1996 Topps All-Star Rookie First Baseman Tony Clark

Tony the Tiger? He's Gr-r-r-r-reat!

Tony Clark was a prototypical Topps All-Star Rookie Candidate. The Switch hitting slugger was a mid season call-up and made major contributions to his team's offense. Clark also had a great story of making it to the show after possibly having his career derailed before it began. Over just 100 games for the Tigers, Tony crushed 27 home runs, to lead the team.

Tony the Tiger had a mixture of those impressive stats and impressive moments. He had a 2 HR game in September of 1996 - the first blast cleared the roof in Right Field at Tiger Stadium, which was often the benchmark used to measure whether new Tigers sluggers were legit or not. Clark slugged .503 in his rookie season, finishing 3rd in the AL Rookie of the Year voting.

Drafted by the Tigers in the 1st Round in 1990, Clark was a 2-sport star in high school in San Diego. Clark broke a single-season scoring record set by Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton. His senior season he averaged nearly 44 points per game. His pro contract with the Tigers allowed him to play College Basketball and baseball in the summers. At San Diego State University, Clark suffered a back injury falling on a teammate's foot during practice that ended his 1991 baseball season before it began. He would return the following season, but played in just 26 games. He did play well when he was on the field, slashing .306/.372/.588 for low-A Niagra Falls. After another season with just 36 games played, fans may have begun to wonder if  Clark was going to be a bust. He decided to leave San Diego State to focus solely on Baseball. 1994 would be a make or break year for Tony, so he chose making it by way of breaking it - he crushed 23 homers and drove in 99 runs over AA and AAA. He spent most of 1995 in AAA Toledo, where he would again slug the ball hard, and he earned a late season call-up to join the Tigers.

Clark's best MLB seasons came during his time in Detroit. He averaged 31 homers and 98 RBI each year from 1996 through 1999. Injuries would bite him again in 2000, playing in just 60 games, but once again he would bounce back to make his lone All-Star appearance in 2001. He hit 156 homers and had over 500 RBI in his time with the Tigers, and became just the 13th Switch Hitter to rack up 30+ homers in a season in MLB history. His OPS+ during his Tiger tenure was a strong 121.

Clark's career following his time in the motor city was a series of bright starts followed by injury woes and then more comebacks. He hit home runs in his first game played with Boston, the Mets, and the Yankees. At each of those stops along the way, Clark would struggle repeat his Tiger success. Clark was no longer being utilized as an everyday player. It may have just taken time for him to adjust to the new role. After joining the Diamondbacks in 2005,  Clark would surprise everyone by hitting 30 homers, and doing it in just 349 at bats. He had career highs in batting average, slugging, and OPS at age 35. Young players looked to Clark for advice and he was nominated to be the team's player representative for the MLBPA. 

Clark's experience as a player rep got his foot in the door with the MLBPA following his playing career. In 2013, after spending time as the deputy executive director. Clark was promoted to head the union, and has been the Executive Director ever since. Clark is still highly respected by players, rookies and veterans alike think of him as the go to guy for any questions they have about the baseball life, both on the field and as union members.

Clark retired from playing in 2009, with 251 career homers, the 13th highest total among all Switch Hitters. He hit homers from both sides of the plate in the same game 10 times, which ranks favorably compared to the great power hitting switch hitters like Mantle, Murray, Teixeira, and ... uh, Nick Swisher? He also has a unique claim to fame - hitting home runs in Japan in 2004, in Puerto Rico in 2003, and all Continental U.S. time zones in between, he has the All-Time record for most time zones homered in during MLB games.

What are some of your Tony Clark memories? 

1996 Topps All-Star Rookie Right Handed Pitcher Alan Benes

Move over Dizzy and Daffy, the 1996 Cardinals have a new Sibling-fueled 1-2 punch against National League hitters. Big brother Andy was the Ace of the Cardinals' rotation in '96, but Alan matched him with 3 complete games and both authored shutouts during the season. Benes the younger was named the National League's Rookie Pitcher of the Year, which is a solid foundation to be named to the Topps All-Star Rookie squad as well.

Alan's 13-10 record and 32 starts ranked 3rd on the Saint Louis staff. He struck out 131 batters and his 6.2 K/9 rate was second only to his big bro for the Cards. Benes proved that he was ready for a bigger challenge, getting a start in the 1996 NLCS against Atlanta legend Greg Maddux. While he took the loss, he showed poise and polish allowing a pair of runs over 5 tough innings.

