It was a great day in the sports world for Chicago sports fans, as three players with a connection to the city were announced into the Hall-of-Fame. Perhaps it could have been a bit better had Dick Walker not fallen one vote short of induction (we'll get him next year!), but all three members of the the 1951 Hall-of-Fame Class can thank the city for at least a portion of their career.
The first inductee was arguably overdo, as after failing three times Tom Bird made it in go four, as the 10-Time All-Star proudly donned the Chicago Chiefs cap when the announcement was made. It's nice on a personal level for me as well, as I campaigned hard for Bird, who may not have had the counting stats you desire in a Hall-of-Famer, but his ten year run, almost all with the Chiefs, was something that we haven't seen often from the catching position, and a 147 career WRC+ is truly remarkable. The second had a more personal connection, then city connection, as former Cougar #1 selection Tom Barrell was inducted despite his career that epitomized high highs and low lows. I've written plenty about both, which you can read about Bird
here and Barrell
here, but one guy I haven't said enough about is the one who spent almost entire career with the Cougars: Gil Hice.
A rather unknown commodity due to when he played ball, Gill Hice bounced around a ton in his early career, but once he secured a lineup spot for the 1897 Cougars, he did not look back. Inducted by the veteran's committee, Hice was best known for his elite defense at third and short, but his .280/.340/.361 (111 OPS+) career line wasn't too shabby. If he could hit home runs, something he did just 23 times in his career, that line would look even better, when you look at his 133 WAR in 2,201 career games, it's easy to understand what made him great. He could pick it better then almost anyone else.
One could only imagine how much higher his career 449.2 zone rating (1.173 efficiency) at short could have gotten had he not spent seven seasons at the hot corner, as when Hice became a regular in 1897, there was already a Hall-of-Famer Calvin Kidd at short. "The Wizard of Wausau" was a gifted gloveman himself, as his 765.7 zone rating and 1.198 efficiency were actually better, though he got to play his started playing short from 23 to 37, and considering a 36-year-old Kidd had a 52.8 and 1.136 efficiency, he didn't really lose a step with age. Nearly all of Tice's time at short was when he was in his 30s, and as we got closer to the modern era teams started valuing defense at shortstop more.
Though the best part about Hice's career might have been the fact that the Cougars cut him five times before eventually holding onto him for good. In year two he even got games with the Boston Brahmins (now Minutemen) and St. Louis Pioneers, and the Cougars weren't the last team to employ him in 1896. He signed back once more in the offseason, and then got into 119 games for the '97 Cougars. His .304/.382/.391 (135 OPS+) triple slash was quite good, and he led the league with 27 triples. Hice picked up 13 steals, 22 doubles, 4 homers, 62 runs, 56 walks, and 86 RBIs, and earned himself a spot on the left side of the infield with the previously mentioned Kidd. Hice follow up his 23-year-old season with WRC+ of 130, 130, 121, and 129, and was a huge part of the 1899/1900 team that repeated as champions. Tice later won a third championship in 1910, playing with 21-year-old future Hall-of-Famer John Dibblee (.392, 1, 85, 68) and 300 game winner Jack Long (23-17, 2.95, 64).
Now 77, Hice joins some of his great teammates in baseball immortality, and with his impressive career he certainly deserves it. From his four year stretch with 11.5 or more WAR to his five seasons with a zone rating above 60, Hice was an expert at collecting counting stats, finishing with 2,264 hits, 291 doubles, 151 triples, 962 runs, 1,051 RBIs, 696 walks, 226 steals, and a 133 WAR. That WAR ranks tenth All-Time, though his 132.8 WAR as a Cougar is actually third in team history, as Kidd (138.2) and Dibblee (177.3) were also excellent players with lengthy careers. Hice also ranks 4th in runs (640), hits (2,259), and doubles (290), 2nd in triples (149), 3rd in RBIs (1,045) and walks (696), and 9th in steals (226). He has three of the most valuable seasons as a Cougar in terms of WAR (3rd, 14.9; 4th, 14.5; 7th, 12.2), and on a team without so many long-term stars he'd have many more records. It's nice for a guy who was stuck playing with another great get recognized, and we'll do our best to celebrate him this season.
Whether was was inducted to the Hall or not, Hice was scheduled to be inducted into the Cougar Hall-of-Fame, and while his #0 can't be retired since Calvin Kidd got it retired once Hice's career ended, he will be included on the 0 plaque that hangs at Cougars Stadium. The 77-year-old will be honored before first pitch in the finale of our Opening Week series against the Stars, and I'm hoping it can prelude an early season sweep. We could use a little luck in this coming season, and honoring a club legend should gives us some good karma. Plus its nice to remember Cougar fans of better times. We used to went titles! Maybe that can happen again soon!