Posted by cwillis802 on 6/10/2015 8:36:00 PM (view original):
A guy like McGwire who hit in the middle of the lineup was paid to get hits and drive in runs. As long as the hitters behind him were driving him in when he walked, then his OBP mattered. I'd have to take a look at his runs totals. I'm sure like Bonds, he was given a lot of intentional walks...which is a way for the defense to pitch around him and get the next guy out...in that regards is his OBP really a good thing???
On the flip side, RIckey Henderson's OBP to me is impressive. He's a lead off hitter and his job primarily was to score runs not to drive them in. Rickey had pop, but he wasn't the kind of guy to be given an intentional walk....that would be stupid because he would hurt you on the base paths with a SB. McGwire wasn't going to steal a base and he might get easily doubled up on a double play.
Sorry...I think McGwire was a good player. But I don't think he is good enough to be a HOFer...not a great player. He needed the batting average like his relative contemporaries that should get in: Bonds, ARod, Manny Ramirez, etc.
Yes, a guaranteed extra runner on base vs. a 60%+ chance of an out is usually a good tradeoff. Even McGwire, who has the 7th highest SLG of all time, is only going to get an XBH about 10% of his PA. And it's not like he batted right in front of the pitcher - he usually batted 4th or 3rd so the guy behind him was also "paid to drive in runs."
He had 150 IBB, a good number but not even close to Bonds' #. He's right ahead of Tim Raines on the all-time IBB list, right behind Ryan Howard, and tied with Luis Gonzalez and Tony Perez (though he has less plate appearances than all of that group except Howard).