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FuzzyRussianHat · 03-23-2024, 03:25 PM

The 1998 Hall of Fame voting for Major League Baseball was an interesting one as there wasn’t any standouts making their debut. No one was above 75% and it wasn’t too far from being a blank class. However, with seven players above 60%, it very nearly was a massive group crossing the 66% requirement for induction. In the end, it was three players who made the cut. The lone debutant was 3B Armand Whipple who received 74.3%. He was joined by DH Aiden Hertlein at 69.2% on his fourth ballot and 1B Jonah Mabile at 66.5% in his fifth.

2B Cade Parker missed the cut by the slimmest possible margin at 65.9% for his second go. LF Xiandong He picked up 64.1% for his sixth ballot. 1B Aranha Carlos had 63.5% for his third attempt and 1B Kymani Massey snagged 61.7% in his sixth try. One other was above just above 50% with catcher Peter Wacker taking 50.6% on his sixth chance.

Only one player was dropped from the ballot after ten failed attempts. LF Jaxson Caldwell had a 16 year career primarily with Seattle and won the 1973 MVP and led in batting average thrice. His tallies saw 2272 hits, 1062 runs, 387 doubles, 273 home runs, 1160 RBI, a .319/.368/.498 slash, and 54.3 WAR. The accumulations weren’t quit high enough and a broken kneecap in his early 30s ruined his potential longevity. Caldwell peaked with 23.3% in his debut ballot before ending at 11.4%.

Armand Whipple – Third Base – Miami Mallards -74.3% First Ballot

Armand Whipple was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Tucker, Georgia; a small city of around 35,000 people within metropolitan Atlanta. Whipple was a strong hitter who regularly hit 30+ home runs and around 25 doubles per season. He was a respectable contact hitter with an good eye, although his strikeout rate was very mid. Whipple was slow and sluggish both on the basepaths and defensively. He was a career third baseman and had a strong arm, but he had terrible range and glovesmanship. Whipple graded out for his career as a lousy defender, faring no better in brief stints at first base and second. Still, he was a fan favorite known for a tireless work ethic, loyalty, and durability.

Whipple played college baseball for Kentucky, playing 142 games over three years with 156 hits, 104 runs, 38 doubles, 45 home runs, 118 RBI, a .309/.413/.651 slash, and 10.0 WAR. He won a Silver Slugger in his freshman year and took third that year in college MVP voting. Whipple was one of the top batting prospects entering the 1977 MLB Draft. Miami took notice and selected him second overall. Whipple’s entire pro career would come with the Mallards, entering the starting lineup full-time as a rookie.

He looked great in his second season, winning a Silver Slugger with 5.1 WAR and 39 home runs. Whipple was abysmal in his third year with a .158 batting average and -6.9 WAR. He kept his head down and stayed in the lineup even when he should’ve rested for an atrocious Mallards squad. At 43-119 that year, the 1980 Miami team had the second worst season in American Association history. Whipple recovered in 1981 to post league average numbers. In 1982, he would return to the elite form that believers felt he could still reach. Whipple took his second Silver Slugger and led the AA with 49 home runs.

1982 was also the start of a brief run for the United States team in the World Baseball Championship. He played in five editions from 1982-87 and posted 64 hits, 47 runs, 14 doubles, 21 home runs, 58 RBI, a .302/.393/.665 slash, and 3.9 WAR. Whipple earned world title rings with the 1982 and 1985 American squads.

Whipple’s 1983 was good, but down from the prior year. 1984 would see him back at elite levels with a career-best 8.8 WAR and .329 average. This earned him his third Silver Slugger and a third place finish in MVP voting. Miami was now at least around .500 as opposed to the very bottom. Many observers wondered if Whipple would leave for free agency. At age 27, the fan favorite stayed loyal and inked an eight-year extension with the Mallards worth $10,720,000.

The next two seasons, Whipple repeated as American Association MVP and Silver Slugger, smacking 51 home runs and 120+ RBI both seasons. He was also the WAR leader in 1985 and led in runs, total bases, and OPS in 1986. Miami posted their first winning seasons in more than a decade, but they still couldn’t make the playoffs. They fell back down into the below .500 range for the rest of Whipple’s run, leaving him without a single playoff appearance in his career. He won his sixth and final Silver Slugger in 1987.

