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FuzzyRussianHat · 05-03-2023, 06:30 AM

The 1955 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame class saw three players inducted, each on the first ballot. SP Ned Giles (98.9%) and 3B Purvis Jones (96.0%) were both no-doubters, while 1B Aubin Shrauger got on with a very strong 89.9%. 1B Maxwell Redmond came close at 61.9% on his second try but just missed. Three others made it above 50%.

One of those was closer Cliff Bettis, who was dropped on his 10^th ballot. In 16 seasons with Phoenix and six other teams, Bettis won three Reliever of the Year awards with 350 saves, a 2.48 ERA, and 31.6 WAR. Some of his numbers compare well to other relievers who made the hall, but he peaked at 56.8% on his fourth ballot. Also dropped on his 10^th ballot was SP Max Reaster, whose entire 16 year career was with Milwaukee. He had a 200-137 record, 3.11 ERA, 2741 strikeouts, 82.2 WAR, and two Pitcher of the Year awards. He peaked at 51.5% on his second try.

Ned Giles – Starting Pitcher – Denver Dragons – 98.9% First Ballot

Ned Giles was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Portmarnock, a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The first Irish-born inductee, Giles at his peak had 99-101 mph velocity with tremendous stuff and movement. He had good control in his 20s and excellent control as he aged. Giles mixed up a slider, curveball, cutter, and changeup and was a solid defensive pitcher. He was a fan favorite and beloved by fans and teammates alike despite bouncing around more than you’d expect for a likeable player. Giles was also incredibly durable, making 32+ starts in every year of his pro career except for his final two.

Giles moved to the United States as a teenager and quickly picked up baseball, playing college baseball at Kentucky. He was second in NCAA Pitcher of the Year voting as a freshman. Due to the first three rounds of the MLB Draft being regionally based for American and Canadian players, Giles was selected in the fourth round. Nashville picked him third in the round, 150^th overall, in the 1928 Draft.

He was an immediate success with the Knights, posting 20.6 WAR in three seasons. The struggling squad opted to trade Giles to Brooklyn before the 1932 season, where he’d become a s8perstar in just four seasons with the Dodgers. From 1932-35, Giles led the National Association in ERA and WAR each year and led in strikeouts thrice. He won Pitcher of the Year in 1932, 34, and 35, and took second in 1933. With Brooklyn, he was 75-38 with a 2.20 ERA, 996 strikeouts, and 39.0 WAR.

The Dodgers were a lower-end franchise, getting only one forgettable wild card in 1934, leading to Giles opting out of his contract and testing free agency at age 27. For the 1936 season, Giles signed with Denver, which would ultimately be the team he’d be inducted to the Hall of Fame with despite only playing five seasons there. In that run, he had a 101-55 record, 2.94 ERA, 1349 strikeouts, and 43.1 WAR. Giles won his fourth and fifth Pitcher of the Year in 1938 and 1940, and took third in 1937.

The 1938 season is what would make Giles a Dragons legend. In the first round of the playoffs, he threw the sixth MLB perfect game, striking out 13 against Houston on October 3. It was the first playoff perfect game and part of a postseason run that saw Denver win the World Series over Ottawa. Giles set a still-standing postseason record with 2.3 WAR over five starts with a 5-0 record, 0.62 ERA over 42.1 innings with 43 strikeouts. This run would forever be considered perhaps the best by a pitcher in MLB postseason history. Sadly for Giles, he’d only get to play in the postseason once more and it would come a decade later.

Giles wouldn’t win Pitcher of the Year again, but he settled into a role as a reliable solid starter throughout his 30s, posting seven more seasons of 5+ WAR. He signed with Montreal from 1941-43, then went Houston from 1944-46. Midway through the 1946 season after a sluggish start, Giles was traded back to Nashville and finished strong. He’d play his final three seasons with the Knights, posting a solid age 38 season in 1947. Injuries and age finally caught up in his final two years.

Giles continued to rack up milestones in the second half of his career. In 1945 with Houston, he was the second pitcher to 300 wins and in 1948 with Nashville, became the first to cross 350. He became the third to 4000 career strikeouts and the second to 4500 Ks. In 1948, he became the first MLB player, pitcher or hitter, to cross 150+ career WAR. He remains the pitching WARlord even a century later. At retirement, he was second all-time in strikeouts, second in innings, tied for first in shutouts, and second in complete games.

