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FuzzyRussianHat · 04-02-2023, 03:59 AM

The 1950 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame Class welcomed three players into the fraternity. 2B B.J. Scott on his third ballot led the way at 83.2%. Closer Noah Pugliese on his seventh attempt received 74.6% and RF Jake Nicholson on his eight go got 72.3%. On his first attempt, SP Andy Cowan was close to the 66% threshold but was just short at 62.7%. Four others were above 50%.

It was the last try for 2B Kenny Goldman, dropped after ten tries with 58.7% on his last opportunity. In 16 years primarily with Buffalo, he won six Silver Sluggers with 2839 hits, 1284 runs, 218 home runs, 1123 RBI, a .317 average, and 76.8 WAR. He was one of the best second baseman of the era, but being at an underappreciated position without power numbers on a struggling franchise kept him out. The closest he got was 62.5% on the sixth ballot.

Also getting dropped after his third ballot was Joe “Balls” Boretsky. The SP in 17 years between Pittsburgh and Milwaukee had a 229-193 record, 3.43 ERA, 2811 strikeouts, and 82.6 WAR. A solid career, but never dominant and also on lower-end teams. His peak was 23.4% on the second ballot.

B.J. ”Hands” Scott – Second Base – Calgary Cheetahs – 83.2% Third Ballot

B.J. Scott was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed infielder from Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Scott was a solid contact hitter with respectable power and consistent discipline and production. He was primarily a second baseman, although he did play a bit of first base early in his career. Scott was viewed as a generally average defender and an okay baserunner. But it was his reliability and work ethic that made him a fan favorite at each stop.

Scott moved to America to attend college at North Carolina and was viewed as the best second baseman in college baseball, winning both a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger in his sophomore and junior seasons. In the 1924 MLB Draft, he returned home to Canada as Calgary picked him 25^th overall. He had an incredible debut, becoming the first player to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. He led the American Association in average (.365), slugging (.640), OPS (1.077), wRC+ (180) and WAR (9.1) with career bests in home runs (38), hits (209), runs (132), and RBI (120).

Scott would never have a season that good again, but remained a solid hitter in his decade with the Cheetahs. He was second in MVP voting in 1929, the batting champion (.335) in 1927, and a winner of the Silver Slugger from 1925-1929. Nagging injuries would start hurting his totals in his late 20s, but he posted 54.7 WAR with Calgary on 1683 hits, 871 runs, 290 doubles, 208 home runs, 869 RBI, with a .320/.382/.506 slash. Calgary had some decent seasons in Scott’s tenure, but never made the playoffs. He’d never play a postseason game in his HOF career. The Cheetahs would retire his #7 though after retirement.

Scott entered free agency in 1935 and signed with Boston at age 31. He had his last great season in his Red Sox debut, but struggled the next season. Scott signed in 1937 with the New York Yankees and spent two seasons there. He was traded to Las Vegas for the 1939, then spent 1940-41 with Milwaukee and 1942 with Denver. Recurring injuries in his 30s meant he never played even half a season with those latter teams. In 1943 at age 39, he went to the Dominican Republic and played his final three professional seasons with Santiago.

His final MLB stats: 2512 hits, 1273 runs, 438 doubles, 335 home runs, 1308 RBI, a .305/.363/.491 and 74.9 WAR. He was fourth in WAR at retirement among second basemen. His numbers are solid, especially so at an undervalued position, but low enough that he just missed the cut in his first two times on the ballot. His lack of postseason play and unremarkable 30s also played against him, but his decade with Calgary was about as strong of a decade any second baseman has had. Thus, B.J. Scott was inducted on his third try on the ballot at 83.2%.

Noah Pugliese – Closer – Washington Admirals – 74.6% Seventh Ballot

Noah Pugliese was a 5’8’’, 190 pound left-handed closer from Long Beach, California. He would develop a 98-100 mph fastball that was expertly placed, mixed in with an incredibly deceptive changeup. His control of these two pitches was considered elite. Pugliese was also known as a legendary prankster, fond of hijinks, shenanigans, and tomfoolery.

