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FuzzyRussianHat · 05-01-2024, 05:08 PM

Centerfielder Phil Sannes was the lone inductee into Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2002, getting a first ballot nod at 73.6%. Closer Josiah Denson wasn’t far from the 66% requirement in his debut, but fell short at 58.4%. Five other players were above 50% with CL Alex Cantos at 57.2% on his fourth ballot; SP Aiya Kodama at 54.3% for his debut, 2B Rodrigo Badillo at 54.3% in his fourth try, C Peter Wacker at 54.3% on his tenth; and 1B Roy Cote at 53.2% on his fifth.

For Wacker, 54.3% was the best he got on his ten tries, although he was never lower than 46.8%. A 21-year veteran with Boston and five other teams, he had one Silver Slugger with 2067 hits, 1121 runs, 341 doubles, 480 home runs, 1369 RBI, a .234/.302/.440 slash, 114 wRC+, and 67.1 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 15^th in WAR among catchers. The low stats common with catchers hurt him, but Wacker also lacked the big numbers even for the position. His longevity was impressive and he won World Series rings with both Boston and Ottawa. Peter Wacker also had a very popular baseball card in the era, but mainly because of the innuendo his name provided.

Also dropped after ten ballots was 1B Ethan Sinquefield, although he only peaked at 23.1% in his second ballot and ended at 6.3%. In 16 years primarily with Las Vegas, he had 2300 hits, 1271 runs, 414 doubles, 487 home runs, 1467 RBI, a .280/.345/.513 slash, 139 wRC+, and 62.7 WAR. Sinquefield was popular for helping the Vipers win two World Series titles, but he had no individual accolades and didn’t have the mammoth power numbers expected from the position.

Phil Sannes – Center Field – Phoenix Firebirds – 73.6% First Ballot

Phil Sannes was a 5’11’’, 190 pound left-handed center fielder from Santee, California; a city of around 60,000 people in San Diego County. Sannes was an excellent contact hitter with a respectable eye and a solid strikeout rate. He was also incredibly quick and considered one of the best baserunners and base stealers of his era. Sannes didn’t have prolific power, but he still had a solid pop on his bat. Over a 162 game average, he’d give you 28 home runs and around 33 doubles/triples per year.

Sannes played the vast majority of his career in center field. Despite his speed and range, he graded out as below average over the course of his career. Sannes was quite good in his younger years, winning a Gold Glove in 1980. He was rarely a liability defensively and had remarkable durability at a very physically demanding spot. Sannes played 140+ games each season from 1979-93, although he did make a notable amount of starts as a designated hitter. He became a very popular player, but he had plenty of detractors due to his outspoken nature. Sannes was always good for a compelling quote, but he also didn’t filter out his dumber hot takes. Naturally, he thrived in sports radio after retiring.

Sannes went to the other side of the country for college, playing for the University of Miami. In 145 college games as a Hurricane, he had 144 hits, 77 runs, 27 doubles, 23 home runs, 81 RBI, a .262/.334/.451 slash, 126 wRC+, and 3.9 WAR. In the 1978 MLB Draft, Sannes was picked 10^th overall by Phoenix. He was a full-time starter immediately for the Firebirds, holding that role for 12 years. Sannes would take third in Rookie of the Year voting in 1979.

Sannes’s finest years were early in his career, winning Silver Sluggers in 1980, 81, and 82. His lone Gold Glove also came in 1980. In 1982, Sannes had a career-best 8.6 WAR, finishing second in MVP voting. He played a large role in making Phoenix a regular contender in the 1980s, as they posted seven playoff berths and four Southwest Division titles in the decade. His few World Baseball Championship appearances came in these early years as well, winning world title rings with the 1981 and 1982 United States squads.

In 1982, Sannes helped Phoenix win the American Association pennant, although they lost to St. Louis in the World Series. After the 1983 campaign, the Firebirds signed him to an eight-year, $12,780,000 extension. In 1985, Phoenix would win it all, defeating Toronto in the World Series. Their other playoff appearances in the 1980s would see second round exits. Sannes wasn’t amazing in the playoffs, but not bad either. In 55 starts with Phoenix, he had 67 hits, 38 runs, 14 extra base hits, 33 RBI, 17 stolen bases, a .300/.342/.444 slash, and 115 wRC+.

Sannes would win one additional Silver Slugger in 1988 as a designated hitter. He led the AA in runs scored in both 1985 and 1988, posting 125 runs both seasons. Sannes also twice was the leader in stolen bases. As the 1990s dawned, Phoenix fell towards the mid-tier and Sannes started to weigh his options. 1991 would be his last season in the desert, becoming a free agent at age 34.

