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FuzzyRussianHat · 12-04-2023, 06:02 PM

Bo Salinas – Right Field/Designated Hitter – Cincinnati Reds – 73.8% Fifth Ballot

Bo Salinas was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Cogon, a small town of around 2,000 people in the Davao Region in the southeastern part of the Philippines. Salinas was a solid contact hitter with an excellent eye, leading in on-base percentage four times in his career. He had nice home run power with nine seasons of 30+ home runs, although he didn’t get a ton of doubles (25 per year). His strikeout rate was respectable and his baserunning speed was terrible, with many critics questioning his hustle and work ethic. Salinas made about 3/5 of his starts in right field and was considered a delightfully average defender. He was a designated hitter most of the rest of his starts with a few stints in left field with poor defense there. Despite his talents, Salinas often clashed with coaches and teammates due to a poor attitude.

Salinas left the Philippines as a teenager and attended Washington State to play college baseball. In 126 games, he had 145 hits, 82 runs, 25 home runs, 85 RBI, and 6.1 WAR. As a foreign born player, Salinas wasn’t eligible in the MLB Draft until the fourth round at the earliest due to the regional draft rules. With the 10^th pick of the fourth round, 161^st overall, he was picked by Cincinnati. Although his full pro career was in America, he would return to the Philippines for the World Baseball Championship. From 1956-74 with the national team, he had 86 games and 69 starts, 64 hits, 41 runs, 20 home runs, 39 RBI, and 3.2 WAR.

Salinas was a pinch hitter primarily as a rookie and a part-time starter in his second season. He earned the full-time job in 1959 and had a breakout season, leading the National Association in home runs (40), average (.346), OPS (1.056), and WAR (9.1). This earned Salinas a Silver Slugger and a second place finish in MVP voting. He never matched that production in the rest of his Reds run, with torn ankle ligaments costing him chunks of 1961 and 1963. Salinas would win an additional Silver Slugger in 1960. In seven seasons with Cincinnati, he had 822 hits, 466 runs, 159 home runs, 484 RBI, a .303/.400/.527 slash, and 31.0 WAR.

Cincinnati didn’t make the playoffs in Salinas’ run and neither sides wanted to continue the relationship. He became a free agent after the 1963 season at age 29 and signed a seven-year, $1,218,000 deal with Denver. Salinas’ Dragons debut was impressive as he won American Association MVP and his third Silver Slugger. As a DH, he led in RBI (122), walks (88), OPS (1.038), and WAR (8.1). Denver made it to the AACS, falling to Phoenix despite five home runs in 12 games from Salinas. This would ultimately be the only playoff games in his career.

Denver fell off and struggled for the rest of his tenure. Salinas was hurt and unremarkable in his second season with the Dragons, although he bounced back with a solid 1966 where he led again in OPS (1.072) and posted 8.0 WAR. After a respectable fourth season, he decided to opt out from the rest of his deal. With Denver, Salinas had 622 hits, 369 runs, 139 home runs, 398 RBI, and 22.7 WAR. At age 33, he signed a five-year, $1,320,000 contract with Houston.

Salinas wasn’t an MVP candidate during this down period for the Hornets, but was a decent enough starter over five years. He posted 14.5 WAR, 731 hits, 421 runs, 122 home runs, and 426 RBI with Houston. His production dropped to middling in his last season and the Hornets didn’t re-sign him. Salinas joined Jacksonville at age 38 for the 1973 season. He had one more full-time season, then made sporadic appearances for the next two years with the Gators. He had only 2.6 WAR with 215 hits in that stretch, retiring at age 40 after the 1975 season.

Salinas’ final stats: 2390 hits, 1366 runs, 347 doubles, 445 home runs, 1418 RBI, 1133 walks, a .296/.385/.508 slash, 146 wRC+, and 70.8 WAR. His OBP was among the better ones on the Hall of Fame list, although his other totals were on the lower end compared to other inductees. Combined with being generally a bit of a jerk and playing on lousy teams during his run, Salinas’ candidacy was borderline. He missed out on his first four ballots, although his lowest was 59.9%. The crowded fields of the 1980s ballots made it tough for Salinas to gain ground, but he got a boost on his fifth ballot and earned his spot with the 1985 group at 73.8%.

