Boston Red Sox roster HOF possibilities
By Rick McNair
A Possibility
MLB Stats: 1244 G, 5582 PA, 1482 H, 329 2B, 14 3B, 769 R, 118 HR, 588 RBI, .299/.365/.444
Best HOF Comp: Roberto Alomar
The awards have influence and that means an MVP and Rookie of the Year. And then there are the Silver Slugger and the Gold Glove Awards and a pair of WS Championship rings. So the hardware is present, but what have you done for me lately? Face it – Pedroia is in a funk the last few seasons.
In 2015, the old Pedroia had returned and Petey was on the fast track to turn back time a few years until the injury plague hit and, some of the injury issues were not play related, but simple wear and tear. At age 32 the best years may already be in the memory banks.
What Pedroia does have is a personality and intensity that certainly would swing a few fence sitters in any voting. Don’t dismiss the “little guy” aspect as most males can relate to the diminutive (by baseball standards) Pedroia. All those factors can provide a boost since emotion plays into any vote.
What Pedroia needs to accomplish is four or five seasons where the injuries are gone. In 2015, the figures clearly demonstrated that he can still hit when healthy. What negative there was on the field came with a surprising decline in defensive skills. Was it injury related or a peek at the future?
Give Pedroia the five solid seasons and he may actually break in on the first or second ballot. With three more productive seasons it may be a Rice situation.
HOF Outlook: Borderline
MLB Stats: 1328 G, 5702 PA, 1503 H, 315 2B, 31 3B, 881 R, 210 HR, 707 RBI, .296/.367/.494
Best HOF Comp: Joe Cronin.
The negativity that festered and surrounded Ramirez in 2015 will quickly dissipate if his remarkable April numbers return for all of 2016. Prior to 2015 Ramirez had some excellent power numbers and some award notice. A Rookie of the Year Award, three All-Star games, two Silver Slugger Awards, a batting championship and a second place MVP finish. What Ramirez also displayed was diminishing defensive skills and games lost to injury.
The move to Boston was an opportunity to reestablish and it failed. The disaster of left field and numerous injuries all conspired to make 2015 a resounding disappointment. So how to get onto the HOF track?
Point one is to stay healthy. Magical careers can be shortened by injuries and many a player that at thirty seemed a lock ended up like Garciaparra. The second point is to make the move to first base not resemble the one to left field. You lose votes with memories of flopping around defensively. Point three is to simply start hammering again.
At 32-years-old Ramirez does have some productive seasons ahead if it is all not about diminishing skills. Eventually a switch to DH could mean longevity and remove any albatross of defense from the HOF equation. What Ramirez needs is a consistent .300 with 25-30 home runs for the next five seasons. That would make a presentable statistical case. Ramirez must also remain a solid citizen as he did in 2015 and not revert back to his alleged negative clubhouse behaviors.
HOF Outlook: Less than promising