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FuzzyRussianHat · 06-02-2023, 05:29 AM

The 1958 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame Class had three inductees with two on the first ballot. 2B Cash Watson crossed the threshold on his debut at 83.4%, as did CF Halton Walker at 72.2%. Meanwhile on his seventh try, SP Jacob Gosselin finally made it in with 72.2%. SP Patrick Iannazzo missed the 66% threshold by one percent on his penultimate attempt, while fellow SP Roy Cole had a solid showing but missed on his sixth go at 61.4%.

Two players were booted from the ballot after ten attempts. Reliever Jhan Lopez-Garcia had a 2.12 ERA and 251 saves with 1361 strikeouts over 893 innings and 39.7 WAR. The WAR and strikeout numbers compare decently to other relievers in the HOF, but he peaked at 38.4% on his second try having lacked any accolades. LF Sandy Rainey was also dropped, peaking at 26.3% on his debut. The 1928 NA MVP, in 17 years primarily with Detroit he had 2510 hits, 1303 runs, 478 home runs, 1421 RBI, a .298 average, and 61.7 WAR. Very respectable, but firmly in the “Hall of Very Good” range with the lone MVP season his only real standout season.

Cash Watson – Second Baseman – Charlotte Canaries – 83.4% First Ballot

Cash Watson was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed second baseman from Estero, Florida; a village near the Cape Coral/Fort Myers area. Watson is the fourth 2B to earn induction into the MLB Hall and played the majority of his career there, sans the occasional start at third. Watson was a very good contact hitter, excellent baserunner, and solid at drawing walks; making him a great run-scorer. He didn’t have much home run power, but had solid gap power and used his speed to tally an impressive number of doubles and triples. Defensively he was very good, racking up a career 197.5 ZR at second. This is second-best all-time in MLB, only behind his contemporary Hunter Pride’s remkarable 284.3. Pride (who won 11 Gold Gloves) is the main reason Watson only earned Gold Glove once despite his success. On top of this, Watson was a beloved figure in the game with an incredible work ethic and intelligence.

Watson went west and played college baseball at Oregon, earning immediate attention among MLB scouts. In the 1931 MLB Draft, Charlotte selected Watson second overall. After an impressive rookie season, he won the batting title in 1933 at .358 and led the American Association with 10.8 WAR, earning his first Silver Slugger and second place in MVP voting. All five of his Silver Sluggers came with the Canaries, adding additional ones in 1935, 36, 38, and 40. In 1940, he was second in MVP voting again, thanks to an AA-best 9.9 WAR and .413 OBP.

The 1930s were successful for Charlotte and Watson played a big role. They made the playoffs five times in his tenure and in 1937, won the World Series. In that run, he had 20 hits, 13 runs, 8 doubles, and 11 RBI in 14 playoff games. Fresh off a second-place in MVP voting season in 1940, the now 29-year old Watson lived up to his first name and got him some Cash. He signed a seven-year, $212,000 deal with Atlanta.

Watson spent six seasons ultimately with the Aces and while a solid starter, he didn’t live up to the highs of the Charlotte run. Small injuries caused him to miss a month or two in his first few seasons with Atlanta and he missed his entire fifth season with Atlanta due to a torn PCL. He came back with a respectable 1946 at age 34, but was let go at the end of the season. With Atlanta, Watson had 681 hits, 403 runs, 143 doubles, and 24.4 WAR.

He returned to his baseball home of Charlotte in 1947 and showed flashes of the old Watson with a 6.3 WAR season and his lone Gold Glove. He finished in Charlotte with a total of 1733 hits, 939 runs, 313 doubles, 119 triples, 115 home runs, 749 RBI, a .313 average, and 71.8 WAR. By this point, the Canaries were a rebuilding team and didn’t bring him back the next year. But his #7 uniform would be retired once his career was up, joining fellow Hall of Famer Domingo Martinez as the only Canaries with the distinction.

Watson would play five more MLB seasons ultimately. He signed with Seattle in 1948 and 1949, Ottawa in 1950 and 1951, and finally Oklahoma City in 1952 at age 40. He still provided positive value, but began to fade like all players do. He was able to cross a major milestone in the last year with the Outlaws; 3000 career hits. Watson was the 26^th player to earn the feat. He also retired fifth in doubles and would be the 12^th hitter inducted with 100+ career WAR.

The final stats for Watson: 3007 hits, 1643 runs, 576 doubles, 210 triples, 172 home runs, 1269 RBI, 1197 walks, 692 stolen bases, a .295/.376/.444 slash and 108.4 WAR. A stellar career that is perhaps overlooked by some due to a steady but unremarkable second half. It seems like 83.4% is a bit low considering the accolades, but Watson regardless is a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Halton Walker – Center Fielder – Cincinnati Reds – 72.2% First Ballot

Halton Walker was a 6’0’’, 195 pound left-handed centerfielder from Lorain, Ohio; a smaller city located on Lake Erie. Walker was an excellent contact hitter who had solid gap power and above average speed. He wasn’t a dominant home run hitter, but averaged around 20 per season while adding a nice chunk of doubles and triples. Walker rarely drew walks, but also very rarely struck out. He played his entire career in center field and was considered a reliably good and solid defender.