With Phoenix, Sannes had 2338 hits, 1312 runs, 331 doubles, 91 triples, 363 home runs, 1129 RBI, 609 stolen bases, a .299/.352/.503 slash, 131 wRC+, and 60.8 WAR. His efforts and popularity led to his #9 uniform eventually getting retired. Sannes would move to the mountains, signing a five-year, $10,560,000 deal with Denver.

Sannes was a steady starter in 1992 and 1993 for the Dragons, helping them to the AACS in the latter. Injuries kept him out a chunk of 1994 and 1995, but he was back for the 1995 postseason run. Sannes won his second World Series ring as Denver beat Boston in the 1995 final. In his 27 playoff starts as a Dragon, Sannes had 35 hits, 25 runs, 11 extra base hits, 9 RBI, 7 stolen bases, a .318/.380/.482 slash, and 131 wRC+.

In 1996, Sannes became the 51^st MLB member of the 3000 hit club. His production dropped in this last year for his first-ever season with a sub-100 wRC+. His contract expired, giving him a five-year total in Denver of 691 hits, 385 runs, 98 doubles, 102 home runs, 260 RBI, 144 stolen bases, a .277/.337/.462 slash, 115 wRC+, and 15.6 WAR. Sannes wanted to still sign somewhere, but no one wanted a 39-year old center fielder. He retired in the winter of 1997.

Sannes’s final stats saw 3029 hits, 1697 runs, 429 doubles, 120 triples, 465 home runs, 1389 RBI, 877 walks, 753 stolen bases, a .293/.348/.493 slash, 127 wRC+, and 76.4 WAR. He didn’t dominate the leaderboards, but having 1500+ runs, 3000+ hits, 400+ doubles, and 450+ home runs were all nice milestones. At induction, he was also 16^th all-time in stolen bases. That, plus his role in two World Series titles, was enough for many voters. Sannes still had detractors due to his outspoken nature and lack of prolific numbers, but he had enough support for a first ballot induction at 73.6%. Thus, Sannes was the lone member of MLB’s 2002 Hall of Fame class.