Pugliese played college baseball at Northern Illinois and wasn’t a highly sought out prospect. He was picked in the 1921 MLB Draft in the sixth round, 275^th overall, by Albuquerque. When Pugliese got inducted, he was the second-latest draft pick to earn the honor, behind 3B Chris Barnett (340^th). The Isotopes were unimpressed by Pugliese in spring training, cutting him before opening day. Phoenix signed him and had him in the minor league Tucson affiliate for a year. The Firebirds cut him in May 1923, then Washington signed him for what would be the signature run.

He spent most of 1923 in the minors, then assumed the closer role with the Admirals starting in 1924. By 1928, he won his first Reliever of the Year award. Pugliese won it again in 1929, 1930, 1931, and 1933; the first five-time winner and as of 2036, one of only two. He led in saves in 1928, 1929, and 1933. Pugliese was a huge part of Washington’s 1930 World Series title. In that postseason, he had a 0.00 ERA with six saves over 19.2 innings with six hits, one unearned run, and 19 strikeouts. His #28 would ultimately be retired by the Admirals.

1933 saw his career best WAR at 5.0, but the 33-year old Pugliese saw an elbow strain in 1934 that limited his effectiveness and saw him lose his closer role. He’d be a rarely-used reliever in his final seasons. The Admirals traded Pugliese for prospects to Memphis for the 1935 season. Pugliese played with Toronto in 1936, Houston in 1937, then came back for one final season with Washington in 1938.

The final stats: 302 saves, 1.98 ERA, 869 innings, 940 strikeouts, 387 shutdowns, and 34.2 WAR. He accumulated numbers are actually lower than most of the other closers in the hall and as such, he had to wait seven tries on the ballot to get in. Still, five Reliever of the Year awards is something no one else could claim in MLB in the 21^st century and thus, Noah Pugliese was inducted in 1950 at 74.6%.

Jake “Undertaker” Nicholson – Outfielder – Vancouver Volcanoes – 72.3% Eighth Ballot

Jake Nicholson was a 5’9’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Rocky View County in rural Alberta, Canada. Nicholson had a very unique skillset as a tremendous contact hitter and great speedy baserunner. He had a great eye, very rarely striking out and solid at drawing walks. He had decent gap power, using his speed to leg out doubles and triples. However, he had no home run power as his seven career homers would be by far the lowest tally of any hitter in the MLB Hall. He played defensively roughly 40% at right field, 40% in left, and 20% in center and was considered a very good corner outfielder defensively and average in center. He was a hard worker and leader in the clubhouse, well-liked in every stay.

Nicholson played for the Texas Longhorns in college and his unique skillset got the attention of Vancouver, who drafted him fifth overall in the 1919 MLB Draft. He became a starter right away and spent his first eight seasons with the Volcanoes, where he won three Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger. He led the American Association in stolen bases five times and in 1924, won the batting title with a .362 average and league-best .426 OBP. With Vancouver, he had 1575 hits, 757 runs, a .333 average, and 34.7 WAR.

Nicholson left for Brooklyn in free agency at age 29 and spent 1928-32 with the Dodgers as a solid starter, although he didn’t win any awards or lead in any statistics. With the Dodgers, he had 20.2 WAR, 965 hits, 404 runs, and a .321 average. He signed with Washington in 1933 at age 34 and spent four seasons there, then played his final year with Baltimore in 1937. Nicholson became the 11^th hitter to 3000 career hits, but unfortunately never had a chance to play postseason baseball.

His final stat line: 3278 hits, 1504 runs, 505 doubles, 140 triples, 7 home runs, 755 RBI, 958 walks, only 521 strikeouts, 800 stolen bases, a .318/.378/.396 slash and 66.5 WAR. His numbers presented a very unique case as many felt the hits, runs, and steals should put him in, although even 3000 hits hadn’t been a guarantee in the past. His HR and RBI totals were by far the lowest of any HOF hitter and that, plus his lack of postseason runs and major awards, meant many thought he was at best, a good hand. Nicholson hovered around the 50s in his first few ballots, but eventually gained momentum into the 60s in 1948 and 1949. On his eighth try in 1950, the hard-working Nicholson finally got his due and earned Hall of Fame honors at 72.3%.