Almost all of Walker’s baseball career would be in his native Ohio. He attended Kent State University and after his junior year, was picked 25^th overall in the 1935 MLB Draft by St. Louis. Walker wouldn’t sign with the college and returned for his senior year with the Golden Flashes, winning a Gold Glove. In the 1936 Draft, he was picked by Cincinnati 11^th overall and signed with the Reds. He was an immediate success, winning the National Association Rookie of the Year in 1937 with a 7.6 WAR season. He also won a Silver Slugger and finished second in MVP voting

His second year was arguably his best with a career best 9.0 WA and the NA lead and career high of 222 hits. He was third in MVP voting and won his second Silver Slugger. He won his third and final SS in 1940 with a career-best 126 RBI, taking third again in MVP voting. He never again was at the top of award lists but he would have 5+ WAR seasons in 12 of his 13 years with the Reds, only missing it in 1947 due to missing time to injury. Cincinnati made it to the playoffs six times with Walker, although they never made it to the World Series. In 34 games, he had 48 hits, 19 runs, 28 RBI, a .350 average and 1.2 WAR. In total with the Reds, Walker had 2388 hits, 1198 runs, 336 doubles, 185 triples, 223 home runs, 1163 RBI, a .317/.360/.500 slash and 85.4 WAR. His #20 uniform would be retired at the end of his career.

At the end of the 1949 season, Cincinnati traded Walker to Los Angeles for three prospects. In his one year with the Angels, he crossed 2500 career hits, although he struggled. He signed at age 36 with Dallas and spent his final two seasons with the Dalmatians, retiring at the end of the 1952 season.

The final stats for Walker: 2749 hits, 1350 runs, 381 doubles, 203 triples, 250 home runs, 1297 RBI, a .309/.352/.482 slash and 89.2 WAR. He had a great start to his career and was a reliable starter and contributor for more than a decade as the face of the Reds, earning a first-ballot induction at 72.2%.

Jacob Gosselin – Starting Pitcher – Vancouver Volcanoes – 72.2% Seventh Ballot

Jacob Gosselin was a 5’8’, 185 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Calgary, Alberta. Gosselin wasn’t outstanding at any one aspect, but was good to solid at all facets of pitching. His 92-94 mph velocity wasn’t amazing, but he had solid movement and control and was excellent at coaxing groundballs. His most dominant pitch was a changeup, mixed with a slider, curveball, and sinker. He was also known as being durable and as a solid defensive pitcher.

Gosselin left for the United States for college, playing at Notre Dame. He returned to western Canada when drafted 36^th overall in the 1927 MLB Draft by Vancouver. Gosselin spent eight seasons with the Volcanoes, peaking with an American Association-best 2.53 ERA in 1935. That year, he placed second in Pitcher of the Year voting; the closest he got to winning the big award. He put up 39.2 WAR and a 118-80 record in this run with Vancouver as an above average regular starter for a struggling franchise. Before the 1936 season, the 28-year old Gosselin was traded for prospects to Milwaukee.

After one year with the Mustangs, Gosselin signed with his hometown Calgary on a six-year, $116,400 contract. With the Cheetahs, he posted five seasons of 5.9+ WAR and helped them to a World Series appearance in 1940 and an AACS in 1941. Although he was inducted into the HOF with Vancouver, he was arguably more impressive with Calgary. In his run, he was 113-67 with a 3.25 ERA, 1191 strikeouts over 1665.1 innings, and 44.8 WAR.

Late in the 1943 season, Gosselin required elbow ligament reconstruction surgery. He returned to the minor league Edmonton affiliate in late 1944 and suffered a torn UCL, putting him out another year. He attempted another comeback and made a few minor league starts in 1945. At age 38, he was signed by Houston and made his Major League return, but struggled and was cut by the Hornets. Later that year, Vancouver brought him back and he found a brief resurgence, getting to 250 career wins exactly. Gosselin retired after the 1946 season at age 39.

The final stats for Gosselin: 250-169, 3.29 ERA, 3957 innings, 2774 strikeouts, 950 walks, 307 quality starts, 215 complete games, and 94.3 WAR. He quietly put up a solid resume, but his lack of dominance, strikeouts, and major awards made many view Gosselin as a “Hall of Very Good” type. His first four years on the ballot he was in the 40-50% range, then got a bump to 61.6% on his fifth try. He fell again on the sixth ballot, but made enough gains to join the 1958 class with 72.2%.