Whipple remained a respectable starter into his 30s, but his time as an elite hitter were done. His big contract ran out after the 1992 season, leaving him a free agent at age 36. Whipple hoped to stay play somewhere, but he had negative defensive value and wasn’t quite good enough anymore as a hitter to justify the spot for most teams. He decided to retire in winter 1993. Miami immediately brought him in to retire his #29 uniform, the second number to be retired by the Mallards.

Whipple’s final stats: 2303 hits, 1277 runs, 369 doubles, 539 home runs, 1401 RBI, a .271/.335/.511 slash, 130 wRC+, and 57.6 WAR. It was a fine career and two MVPs carry a lot of weight, but his tallies and advanced stats were definitely towards the bottom of the Hall of Fame leaderboard. Never making the playoffs was a mark against him, but Whipple was still very well liked overall. Sticking with one team for your entire career, even through some bad years, resonates with some voters. With no slam dunk standouts debuting on the 1998 ballot, Whipple’s resume was enough to lock in a first ballot selection at 74.3%.

Aiden Hertlein – Designated Hitter – Oakland Owls – 69.2% Fourth Ballot

Aiden Hertlein was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed hitter from Los Angeles. He was one of the premiere contact hitters of his era and was a master at putting the ball in play and avoiding strikeouts. Hertlein still had a reliably solid pop in his bat, averaging around 30-35 doubles and 30-35 home runs per 162 games. He was decent at drawing walks, but pretty sluggish on the basepaths. Hertlein was primarily a DH in his career with about ¾ of his career starts there. He saw the most time defensively in left field and was pretty lousy there.

Hertlein was a star in high school at Orange Lutheran High School, drawing the attention of those throughout the area. It was rare in MLB that a prospect was drafted straight out of high school, but many felt Hertlein had that level of potential. Some hoped he could be a two-way player, as he a respectable fastball/curveball/changeup combo. In the 1968 MLB Draft, Oakland would pick Hertlein with the 40^th overall pick. He began his pro career the next year in minor league Sacramento.

Hertlein spent the first three years of his career in the minors honing his craft. He made a few relief appearances, but wouldn’t ever pitch beyond the minors. Hertlein’s bat developed nicely though as he won a Silver Slugger in 1971 and helped the Surge win the minor league championship. He made his MLB debut for the Owls in 1972 at age 22. He was a part-time starter with okay results in his rookie year.

1973 marked the beginning of Hertlein as a full-time starter. He won a Silver Slugger in 1974 as a DH, one in 1975 as a left fielder, and one in 1977 back at DH. In 1975, Hertlein had the best OPS in the American Association at 1.041, earning the MVP. He won a second MVP in 1977, leading in hits, runs, RBI, OPS, and WAR.

Hertlein also was second in MVP voting at the 1975 World Baseball Championship with 37 hits, 29 runs, 7 doubles, 12 home runs, and 25 in 26 games for the United States team. He played on the American team from 1974-78 and won world titles in all but 1978, posting 73 hits, 55 runs, 24 home runs, 50 RBI, a .317/.395/.687 slash, and 4.7 WAR over 76 games and 59 starts.

That was Hertlein’s peak, as he wasn’t an award winner or league leader after the 1977 MVP His 1978 was solid until injuries cost him more than a 1/3 of the season. Hertlein was still a good bat after this for the next few years and Oakland gave him a seven-year, $7,070,000 extension in June 1979. The Owls were regularly above .500 during his prime and made the playoffs five times. However, Oakland never advanced beyond the second round. Hertlein had a .311/.343/.492 slash over 16 playoff starts for his career.

It would be hamstring issues that severely limited Hertlein in his final years in Oakland. Strains or tears cost him significant chunks of the 1983, 1984, and 1985 seasons. That ultimately marked the end of a 14 year run in the majors for the Owls, who would later retire his #6 uniform. For his Oakland tenure, Hertlein had 2193 hits, 1147 runs, 372 doubles, 397 home runs, 1308 RBI, a .317/.373/.549 slash, 150 wRC+, and 62.3 WAR.

Hertlein declined his contract option after the 1985 season, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 36. Calgary signed him on a three-year, $4,100,000 deal, but more hamstring issues meant he only played 63 games. Hertlein did earn a World Series ring this season with the Cheetahs, although he was not able to play at all in the postseason. Calgary would cut their losses, releasing Hertlein late in 1987 spring training.

