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Old 02-07-2024, 06:42 PM   #953
FuzzyRussianHat
Hall Of Famer
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 2,930
1993 MLB Hall of Fame

Major League Baseball’s 1993 Hall of Fame class saw two players earn inductions. 2B Raymond Boisvert was a no-doubt first ball selection at 98.2%. He was joined by 1B Edward Torres, who got the bump to 75.2% on his third attempt. SP Joseph Ashcraft fell short of the 66% requirement for the ninth time, although 57.9% was his highest total yet. Also above 50% were closer Angelo Kiernan at 53.4% on his seventh ballot and 1B Kymani Massey at 51.0% for his debut.



RF Asher Doyle was dropped after ten failed ballots, ended at 32.2% with a peak of 37.5% in 1987. In 19 seasons primarily with Toronto, Doyle had 2481 hits, 1513 runs, 373 doubles, 497 home runs, 1434 RBI, 1446 walks, a .269/.359/.466 slash, and 79.5 WAR. He was top 15 in walks all-time, but he otherwise lacked accolades or big totals, keeping him in the Hall of Good.

Also dropped after ten ballots was 3B Slade Ramos, who played 17 years mostly split between Minneapolis and Washington. He peaked at 27.2% in his second ballot and ended at 7.5%. Ramos had three Silver Sluggers and 2807 hits, 1156 runs, 446 doubles, 321 home runs, 1329 RBI, a .303/.343/.464 slash, and 79.1 WAR. A fine career, but also lacking in big power numbers or league-leading efforts.



Raymond “Splits” Boisvert – Second Base – Montreal Maples – 98.2% First Ballot

Raymond Boisvert was a 5’10’’, 175 pound right-handed second baseman from Whitby, Ontario; a city of around 135,000 people located on Lake Ontario. Boisvert was an outstanding contact hitter and had an impeccable knack for avoiding strikeouts. As of 2037, he’s one of only two MLB Hall of Fame hitters to have played 2500+ games while striking out less than 400 times. Boisvert was also very quick and was a very intelligent base runner. He had good gap power and was excellent at stretching out extra bases, eventually earning him the all-time mark for triples.

Boisvert’s penchant for doubles and triples was impressive, but he lacked home run power and never hit more than nine in a season. He was around average at drawing walks. Boisvert had the vast majority of his starts at second base, although he occasionally played at the other infield spots. Defensively, he was typically viewed as average to above average, certainly holding his own. Boisvert was quite durable for his prime run, making 135+ starts each year from 1971-83.

Boisvert left Canada to play collegiately for Baylor. In three seasons and 143 games as a Bear, he had 187 hits, 85 runs, 31 doubles, 4 triples, 65 RBI, a .330/.393/.425 slash and 5.4 WAR. Although he grew up in Ontario, Boisvert’s family had a French Canadian background and heritage, which made him stand out even more for Montreal ahead of the 1968 MLB Draft. The Maples picked him sixth overall and he would become extremely popular over a 16-year run in Montreal.

Despite his potential, Boisvert primarily spent his first two seasons in then-minor league Quebec City. He only had 79 major league games in these first two years, but showed plenty of potential for an improving Montreal squad. Boisvert finally cracked the starting lineup full-time in 1971 and impressively held that role for the next decade. 1971 marked the first of ten seasons leading the National Association in triples. Boisvert became a regular league leader in many statistics as one of the premiere leadoff men in the game. He would lead in runs scored five times, hits five times, stolen bases thrice, batting average five times, OBP once, and WAR twice.

Montreal snapped a six-year playoff drought in 1971 and started a four-year postseason streak. In 1972 and 1973, the Maples won the National Association pennant, although they fell both years in the World Series. Boisvert had an impressive 26 hits and 14 runs in the 1972 postseason, while adding 17 hits and 13 runs in 1973. 1971 also marked the start of Boisvert’s time playing with Canada in the World Baseball Championship. He played 156 games with 145 starts from 1971-85, posting 163 hits, 81 runs, 24 doubles, 12 triples, 8 home runs, 42 RBI, a .291/.362/.420 slash, 89 stolen bases, and 4.5 WAR.

Boisvert never claimed MVP, although 1973 was the closest he got with a second place finish. That year had career highs of 228 hits, 118 runs, and a .364 average. He was third in MVP voting in both 1976 and 1979, but it is very tough for leadoff guys to get the honor. Boisvert won four Silver Sluggers, coming in 1973, 77, 79, and 81.