06-02-2023, 05:29 AM	#303
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,650	1958 MLB Hall of Fame The 1958 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame Class had three inductees with two on the first ballot. 2B Cash Watson crossed the threshold on his debut at 83.4%, as did CF Halton Walker at 72.2%. Meanwhile on his seventh try, SP Jacob Gosselin finally made it in with 72.2%. SP Patrick Iannazzo missed the 66% threshold by one percent on his penultimate attempt, while fellow SP Roy Cole had a solid showing but missed on his sixth go at 61.4%. Two players were booted from the ballot after ten attempts. Reliever Jhan Lopez-Garcia had a 2.12 ERA and 251 saves with 1361 strikeouts over 893 innings and 39.7 WAR. The WAR and strikeout numbers compare decently to other relievers in the HOF, but he peaked at 38.4% on his second try having lacked any accolades. LF Sandy Rainey was also dropped, peaking at 26.3% on his debut. The 1928 NA MVP, in 17 years primarily with Detroit he had 2510 hits, 1303 runs, 478 home runs, 1421 RBI, a .298 average, and 61.7 WAR. Very respectable, but firmly in the “Hall of Very Good” range with the lone MVP season his only real standout season. Cash Watson – Second Baseman – Charlotte Canaries – 83.4% First Ballot Cash Watson was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed second baseman from Estero, Florida; a village near the Cape Coral/Fort Myers area. Watson is the fourth 2B to earn induction into the MLB Hall and played the majority of his career there, sans the occasional start at third. Watson was a very good contact hitter, excellent baserunner, and solid at drawing walks; making him a great run-scorer. He didn’t have much home run power, but had solid gap power and used his speed to tally an impressive number of doubles and triples. Defensively he was very good, racking up a career 197.5 ZR at second. This is second-best all-time in MLB, only behind his contemporary Hunter Pride’s remkarable 284.3. Pride (who won 11 Gold Gloves) is the main reason Watson only earned Gold Glove once despite his success. On top of this, Watson was a beloved figure in the game with an incredible work ethic and intelligence. Watson went west and played college baseball at Oregon, earning immediate attention among MLB scouts. In the 1931 MLB Draft, Charlotte selected Watson second overall. After an impressive rookie season, he won the batting title in 1933 at .358 and led the American Association with 10.8 WAR, earning his first Silver Slugger and second place in MVP voting. All five of his Silver Sluggers came with the Canaries, adding additional ones in 1935, 36, 38, and 40. In 1940, he was second in MVP voting again, thanks to an AA-best 9.9 WAR and .413 OBP. The 1930s were successful for Charlotte and Watson played a big role. They made the playoffs five times in his tenure and in 1937, won the World Series. In that run, he had 20 hits, 13 runs, 8 doubles, and 11 RBI in 14 playoff games. Fresh off a second-place in MVP voting season in 1940, the now 29-year old Watson lived up to his first name and got him some Cash. He signed a seven-year, $212,000 deal with Atlanta. Watson spent six seasons ultimately with the Aces and while a solid starter, he didn’t live up to the highs of the Charlotte run. Small injuries caused him to miss a month or two in his first few seasons with Atlanta and he missed his entire fifth season with Atlanta due to a torn PCL. He came back with a respectable 1946 at age 34, but was let go at the end of the season. With Atlanta, Watson had 681 hits, 403 runs, 143 doubles, and 24.4 WAR. He returned to his baseball home of Charlotte in 1947 and showed flashes of the old Watson with a 6.3 WAR season and his lone Gold Glove. He finished in Charlotte with a total of 1733 hits, 939 runs, 313 doubles, 119 triples, 115 home runs, 749 RBI, a .313 average, and 71.8 WAR. By this point, the Canaries were a rebuilding team and didn’t bring him back the next year. But his #7 uniform would be retired once his career was up, joining fellow Hall of Famer Domingo Martinez as the only Canaries with the distinction. Watson would play five more MLB seasons ultimately. He signed with Seattle in 1948 and 1949, Ottawa in 1950 and 1951, and finally Oklahoma City in 1952 at age 40. He still provided positive value, but began to fade like all players do. He was able to cross a major milestone in the last year with the Outlaws; 3000 career hits. Watson was the 26^th player to earn the feat. He also retired fifth in doubles and would be the 12^th hitter inducted with 100+ career WAR. The final stats for Watson: 3007 hits, 1643 runs, 576 doubles, 210 triples, 172 home runs, 1269 RBI, 1197 walks, 692 stolen bases, a .295/.376/.444 slash and 108.4 WAR. A stellar career that is perhaps overlooked by some due to a steady but unremarkable second half. It seems like 83.4% is a bit low considering the accolades, but Watson regardless is a first ballot Hall of Famer. Halton Walker – Center Fielder – Cincinnati Reds – 72.2% First Ballot Halton Walker was a 6’0’’, 195 pound left-handed