The All-Time Hall of Fame Eligible but Not In the Hall Giants

Baseball fans love lists, especially all-time-best lists. One of my absolute favorites of the form is the all-time-best team you can put together from your franchise's players. The Giants' list is just about the best, though they might finish a game or two behind the Yankees. (It's alarming how little pitching the Cardinals have to go with their amazing position players.)

Today, as I was celebrating unemployment by walking to Trader Joe's for some more Simpler Times Lager ($2.99 a six pack, but they were sold out), I wondered, "What would be the best team of Giants who are eligible for the Hall of Fame but not in it?" Sort of, "How awesome is our second tier compared to others' second tiers?" I'm limiting this to guys who spent a substantial amount of time on the Giants, but your definition of substantial might be different than mine.

• C - Tom Haller
• 1B - Will Clark
• 2B - Robby Thompson
• 3B - Darrell Evans
• SS - Alvin Dark
• LF - George Burns
• CF - George Van Haltren
• RF - Bobby Bonds
• SP - Rick Reuschel
• SP - Sal Maglie
• SP - Johnny Antonelli
• SP - Red Ames
• RP - Robb Nen

I wasn't sure how to go about this, so I pulled up the Baseball Reference pages on the 1923, 1937, 1954, 1962, and 1978 Giants, and used that as well as my memory for clues. I also hit the New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract for ideas and rankings. (I think it should be a federal law that James rewrites this every ten years. Who's with me?) This list is heavy on modern Giants in part because of my own experience, and in part because the veteran's committee has already enshrined every remotely qualified New York Giant. Seriously, go make a list of the worst players in the Hall of Fame - it will be Catfish Hunter, Bruce Sutter, and eight New York Giants.

Position-by-position justification:

Catcher: Haller was the first name to jump into my mind, and I never found anybody better. Kennedy? Brenly? Santiago?

First base: Duh.

Second base: I really wanted to put Bill Madlock at second but he just didn't play enough games there. Second base is not a loaded position for the Giants - Frisch, Kent, Thompson, and a season of Hornsby.

Third base: Yes, Darrell Evans over Matt Williams. Look, I freaking LOVED Matt Williams when he was a Giant. As a kid, I had a binder full of Will Clark and Matt Williams baseball cards. They are absolutely my two favorite baseball players from my childhood. That said, Evans played 2687 games with a 119 OPS+, and Williams played 1866 games witha 112 OPS+. Evans was more OBP-heavy, so the offensive gap is actually bigger than that. Both were plus defenders in their primes. I think Evans should be in the Hall of Fame.

Shortstop: I was thinking Bill Dahlen here, but his best days were behind him when he was a Giant, so it's not really fair.

Left field: Yay! An old baseball player! I was actually stunned when I found out that he's not in the Hall. Runners up were Gary Matthews and Kevin Mitchell. I didn't realize Monte Irvin was already in the Hall, otherwise that would have been my choice.

Center field: This one gave me fits. Of course, there was a pretty good center fielder on the Giants once, but he's in the Hall, so he doesn't qualify. Maddox and Butler didn't spend enough time with the Giants. Matty Alou wasn't good until after he left. Bobby Murcer and Felipe Alou didn't play center when they were on the Giants. I went with Bill James when choosing Van Haltren. I invite the reader to take a stroll through the non-Mays center fielders the Giants have employed. It's ridiculous. I almost went with Darryl Hamilton.

Right field: He was faster and a better defender than his son. His son was better at the other things, though.

Starting pitchers: They put McGinnity in the Hall? Really? I was going to look ever-so-smart when I chose him! Pitchers make this exercise difficult - there aren't too many good-but-not-great pitchers who have long careers and spend the bulk of their time with one team. I thought Big Daddy's playing time was marginal, but I included him... I wouldn't put Reuschel in the Hall of Fame, but he was a better pitcher than Jack Morris, who seems to get some support. I need help on the pitchers. Which hall-eligible pitchers am I missing?

Relief pitcher: Robb Nen, of course, though I did check on Beck just in case I was forgetting their stats or something.