The Cardinals made Benes their 1st round pick in 1993 out of Creighton University. He was a standout for the Bluejays, the same school that Bob Gibson excelled at in the 1950s. Benes helped Creighton make an appearance at the 1991 College World Series, and was named the Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the year in 1992. You can see Benes in this clip rocking a rally cap (uniform #29, about 32 seconds in) during "the throw" in the '91 CWS.
Benes would rise through the ranks in the Cardinals system quickly. In his second pro season he jumped from Single A to AAA, Ranking #14 by Baseball America. The following year he was the #5 Prospect in all of baseball and by the end of 1995, his third pro season, he was making his MLB debut.
In his cup of coffee in 1995, Benes struck out 20 batters in 16 innings.

In 1997, his second full season, Benes was establishing himself as one of the best pitchers in the game. By July he ranked 3rd in the league in Strikeouts, and his 2.89 ERA had him in 6th place in the NL. A shoulder injury ended his season, and nearly finished his career. His ERA+ for the shortened 1997 season was a robust 144, 44% better than the average NL pitcher. Benes would miss all of the 1998 season and made just 2 appearances in 1999.

Benes would adjust to a role in the bullpen with the Cardinals in 2000, but his strikeout stuff had left him following the shoulder issues. He would move on to the Cubs in 2002 and 2003, appearing in 10 games, then on to Texas to conclude his MLB career with an attempt to return to an MLB starting rotation. He made 4 starts for the Rangers, allowing 20 runs in 15 innings pitched. Benes would go on to be a scout and instructor in the Cardinals organization.

Benes is another one of those Topps All-Star Rookies who showed tremendous talent, only to have that potential undone by the misfortune of injury. Alan's best season was also his brother Andy's best year - the two combined for 31 victories in 1996 en route to a division championship, and took the NLCS to 7 games.

Benes was inducted into the Creighton University Hall of Fame in 2011.

Do you have any Alan Benes stories? I'd love to read them in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

1996 Topps All Star Rookie Second Baseman Tony Batista

To make the Topps All-Star Rookie roster, you don't need to play in every game, you just need to shine at the right time. For Tony Batista, it was a torrid second half that made him the perfect choice for the 1996 Topps All-Star Rookie Second Baseman. He played in just 74 games for the A's in 1996, but they came late in the season. He became the team's regular starting second sacker in July, hitting .298 with 6 homers and 25 RBI.

Batista was signed by Oakland as a minor league free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 1991, when he was just 17 years old. After playing in the Dominican Winter League, Batista made his way the United States and was ready to take on new challenges in Single A. His career was nearly ended early in his minor league days, when he suffered a fractured skull following a collision in the outfield. Upon his return to the lineup, Batista began to show the early signs of the power hitter he would become. in 1994, Batista was making big gains in High A Modesto. He would hit 17 homers and 26 doubles for the club. He would hit 18 more in AA the following season, and his power up the middle was enough to earn him a call to the big leagues. The A's had been relying upon Brent Gates and Rafael Bournigal at second, so a little offense would go a long way.

Unfortunately for Batista, the league figured out how to pitch to him. Batista would struggle early on in his sophomore season, hitting under .200 early on, which led to a demotion back to AAA. Still just 23 years old. Batista still had plenty of work to do and plenty to prove.

The Expansion Arizona Diamondbacks selected Batista with the 27th pick of the expansion draft, and he would expect to see regular playing time for Arizona in their inaugural season. It was over the offseason that year that Batista developed his unorthodox batting stance, which involved standing parallel to the pitcher's mound and facing the pitcher head on. He did fare well in his time in the desert, clubbing 5 homers in 44 games, but he would be traded to Toronto in exchange for pitching, the one thing that expansion teams can never get enough of.

Batista would have his best individual season of his career with Toronto in 2000. He had already hit 26 homers following his trade to the Jays in 1999, but he would tear the cover off the ball in 2000, hitting 41 homers (4th best in the AL) . He had career highs in Runs Scored, hits, doubles, homers, RBI and total bases. he was also named to his first All-Star game. By June of 2001, Batista had Team records for homers by a SS and homers by a 3B in a season. He was a fan favorite in Toronto, despite being a fairly one dimensional all or nothing hitter.