04-02-2023, 03:59 AM	#216
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,822	1950 MLB Hall of Fame The 1950 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame Class welcomed three players into the fraternity. 2B B.J. Scott on his third ballot led the way at 83.2%. Closer Noah Pugliese on his seventh attempt received 74.6% and RF Jake Nicholson on his eight go got 72.3%. On his first attempt, SP Andy Cowan was close to the 66% threshold but was just short at 62.7%. Four others were above 50%. It was the last try for 2B Kenny Goldman, dropped after ten tries with 58.7% on his last opportunity. In 16 years primarily with Buffalo, he won six Silver Sluggers with 2839 hits, 1284 runs, 218 home runs, 1123 RBI, a .317 average, and 76.8 WAR. He was one of the best second baseman of the era, but being at an underappreciated position without power numbers on a struggling franchise kept him out. The closest he got was 62.5% on the sixth ballot. Also getting dropped after his third ballot was Joe “Balls” Boretsky. The SP in 17 years between Pittsburgh and Milwaukee had a 229-193 record, 3.43 ERA, 2811 strikeouts, and 82.6 WAR. A solid career, but never dominant and also on lower-end teams. His peak was 23.4% on the second ballot. B.J. ”Hands” Scott – Second Base – Calgary Cheetahs – 83.2% Third Ballot B.J. Scott was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed infielder from Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Scott was a solid contact hitter with respectable power and consistent discipline and production. He was primarily a second baseman, although he did play a bit of first base early in his career. Scott was viewed as a generally average defender and an okay baserunner. But it was his reliability and work ethic that made him a fan favorite at each stop. Scott moved to America to attend college at North Carolina and was viewed as the best second baseman in college baseball, winning both a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger in his sophomore and junior seasons. In the 1924 MLB Draft, he returned home to Canada as Calgary picked him 25^th overall. He had an incredible debut, becoming the first player to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. He led the American Association in average (.365), slugging (.640), OPS (1.077), wRC+ (180) and WAR (9.1) with career bests in home runs (38), hits (209), runs (132), and RBI (120). Scott would never have a season that good again, but remained a solid hitter in his decade with the Cheetahs. He was second in MVP voting in 1929, the batting champion (.335) in 1927, and a winner of the Silver Slugger from 1925-1929. Nagging injuries would start hurting his totals in his late 20s, but he posted 54.7 WAR with Calgary on 1683 hits, 871 runs, 290 doubles, 208 home runs, 869 RBI, with a .320/.382/.506 slash. Calgary had some decent seasons in Scott’s tenure, but never made the playoffs. He’d never play a postseason game in his HOF career. The Cheetahs would retire his #7 though after retirement. Scott entered free agency in 1935 and signed with Boston at age 31. He had his last great season in his Red Sox debut, but struggled the next season. Scott signed in 1937 with the New York Yankees and spent two seasons there. He was traded to Las Vegas for the 1939, then spent 1940-41 with Milwaukee and 1942 with Denver. Recurring injuries in his 30s meant he never played even half a season with those latter teams. In 1943 at age 39, he went to the Dominican Republic and played his final three professional seasons with Santiago. His final MLB stats: 2512 hits, 1273 runs, 438 doubles, 335 home runs, 1308 RBI, a .305/.363/.491 and 74.9 WAR. He was fourth in WAR at retirement among second basemen. His numbers are solid, especially so at an undervalued position, but low enough that he just missed the cut in his first two times on the ballot. His lack of postseason play and unremarkable 30s also played against him, but his decade with Calgary was about as strong of a decade any second baseman has had. Thus, B.J. Scott was inducted on his third try on the ballot at 83.2%. Noah Pugliese – Closer – Washington Admirals – 74.6% Seventh Ballot Noah Pugliese was a 5’8’’, 190 pound left-handed closer from Long Beach, California. He would develop a 98-100 mph fastball that was expertly placed, mixed in with an incredibly deceptive changeup. His control of these two pitches was considered elite. Pugliese was also known as a legendary prankster, fond of hijinks, shenanigans, and tomfoolery. Pugliese played