centerfielder from Lorain, Ohio; a smaller city located on Lake Erie. Walker was an excellent contact hitter who had solid gap power and above average speed. He wasn’t a dominant home run hitter, but averaged around 20 per season while adding a nice chunk of doubles and triples. Walker rarely drew walks, but also very rarely struck out. He played his entire career in center field and was considered a reliably good and solid defender. Almost all of Walker’s baseball career would be in his native Ohio. He attended Kent State University and after his junior year, was picked 25^th overall in the 1935 MLB Draft by St. Louis. Walker wouldn’t sign with the college and returned for his senior year with the Golden Flashes, winning a Gold Glove. In the 1936 Draft, he was picked by Cincinnati 11^th overall and signed with the Reds. He was an immediate success, winning the National Association Rookie of the Year in 1937 with a 7.6 WAR season. He also won a Silver Slugger and finished second in MVP voting His second year was arguably his best with a career best 9.0 WA and the NA lead and career high of 222 hits. He was third in MVP voting and won his second Silver Slugger. He won his third and final SS in 1940 with a career-best 126 RBI, taking third again in MVP voting. He never again was at the top of award lists but he would have 5+ WAR seasons in 12 of his 13 years with the Reds, only missing it in 1947 due to missing time to injury. Cincinnati made it to the playoffs six times with Walker, although they never made it to the World Series. In 34 games, he had 48 hits, 19 runs, 28 RBI, a .350 average and 1.2 WAR. In total with the Reds, Walker had 2388 hits, 1198 runs, 336 doubles, 185 triples, 223 home runs, 1163 RBI, a .317/.360/.500 slash and 85.4 WAR. His #20 uniform would be retired at the end of his career. At the end of the 1949 season, Cincinnati traded Walker to Los Angeles for three prospects. In his one year with the Angels, he crossed 2500 career hits, although he struggled. He signed at age 36 with Dallas and spent his final two seasons with the Dalmatians, retiring at the end of the 1952 season. The final stats for Walker: 2749 hits, 1350 runs, 381 doubles, 203 triples, 250 home runs, 1297 RBI, a .309/.352/.482 slash and 89.2 WAR. He had a great start to his career and was a reliable starter and contributor for more than a decade as the face of the Reds, earning a first-ballot induction at 72.2%. Jacob Gosselin – Starting Pitcher – Vancouver Volcanoes – 72.2% Seventh Ballot Jacob Gosselin was a 5’8’, 185 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Calgary, Alberta. Gosselin wasn’t outstanding at any one aspect, but was good to solid at all facets of pitching. His 92-94 mph velocity wasn’t amazing, but he had solid movement and control and was excellent at coaxing groundballs. His most dominant pitch was a changeup, mixed with a slider, curveball, and sinker. He was also known as being durable and as a solid defensive pitcher. Gosselin left for the United States for college, playing at Notre Dame. He returned to western Canada when drafted 36^th overall in the 1927 MLB Draft by Vancouver. Gosselin spent eight seasons with the Volcanoes, peaking with an American Association-best 2.53 ERA in 1935. That year, he placed second in Pitcher of the Year voting; the closest he got to winning the big award. He put up 39.2 WAR and a 118-80 record in this run with Vancouver as an above average regular starter for a struggling franchise. Before the 1936 season, the 28-year old Gosselin was traded for prospects to Milwaukee. After one year with the Mustangs, Gosselin signed with his hometown Calgary on a six-year, $116,400 contract. With the Cheetahs, he posted five seasons of 5.9+ WAR and helped them to a World Series appearance in 1940 and an AACS in 1941. Although he was inducted into the HOF with Vancouver, he was arguably more impressive with Calgary. In his run, he was 113-67 with a 3.25 ERA, 1191 strikeouts over 1665.1 innings, and 44.8 WAR. Late in the 1943 season, Gosselin required elbow ligament reconstruction surgery. He returned to the minor league Edmonton affiliate in late 1944 and suffered a torn UCL, putting him out another year. He attempted another comeback and made a few minor league starts in 1945. At age 38, he was signed by Houston and made his Major League return, but struggled and was cut by the Hornets. Later that year, Vancouver brought him back and he found a brief resurgence, getting to 250 career wins exactly. Gosselin retired after the 1946 season at age 39. The final stats for Gosselin: 250-169, 3.29 ERA, 3957 innings, 2774 strikeouts, 950 walks, 307 quality starts, 215 complete games, and 94.3 WAR. He quietly put up a solid resume, but his lack of dominance, strikeouts, and major awards made many view Gosselin as a “Hall of Very Good” type. His first four years on the ballot he was in the 40-50% range, then got a bump to 61.6% on his fifth try. He fell again on the sixth ballot, but made enough gains to join the 1958 class with 72.2%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)