Inexplicably, the Blue Jays placed Batista on waivers. This may have been an attempt to send Batista to the minors to improve his batting average, but the plan backfired as he was promptly claimed by the Baltimore Orioles. Cal Ripken was playing in his final MLB season, and Batista provided a capable reserve. He would also see a fair amount of time as a DH and as the team's shortstop. The first game of 2002, with Ripken now retired, featured Batista as the team's primary 3rd baseman. He crushed a Grand Slam, the first time the O's had an Opening Day Grand Slam since another Baltimore legend, Eddie Murray, hit one in 1986. Here's a fun article on him from Baltimore, which includes his hitting drill of hitting popcorn kernels

He would sign with the Montreal Expos in their final season, and was one of the team's few bright spots. He was ostensibly replacing Vlad Guerrero's bat in the lineup, and he filled in admirably in terms of power numbers, but they couldn't expect him to fill Vladdy's shoes. He had 32 homers and 110 RBI over 157 games with the Expos.

While Batista was hitting for power, he never in his career hit for average, and was not one to take a walk. So it was not surprising that he was unable to find a taker following the 2004 season, and ended up playing for a season in Japan with the SoftBank Hawks.

The Minnesota Twins took a flier on him in 2006, but 50 games later, they were ready to move on. He would return to Expos franchise again in 2007, and served as a pinch hitter and bench player for the Nationals.

Disappointingly, none of the cards I have of Batista in the batter's box. Thankfully YouTube has my back - check out this clip of Batista at the plate while he was playing for the Blue Jays, diving away from a brushback, then responding with a homer on the next pitch.

Batista finished his career in the majors with over 1,100 hits, 221 homers and a .299 OBP.  What are some of your memories of Tony Batista?

1996 Topps All Star Rookie Outfielder Jermaine Dye

The Topps All-Star Rookie Team loves the guy who can shine in an unexpected role. Jermaine Dye got the opportunity to start in Atlanta in his rookie year due to an injury to Braves' star outfielder David Justice. Though he appeared in just 96 games for Atlanta, he came up big -- hitting a dozen homers and racking up 134 total bases. He also came to the big leagues ready to hit - his very first plate appearance was a home run! He was the first Brave to hit a homer in their first plate appearance since Chuck Tanner in 1955 (when the team was still in Milwaukee!)

Dye finished in 6th place in the NL Rookie of the year voting, thanks to his key role on a playoff team. Dye homered in the NLDS, though his post season as a whole left a little to be desired at the plate. He was just 22 years old, however, and would use that experience to his advantage.

Jermaine Dye was a 17th round selection by the Braves in the 1993 MLB Draft. He was a three sport (Baseball, Basketball, and Football) at Wood High School in Vacaville, CA. Dye had scholarship offers to play football for BYU, basketball for UNLV. But he grew up idolizing Chili Davis with the Giants, who he could watch often. His father drove the Bay Area Muni bus, and his route would take him past Candlestick Park every day. Jermaine and his sister would get a ride to the game from their dad, who was also Jermaine's primary hitting coach and mentor.  Dye grew to be 6'4" tall and promised power to all fields. Jermaine's primary position in High school and College, however, was as a dominant pitcher. After a season in college, the Braves drafted Dye, ultimately deciding that hitting would take him further than his arm alone. He did boast a cannon from the outfield, throwing out runners with ease.  Dye would jump a level every year, hitting at each stop along the way. His debut with the Braves may have come out of necessity with the injury to Justice, but Dye made the most of it.

Following that promising 1996 season, Dye was traded to the Royals for Michael Tucker and Keith Lockhart. The first couple years in Kansas City could be called disappointing - he was tagged with the label of being injury prone. It turned out that he was just snake-bitten and a victim of some bad luck. Once he was able to play a full season, Dye proved the detractors wrong. His tremendous 1999 led to an All-Star selection in 2000. He made the roster as a starter - the first Royal to be elected to the All-Star Game by the fans since Bo Jackson in 1989. He would also earn a Gold Glove for his solid defensive work in the outfield. His final two and a half seasons in Kansas City made him a rising star, hitting over 100 RBI and scoring over 100 runs in 2000 to go with a .321 batting average.

