OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

FuzzyRussianHat · 07-06-2024, 01:38 PM

Longtime Charlotte first baseman Mason Murat was the lone addition into Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2008. He earned the first ballot nod with 79.1%. Two cracked 60%, but fell short of the 66% requirement. RF Xavier Chojnacki had 60.9% on his fifth ballot, while SP Chris Doyle had 60.6% in his debut.

The other players to crack 50% was CF Will Kemme with 59.6% on his fourth go, 2B Chaz Cimarron at 58.6% in his debut, RF Mike Castaneda with 55.6% in his seventh try, CL Brendan Gordon at 55.0% on his third ballot, SP Ollie Husband at 53.3% on his tenth attempt, RF Brian Ostrovskaya at 51.7% for his fourth stab, and C Elliot McKay debuting at 51.0%.

It was the last shot for Husband, who peaked at 59.0% in 2004 after starting at 42.3%. In 15 years between six teams, he had a 233-176 record, 3.57 ERA, 3646 innings, 3464 strikeouts, 1570 walks, 107 ERA+, and 58.0 WAR. Husband didn’t have big awards and really only led the league in a bad stat, retiring with the fifth most walks of any MLB pitcher. He had nice longevity, but wasn’t dominant enough to deserve the nod.

Also dropped was reliever Alex Cantos, who came painfully close with 65.6% in 2003. He was often in the high 50% range or 60s, but ended at a low of 46.7%. In 16 years with seven teams, Cantos won two Reliever of the Year awards and two World Series rings, posting 262 saves and 350 shutdowns, 2.07 ERA, 906.2 innings, 1004 strikeouts, 183 ERA+, and 30.6 WAR. His rate stats were comparable to some other relievers that had gotten the nod, but he didn’t have the magical 300 save number, keeping Cantos on the outside.

Catcher Evan Bogdan got dropped after ten years as well, ending at a low of 36.1% after largely staying in the 40s. He peaked with 49.3% in 2004. Over 21 years primarily with Hartford and Ottawa, Bogdan had two Silver Sluggers, one Gold Glove, 2197 hits, 1119 runs, 342 doubles, 307 home runs, 1085 RBI, a .264/.343/.426 slash, 127 wRC+, and 82.3 WAR.

As of 2037, Bogdan has the eighth most WAR accrued by a catcher, but the voters are always harsh on the position for the lower tallies that come with the spot. Bogdan was also hurt by the lack of awards and wasn’t often considered the best at the spot. He had remarkable longevity at the spot, but it wasn’t enough to get across the line.

Mason Murat – First Base – Charlotte Canaries – 79.1% First Ballot

Mason Murat was a 6’3’’, 195 pound right-handed first baseman from Farragut, Tennessee; a town of 23,500 within the Knoxville metropolitan area. Murat was an incredibly well-rounded hitter who wasn’t amazing at one thing, but above average to good across the board. He was a solid contact hitter with a great eye and a solid strikeout rate. Murat wasn’t going to lead the league in power stats, but he still reliably got around 30 home runs and 30 doubles per 162 games.

While his bat was great, Murat was abysmally slow on the basepaths. His instincts weren’t bad, but he had zero speed. Murat’s only starts in the field were at first base with about 1/6 of his starts as a designated hitter. He was a mediocre defender, but his bat more than made up for that. Murat was an ironman that started 154+ games in 17 consecutive seasons. You knew each week that he’d be there ready to go with a reliably consistent bat.

Murat played college baseball for Ohio University and won a Silver Slugger as a DH in his junior season. That got the attention of Charlotte, who picked him with the 14^th pick of the 1982 MLB Draft. Murat and the Canaries couldn’t come to terms and he went back to the Bobcats. He won another Silver Slugger and finished his college career with 192 starts, 223 hits, 106 runs, 30 doubles, 58 home runs, 158 RBI, 109 walks, a .297/.385/.574 slash, 181 wRC+, and 11.4 WAR.

Despite being spurned the first time, Charlotte was still very interested in Murat. In the 1983 MLB Draft, the Canaries picked him 15^th overall and were able to lock him down. Murat saw limited use in his first two seasons, making only 83 starts and playing 163 games. He earned a full-time role in 1986 and was a MLB starter unabated through the 2000 campaign.

Murat led the American Association in 1987 with 205 hits. That was the only time in his entire career he was a league leader, as he didn’t get you big stats. He was generally consistent, apart from weak efforts in 1988 and 1989. In his other ten full seasons with Charlotte, Murat regularly posted 4+ WAR.

He was a very popular player with Canaries fans as a reliable part of the ballpark experience for more than a decade. Despite that, Murat’s #4 uniform was never retired by the squad. Charlotte lost in the AACS in 1986 and wouldn’t get back to the playoffs for the rest of his tenure. They were stuck in the mid-tier, often finishing just above .500. Despite one berth in 14 years, the Canaries averaged 84.1 wins per season while Murat was there.

