Buster Posey Will Be A Hall of Famer
Nov 4, 2021, 2:20 PM | Updated: 2:21 pm
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The great Hall of Fame debate has a good case study with Buster Posey.
I personally don’t think there is much of a debate, but some will ask the question of whether or not Posey should be in the Hall of Fame.
What is the criteria? What is your criteria? The bottom line is people will make their case with the points they think validate their case.
To me the only reason Buster Posey would not make it would be the fact that he wasn’t a compiler of stats. Buster is retiring at the age of 34. Buster could have played more seasons and continued to add to his very impressive resume. That resume right now has a rookie of the year award. One National League MVP.
Seven trips to the all-star game. Four silver slugger awards, one gold glove, and a batting title. He also was an instrumental part of three World Series Championship teams.
Only 19 catchers have been inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame. Buster should be there. Here is the full list of people that would be classified as catchers that played over the last 50 years that have gone into the Hall as catchers.
Johnny Bench, Gary Carter, Carlton Fisk, Mike Piazza, Ivan Rodriguez and Ted Simmons. All of these guys were great and all played A LOT more baseball than Posey. Comparing the numbers is tough to do but when you look at the accolades it is very similar. Remember that Posey opted out of the 2020 season and in his second full season missed over 100 games.
If stats are your argument that may be all you have. I am not buying it.
One last criteria to consider, whether it is fair or not, but people like Buster Posey. Managers, opposing players, teammates, broadcasters and most importantly the people that will be voting like him.
What’s not to like? It shouldn’t be a popularity contest but when weighing all the factors it feels like it takes more explaining why to keep him out than to have him in.
Congrats Buster on a brilliant career.