The final statistics for Giles: 356-232 record, 3.10 ERA, 5346 innings, 4561 strikeouts, 1.15 WHIP, 437/665 quality starts, 285 complete games, 59 shutouts, a 73 FIP-, and 151.7 WAR. Any conversation about the greatest pitcher in MLB history has to include Giles near the top. He was an absolute force in the 1930s and 1940s and beloved by each fanbase he encountered, as well as by folks back home in Ireland and Irish-Americans.

Purvis Jones – Third Base/Shortstop – Detroit Tigers – 96.0% First Ballot

Purvis Jones was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed infielder from La Mirada, California; part of Los Angeles County. Jones was known for being an excellent contact hitter with solid reliable power. He had above average speed and could respectably draw walks while being around average in terms of avoiding strikeouts. Jones started his career as a shortstop before later shifting to third base, making about 2/3s of his starts at third. He was considered an excellent defender at third, winning three Gold Gloves. He was thought of as a solid shortstop in his early 20s, although his range would diminish into his 20s, leading to the shift to 3B.

Jones played college baseball at Wake Forest and won a Silver Slugger as a junior, finishing third in college MVP voting. He was selected 34^th overall in the 1928 MLB Draft by Phoenix. Jones had a solid debut, finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting in 1929. From 1930-34, he won five straight Silver Sluggers; the first three at SS and the latter two at 3B. He was second in MVP voting in 1930 and third in 1934. In 1930 and 1933, the Firebirds won the American Association title with Jones posting 44 hits, 31 runs, 11 home runs, and 33 RBI over those postseason runs. In 1933, he won both the AACS and World Series MVP. In seven strong seasons with Phoenix, Jones had 1168 hits, 660 runs, 155 doubles, 208 home runs, 604 RBI, a .305 average, and 39.4 WAR.

At age 28, Jones left for free agency before the 1936 season and signed a then-massive eight season, $199,600 deal with Detroit. He played seven of those seasons with the Tigers in what became his most famous run. In his second season with the Tigers in 1937, he led the National Association in home runs (50), RBI (136), OPS (1.043), and WAR (9.2), earning his lone MVP. He finished second in MVP voting the next season, getting his two Silver Sluggers with the Tigers in this stretch. He never matched that power again, but went back to being a solid 30ish home run guy for the rest of his Detroit run. The Tigers were a bottom-tier franchise at this time with no playoff appearances, but Jones put up1720 hits, 720 runs, 252 home runs, 719 RBI, a .315 average, and 54.0 WAR. He got his first Gold Glove at age 34 in 1942.

The Tigers voided the final year of his contract and Jones signed with Kansas City for the 1943 season. A broken hand put him out half of his Cougars debut, but he was very solid in the next three seasons for KC, winning his eighth and final Silver Slugger along with two Gold Gloves. He earned his 3000^th career hit, 1500^th RBI, 1500^th run scored, and 500^th home run with Kansas City. His stats with the Cougars saw 566 hits, 101 home runs, 341 runs, and 21.7 WAR.

Now 39 years old, Jones signed with Brooklyn for the 1947 season. After being durable for most of his career, Jones couldn’t stay healthy in his final seasons. He spent 1947 and 1948 with the Dodgers and 1949 with Philadelphia. Jones then went to Mexico City for his final two seasons in 1950-51 before retiring at age 44.

The final MLB stats for Jones; 3175 hits, 1800 runs, 444 doubles, 587 home runs, 1737 RBI, 991 walks, a .304/.367/.537 slash, and 118.4 WAR. At retirement, he was one of only six players with 1800+ runs scored. He was the 19^th to cross 3000 hits and 28^th to 500 home runs. At retirement, he was fifth all-time among MLB hitters with 118.4 WAR. Jones was a consistent top-level performer on the left side of the infielder for two decades and certainly earned first ballot Hall of Fame induction at 96.0%.