In the summer of 1991, Murat signed a seven-year, $18,960,000 extension. Despite his lack of big stats and the competition at the position, Murat won Silver Sluggers in 1991 and 1993 at first base and at DH in 1997 for Charlotte. In total with the Canaries, Murat had 2367 hits, 1186 runs, 374 doubles, 376 home runs, 1245 RBI, a .303/.364/.502 slash, 136 wRC+, and 57.1 WAR. As of 2037, he’s second in hits and runs, third in starts, and fourth in offensive WAR in franchise history.

Charlotte bought out the last year of his deal after the 1997 season, making Murat a free agent at age 35. He signed a three-year, $12,480,000 deal with Calgary and won his fourth Silver Slugger in 2000 as a DH. Murat had the same reliable production with the Cheetahs in three years, posting 14.2 WAR, a .312/.371/.497 slash, 137 wRC+, 585 hits, 290 runs, and 75 home runs.

Murat was a free agent again in 2001 at age 38 and signed a two-year, $14,500,000 deal with San Francisco. While there, he reached the 3000 career hit, 500 homer, and 1500 run milestones. Murat’s numbers decreased a little bit, but he still posted 6.8 WAR in two full seasons with a .287/.351/.474 slash and 130 wRC+.

Although 2002 was his last season, Murat didn’t officially retire until the winter of 2004. He had hoped his reliable bat still had a place, but most teams wanted more power and youth out of their DH spot. Murat was 42 years old when he officially inked the retirement papers.

Murat finished with 3300 hits, 1650 runs, 534 doubles, 506 home runs, 1749 RBI, 1075 walks, a .303/.364/.498 slash, 136 wRC+, and 78.2 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 28^th all-time in hits, 20^th in doubles, 46^th in RBI, and 69^th in runs. He’s also one of only seven MLB Hall of Famers to have reached 3000 hits, 1500 runs, 1500 RBI, 500 homers, 500 doubles, and 1000 walks in a career.

That said, there were those that dismissed him as a compiler and used his lack of dominance and playoff success against him. Plus, Murat’s defense and baserunning were both lousy. Still, those batting accumulations tick all of the boxes and then some, making Murat a first ballot pick at 79.1%. He would be the only inductee into the MLB Hall of Fame in 2008.

