Where Does Jose Canseco Fit in the List of the All Time Greats?
With the retirement of Jose Canseco Monday, the debate will now begin as to whether or not the original Bash Brother belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Having a nickname, that is linked to Mark McGwire, is a good start for Jose.
Is he a Hall of Famer?The litmus test for me occurs when I say the players name out loud and then see what adjective comes forth after posing the question whether or not the player belongs in the Hall of Fame.
If I hestitate in my answer, it’s no way.
If I say probably or maybe, it’s no way.
If I say he was ONE of the best players of his time, it’s no way.
If I say absolutely, he was the best at his position, then he’s in.
My standard applies to Jim Rice, Wade Boggs, Don Mattingly, Davey Concepcion, Campy Campaneris, Gary Carter, Lou Whitaker, Frank White, Ryne Sandberg, Gil Hodges, or Roger Maris amongst others.
Is Jose Canseco a Hall of Famer?
Maybe, but you aren’t quite sure. He was ONE of the best players, ONE of the most feared sluggers for seven seasons, but I’m still not sure.
See, my method answered the question easily.
Immortality in Cooperstown is reserved only for the absolute best of the game.
Sorry Jose, I enjoyed your game, but Cooperstown isn’t in your future.
Other baseball notes:
Tuesday begins a repeat in the American League schedule of last weeks games, only with last week’s home teams now on the road as visitors in the opposition’s parks.
John Burkett shut the A’s down last week in Oakland. The A’s are struggling on offense. Burkett is hittable. Seeing his slop for the second time in six days will give the A’s an advantage tonight.
Tim Hudson surrendered only five hits to Boston during the day in Oakland, a time when the ball flies out of the park routinely. That is a plus when viewing his chance of shutting down the Sox tonight.
Hudson is a big game pitcher. Tonight is a big game for his reeling team. With Manny Ramirez on the shelf for two months, the A’s get back in the win column tonight.
Seattle goes to SkyDome to play the Blue Jays. Toronto battled the Mariners very hard last week in Seattle before losing two excruciating extra ininng games. Toronto is on the ropes with no discernible direction. Freddy Garcia is on a mission to prove he is an ace, to be counted on every time out. Brandon Lyon, tonight’s starter for the Jays, threw 92 pitches without getting out of the fifth inning against Seattle last Thursday. It won’t be much different tonight.
Brad Radke hurt himself throwing for the Twins last night. Matt Kinney tossed six nice innings against KC last Tuesday, giving up 2 hits and one run. Jeff Suppan is the ace of the Royals. The Twins don’t rip the ball on the road. This one may be a low scoring game.
Maybe KC will spice things up by naming Buck Showalter manager today.
Kevin Appier goes in Detroit tonight for the streaking Angels. Ape knocked Detroit off last Wednesday 3-2, with a nifty 7 innings of 6 hit ball. One scout told me that Detroit starter Nate Cornejo would be a fourth or fifth starter anywhere else in the big leagues, if he wasn’t in Detroit. I thought he was better than that. Anyway, he matched Appier pitch for pitch in Anaheim in the game, leaving with the score tied 2-2.
Mark Buehrle stifled Texas on 4 hits over 7 innings last Wednesday. Doug Davis lost that game, throwing over 90 pitches in five innings.Texas has lost 9 of 11 to left handed starters this season, Buehrle is one of the best lefties in the league. ‘Nuff said.
Roger Clemens goes for career win 286 tonight against Tampa Bay. Clemens got 285 against the Rays last week. The Rays have won two in a row, the buck stops here for Tampa Bay. Tampa’s starter Delvin James, had been looking promising until the Yankees torched him for 7 runs in 3.6 innings in the Rocket’s game in Tampa Wednesday.
Scott Erickson matched up with Danys Baez last Thursday in Baltimore. Advantage Baez as he shut the Orioles down over 7 innings with only 6 hits and one run, winning 6-2. He threw 115 pitches which was a season high, so we’ll see how it effects the reliever turned starter in Cleveland tonight.
Erickson coming off arm surgery is still inconsistent, but capable of a big game. Cleveland knocked him out in the second inning in Baltimore, hitting the righty for 5 hits and 5 runs in the two frames.
Any time you give a major league hitter another shot at a pitcher within a short period of time, watch out.
Every game tonight in the American League has that intrigue.
0 comments
Hey Marty,
Pretty good assessment on Jose. I watched the guy throughout his prime, and I must say, at his best, he was easily the best player in the game and one of the best I’ve ever seen. It’s interesting how we judge our Hall of Fame players. In no way did Mark McGwire ever exhibit the all-around ability Jose displayed from 1985-1990, but it’s Mark who’ll wind up in Cooperstown. Longevity means so much. Breaking a cherished record surely helps, too.
If there’s a Hall of Fame for baseball originals, though, Jose has to qualify. He honestly told me once he thought he would be baseball’s first 70-70 man the spring after he hit 40-40. He was dead serious. But was he talking home runs, stolen bases, speed limits??? We weren’t sure back then.
We had our run-ins over the years, but I was rooting hard for Jose to get to 500 and we had a nice chat at Yankee Stadium two years ago. I told him if he got to 500 HRs I’d vote for him for Cooperstown and I think he realized that was his only realistic chance to get there, and even that was a longshot. I still might give him at least one hometown vote because I witnessed just about every amazing thing he did … including hit a homer with lowest trajectory I’ve ever seen … absolutely no more than 25 feet off the ground.
Without the injuries, he’d be at 600 today even with all of his pratfalls and wrong turns. Just an amazing individual and talent … and as Bruce Jenkins advised, you do need to go to that fifth deck seat if you ever get to Skydome in Toronto. I went up there just minutes after he hit it that day. It looked like you were peering down out of an airplane.
Contrast that with a scene 1 1/2 years ago, when Jose could be observed warming up Yankees pitchers whenever Jorge Posada was putting on his gear between innings during the playoffs. That really struck me as sad in a way.
Hard to believe, but with Jose’s departure, that ’89 title team has almost completely hung it up now — Rickey Henderson, in fact, is now the only one left. Felix Jose is still playing somewhere — Japan, I believe — but he hasn’t been in the majors for awhile. When Rickey’s done, they’ll all be done. How time flies.
anyway, after reading Marty’s assessment, I had to chip in on Hozee. I just loved watching the guy, and listening to him was pretty fun, too.
Carl Steward
Oakland Tribune/ANG columnist &
BBWAA Hall of Fame voter
Carl, I echo your sentiments completely. There is much more to Jose Canseco and what he meant to the Oakland franchise and baseball in general, than whether or not he belongs in the Hall of Fame. I enjoyed him.
Thanks, for the insight,
Marty
Marty, you sum the debate up quite eloquently, with this simple line:
Immortality in Cooperstown is reserved only for the absolute best of the game.
Jose, thanks for the memories, but baseball immortality is another level.
Marty:
I agree with your views. Jose lost the hunger to play . It’s too bad.
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