Dallas gave Hertlein a shot in 1987, but traded him in July to Louisville. He had merely middling offensive numbers at this point. Hertlein started 1988 with Salt Lake City, but was cut in August. He finished out the season with Orlando. Hertlein played 1989 with Boston primarily as a pinch hitter against only right-handed pitching. He was unsigned in 1990, finally retiring that winter at age 41.

Hertlein’s career stats: 2451 hits, 1271 runs, 419 doubles, 441 home runs, 1438 RBI, a .310/.367/.537 slash, 146 wRC+, and 66.0 WAR. His accumulations were on the lower end compared to previous Hall of Famers, but not out of place. Injuries and his porous defense dinged him with many voters, while others are reluctant to select a DH unless their offensive stats are otherworldly. Still, two MVP awards do win over many detractors. Hertlein missed the cut in his first two ballots at 59.4% and 59.7%. In 1997, he was less than a point away at 65.8%. With a wide open 1998 field, Hertlein won just enough voters over to get to 69.2%, putting him into the Hall of Fame.

Jonah Mabile – First Base – Milwaukee Mustangs – 66.5% Fifth Ballot

Jonah Mabile was a 6’1’’, 200 pound first baseman from Lapeer, Michigan; a small city of around 9,000 in Michigan’s Thumb. Mabile was a very good contract hitter with a keen eye. He was quite strong at getting on base and putting the ball in play. Mabile also provided steady home run power, regularly giving you 30+ dingers a year. He had nice gap power with around 25-30 doubles per year, although he was very slow and wasn’t going to stretch out extra bases with his legs. Mabile was a career first baseman and graded out as a respectable defender. He would receive some criticism for a poor work ethic.

Mabile went to Arkansas for his college career and won a Silver Slugger as a designated hitter as a sophomore. In three seasons as a Razorback, Mabile had 150 starts, 183 hits, 115 runs, 50 home runs, 106 RBI, a .320/.405/.622 slash, 198 wRC, and 10.1 WAR. His bat was among the most impressive in the college ranks, which earned him the third overall pick by Milwaukee in the 1971 MLB Draft.

It took some time for Mabile to crack the lineup as he was limited to 1B and the DH wasn’t available in the National Association. He dominated the minor leagues in Madison, winning MVP honors in 1972 and 1973. The Mutts won the 1972 Minor League Championship as well. Mabile finally debuted in 1974 and even though he only had 104 starts and 130 games, he posted 5.6 WAR. This earned him the Rookie of the Year.

He was only a part-time starter in 1975, but earned the full-time role from 1976 onward. Mabile also played with the United State from 1975-84 in the World Baseball Championship. In 150 games and 125 starts in the WBC, Mabile had 132 hits, 85 runs, 33 doubles, 39 home runs, 92 RBI, a .283/.381/.608 slash, and 7.2 WAR. He came away with six world titles (1975, 76, 77, 81, 82, 84).

Mabile won five Silver Sluggers with Milwaukee (1976, 77, 80, 81, 83). He twice led the National Association in total bases and posted seven seasons worth 6+ WAR. 1977 saw a career and NA best 1.043 OPS and 204 wRC+, which was good for third in MVP voting. He also took third in 1980 and second in 1981, but never won the top award. Hurting Mabile’s award hopes was Milwaukee’s general mediocrity. The Mustangs never made the playoffs during his entire run. They were just above .500 a few times in his prime, but never won more than 85 games in a season.

Despite that, Mabile decided to stick around with Milwaukee, inking an eight-year, $7,490,000 extension after the 1979 season. He continued to perform at a reliably solid level throughout that time. Mabile’s deal ran out after the 1987 season, making him a free agent for the first time at age 37. Oklahoma City gave him a three-year, $4,200,000 deal. However, Mabile struggled immensely in his limited time with the Outlaws in 1988. He retired that winter at age 38.

Mabile’s final stats saw 2243 hits, 1191 runs, 361 doubles, 463 home runs, 1272 RBI, a .302/.372/.545 slash, 170 wRC+, and 81.6 WAR. The advanced rate stats suggest a stronger bat perhaps than many fans realized, although his grand accumulations are on the lower end among other MLB Hall of Famers. Being stuck on some bad Milwaukee teams worked against him and Mabile hovered around the low 50% range for his first four ballots. 1998 provided an opening and sabremetric arguments helped sway some skpetics in Mabile’s favor. He only narrowly crossed the 66% requirement, but 66.5% earned him a fifth ballot nod as the final member of the 1998 class.