Jim “The Bird” Booth – Third Base – Kansas City Cougars – 67.7% Fourth Ballot

Jim Booth was a 6’0’’, 205 pound right-handed third baseman from Lewisville, Texas; a city of around 110,000 people within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Booth in his prime was an above average contact hitter with good home run power, averaging around 30 dingers per season. He was very strikeout prone despite also being quite good at drawing walks. Booth only got around 20-25 doubles/triples per season and was a weak baserunner. Nicknamed “The Bird,” he was one of a very small group of MLB players that played all non-pitcher spots in the field at some point in his career. Booth was a third baseman by far the most and was an above average defender there while being subpar at other spots.

Booth was one of the most accomplished college baseball players of all time with the University of Kentucky. He twice won NCAA MVP and won three Silver Sluggers, posting 168 hits, 127 runs, 65 home runs, 138 RBI, and 12.0 WAR over 143 college games. Booth was the seventh player in NCAA history to win MVP twice and was the fifth to win Silver Slugger thrice. Naturally, this made The Bird the top prospect entering the 1953 MLB Draft and Kansas City selected him with the #1 overall pick. Booth had a solid rookie season as a part-time starter, then took over a full-time role after that.

Booth won four Silver Sluggers at third base (1955, 56, 60, 64) and one as a shortstop (1960) with the Cougars. He also won a Gold Glove at third in 1969, although Booth was never a MVP finalist. He wasn’t typically a league leader with his only black ink coming in RBI in 1960. That year was his best with 45 home runs, 122 RBI, and 7.7 WAR. He posted six seasons of 6+ WAR with Kansas City and put up reliably solid stats. Various injuries cost him big chunks though, such as a strained ACL in 1959, hamstring strain in 1961, herniated disc in 1962, and post-concussion syndrome in 1963.

Booth became well known nationally in the 1961 World Baseball Championship, playing for the United States team. In 22 games, he smacked 12 home runs with 28 RBI, 26 hits, and 22 runs; taking second in MVP voting. That was his only time as a full-time starter in the WBC, although he was on Team USA in eight WBCs, posting 46 hits, 41 runs, 20 home runs, and 46 RBI over 59 games. 1961 also saw Kansas City snap a 13-year postseason drought. They were National Association champs that year and in 1962, falling in the World Series both years. The Cougars made the playoffs four times in Booth’s tenure and he was a solid playoff performer with 47 hits, 24 runs, 11 home runs, 38 RBI, and 1.7 WAR in 49 starts.

Booth spent 16 seasons with Kansas City and posted exactly 2000 hits, 1218 runs, 283 doubles, 459 home runs, 1361 RBI, 965 walks, a .261/.344/.496 slash, 148 wRC+, and 77.7 WAR. After their earlier successes, the Cougars struggled to close the 1960s and moved on from the now 37-year old Booth. But he felt he had more years to give to the game and was right, being one of a very select few to play until his age 44 season.

He took on the journeyman role for the next decade and was still good enough to be a decent starter for most of that run, although age and injuries kept him off the field in notable chunks. He signed in 1970 with Atlanta, who had won the World Series the prior season. The Aces made the playoffs twice in his two years and change there with 5.5 WAR over 233 games. He’d get cut though in early May 1972, becoming a free agent midseason at age 39.

Milwaukee scooped Booth up and he earned his 500^th home run and 1500^th career RBI in the same at bat on June 1972. He would sign a three-year deal after the 1972 campaign and played all three with the Mustangs, posting 8.5 WAR over 442 games. Booth wasn’t ready to retire after that deal was up, signing for 1976 with San Antonio on a three-year deal. A torn hamstring cost him the second half of the season and the Oilers traded him in the offseason to Washington. He made 52 starts and played 97 games with the Admirals, retiring after the 1977 at age 45.

Booth’s final stats: 2631 hits, 1592 runs, 377 doubles, 598 home runs, 1767 RBI, 1328 walks, a .252/.338/.477 slash, wRC+ of 139, and 92.7 WAR. His totals certainly fit in within a vacuum, but many were dismissive that he didn’t have larger tallies considering his longevity. Booth also struck out 2854 times in his career, more than any other player in MLB history, a mark he still holds as of 2037. His .252 average would also be the worst of any Hall of Famer at induction. However, others credited him for still being a starting quality player well into his 40s. Plus, nearly 600 home runs, 1500+ runs and 1500+ RBI, and more than 90 WAR typically would make you a lock. Booth missed the cut on his first two ballots at 55.2% and 56.2%, but squeaked by the 66% threshold on his third try at 67.7%, taking his spot among the greats.