Dye would be traded mid-season in 2001 to the Oakland A's. He responded in his first full month back in the Bay Area where he grew up by being named the AL player of the month. He hit .330 with 7 homers, 32 RBI, and scored 22 runs in the month of August. The A's would make the playoffs in each of the next three seasons with Dye patrolling the outfield. The injury bug would bite him again in Oakland. He was not much of a base stealer, but Dye's running game was all but shut down at this point in his career due to various leg and knee injuries. Though the lost time made some critical of Jermaine's production in Oakland, he did play better than league average at the plate and in the field over his time in Oakland. He also hit .400 with a pair of doubles in the 2002 ALDS against the Twins, and contributed another homer in the 2003 ALDS despite only playing in 65 regular season games.

The best years of his pro career came in Chicago. He signed with the White Sox after the 2004 season and made an instant impact, as the team went all the way to the World Series. Dye was the World Series MVP, hitting .438 with a homer and 3 RBI in the Series sweep over Houston. Dye would follow that MVP performance with his best full Season in the bigs. He hit 44 homers and drove in 120 Runs with a career high 1.006 OPS. He won a Silver Slugger, made his 2nd All-Star team, and finished 5th in the league MVP voting. Over the 3 year stretch from '05 through '07, no AL outfielder hit more homers than Jermaine Dye. For his Chicago career, Dye crushed 164 home runs and slugged .525. His OPS+ over that span was a robust 121.

Though injuries delayed his emergence as a star and interrupted his career in Oakland, he still had a tremendous 14 year career that included over 1,750 career hits, 325 Homers, and over 1,000 RBI. He was not one to take a walk, with a walk rate of just 8.3% vs a k Rate of 18.1%. Despite those numbers he still had a Career OPS+ of 111, well above league average.

Let's hear your Jermaine Dye stories!

1996 Topps All-Star Rookie Third Baseman Joe Randa

Hitting over .300 with 20+ doubles and 10+ steals will get you most of the way towards a spot on the Topps All-Star Rookie roster. throw in some good defense and a successful minor league track record and you are nearly a lock!

 Joe Randa did all of that in his first full MLB season as the Kansas City Royals' primary 3rd baseman. George Brett had now been retired for a few years and long since moved over from 3rd to 1st (and DH), so a new hotshot at the hot corner was a welcome sight indeed. His .303 batting average in 1996 was best on the team among the regular starters.

Randa was drafted first by the Angels out of high school, but Volunteered to go to the University of Tennessee instead. After setting RBI records with the school, the Royals made him an 11th Round pick in 1991. He turned out to be more than ready for professional baseball, becoming the Northwest League Player of the Year, suiting up for the Eugene Emeralds. Throughout his minor league climb, Randa hit for average and flashed speed and power on occasion to go with solid defense at third.

His Royals career spanned 8 seasons, broken up by a pair of years with other organizations in the late 90s. Randa earned the nickname "The Joker" because he was often seen sporting a wry, mischievous grin.  Tony Muser's explanation was that it was just his resting face. Ok Tony. He did have plenty to smile about as a Royal however, including his two most productive MLB seasons in 1999 and 2000. In '99 Randa hit .314 and 16 homers, then followed it up by driving in over 100 runs for the only time in his career. Over 1,000 of his career hits came in a Royals uni. In 2004 he became just the 3rd player in Royals history to get 6 hits in a game. He also ended up scoring 6 runs in the contest.

His career also included a Grover Cleveland-esque non consecutive 2 year stint in Pittsburgh (1997 and 2006), and stops in Detroit, Cincinnati, and San Diego. He was very briefly an Arizona Diamondback (drafted in the expansion draft, then traded to the Tigers for Travis Fryman), and a New York Met (acquired on Dec 4th for Willie Blair, then traded to KC on Dec 10th for Juan LeBron - maybe the Mets confused him for Carlos Beltran just like Topps did?). His Reds tenure was also short lived, but memorable. He hit the first Opening Day walk-off homer in Reds history, and followed that with a 6 RBI encore in game 2 of the opening series in 2005. Between Cincy and San Diego that season, he belted a career high 17 homers. San Diego also provided him with his only playoff experience, hitting .364 in three games. His final stop in Pittsburgh saw his production and playing time decline, so he called it a career following the season. He retired with more base hits than games played, and over 700 career RBI.

Let's hear your Joe Randa stories! 

1996 Topps All-star Rookie Catcher Jason Kendall

Some might say that Jason Kendall had catching in his blood. That's because his father Fred Kendall was also a MLB catcher, with a 12 year career for several teams. Jason spent little time making a name for himself- earning a trip to the All-Star Game in his rookie year. He hit .300 and turned in stellar defense behind the plate, quickly creating a rapport with his pitching staff. Kendall finished 3rd in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting.