Aubin Shrauger – First Baseman/Designated Hitter – Las Vegas Vipers – 89.9% First Ballot

Aubin Shrauger was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed slugger from Holdenville, a small town in central Oklahoma. Shrauger was an excellent power hitter who ultimately led the American Association in home runs seven times and RBI four times. He was a solid contact hitter and could draw walks as well, although he did strike out often. Shrauger was a very slow baserunner and a generally below average defender at first base. He started around 40% of his career games at first and the rest almost exclusively as a DH.

Shrauger moved to Michigan and attended Michigan State University, earning the 1932 college baseball MVP award as a junior for the Spartans. With that success, Las Vegas picked Shrauger 39^th overall in the 1932 MLB Draft. He was an immediate success with the Vipers, earning the 1933 Rookie of the Year. Shrauger developed into a powerhouse with seven 40+ home run seasons and three 50+ dinger years. He led the AA in homers from 1936-1941 and had 153 RBI in 1939, only the eighth season in MLB history of 150+.

He led in WAR in 1938 and 1939, winning MVP in both seasons. Shrauger was second in MVP in 1936 and 1937 and won the Silver Slugger five straight years from 1936-40. The Vipers made the playoffs twice in his tenure, falling in the 1934 AACS to Albuquerque. In a decade with LV, he had 1733 hits, 970 runs, 445 home runs, 1204 RBI, a .298 average, and 54.8 WAR. His #33 uniform would be the third number retired by the Vipers franchise.

At age 31, Shrauger left for free agency and signed in 1943 with San Diego. He was never an MVP candidate in his 30s with his production dwindling and some injury issues, although he still had a few more 30+ home run seasons. He spent 1943-45 with the Seals, then spent his final four seasons from 1946-49 with Houston. With the Hornets, Shrauger became the 10^th MLB player to 600 career home runs.

Shrauger’s final stats: 2575 hits, 1435 runs, 430 doubles, 622 home runs, 1745 RBI, a .280/.351/.537 slash and 64.0 WAR. He was arguably the premier home run hitter in MLB in his 20s and one of the elite sluggers of the 1930 and early 1940s. This power especially earned Shrauger a first ballot selection at 89.9% for the 1955 MLB Hall of Fame.

