on the first ballot.

Further down also dropped after ten seasons was pitcher Mack Brandt. In 14 years with Albuquerque and Houston, he had a 184-132 record, 3.57 ERA, 2946.2 innings, 2491 strikeouts, and 62.6 WAR. He was most notable for being just a win short of a Triple Crown in 1926. A better peak than Pentland, but fewer accumulations, so not surprising that he didn’t fare any better. He peaked at 30.5% on his second ballot.



Jax Sanders – Centerfielder – Philadelphia Phillies – 98.2% First Ballot

Jax Sanders was a 5’10’’, 175 pound right-handed centerfielder from Malvern, Pennsylvania, a small town located 25 miles west of Philadelphia. Sanders was one of the all-time great leadoff hitters as an excellent contact hitter with outstanding speed. He regularly put the ball in play, rarely striking out but also rarely getting walks. He wasn’t much of a power hitter, but his speed allowed him to get some extra bases. He led his league in stolen bases six times in his career. He was a career centerfielder and a stellar defender, earning seven Gold Gloves.

Sanders played college baseball at Virginia and ended up back close to home as Philadelphia picked him 28^th overall in the 1921 MLB Draft. He spent 10 seasons with the Phillies, who were a mid to lower tier franchise during his run in the 1920s. He won three of his five Silver Sluggers with Philly and finished with 1808 hits, 886 runs a .314 average, and 58.0 WAR. In 1928, Sanders had a 37-game hitting streak; at the time the second-longest streak in MLB history.

His #6 is one of two numbers retired by the franchise and he’d remain very popular locally for years, despite his tenure coming in a relatively forgettable time between their late 1910s titles and the 1940s dynasty. Sanders left Philadelphia and signed a seven-year deal with Memphis for the 1931 season at age 30.

With the Mountain Cats, he won two more Silver Sluggers and five of his seven Gold Gloves. In 1934, Sanders grabbed his lone MVP with the American Association lead in hits (219), runs (115), and WAR (7.8). Memphis made the playoffs twice in his six year tenure but were eliminated in the first round both times. With the Mountain Cats, he had 1165 hits, 616 runs, and 31.5 WAR. He picked up his 2500^th hit and 1500^th run with Memphis.

Sanders was on the move for the 1937 season at age 36 and signed a three-year deal with Toronto. He led in stolen bases twice with the Timberwolves and still provided good defensive value, although his hitting value was starting to drop. He picked up his 3000^th hit in Toronto.

At age 39, he signed with Calgary in 1940 and earned his 3500^th career hit. He won one more Gold Glove, but was starting to have age and injuries catch up. He wrapped his MLB career in 1941 with Louisville, only playing 22 games thanks to a torn ACL. But his 18 hits with the Lynx allowed him to pass Corey Patricio as the MLB all-time hit king at 3609. Sanders would play three more years in CABA with Jamaica, posting a solid 1942, before seeing limited time in 1943 and 1944. He would retire at age 45 after going unsigned in 1945.

His final stats in MLB: 3609 hits, 1786 runs, 384 doubles, 172 triples, 227 home runs, 1196 RBI, a .302/.334/.420 slash and 101.8 WAR. He’d get passed by three hitters for the hit king by the end of the 1950s, but would finish the 21^st Century fifth all-time. His 928 steals was first all-time when he retired and he’d only be passed by Bill Tan in the next century. His career Zone Rating was 338.5, the all-time most of all MLB CFs and third all-time at any position. Sanders had a unique skill set and was a premier player of the 1920s and 1930s, well deserving of an inner-circle 98.2% induction into the 1947 MLB Hall.