After their success to begin the 1970s, Montreal retreated to the mid-tier for the middle part of the decade. Boisvert remained steady through this run and stayed committed to the Maples, signing an eight-year, $6,520,000 contract extension in July 1977. He helped bring Montreal back to relevance with three straight NACS berths from 1979-81. The Maples won the pennant in 1979 and 1981. In 1981, Montreal won the World Series for the first time since 1951. For his playoff career, Boisvert had 105 hits, 58 runs, 18 doubles, 8 triples, 32 stolen bases, and 3.0 WAR over 81 games.

1976-82 had a stretch of seven consecutive years that Boisvert led in triples. His skillset, plus the big 404 foot gap in left center at the Montreal Grounds, allowed him to climb up the leaderboard in the stat. By the end of his Maples run, Boisvert was in striking distance of Jess Lewis’s all-time mark of 274. In total with Montreal, Boisvert had 2836 hits, 1415 runs, 413 doubles, 259 triples, 84 home runs, 826 RBI, 651 stolen bases, a .330/.379/.467 slash, and 91.4 WAR.

After being above a .300 average his entire run, Boisvert dropped below the mark in his final two Montreal seasons. In 1984, the 36-year old was reduced to a part-time starting role. Feeling like he could still go, Boisvert decided to leave for free agency. There were no hard feelings between he and the Maples, as he’d remain one of the franchise’s most beloved players for decades to come. Boisvert’s #19 uniform would be retired once his career ended officially in 1988.

Boisvert signed for the 1985 season on a three-year, $3,720,000 deal with New York. He had a very solid debut season with the Yankees, passing Jess Lewis as the all-time triples leader. Boisvert also became the 44th member of MLB’s 3000 hit club. His second season in New York ended after only two games due a broken bone in his elbow. Boisvert didn’t want to end on that sour note and signed in 1987 with Winnipeg, which was only entering its sixth season post expansion. He was still a passable starter with the Wolves and passed the 1500 runs scored milestone, the 84th to do so. Winnipeg didn’t bring him back for 1988 though and despite his searching, Boisvert went unsigned that season. He would retire that winter at age 40.

Boisvert’s final stats: 3128 hits, 1558 runs, 451 doubles, 285 triples, 94 home runs, 928 RBI, 695 walks, only 388 strikeouts, 733 stolen bases, a .325/.375/.460 slash, 144 wRC+, and 98.4 WAR. As of 2037, Boisvert is still MLB’s all-time triples leader and he’s one of 31 players with 700+ stolen bases. At retirement, his 98.4 WAR was second best at second base behind only Archie Meredith. At induction as well, his batting average was fifth best among other Hall of Famers. Boisvert was a uniquely talented leadoff man and a beloved figure in Montreal that helped them win four pennants, making him an easy first ballot selection at 98.2%.



Edward “Jetsam” Torres – First Base – Los Angeles Angels – 75.2% Third Ballot

Edward Torres was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Rancho Santa Margarita, California; a small city of around 47,000 people in Orange County. Torres was one of the better home run hitters of his era and was considered a strong contact hitter early in his career. He had a good ability for drawing walks, although he struck out a bit more than average. Torres had respectable gap power, but was limited sometimes at drawing doubles or triples due to his very slow speed. He was exclusively a first baseman and was considered to be reliably just above average defensively. Torres was very durable, but his outspoken nature would make him a polarizing figure in his career.

Torres went to Oklahoma State for his college career and excelled as a Cowboy. As a freshman, he won NCAA MVP, while winning Silver Sluggers as a freshman and junior. With OK State, Torres played 149 games with 180 hits, 127 runs, 25 doubles, 72 home runs, 162 RBI, a .311/.389/.732 slash and 11.5 WAR. His home run power especially made him a very enticing prospect ahead of the 1965 MLB Draft. Torres was picked 6th overall by Los Angeles and had his best seasons with the Angels. His outspoken nature made him a very “love him or hate him” player, but his power stats and growing up near LA made him extremely popular with many Angels fans.

Torres spent a bit of time in the minors his rookie year, but he still made 110 MLB starts and took second in Rookie of the Year voting. He’d be the full-time starter for the next decade for the Angels, starting 145+ games in every season except for 1969 (a fractured rib cost him six weeks that year). He hit 40+ home runs seven times and 100+ RBI nine times. Torres’ power emergence helped turn around the fortunes for Los Angeles, who bottomed out at 57 wins in his rookie season.