07-06-2024, 01:38 PM	#1402
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,898	2008 MLB Hall of Fame Longtime Charlotte first baseman Mason Murat was the lone addition into Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2008. He earned the first ballot nod with 79.1%. Two cracked 60%, but fell short of the 66% requirement. RF Xavier Chojnacki had 60.9% on his fifth ballot, while SP Chris Doyle had 60.6% in his debut. The other players to crack 50% was CF Will Kemme with 59.6% on his fourth go, 2B Chaz Cimarron at 58.6% in his debut, RF Mike Castaneda with 55.6% in his seventh try, CL Brendan Gordon at 55.0% on his third ballot, SP Ollie Husband at 53.3% on his tenth attempt, RF Brian Ostrovskaya at 51.7% for his fourth stab, and C Elliot McKay debuting at 51.0%. It was the last shot for Husband, who peaked at 59.0% in 2004 after starting at 42.3%. In 15 years between six teams, he had a 233-176 record, 3.57 ERA, 3646 innings, 3464 strikeouts, 1570 walks, 107 ERA+, and 58.0 WAR. Husband didn’t have big awards and really only led the league in a bad stat, retiring with the fifth most walks of any MLB pitcher. He had nice longevity, but wasn’t dominant enough to deserve the nod. Also dropped was reliever Alex Cantos, who came painfully close with 65.6% in 2003. He was often in the high 50% range or 60s, but ended at a low of 46.7%. In 16 years with seven teams, Cantos won two Reliever of the Year awards and two World Series rings, posting 262 saves and 350 shutdowns, 2.07 ERA, 906.2 innings, 1004 strikeouts, 183 ERA+, and 30.6 WAR. His rate stats were comparable to some other relievers that had gotten the nod, but he didn’t have the magical 300 save number, keeping Cantos on the outside. Catcher Evan Bogdan got dropped after ten years as well, ending at a low of 36.1% after largely staying in the 40s. He peaked with 49.3% in 2004. Over 21 years primarily with Hartford and Ottawa, Bogdan had two Silver Sluggers, one Gold Glove, 2197 hits, 1119 runs, 342 doubles, 307 home runs, 1085 RBI, a .264/.343/.426 slash, 127 wRC+, and 82.3 WAR. As of 2037, Bogdan has the eighth most WAR accrued by a catcher, but the voters are always harsh on the position for the lower tallies that come with the spot. Bogdan was also hurt by the lack of awards and wasn’t often considered the best at the spot. He had remarkable longevity at the spot, but it wasn’t enough to get across the line. Mason Murat – First Base – Charlotte Canaries – 79.1% First Ballot Mason Murat was a 6’3’’, 195 pound right-handed first baseman from Farragut, Tennessee; a town of 23,500 within the Knoxville metropolitan area. Murat was an incredibly well-rounded hitter who wasn’t amazing at one thing, but above average to good across the board. He was a solid contact hitter with a great eye and a solid strikeout rate. Murat wasn’t going to lead the league in power stats, but he still reliably got around 30 home runs and 30 doubles per 162 games. While his bat was great, Murat was abysmally slow on the basepaths. His instincts weren’t bad, but he had zero speed. Murat’s only starts in the field were at first base with about 1/6 of his starts as a designated hitter. He was a mediocre defender, but his bat more than made up for that. Murat was an ironman that started 154+ games in 17 consecutive seasons. You knew each week that he’d be there ready to go with a reliably consistent bat. Murat played college baseball for Ohio University and won a Silver Slugger as a DH in his junior season. That got the attention of Charlotte, who picked him with the 14^th pick of the 1982 MLB Draft. Murat and the Canaries couldn’t come to terms and he went back to the Bobcats. He won another Silver Slugger and finished his college career with 192 starts, 223 hits, 106 runs, 30 doubles, 58 home runs, 158 RBI, 109 walks, a .297/.385/.574 slash, 181 wRC+, and 11.4 WAR. Despite being spurned the first time, Charlotte was still very interested in Murat. In the 1983 MLB Draft, the Canaries picked him 15^th overall and were able to lock him down. Murat saw limited use in his first two seasons, making only 83 starts and playing 163 games. He earned a full-time role in 1986 and was a MLB starter unabated through the 2000 campaign. Murat led the American Association in 1987 with 205 hits. That was the only time in his entire career he was a league leader, as he didn’t get you big stats. He was generally consistent, apart from weak efforts in 1988 and 1989. In his other ten full seasons with Charlotte, Murat regularly posted 4+ WAR. He was a very popular player with Canaries fans as a reliable part of the ballpark experience for more than a decade. Despite that, Murat’s #4 uniform was never retired by the squad. Charlotte lost in the AACS in 1986 and wouldn’t get back to the playoffs for the rest of his tenure. They were stuck in the mid-tier, often finishing just above .500. Despite one berth in 14 years, the Canaries averaged 84.1 wins per season while Murat was there. In the summer of 1991, Murat signed a seven-year, $18,960,000 extension. Despite his lack of big stats and the competition at the position, Murat won Silver Sluggers in 1991 and 1993 at first base and at DH in 1997 for Charlotte. In total with the Canaries, Murat had 2367 hits, 1186 runs, 374 doubles, 376 home runs, 1245 RBI, a .303/.364/.502 slash, 136 wRC+, and 57.1 WAR. As of 2037, he’s second in hits and runs, third in starts, and fourth in offensive WAR in franchise history. Charlotte bought out the last year of his deal after the 1997 season, making Murat a free agent at age 35. He signed a three-year, $12,480,000 deal with Calgary and won his fourth Silver Slugger in 2000 as a DH. Murat had the same reliable production with the Cheetahs in three years, posting 14.2 WAR, a .312/.371/.497 slash, 137 wRC+, 585 hits, 290 runs, and 75 home runs. Murat was a free agent again in 2001 at age 38 and signed a two-year, $14,500,000 deal with San Francisco. While there, he reached the 3000 career hit, 500 homer, and 1500 run milestones. Murat’s numbers decreased a little bit, but he still posted 6.8 WAR in two full seasons with a .287/.351/.474 slash and 130 wRC+. Although 2002 was his last season, Murat didn’t officially retire until the winter of 2004. He had hoped his reliable bat still had a place, but most teams wanted more power and youth out of their DH spot. Murat was 42 years old when he officially inked the retirement papers. Murat finished with 3300 hits, 1650 runs, 534 doubles, 506 home runs, 1749 RBI, 1075 walks, a .303/.364/.498 slash, 136 wRC+, and 78.2 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 28^th all-time in hits, 20^th in doubles, 46^th in RBI, and 69^th in runs. He’s also one of only seven MLB Hall of Famers to have reached 3000 hits, 1500 runs, 1500 RBI, 500 homers, 500 doubles, and 1000 walks in a career. That said, there were those that dismissed him as a compiler and used his lack of dominance and playoff success against him. Plus, Murat’s defense and baserunning were both lousy. Still, those batting accumulations tick all of the boxes and then some, making Murat a first ballot pick at 79.1%. He would be the only inductee into the MLB Hall of Fame in 2008. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)