college baseball at Northern Illinois and wasn’t a highly sought out prospect. He was picked in the 1921 MLB Draft in the sixth round, 275^th overall, by Albuquerque. When Pugliese got inducted, he was the second-latest draft pick to earn the honor, behind 3B Chris Barnett (340^th). The Isotopes were unimpressed by Pugliese in spring training, cutting him before opening day. Phoenix signed him and had him in the minor league Tucson affiliate for a year. The Firebirds cut him in May 1923, then Washington signed him for what would be the signature run. He spent most of 1923 in the minors, then assumed the closer role with the Admirals starting in 1924. By 1928, he won his first Reliever of the Year award. Pugliese won it again in 1929, 1930, 1931, and 1933; the first five-time winner and as of 2036, one of only two. He led in saves in 1928, 1929, and 1933. Pugliese was a huge part of Washington’s 1930 World Series title. In that postseason, he had a 0.00 ERA with six saves over 19.2 innings with six hits, one unearned run, and 19 strikeouts. His #28 would ultimately be retired by the Admirals. 1933 saw his career best WAR at 5.0, but the 33-year old Pugliese saw an elbow strain in 1934 that limited his effectiveness and saw him lose his closer role. He’d be a rarely-used reliever in his final seasons. The Admirals traded Pugliese for prospects to Memphis for the 1935 season. Pugliese played with Toronto in 1936, Houston in 1937, then came back for one final season with Washington in 1938. The final stats: 302 saves, 1.98 ERA, 869 innings, 940 strikeouts, 387 shutdowns, and 34.2 WAR. He accumulated numbers are actually lower than most of the other closers in the hall and as such, he had to wait seven tries on the ballot to get in. Still, five Reliever of the Year awards is something no one else could claim in MLB in the 21^st century and thus, Noah Pugliese was inducted in 1950 at 74.6%. Jake “Undertaker” Nicholson – Outfielder – Vancouver Volcanoes – 72.3% Eighth Ballot Jake Nicholson was a 5’9’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Rocky View County in rural Alberta, Canada. Nicholson had a very unique skillset as a tremendous contact hitter and great speedy baserunner. He had a great eye, very rarely striking out and solid at drawing walks. He had decent gap power, using his speed to leg out doubles and triples. However, he had no home run power as his seven career homers would be by far the lowest tally of any hitter in the MLB Hall. He played defensively roughly 40% at right field, 40% in left, and 20% in center and was considered a very good corner outfielder defensively and average in center. He was a hard worker and leader in the clubhouse, well-liked in every stay. Nicholson played for the Texas Longhorns in college and his unique skillset got the attention of Vancouver, who drafted him fifth overall in the 1919 MLB Draft. He became a starter right away and spent his first eight seasons with the Volcanoes, where he won three Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger. He led the American Association in stolen bases five times and in 1924, won the batting title with a .362 average and league-best .426 OBP. With Vancouver, he had 1575 hits, 757 runs, a .333 average, and 34.7 WAR. Nicholson left for Brooklyn in free agency at age 29 and spent 1928-32 with the Dodgers as a solid starter, although he didn’t win any awards or lead in any statistics. With the Dodgers, he had 20.2 WAR, 965 hits, 404 runs, and a .321 average. He signed with Washington in 1933 at age 34 and spent four seasons there, then played his final year with Baltimore in 1937. Nicholson became the 11^th hitter to 3000 career hits, but unfortunately never had a chance to play postseason baseball. His final stat line: 3278 hits, 1504 runs, 505 doubles, 140 triples, 7 home runs, 755 RBI, 958 walks, only 521 strikeouts, 800 stolen bases, a .318/.378/.396 slash and 66.5 WAR. His numbers presented a very unique case as many felt the hits, runs, and steals should put him in, although even 3000 hits hadn’t been a guarantee in the past. His HR and RBI totals were by far the lowest of any HOF hitter and that, plus his lack of postseason runs and major awards, meant many thought he was at best, a good hand. Nicholson hovered around the 50s in his first few ballots, but eventually gained momentum into the 60s in 1948 and 1949. On his eighth try in 1950, the hard-working Nicholson finally got his due and earned Hall of Fame honors at 72.3%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)