Baseball Hall of Fame misses

Hint

Answer

The only other guy in the top 25 all-time list of "at-bats" (outside of Rose and Palmeiro) that is not in the HOF, he also has the most career hits (2877) of any eligible, non-PED using, non-HOFer... Oh, and he won 11 gold gloves as a SS - just 2 less than Ozzie Smith for second most at the position.

This mustachioed second baseman is the only HOF-eligible, non-steroid tainted player to have the highest career Home Run total for his position (377) and not ultimately land in the HOF. He also won an MVP award.

Besides Roger Clemens, this pitcher has the most career strikeouts and the highest pitching WAR of anyone not in the Hall of Fame. Vocally supporting Donald Trump probably did not help his chances.

Besides Barry Bonds, which TWO players are the only players in baseball history to win back-to-back MVP awards and NOT ultimately be elected to the HOF?

(see above, 2nd name)

Who are the only THREE pitchers in baseball history to record 4 straight 20 win seasons in a row, and not later be elected to the HOF? (first hint: 1971-1974)

(see above, 2nd name... hint: 1968-1971)

(see above, 3rd name... hint: 1987-1990)

By the time he was 25 years old, this pitcher had amassed 92 wins, 2 Cy Young awards and a World Series MVP. He would later end up setting the record for most games missed on the disabled list over a career, and didn't make it past his first ballot on the HOF voting.

Known as "the Senator" for his politeness, he won 2 MVP awards in the All-Star Game and 2 NLCS MVPs, plus the regular season NL MVP in 1978. A 10-time All-Star, he had four Gold Gloves, a .294 lifetime average, and a .338 postseason mark (in 11 series). He also had 2,599 hits, good for 88th all time.

Hint

Answer

After Pete Rose and A-Rod, this leadoff hitter scored more runs than anybody not enshrined in the hall of fame and fell just short of the 3000 hit club over an 18 year career with 2 Worlds series wins that he argues would have lasted longer if he had used PEDs.

This catcher from the '60s and '70s was selected to the most All-Star games of all non-tainted, non-HOF players, at 11 total AS games. He later became a well-known college coach. Who is he?

Besides Roger Clemens, which modern-era player with a name known in medical circles has the most career wins (288) without ever having been elected to the Hall of Fame?

This first-baseman was among the best hitters in the early 2000s, including a 6-year stretch with at least .300 average, 30 HRs, and 100 RBIs. He finished with a career .316 batting average and .951 OPS, good for 21st all time (right between his contemporaries Jim Thome and Jeff Bagwell). In 2023 he garnered almost 73% of ballots, just shy of the required 75%.

With 473 home runs (the most of any non-steroid-tained non HOFer now that McGriff is in), he finished in the top-five AL MVP voting 4 times in his career, as well as ranks 39th all time in OPS (right between A-Rod and Hank Aaron). Who is he?

Arguably the game's best hitter for the better part of the 1980s, this player finished top 10 in the MVP voting 4 times in a row (snagging his first in 1985, and controversially being voted second to Roger Clemens in 1986) but had his career cut short after battling a nagging back injury.

This "sweet" second baseman ranks 51st all time among position players with a combined career W.A.R. of 75.1, the highest of any eligible position player not in the HOF and not tainted with PED use.

From 2003 to 2008, this pitcher was arguably the best in the game; in that 6 year period, he won 2 Cy Young awards (as well as finished 7th, 5th and 3rd twice), leading the league in Ks three times in a row, along with 3 ERA titles.

This bespectacled pitcher is the only player to win back-to-back Cy Young Awards and not ultimately get elected to the HOF (Tim "the Freak" Lincecum will one day join him on this list). He also won an MVP award in 1968 when he finished the season with a 31-6 record, the last time a pitcher won 30 or more.