Right from the start, Kendall was a rock - Catching 130 games in his rookie season. He also was stingy with strikeouts, with just 30 Ks in 471 plate appearances. Few catchers in the league in 1996 combined his level of defense and hitting ability, let along first year players, so he was the obvious choice for the 1996 Topps All-Star Rookie Team.

Kendall grew up in Southern California (his dad played several seasons in San Diego) and attended high school in Torrance, CA. He was already a talented hitter -- He hit safely in 43 consecutive games from 1990 to 1992 which tied a National record.

The Pirates drafted Kendall in the 1st round - #23 overall. He worked his way quickly through the Pirates' minor league system, mixing great defense, hitting for average, and speed. Kendall stole 14 bases for AA Salem and then in AAA in 1995 hit .325/.414/.448 and stole 10 more bags. He was more than ready for the big leagues.

Kendall had a serious ankle injury in 1999 that could have derailed his career. He would would come back strong the following season, even hitting for the cycle in 2000. Over his Pirates tenure, he became their all-time leader in games caught, stole 140 bases, and slashed .306/.387/.418 over 9 seasons. 

Once Kendall was traded from the Pirates after the 2004 season, Kendall began a nomadic pilgrimage around the big leagues. He spent 2 and a half seasons with Oakland, half a year with the Cubs, 2 years with Milwaukee and a final year in Kansas City.  He made his first post season appearance of his career in 2006 with Oakland, facing off against the Twins. Kendall's rate stats fell off considerably at this time, at one point he had the lowest slugging percentage among all qualified MLB hitters, and in another season (2007) had the lowest OBP and 2nd lowest slugging in the league.

Despite those declining stats, Kendall still had a great reputation in the league as a tough competitor. His ability to block pitches in the dirt and call games made him an asset even as shoulder issues hurt his ability to throw out base stealers. He continued to pile up hits, too, and surpassed 2,000 career hits in 2009. At the time, he was just the 8th full time catcher to reach that milestone. He also holds a record for most stolen bases in a single season by a catcher in the modern era, when he swiped 26 bases in 1998. He was known for crowding the plate - he ranks 5th all-time in HBP.

Let's hear your Jason Kendall stories! Anyone read his book Throwback? 

1996 Topps All-Star Rookie Outfielder Todd Hollandsworth

Todd Hollandsworth was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1996, joining the ever growing list of Dodger phenoms to break into the big leagues. With similar tools to 1994 RoY Raul Mondesi, Hollandsworth flashed power, speed, and a strong outfield arm. He spent a good part of 1995 recovering from various nagging injuries, in 1996 it was his turn to fill in for the regular centerfielder, Brett Butler.

Todd hit 12 homers, stole 21 bases and had a 113 OPS+ while playing all three outfield positions. There is quite a bit of copy written bout Todd as a "gamer" aka a player who "plays the game the right way," and Brett Butler was even quoted as saying that Todd was never thinking "How cool do I look?" in a Clint Eastwood-esque get-off-my-lawn.

Todd had a big year in 1994 for Albuquerque, paving the way for his big league debut. He bashed 19 homers, drove in 91 runs, and stole 15 bases. It was his third season in a row with double digits in homers and steals, and he finally managed to get his strikeouts under 100 for the season. He was always a doubles machine, and had 31 for the Dukes in '94, the highest total of his minor league career.

Hollandsworth was the Dodgers' 3rd round selection in 1991, having lost picks in rounds 1 and 2 as compensation for adding Darryl Strawberry and Kevin Gross. They would add a 3rd rounder though as compensation for losing Kirk Gibson to Kansas City. He was born in Dayton, OH, and went to High School in Bellevue, Washington. As a Senior he hit .368 with a pair of homers, and was named "Athlete of the Year" by the Seattle Times and was a member of the Washington All-State Team. In addition to baseball, Hollandsworth also played for the Newport High Football squad (he rushed for over 1,000 yards) and their basketball team.