12-04-2023, 06:02 PM	#760
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,652	1985 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 2) *Bo Salinas – Right Field/Designated Hitter – Cincinnati Reds – 73.8% Fifth Ballot* Bo Salinas was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Cogon, a small town of around 2,000 people in the Davao Region in the southeastern part of the Philippines. Salinas was a solid contact hitter with an excellent eye, leading in on-base percentage four times in his career. He had nice home run power with nine seasons of 30+ home runs, although he didn’t get a ton of doubles (25 per year). His strikeout rate was respectable and his baserunning speed was terrible, with many critics questioning his hustle and work ethic. Salinas made about 3/5 of his starts in right field and was considered a delightfully average defender. He was a designated hitter most of the rest of his starts with a few stints in left field with poor defense there. Despite his talents, Salinas often clashed with coaches and teammates due to a poor attitude. Salinas left the Philippines as a teenager and attended Washington State to play college baseball. In 126 games, he had 145 hits, 82 runs, 25 home runs, 85 RBI, and 6.1 WAR. As a foreign born player, Salinas wasn’t eligible in the MLB Draft until the fourth round at the earliest due to the regional draft rules. With the 10^th pick of the fourth round, 161^st overall, he was picked by Cincinnati. Although his full pro career was in America, he would return to the Philippines for the World Baseball Championship. From 1956-74 with the national team, he had 86 games and 69 starts, 64 hits, 41 runs, 20 home runs, 39 RBI, and 3.2 WAR. Salinas was a pinch hitter primarily as a rookie and a part-time starter in his second season. He earned the full-time job in 1959 and had a breakout season, leading the National Association in home runs (40), average (.346), OPS (1.056), and WAR (9.1). This earned Salinas a Silver Slugger and a second place finish in MVP voting. He never matched that production in the rest of his Reds run, with torn ankle ligaments costing him chunks of 1961 and 1963. Salinas would win an additional Silver Slugger in 1960. In seven seasons with Cincinnati, he had 822 hits, 466 runs, 159 home runs, 484 RBI, a .303/.400/.527 slash, and 31.0 WAR. Cincinnati didn’t make the playoffs in Salinas’ run and neither sides wanted to continue the relationship. He became a free agent after the 1963 season at age 29 and signed a seven-year, $1,218,000 deal with Denver. Salinas’ Dragons debut was impressive as he won American Association MVP and his third Silver Slugger. As a DH, he led in RBI (122), walks (88), OPS (1.038), and WAR (8.1). Denver made it to the AACS, falling to Phoenix despite five home runs in 12 games from Salinas. This would ultimately be the only playoff games in his career. Denver fell off and struggled for the rest of his tenure. Salinas was hurt and unremarkable in his second season with the Dragons, although he bounced back with a solid 1966 where he led again in OPS (1.072) and posted 8.0 WAR. After a respectable fourth season, he decided to opt out from the rest of his deal. With Denver, Salinas had 622 hits, 369 runs, 139 home runs, 398 RBI, and 22.7 WAR. At age 33, he signed a five-year, $1,320,000 contract with Houston. Salinas wasn’t an MVP candidate during this down period for the Hornets, but was a decent enough starter over five years. He posted 14.5 WAR, 731 hits, 421 runs, 122 home runs, and 426 RBI with Houston. His production dropped to middling in his last season and the Hornets didn’t re-sign him. Salinas joined Jacksonville at age 38 for the 1973 season. He had one more full-time season, then made sporadic appearances for the next two years with the Gators. He had only 2.6 WAR with 215 hits in that stretch, retiring at age 40 after the 1975 season. Salinas’ final stats: 2390 hits, 1366 runs, 347 doubles, 445 home runs, 1418 RBI, 1133 walks, a .296/.385/.508 slash, 146 wRC+, and 70.8 WAR. His OBP was among the better ones on the Hall of Fame list, although his other totals were on the lower end compared to other inductees. Combined with being generally a bit of a jerk and playing on lousy teams during his run, Salinas’ candidacy was borderline. He missed out on his first four ballots, although his lowest was 59.9%. The crowded fields of the 1980s ballots made it tough for Salinas to gain ground, but he got a boost on his fifth ballot and earned his spot with the 1985 group at 73.8%. Jim “The Bird” Booth – Third Base – Kansas City Cougars – 67.7% Fourth Ballot Jim Booth was a 6’0’’, 205 pound right-handed third baseman from Lewisville, Texas; a city of around 110,000 people