05-01-2024, 05:08 PM	#1205
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,802	2002 MLB Hall of Fame Centerfielder Phil Sannes was the lone inductee into Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2002, getting a first ballot nod at 73.6%. Closer Josiah Denson wasn’t far from the 66% requirement in his debut, but fell short at 58.4%. Five other players were above 50% with CL Alex Cantos at 57.2% on his fourth ballot; SP Aiya Kodama at 54.3% for his debut, 2B Rodrigo Badillo at 54.3% in his fourth try, C Peter Wacker at 54.3% on his tenth; and 1B Roy Cote at 53.2% on his fifth. For Wacker, 54.3% was the best he got on his ten tries, although he was never lower than 46.8%. A 21-year veteran with Boston and five other teams, he had one Silver Slugger with 2067 hits, 1121 runs, 341 doubles, 480 home runs, 1369 RBI, a .234/.302/.440 slash, 114 wRC+, and 67.1 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 15^th in WAR among catchers. The low stats common with catchers hurt him, but Wacker also lacked the big numbers even for the position. His longevity was impressive and he won World Series rings with both Boston and Ottawa. Peter Wacker also had a very popular baseball card in the era, but mainly because of the innuendo his name provided. Also dropped after ten ballots was 1B Ethan Sinquefield, although he only peaked at 23.1% in his second ballot and ended at 6.3%. In 16 years primarily with Las Vegas, he had 2300 hits, 1271 runs, 414 doubles, 487 home runs, 1467 RBI, a .280/.345/.513 slash, 139 wRC+, and 62.7 WAR. Sinquefield was popular for helping the Vipers win two World Series titles, but he had no individual accolades and didn’t have the mammoth power numbers expected from the position. Phil Sannes – Center Field – Phoenix Firebirds – 73.6% First Ballot Phil Sannes was a 5’11’’, 190 pound left-handed center fielder from Santee, California; a city of around 60,000 people in San Diego County. Sannes was an excellent contact hitter with a respectable eye and a solid strikeout rate. He was also incredibly quick and considered one of the best baserunners and base stealers of his era. Sannes didn’t have prolific power, but he still had a solid pop on his bat. Over a 162 game average, he’d give you 28 home runs and around 33 doubles/triples per year. Sannes played the vast majority of his career in center field. Despite his speed and range, he graded out as below average over the course of his career. Sannes was quite good in his younger years, winning a Gold Glove in 1980. He was rarely a liability defensively and had remarkable durability at a very physically demanding spot. Sannes played 140+ games each season from 1979-93, although he did make a notable amount of starts as a designated hitter. He became a very popular player, but he had plenty of detractors due to his outspoken nature. Sannes was always good for a compelling quote, but he also didn’t filter out his dumber hot takes. Naturally, he thrived in sports radio after retiring. Sannes went to the other side of the country for college, playing for the University of Miami. In 145 college games as a Hurricane, he had 144 hits, 77 runs, 27 doubles, 23 home runs, 81 RBI, a .262/.334/.451 slash, 126 wRC+, and 3.9 WAR. In the 1978 MLB Draft, Sannes was picked 10^th overall by Phoenix. He was a full-time starter immediately for the Firebirds, holding that role for 12 years. Sannes would take third in Rookie of the Year voting in 1979. Sannes’s finest years were early in his career, winning Silver Sluggers in 1980, 81, and 82. His lone Gold Glove also came in 1980. In 1982, Sannes had a career-best 8.6 WAR, finishing second in MVP voting. He played a large role in making Phoenix a regular contender in the 1980s, as they posted seven playoff berths and four Southwest Division titles in the decade. His few World Baseball Championship appearances came in these early years as well, winning world title rings with the 1981 and 1982 United States squads. In 1982, Sannes helped Phoenix win the American Association pennant, although they lost to St. Louis in the World Series. After the 1983 campaign, the Firebirds signed him to an eight-year, $12,780,000 extension. In 1985, Phoenix would win it all, defeating Toronto in the World Series. Their other playoff appearances in the 1980s would see second round exits. Sannes wasn’t amazing in the playoffs, but not bad either. In 55 starts with Phoenix, he had 67 hits, 38 runs, 14 extra base hits, 33 RBI, 17 stolen bases, a .300/.342/.444 slash, and 115 wRC+. Sannes would win one additional Silver Slugger in 1988 as a designated hitter. He led the AA in runs scored in both 1985 and 1988, posting 125 runs both seasons. Sannes also twice was the leader in stolen bases. As the 1990s dawned, Phoenix fell towards the mid-tier and Sannes started to weigh his options. 1991 would be his last season in the desert, becoming a free agent at age 34. With Phoenix, Sannes had 2338 hits, 1312 runs, 331 doubles, 91 triples, 363 home runs, 1129 RBI, 609 stolen bases, a .299/.352/.503 slash, 131 wRC+, and 60.8 WAR. His efforts and popularity led to his #9 uniform eventually getting retired. Sannes would move to the mountains, signing a five-year, $10,560,000 deal with Denver. Sannes was a steady starter in 1992 and 1993 for the Dragons, helping them to the AACS in the latter. Injuries kept him out a chunk of 1994 and 1995, but he was back for the 1995 postseason run. Sannes won his second World Series ring as Denver beat Boston in the 1995 final. In his 27 playoff starts as a Dragon, Sannes had 35 hits, 25 runs, 11 extra base hits, 9 RBI, 7 stolen bases, a .318/.380/.482 slash, and 131 wRC+. In 1996, Sannes became the 51^st MLB member of the 3000 hit club. His production dropped in this last year for his first-ever season with a sub-100 wRC+. His contract expired, giving him a five-year total in Denver of 691 hits, 385 runs, 98 doubles, 102 home runs, 260 RBI, 144 stolen bases, a .277/.337/.462 slash, 115 wRC+, and 15.6 WAR. Sannes wanted to still sign somewhere, but no one wanted a 39-year old center fielder. He retired in the winter of 1997. Sannes’s final stats saw 3029 hits, 1697 runs, 429 doubles, 120 triples, 465 home runs, 1389 RBI, 877 walks, 753 stolen bases, a .293/.348/.493 slash, 127 wRC+, and 76.4 WAR. He didn’t dominate the leaderboards, but having 1500+ runs, 3000+ hits, 400+ doubles, and 450+ home runs were all nice milestones. At induction, he was also 16^th all-time in stolen bases. That, plus his role in two World Series titles, was enough for many voters. Sannes still had detractors due to his outspoken nature and lack of prolific numbers, but he had enough support for a first ballot induction at 73.6%. Thus, Sannes was the lone member of MLB’s 2002 Hall of Fame class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)