What a bunch of blowhards!! Maybe we should just put every Yankee who had a few good seasons in the Hall, and then you would be happy.
Baines had 2800 hits. I am guessing that is in the top 50% for Hall-of-Fame residents.
The Hall of Fame is for players who able to perform at a high level over a long period of time, not for players who excelled for a few years and then flamed out for whatever reason.
I do have reservations due to the fact that he achieved a lot of this as a designated hitter, but 2800 hits is still an impressive total. I personally would be on the fence concerning the Hall, but I think individual season stats are far less important than the fact that someone could do it for so many years.
For the idiots bashing Alan Trammel, his statistics fall right in the middle for Hall-of-Fame shortstops, 10 or 11 out of a little over 20. He was an excellent fielder as well as a Number 3 hitter in the line-up for several years. His teams were always fighting for a World Series berth.
If you want to complain, think about guys like Farrell and Ashburn or Mazeroski. It is always going to be an arbitrary line though.
I do love to hear zappa's feelings about players of his time though. I think I would rather have players on this panel rather than owners and the like.