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Outfielder Jaxson Gatewood was the lone member of Major League Baseball’s 1988 Hall of Fame Class, getting the first ballot nod with 75.3%. Four others were above 50%, but each of them was below 60%. Catchers Gavin Geogham on his sixth try and Russ Spratt on his third both received 58.7%. Closer Angelo Kiernan got 55.5% on his second ballot and 2B Bobby Davis had 51.5% on his sixth go.



Among those falling off the ballot after ten failed attempts was pitcher Landon Toungate. A 17-year veteran primarily with Phoenix, he had a 243-208 record, 3.77 ERA, 4204.1 innings, 3021 strikeouts, and 71.8 WAR. A nice Hall of Very Good career, but no better. Toungate topped out at 37.6% in his debut and ended at 15.4%.

18-year veteran RF Rowley Patrick also was dropped, peaking at 27.8% and ending at 7.8%. He played with six teams and was most prominently with Los Angeles, posting 2557 hits, 1366 runs, 468 doubles, 538 home runs, 1611 RBI, a .276/.339/.506 slash and 52.1 WAR. Another nice career, but he was never considered elite. The third player cut was pitcher Emilio Nash, who played 16 years primarily with Memphis and won 1964 Pitcher of the Year. He had a 192-142 record, 3.25 ERA, 3167.1 innings, 2911 strikeouts, and 80.3 WAR. Nash was closer to having rate stats that might have got him in, but didn’t quite have the totals. He peaked at 32.2% and ended at 7.6%.



Jaxson “Mongo” Gatewood – Right Field – New Orleans Mudcats - 75.3% First Ballot

Jaxson Gatewood was a 6’1’’, 190 pound left-handed right fielder from Senatobia, Mississippi, a town of around 8,000 people within the Memphis metropolitan area. At his peak, Gatewood was an excellent contact hitter that was very good at avoiding strikeouts and drawing walks. He had solid home run power and averaged around 30-40 dingers per year while adding around 30 doubles/triples. Gatewood had respectable speed, although his was over aggressive at times on the basepaths. He was a career right fielder and although he never won a Gold Glove, he provided very good defense. Gatewood was reliable and durable most of his run and was a hard worker, becoming very popular nationally and beloved locally.

Gatewood moved to the desert for his college career with Arizona State and was the 1965 college MVP as a sophomore and a Gold Glover as a junior As a Sun Devil, he played 146 games with 167 hits, 113 runs, 49 home runs, 97 RBI, a .312/.399/.624 slash and 8.9 WAR. This made Gatewood the top prospect for the 1966 MLB Draft and New Orleans made him the #1 overall pick. At that point, the Mudcats were fresh off a dismal 43-119 season, the second worst mark in American Association history. New Orleans had largely been among the most unsuccessful franchises in MLB history, but Gatewood would help usher in a dynasty run.

Gatewood was a full-time starter immediately, although he missed about two months of his rookie year to injury. Even in only 106 games, he posted 5.8 WAR as a rookie, winning 1967 Rookie of the Year and his first of five Silver Sluggers. He won the Slugger again in 1968, 1969, 1972, and 1973. Gatewood led in OPS in 1968 at 1.012 and took second in MVP voting. He also played with the United States in the World Baseball Championship from 1968-74, making 128 starts with 121 hits, 97 runs, 36 home runs, 97 RBI, and 5.9 WAR. Gatewood was a member of five World Champion American teams.

As the 1970s dawned, New Orleans began to win games. 1970 was their first playoff berth since 1949 and the Mudcats went on a run. Gatewood won American Association Championship Series MVP and New Orleans won its second-ever World Series, beating Toronto in the final. The Mudcats improved their record with a third place in MVP voting for Gatewood in 1971. New Orleans defeated Minneapolis in the World Series, becoming only the fifth franchise to repeat as MLB champs. Before the 1972 season, the Mudcats signed Gatewood to a hefty eight year, $3,316,000 contract extension.

1972 was Gatewood’s finest season and his lone MVP, leading the AA in the triple slash (.365/.435/.734) with a 202 wRC+ and 9.9 WAR. He put up that line and smacked a career best 46 home runs despite missing a month to injury. Gatewood was a postseason stud again and won 1972 World Series MVP as the Mudcats defeated Montreal in the final, becoming only the third franchise to three-peat as champs along with 1910-12 Houston and 1941-44 Philadelphia. New Orleans dropped a bit in 1973 but still got to the AACS, although they were ousted by eventual champ Los Angeles. Gatewood was third this year in MVP voting, his final time as a finalist. In his playoff career with the Mudcats, Gatewood had a .292/.409/.485 slash, 59 hits, 39 runs, 9 doubles, 8 home runs, 25 RBI, and 1.8 WAR over 56 starts.

Gatewood wouldn’t be a statistical leader or award winner for the rest of his run, although he was still a solid starter for another four years with New Orleans. The Mudcats spent these years outside of the playoffs in the middle of the standings with the glory days of the dynasty done. In total with New Orleans, Gatewood had 1834 hits, 1085 runs, 201 doubles, 373 home runs, 1067 RBI, a .307/.376/.572 slash, and 66.3 WAR. He would remain beloved for decades after by Mudcats fans for his role in the dynasty and his #25 uniform would later be retired.

Gatewood opted out of the remainder of his contract at age 32 and signed with Brooklyn for the 1978 season on a five-year, $2,950,000 deal. His power and contact skills in his 30s weren’t near his prime, but Gatewood still provided positive value with a decent bat and nice defense. He had four solid seasons with the Dodgers, but struggled in his fifth year and was eventually relegated to the bench. With Brooklyn, Gatewood had 572 hits, 313 runs, 110 home runs, 337 RBI, a .245/.311/.438 slash, and 13.6 WAR. 1982 was the end of his MLB career. He would play some games with minor league Gainesville in 1983, retiring after the season at age 38.

Gatewood’s final stats: 2406 hits, 1398 runs, 262 doubles, 160 triples, 483 home runs, 1404 RBI, 896 walks, a .290/./358/.535 slash, 139 wRC+, and 79.9 WAR. A nice career, but those tallies weren’t overwhelming and he wasn’t often a league leader. Especially at a slugging position like the corner outfielder, Gatewood’s grand totals were borderline. However, he was a strong playoff performer and a critical piece to one of MLB’s great dynasties. Plus, Gatewood was a fan favorite and likeable guy, which gave him enough in a weaker 1988 class to be the lone inductee with a 75.3% first ballot selection.