03-23-2024, 03:25 PM	#1088
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,884	1998 MLB Hall of Fame The 1998 Hall of Fame voting for Major League Baseball was an interesting one as there wasn’t any standouts making their debut. No one was above 75% and it wasn’t too far from being a blank class. However, with seven players above 60%, it very nearly was a massive group crossing the 66% requirement for induction. In the end, it was three players who made the cut. The lone debutant was 3B Armand Whipple who received 74.3%. He was joined by DH Aiden Hertlein at 69.2% on his fourth ballot and 1B Jonah Mabile at 66.5% in his fifth. 2B Cade Parker missed the cut by the slimmest possible margin at 65.9% for his second go. LF Xiandong He picked up 64.1% for his sixth ballot. 1B Aranha Carlos had 63.5% for his third attempt and 1B Kymani Massey snagged 61.7% in his sixth try. One other was above just above 50% with catcher Peter Wacker taking 50.6% on his sixth chance. Only one player was dropped from the ballot after ten failed attempts. LF Jaxson Caldwell had a 16 year career primarily with Seattle and won the 1973 MVP and led in batting average thrice. His tallies saw 2272 hits, 1062 runs, 387 doubles, 273 home runs, 1160 RBI, a .319/.368/.498 slash, and 54.3 WAR. The accumulations weren’t quit high enough and a broken kneecap in his early 30s ruined his potential longevity. Caldwell peaked with 23.3% in his debut ballot before ending at 11.4%. Armand Whipple – Third Base – Miami Mallards -74.3% First Ballot Armand Whipple was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Tucker, Georgia; a small city of around 35,000 people within metropolitan Atlanta. Whipple was a strong hitter who regularly hit 30+ home runs and around 25 doubles per season. He was a respectable contact hitter with an good eye, although his strikeout rate was very mid. Whipple was slow and sluggish both on the basepaths and defensively. He was a career third baseman and had a strong arm, but he had terrible range and glovesmanship. Whipple graded out for his career as a lousy defender, faring no better in brief stints at first base and second. Still, he was a fan favorite known for a tireless work ethic, loyalty, and durability. Whipple played college baseball for Kentucky, playing 142 games over three years with 156 hits, 104 runs, 38 doubles, 45 home runs, 118 RBI, a .309/.413/.651 slash, and 10.0 WAR. He won a Silver Slugger in his freshman year and took third that year in college MVP voting. Whipple was one of the top batting prospects entering the 1977 MLB Draft. Miami took notice and selected him second overall. Whipple’s entire pro career would come with the Mallards, entering the starting lineup full-time as a rookie. He looked great in his second season, winning a Silver Slugger with 5.1 WAR and 39 home runs. Whipple was abysmal in his third year with a .158 batting average and -6.9 WAR. He kept his head down and stayed in the lineup even when he should’ve rested for an atrocious Mallards squad. At 43-119 that year, the 1980 Miami team had the second worst season in American Association history. Whipple recovered in 1981 to post league average numbers. In 1982, he would return to the elite form that believers felt he could still reach. Whipple took his second Silver Slugger and led the AA with 49 home runs. 1982 was also the start of a brief run for the United States team in the World Baseball Championship. He played in five editions from 1982-87 and posted 64 hits, 47 runs, 14 doubles, 21 home runs, 58 RBI, a .302/.393/.665 slash, and 3.9 WAR. Whipple earned world title rings with the 1982 and 1985 American squads. Whipple’s 1983 was good, but down from the prior year. 1984 would see him back at elite levels with a career-best 8.8 WAR and .329 average. This earned him his third Silver Slugger and a third place finish in MVP voting. Miami was now at least around .500 as opposed to the very bottom. Many observers wondered if Whipple would leave for free agency. At age 27, the fan favorite stayed loyal and inked an eight-year extension with the Mallards worth $10,720,000. The next two seasons, Whipple repeated as American Association MVP and Silver Slugger, smacking 51 home runs and 120+ RBI both seasons. He was also the WAR leader in 1985 and led in runs, total bases, and OPS in 1986. Miami posted their first winning seasons in more than a decade, but they still couldn’t make the playoffs. They fell back down into the below .500 range for the rest of Whipple’s run, leaving him without a single playoff appearance in his career. He won his sixth and final Silver Slugger in 1987. Whipple remained a respectable