05-03-2023, 06:30 AM	#270
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,030	1955 MLB Hall of Fame The 1955 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame class saw three players inducted, each on the first ballot. SP Ned Giles (98.9%) and 3B Purvis Jones (96.0%) were both no-doubters, while 1B Aubin Shrauger got on with a very strong 89.9%. 1B Maxwell Redmond came close at 61.9% on his second try but just missed. Three others made it above 50%. One of those was closer Cliff Bettis, who was dropped on his 10^th ballot. In 16 seasons with Phoenix and six other teams, Bettis won three Reliever of the Year awards with 350 saves, a 2.48 ERA, and 31.6 WAR. Some of his numbers compare well to other relievers who made the hall, but he peaked at 56.8% on his fourth ballot. Also dropped on his 10^th ballot was SP Max Reaster, whose entire 16 year career was with Milwaukee. He had a 200-137 record, 3.11 ERA, 2741 strikeouts, 82.2 WAR, and two Pitcher of the Year awards. He peaked at 51.5% on his second try. Ned Giles – Starting Pitcher – Denver Dragons – 98.9% First Ballot Ned Giles was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Portmarnock, a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The first Irish-born inductee, Giles at his peak had 99-101 mph velocity with tremendous stuff and movement. He had good control in his 20s and excellent control as he aged. Giles mixed up a slider, curveball, cutter, and changeup and was a solid defensive pitcher. He was a fan favorite and beloved by fans and teammates alike despite bouncing around more than you’d expect for a likeable player. Giles was also incredibly durable, making 32+ starts in every year of his pro career except for his final two. Giles moved to the United States as a teenager and quickly picked up baseball, playing college baseball at Kentucky. He was second in NCAA Pitcher of the Year voting as a freshman. Due to the first three rounds of the MLB Draft being regionally based for American and Canadian players, Giles was selected in the fourth round. Nashville picked him third in the round, 150^th overall, in the 1928 Draft. He was an immediate success with the Knights, posting 20.6 WAR in three seasons. The struggling squad opted to trade Giles to Brooklyn before the 1932 season, where he’d become a s8perstar in just four seasons with the Dodgers. From 1932-35, Giles led the National Association in ERA and WAR each year and led in strikeouts thrice. He won Pitcher of the Year in 1932, 34, and 35, and took second in 1933. With Brooklyn, he was 75-38 with a 2.20 ERA, 996 strikeouts, and 39.0 WAR. The Dodgers were a lower-end franchise, getting only one forgettable wild card in 1934, leading to Giles opting out of his contract and testing free agency at age 27. For the 1936 season, Giles signed with Denver, which would ultimately be the team he’d be inducted to the Hall of Fame with despite only playing five seasons there. In that run, he had a 101-55 record, 2.94 ERA, 1349 strikeouts, and 43.1 WAR. Giles won his fourth and fifth Pitcher of the Year in 1938 and 1940, and took third in 1937. The 1938 season is what would make Giles a Dragons legend. In the first round of the playoffs, he threw the sixth MLB perfect game, striking out 13 against Houston on October 3. It was the first playoff perfect game and part of a postseason run that saw Denver win the World Series over Ottawa. Giles set a still-standing postseason record with 2.3 WAR over five starts with a 5-0 record, 0.62 ERA over 42.1 innings with 43 strikeouts. This run would forever be considered perhaps the best by a pitcher in MLB postseason history. Sadly for Giles, he’d only get to play in the postseason once more and it would come a decade later. Giles wouldn’t win Pitcher of the Year again, but he settled into a role as a reliable solid starter throughout his 30s, posting seven more seasons of 5+ WAR. He signed with Montreal from 1941-43, then went Houston from 1944-46. Midway through the 1946 season after a sluggish start, Giles was traded back to Nashville and finished strong. He’d play his final three seasons with the Knights, posting a solid age 38 season in 1947. Injuries and age finally caught up in his final two years. Giles continued to rack up milestones in the second half of his career. In 1945 with Houston, he was the second pitcher to 300 wins and in 1948 with Nashville, became the first to cross 350. He became the third to 4000 career strikeouts and the second to 4500 Ks. In 1948, he became the first MLB player, pitcher or hitter, to cross 150+ career WAR. He remains the pitching WARlord even a century later. At retirement, he was second all-time in strikeouts, second in innings, tied for first in shutouts, and second in complete games. The final statistics for Giles: 356-232 record, 3.10 ERA, 5346 innings, 4561 strikeouts, 1.15 WHIP, 437/665 quality starts, 285 complete games, 59 shutouts, a 73 FIP-, and 151.7 WAR. Any conversation about the greatest pitcher in MLB history has to include Giles near the top. He was an absolute force in the 1930s and 1940s and beloved by each fanbase he encountered, as well as by folks back home in Ireland and Irish-Americans. Purvis Jones – Third Base/Shortstop – Detroit Tigers – 96.0% First Ballot Purvis Jones was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed infielder from La Mirada, California; part of Los Angeles County. Jones was known for being an excellent contact hitter with solid reliable power. He had above average speed and could respectably draw walks while being around average in terms of avoiding