within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Booth in his prime was an above average contact hitter with good home run power, averaging around 30 dingers per season. He was very strikeout prone despite also being quite good at drawing walks. Booth only got around 20-25 doubles/triples per season and was a weak baserunner. Nicknamed “The Bird,” he was one of a very small group of MLB players that played all non-pitcher spots in the field at some point in his career. Booth was a third baseman by far the most and was an above average defender there while being subpar at other spots. Booth was one of the most accomplished college baseball players of all time with the University of Kentucky. He twice won NCAA MVP and won three Silver Sluggers, posting 168 hits, 127 runs, 65 home runs, 138 RBI, and 12.0 WAR over 143 college games. Booth was the seventh player in NCAA history to win MVP twice and was the fifth to win Silver Slugger thrice. Naturally, this made The Bird the top prospect entering the 1953 MLB Draft and Kansas City selected him with the #1 overall pick. Booth had a solid rookie season as a part-time starter, then took over a full-time role after that. Booth won four Silver Sluggers at third base (1955, 56, 60, 64) and one as a shortstop (1960) with the Cougars. He also won a Gold Glove at third in 1969, although Booth was never a MVP finalist. He wasn’t typically a league leader with his only black ink coming in RBI in 1960. That year was his best with 45 home runs, 122 RBI, and 7.7 WAR. He posted six seasons of 6+ WAR with Kansas City and put up reliably solid stats. Various injuries cost him big chunks though, such as a strained ACL in 1959, hamstring strain in 1961, herniated disc in 1962, and post-concussion syndrome in 1963. Booth became well known nationally in the 1961 World Baseball Championship, playing for the United States team. In 22 games, he smacked 12 home runs with 28 RBI, 26 hits, and 22 runs; taking second in MVP voting. That was his only time as a full-time starter in the WBC, although he was on Team USA in eight WBCs, posting 46 hits, 41 runs, 20 home runs, and 46 RBI over 59 games. 1961 also saw Kansas City snap a 13-year postseason drought. They were National Association champs that year and in 1962, falling in the World Series both years. The Cougars made the playoffs four times in Booth’s tenure and he was a solid playoff performer with 47 hits, 24 runs, 11 home runs, 38 RBI, and 1.7 WAR in 49 starts. Booth spent 16 seasons with Kansas City and posted exactly 2000 hits, 1218 runs, 283 doubles, 459 home runs, 1361 RBI, 965 walks, a .261/.344/.496 slash, 148 wRC+, and 77.7 WAR. After their earlier successes, the Cougars struggled to close the 1960s and moved on from the now 37-year old Booth. But he felt he had more years to give to the game and was right, being one of a very select few to play until his age 44 season. He took on the journeyman role for the next decade and was still good enough to be a decent starter for most of that run, although age and injuries kept him off the field in notable chunks. He signed in 1970 with Atlanta, who had won the World Series the prior season. The Aces made the playoffs twice in his two years and change there with 5.5 WAR over 233 games. He’d get cut though in early May 1972, becoming a free agent midseason at age 39. Milwaukee scooped Booth up and he earned his 500^th home run and 1500^th career RBI in the same at bat on June 1972. He would sign a three-year deal after the 1972 campaign and played all three with the Mustangs, posting 8.5 WAR over 442 games. Booth wasn’t ready to retire after that deal was up, signing for 1976 with San Antonio on a three-year deal. A torn hamstring cost him the second half of the season and the Oilers traded him in the offseason to Washington. He made 52 starts and played 97 games with the Admirals, retiring after the 1977 at age 45. Booth’s final stats: 2631 hits, 1592 runs, 377 doubles, 598 home runs, 1767 RBI, 1328 walks, a .252/.338/.477 slash, wRC+ of 139, and 92.7 WAR. His totals certainly fit in within a vacuum, but many were dismissive that he didn’t have larger tallies considering his longevity. Booth also struck out 2854 times in his career, more than any other player in MLB history, a mark he still holds as of 2037. His .252 average would also be the worst of any Hall of Famer at induction. However, others credited him for still being a starting quality player well into his 40s. Plus, nearly 600 home runs, 1500+ runs and 1500+ RBI, and more than 90 WAR typically would make you a lock. Booth missed the cut on his first two ballots at 55.2% and 56.2%, but squeaked by the 66% threshold on his third try at 67.7%, taking his spot among the greats. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)