starter into his 30s, but his time as an elite hitter were done. His big contract ran out after the 1992 season, leaving him a free agent at age 36. Whipple hoped to stay play somewhere, but he had negative defensive value and wasn’t quite good enough anymore as a hitter to justify the spot for most teams. He decided to retire in winter 1993. Miami immediately brought him in to retire his #29 uniform, the second number to be retired by the Mallards. Whipple’s final stats: 2303 hits, 1277 runs, 369 doubles, 539 home runs, 1401 RBI, a .271/.335/.511 slash, 130 wRC+, and 57.6 WAR. It was a fine career and two MVPs carry a lot of weight, but his tallies and advanced stats were definitely towards the bottom of the Hall of Fame leaderboard. Never making the playoffs was a mark against him, but Whipple was still very well liked overall. Sticking with one team for your entire career, even through some bad years, resonates with some voters. With no slam dunk standouts debuting on the 1998 ballot, Whipple’s resume was enough to lock in a first ballot selection at 74.3%. Aiden Hertlein – Designated Hitter – Oakland Owls – 69.2% Fourth Ballot Aiden Hertlein was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed hitter from Los Angeles. He was one of the premiere contact hitters of his era and was a master at putting the ball in play and avoiding strikeouts. Hertlein still had a reliably solid pop in his bat, averaging around 30-35 doubles and 30-35 home runs per 162 games. He was decent at drawing walks, but pretty sluggish on the basepaths. Hertlein was primarily a DH in his career with about ¾ of his career starts there. He saw the most time defensively in left field and was pretty lousy there. Hertlein was a star in high school at Orange Lutheran High School, drawing the attention of those throughout the area. It was rare in MLB that a prospect was drafted straight out of high school, but many felt Hertlein had that level of potential. Some hoped he could be a two-way player, as he a respectable fastball/curveball/changeup combo. In the 1968 MLB Draft, Oakland would pick Hertlein with the 40^th overall pick. He began his pro career the next year in minor league Sacramento. Hertlein spent the first three years of his career in the minors honing his craft. He made a few relief appearances, but wouldn’t ever pitch beyond the minors. Hertlein’s bat developed nicely though as he won a Silver Slugger in 1971 and helped the Surge win the minor league championship. He made his MLB debut for the Owls in 1972 at age 22. He was a part-time starter with okay results in his rookie year. 1973 marked the beginning of Hertlein as a full-time starter. He won a Silver Slugger in 1974 as a DH, one in 1975 as a left fielder, and one in 1977 back at DH. In 1975, Hertlein had the best OPS in the American Association at 1.041, earning the MVP. He won a second MVP in 1977, leading in hits, runs, RBI, OPS, and WAR. Hertlein also was second in MVP voting at the 1975 World Baseball Championship with 37 hits, 29 runs, 7 doubles, 12 home runs, and 25 in 26 games for the United States team. He played on the American team from 1974-78 and won world titles in all but 1978, posting 73 hits, 55 runs, 24 home runs, 50 RBI, a .317/.395/.687 slash, and 4.7 WAR over 76 games and 59 starts. That was Hertlein’s peak, as he wasn’t an award winner or league leader after the 1977 MVP His 1978 was solid until injuries cost him more than a 1/3 of the season. Hertlein was still a good bat after this for the next few years and Oakland gave him a seven-year, $7,070,000 extension in June 1979. The Owls were regularly above .500 during his prime and made the playoffs five times. However, Oakland never advanced beyond the second round. Hertlein had a .311/.343/.492 slash over 16 playoff starts for his career. It would be hamstring issues that severely limited Hertlein in his final years in Oakland. Strains or tears cost him significant chunks of the 1983, 1984, and 1985 seasons. That ultimately marked the end of a 14 year run in the majors for the Owls, who would later retire his #6 uniform. For his Oakland tenure, Hertlein had 2193 hits, 1147 runs, 372 doubles, 397 home runs, 1308 RBI, a .317/.373/.549 slash, 150 wRC+, and 62.3 WAR. Hertlein declined his contract option after the 1985 season, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 36. Calgary signed him on a three-year, $4,100,000 deal, but more hamstring issues meant he only played 63 games. Hertlein did earn a World Series ring this season with the Cheetahs, although he was not able to play at all in the postseason. Calgary would cut their losses, releasing Hertlein late in 1987 