strikeouts. Jones started his career as a shortstop before later shifting to third base, making about 2/3s of his starts at third. He was considered an excellent defender at third, winning three Gold Gloves. He was thought of as a solid shortstop in his early 20s, although his range would diminish into his 20s, leading to the shift to 3B. Jones played college baseball at Wake Forest and won a Silver Slugger as a junior, finishing third in college MVP voting. He was selected 34^th overall in the 1928 MLB Draft by Phoenix. Jones had a solid debut, finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting in 1929. From 1930-34, he won five straight Silver Sluggers; the first three at SS and the latter two at 3B. He was second in MVP voting in 1930 and third in 1934. In 1930 and 1933, the Firebirds won the American Association title with Jones posting 44 hits, 31 runs, 11 home runs, and 33 RBI over those postseason runs. In 1933, he won both the AACS and World Series MVP. In seven strong seasons with Phoenix, Jones had 1168 hits, 660 runs, 155 doubles, 208 home runs, 604 RBI, a .305 average, and 39.4 WAR. At age 28, Jones left for free agency before the 1936 season and signed a then-massive eight season, $199,600 deal with Detroit. He played seven of those seasons with the Tigers in what became his most famous run. In his second season with the Tigers in 1937, he led the National Association in home runs (50), RBI (136), OPS (1.043), and WAR (9.2), earning his lone MVP. He finished second in MVP voting the next season, getting his two Silver Sluggers with the Tigers in this stretch. He never matched that power again, but went back to being a solid 30ish home run guy for the rest of his Detroit run. The Tigers were a bottom-tier franchise at this time with no playoff appearances, but Jones put up1720 hits, 720 runs, 252 home runs, 719 RBI, a .315 average, and 54.0 WAR. He got his first Gold Glove at age 34 in 1942. The Tigers voided the final year of his contract and Jones signed with Kansas City for the 1943 season. A broken hand put him out half of his Cougars debut, but he was very solid in the next three seasons for KC, winning his eighth and final Silver Slugger along with two Gold Gloves. He earned his 3000^th career hit, 1500^th RBI, 1500^th run scored, and 500^th home run with Kansas City. His stats with the Cougars saw 566 hits, 101 home runs, 341 runs, and 21.7 WAR. Now 39 years old, Jones signed with Brooklyn for the 1947 season. After being durable for most of his career, Jones couldn’t stay healthy in his final seasons. He spent 1947 and 1948 with the Dodgers and 1949 with Philadelphia. Jones then went to Mexico City for his final two seasons in 1950-51 before retiring at age 44. The final MLB stats for Jones; 3175 hits, 1800 runs, 444 doubles, 587 home runs, 1737 RBI, 991 walks, a .304/.367/.537 slash, and 118.4 WAR. At retirement, he was one of only six players with 1800+ runs scored. He was the 19^th to cross 3000 hits and 28^th to 500 home runs. At retirement, he was fifth all-time among MLB hitters with 118.4 WAR. Jones was a consistent top-level performer on the left side of the infielder for two decades and certainly earned first ballot Hall of Fame induction at 96.0%. Aubin Shrauger – First Baseman/Designated Hitter – Las Vegas Vipers – 89.9% First Ballot Aubin Shrauger was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed slugger from Holdenville, a small town in central Oklahoma. Shrauger was an excellent power hitter who ultimately led the American Association in home runs seven times and RBI four times. He was a solid contact hitter and could draw walks as well, although he did strike out often. Shrauger was a very slow baserunner and a generally below average defender at first base. He started around 40% of his career games at first and the rest almost exclusively as a DH. Shrauger moved to Michigan and attended Michigan State University, earning the 1932 college baseball MVP award as a junior for the Spartans. With that success, Las Vegas picked Shrauger 39^th overall in the 1932 MLB Draft. He was an immediate success with the Vipers, earning the 1933 Rookie of the Year. Shrauger developed into a powerhouse with seven 40+ home run seasons and three 50+ dinger years. He led the AA in homers from 1936-1941 and had 153 RBI in 1939, only the eighth season in MLB history of 150+. He led in WAR in 1938 and 1939, winning MVP in both seasons. Shrauger was second in MVP in 1936 and 1937 and won the Silver Slugger five straight years from 1936-40. The Vipers made the playoffs twice in his tenure, falling in the 1934 AACS to Albuquerque. In a decade with LV, he had 1733 hits, 970 runs, 445 home runs, 1204 RBI, a .298 average, and 54.8 WAR. His #33 uniform would be the third number retired by the Vipers franchise. At age 31, Shrauger left for free agency and signed in 1943 with San Diego. He was never an MVP candidate in his 30s with his production dwindling and some injury issues, although he still had a few more 30+ home run seasons. He spent 1943-45 with the Seals, then spent his final four seasons from 1946-49 with Houston. With the Hornets, Shrauger became the 10^th MLB player to 600 career home runs. Shrauger’s final stats: 2575 hits, 1435 runs, 430 doubles, 622 home runs, 1745 RBI, a .280/.351/.537 slash and 64.0 WAR. He was arguably the premier home run hitter in MLB in his 20s and one of the elite sluggers of the 1930 and early 1940s. This power especially earned Shrauger a first ballot selection at 89.9% for the 1955 MLB Hall of Fame. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)