Following his Dodgers tenure, Hollandsworth spent time with 7 different teams- Colorado, Texas, Florida, Atlanta, the Cubs, and in his final MLB season, he played for both Ohio franchises. Hollandsworth didn't become the toolsy superstar hinted at by his rookie year, but he was a solid 4th outfielder for 12 MLB seasons. His best seasons were 2000, split between LA and the Rockies, and 2002, which was split between the Rockies and Rangers. The following season, Hollandsworth became a World Series Champion as a member of the Florida Marlins.

After his playing career, Hollandsworth has been a broadcaster for several teams, currently a member of the Marlins tv broadcast team.

Let's hear your Hollandsworth stories! Thanks for reading!

1996 Topps All-Star Rookie Left handed Pitcher Billy Wagner

Billy the Kid is firing bullets for Houston here in 1996. Wagner had the reputation for wildness on his way to the big leagues, and was having trouble cracking the Astros' starting rotation. Houston Manager Terry Collins decided to try Wagner in the bullpen instead, and the rest is history!

Wagner's fastball was the stuff of legend. Despite measuring under 6' tall, he was able to generate impressive speed throwing with his less dominant hand. Wagner was born right handed, but broke his arm twice as a 7 year old, and started to throw left handed instead. He was clocked in the high 90s and averaged a little over 95 mph as a collegian. In 1996, his fastball was paired with a wicked slider. This led to 67 strikeouts in 51 innings. There was still concern about his control, as he walked 30 batters, but that would turn out to be his career high for free passes.

Wagner was the 12th Overall pick in the 1993, plucked out of Division III collegiate ball from Ferrum College in Virginia. Wagner probably could have been successful at any college, but was overlooked by the big name schools. In his Senior year of high school, he had eye-popping numbers at the plate and on the mound. He hit .451 and stole 23 bases, and pitched to a 7-1 record with a 1.52 ERA. He struck out 116 batters in just 46 innings pitched. The stat that mattered to scouts? His height, which was still just 5'5" as an 18 year old. At Ferrum, Wagner continued to blow away hitters, and set several NCAA records for strikeouts. He had a 19.1 K/9 his Sophomore season.  After his Junior year, he spent the summer in the Cape Cod League, finally attracting the attention of big league scouts.

Wagner was still a starter throughout his minor league career, though he never made a major league start. With the Quad Cities River Bandits, Wagner topped 200 strikeouts in just 153 innings pitched, but had just an 8-9 record. The one knock on his game was his control. This was ultimately solved in the big leagues, but for stretches of time the walks would haunt Wagner.

As a relief pitcher, Wagner was incredible. The fastball/slider combo was devastating, and throughout his career Wagner blew away the competition. With Houston, he had a 12.4 K/9, striking out 694 batters in 504 innings and a 2.53 ERA. 1999 was probably his most appreciated season, as he was named the NL Rolaids Relief Pitcher of the year. In 74 and 2/3 innings, Wagner had 124 strikeouts and just 24 walks. His 1.53 ERA and 1.65 FIP were both career bests, and he locked down 39 saves for Houston.

Well, this is hubris on my part, as I just assumed I had Wagner Phillies cards, but his two seasons in Philly line up perfectly with years in which very little cardboard made it into my collection. For Philly, Wagner added on 59 career saves and pitched to a 1.86 ERA. He moved on to the New York Mets, and continued his assault on the record books. Wagner saved 101 games and once again had more strikeouts than innings pitched.

After a rough year in Boston in which he appeared in just 15 games, Wagner had a great final season with Atlanta at the age of 38. He had a career high 7 wins and an impressive 1.43 ERA to go with another 37 saves.

Wagner was probably the best reliever not named Mariano Rivera in the late 90s and throughout the 2000s. He greatly improved his control issues from the minors, and was a dominant force throughout his career. It seems that because he wasn't Rivera or Trevor Hoffman, he's been overlooked by Hall of Fame voters. He didn't exactly light the world on fire in the post season, and that may have had some impact on his candidacy over the years, but his 11.9 career k/9 and 422 saves are worth more than voting results in the low double digits. This past year, his vote total jumped from 16% to nearly 32%, still well short of the needed 75%. His career 187 ERA+ would have been 3rd best all-time, but he only pitched 903 innings and the minimum for the leaderboard is 1,000 innings. He trails only Rivera and Craig Kimbrel (who also is short of the 1,000 inning minimum). For comparison, Trevor Hoffman's ERA+ was a still tremendous 141. Wagner also surpasses Hoffman in career WHIP.

What do you think? Is Wagner a Hall of Famer? Do you have any great Wagner memories?