spring training. Dallas gave Hertlein a shot in 1987, but traded him in July to Louisville. He had merely middling offensive numbers at this point. Hertlein started 1988 with Salt Lake City, but was cut in August. He finished out the season with Orlando. Hertlein played 1989 with Boston primarily as a pinch hitter against only right-handed pitching. He was unsigned in 1990, finally retiring that winter at age 41. Hertlein’s career stats: 2451 hits, 1271 runs, 419 doubles, 441 home runs, 1438 RBI, a .310/.367/.537 slash, 146 wRC+, and 66.0 WAR. His accumulations were on the lower end compared to previous Hall of Famers, but not out of place. Injuries and his porous defense dinged him with many voters, while others are reluctant to select a DH unless their offensive stats are otherworldly. Still, two MVP awards do win over many detractors. Hertlein missed the cut in his first two ballots at 59.4% and 59.7%. In 1997, he was less than a point away at 65.8%. With a wide open 1998 field, Hertlein won just enough voters over to get to 69.2%, putting him into the Hall of Fame. Jonah Mabile – First Base – Milwaukee Mustangs – 66.5% Fifth Ballot Jonah Mabile was a 6’1’’, 200 pound first baseman from Lapeer, Michigan; a small city of around 9,000 in Michigan’s Thumb. Mabile was a very good contract hitter with a keen eye. He was quite strong at getting on base and putting the ball in play. Mabile also provided steady home run power, regularly giving you 30+ dingers a year. He had nice gap power with around 25-30 doubles per year, although he was very slow and wasn’t going to stretch out extra bases with his legs. Mabile was a career first baseman and graded out as a respectable defender. He would receive some criticism for a poor work ethic. Mabile went to Arkansas for his college career and won a Silver Slugger as a designated hitter as a sophomore. In three seasons as a Razorback, Mabile had 150 starts, 183 hits, 115 runs, 50 home runs, 106 RBI, a .320/.405/.622 slash, 198 wRC, and 10.1 WAR. His bat was among the most impressive in the college ranks, which earned him the third overall pick by Milwaukee in the 1971 MLB Draft. It took some time for Mabile to crack the lineup as he was limited to 1B and the DH wasn’t available in the National Association. He dominated the minor leagues in Madison, winning MVP honors in 1972 and 1973. The Mutts won the 1972 Minor League Championship as well. Mabile finally debuted in 1974 and even though he only had 104 starts and 130 games, he posted 5.6 WAR. This earned him the Rookie of the Year. He was only a part-time starter in 1975, but earned the full-time role from 1976 onward. Mabile also played with the United State from 1975-84 in the World Baseball Championship. In 150 games and 125 starts in the WBC, Mabile had 132 hits, 85 runs, 33 doubles, 39 home runs, 92 RBI, a .283/.381/.608 slash, and 7.2 WAR. He came away with six world titles (1975, 76, 77, 81, 82, 84). Mabile won five Silver Sluggers with Milwaukee (1976, 77, 80, 81, 83). He twice led the National Association in total bases and posted seven seasons worth 6+ WAR. 1977 saw a career and NA best 1.043 OPS and 204 wRC+, which was good for third in MVP voting. He also took third in 1980 and second in 1981, but never won the top award. Hurting Mabile’s award hopes was Milwaukee’s general mediocrity. The Mustangs never made the playoffs during his entire run. They were just above .500 a few times in his prime, but never won more than 85 games in a season. Despite that, Mabile decided to stick around with Milwaukee, inking an eight-year, $7,490,000 extension after the 1979 season. He continued to perform at a reliably solid level throughout that time. Mabile’s deal ran out after the 1987 season, making him a free agent for the first time at age 37. Oklahoma City gave him a three-year, $4,200,000 deal. However, Mabile struggled immensely in his limited time with the Outlaws in 1988. He retired that winter at age 38. Mabile’s final stats saw 2243 hits, 1191 runs, 361 doubles, 463 home runs, 1272 RBI, a .302/.372/.545 slash, 170 wRC+, and 81.6 WAR. The advanced rate stats suggest a stronger bat perhaps than many fans realized, although his grand accumulations are on the lower end among other MLB Hall of Famers. Being stuck on some bad Milwaukee teams worked against him and Mabile hovered around the low 50% range for his first four ballots. 1998 provided an opening and sabremetric arguments helped sway some skpetics in Mabile’s favor. He only narrowly crossed the 66% requirement, but 66.5% earned him a fifth ballot nod as the final member of the 1998 class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)