1968 saw an impressive turnaround from 73-89 the prior year to 103-59 atop the Western League standings. The Angels made the playoffs six times from 1968-74 and won World Series titles in 1968, 73, and 74. In 1974 specifically, Torres won both AACS and World Series MVP. In the playoffs for LA, Torres made 64 starts with 68 hits, 31 runs, 13 home runs, 49 RBI, a .279/.349/.488 slash, and 1.8 WAR. His part in this run for the Angels endeared him to many fans and the franchise would eventually retire his #9 uniform, mending the fences after an awkward end to his run.

Torres led the American Association in home runs thrice, RBI twice, total bases thrice, and once each for OBP, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. 1970 and 1971 saw him lead in both homers and RBI, earning him two MVPs. His 154 RBI in 1970 was only the 16th time in MLB history to that point that a player had 150+ RBI. Torres was also third in MVP voting in 1967 and 1968. At the very loaded first base position, he won Silver Sluggers in 1967, 1970, and 1971.

Torres also played for the United States in the World Baseball Championship from 1968-74. In 124 starts, he had 137 hits, 105 runs, 53 home runs, 109 RBI, a .300/.388/.683 slash, and 8.8 WAR. Torres led all WBC batters in hits twice, home runs once, RBI twice, total bases twice, and OPS once. He was tournament MVP in both 1973 and 1974, becoming only the second player to that point to win the award twice. Torres earned five world title rings (68, 71-74).

Torres signed an eight-year, $2,584,000 contract extension before the 1971 season with Los Angeles. Although he was a playoff hero in 1974, his power numbers had fallen off noticeable that year. Torres bounced back some in 1975, but struggled with subpar stats in 1976. His struggles also led to more clashes with teammates and media. He exercised his contract’s opt out and became a free agent after the 1976 season at age 32. In total with the Angels, Torres had 1825 hits, 1057 runs, 288 doubles, 445 home runs, 1330 RBI, a .297/.364/.567 slash, and 56.6 WAR.

However, MLB teams were leery of signing him. Between his weak production the prior year, his outspoken and controversial nature, and his high asking price, most teams weren’t interested. Torres became a rare example of a former MVP-level MLB player to leave for a perceived “lesser” league. He went to CABA and specifically Cuba, signing a five-year, $2,280,000 contract with Havana.

Torres was respectable in his debut season and got his stroke back with 40+ home runs seasons in 1978 and 1979. As a DH in 1979, Torres won a Silver Slugger and took third in MVP voting. He led the league in doubles with 42 that year, posting 46 home runs and 121 RBI. The Hurricanes made the playoffs in 1977, but fell to the bottom of the standings to start the 1980s despite Torres’ personal production. In four seasons in Havana, Torres had 654 hits, 343 runs, 157 home runs, 411 RBI, and 16.3 WAR.

Looking to rebuild, the Hurricanes traded Torres in the final year of his contract to Torreon for three prospects. His power dropped that season and he was a free agent at age 37. MLB expanded for the 1982 season and the newly christened Salt Lake City Loons brought Torres back to the majors on a two-year, $2,120,000 deal. Torres was a full-time starter for the Loons, but was ultimately mediocre in his MLB return.

A free agent again at age 39, he went back to CABA and signed with Ecatepec of the Mexican League. Torres showed some of that old stroke with 4.2 WAR and 34 home runs in 135 games. Between his CABA runs, Torres had 911 hits, 472 runs, 212 home runs, 580 RBI, a .275/.329/.527 slash, and 24.1 WAR. That run got him one more shot in MLB in 1985 with San Diego. Torres was mostly unsuccessful and a backup with the Seals, but he notably crossed the 500 home run and 1500 RBI milestones. He was unsigned in 1986 and retired that winter at age 41.

For his entire pro career, Torres had 3009 hits, 1690 runs, 497 doubles, 721 home runs, 2088 RBI, 1038 walks, a .280/.345/.536 slash, 138 wRC+, and 82.8 WAR. If that was in one league, he’d be a lock. But most MLB voters discounted his CABA stats entirely. In his MLB career, Torres had 2098 hits, 1218 runs, 328 doubles, 509 home runs, 1508 RBI, a .282/.352/.540 slash, 137 wRC+, and 58.7 WAR. That made for a much more borderline case, although his home run rate was notable; he had the fewest hits among MLB Hall of Famers that reached 500 dingers. Torres’ outspoken nature also made many voters disinterested in putting him into the Hall. He missed out at 61.3% and 61.6% in his first two ballots. However, Torres had two MVPs and a big role in an impressive run of dominance for Los Angeles. That ultimately got him across the line with 75.2% on his third ballot, placing Torres into the MLB Hall of Fame.
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