MLB Franchise Four: NL Central

Major League Baseball has a campaign asking fans to vote for the four “most impactful” players in their team’s history, with the winners being announced at the 2015 All-Star Game in Cincinnati. A panel of experts created an eight-man ballot for each team. This panel consists of MLB’s Official Historian John Thorn and representatives from MLB’s official statistician (the Elias Sports Bureau), MLB.com, MLB Network, and the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

“Most impactful” is open to interpretation, which makes this an interesting exercise. It isn’t “best” or “most famous” or “most popular”, but “most impactful.” I decided to look at the eight players on the ballot for each franchise and where they rank in FanGraphs WAR during their time with that franchise.

For each franchise, I’ve listed their top 10 in FanGraphs WAR along with any players who are on the ballot who are below the top 10. The players in BOLD are those who are on the ballot and the years listed are the years in which they played for that team.

 

Chicago Cubs (1871-2015)

(1) Cap Anson, 81.8 WAR

(2) Ron Santo, 71.9 WAR (1960-1973)

(3) Ernie Banks, 63.3 WAR (1953-1971)

(4) Ryne Sandberg, 61.0 WAR (1982-1994, 1996-1997)

(5) Sammy Sosa, 60.7 WAR (1992-2004)

(6) Billy Williams, 58.9 WAR (1959-1974)

(7) Stan Hack, 55.8 WAR

(8) Fergie Jenkins, 53.3 WAR (1966-1973, 1982-1983)

(9)Gabby Hartnett, 52.7 WAR (1922-1940)

(10) Frank Chance, 48.1 WAR

(16) Mordecai Brown, 41.0 WAR (1904-1912, 1916)

 

On the ballot: Half of the players on the Cubs’ ballot were members of the team in the late 1960s, a rare period of success for the team. From 1967 to 1972 the Cubs never finished lower than third place. Ron Santo, Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, and Fergie Jenkins, all Hall of Fame players, formed the core of those Cubs teams.

Santo provided strong hitting ability with Gold Glove play at third base and is the Cubs’ all-time leader in WAR among players who played for the team post-1900. Ernie Banks won back-to-back NL MVP Awards as a shortstop and was a seven-time All-Star for the Cubs in the late 1950s. He then moved to first base and played in four more All-Star games. Billy Williams manned left field in Wrigley for sixteen years, won the NL Rookie of the Year in 1961, and led the league in hitting in 1972. Fergie Jenkins averaged 301 innings pitched and 20 wins per season from 1967 to 1973, including six years in a row with 20 or more wins. During this stretch he led the league in complete games three times and innings once and finished in the top three in Cy Young voting three times, winning the award for his 1971 season.

Two players of more recent vintage on the Cubs’ ballot are Ryne Sandberg and Sammy Sosa, who were teammates at the end of Sandberg’s career and the early part of Sosa’s career. Sandberg’s best season was in 1984 when he was worth 8 WAR and named NL MVP. He hit .314/.367/.520 with 19 homers and 32 steals while playing above-average defense at second base. The Cubs made the playoffs that year for the first time since 1945 but lost the NLCS to the San Diego Padres in five games. Sandberg was also part of the 1989 Cubs team that made the playoffs but lost to the San Francisco Giants. In 10 playoff games, Sandberg hit .385/.457/.641. Sammy Sosa joined the Cubs in 1992 but only played 67 games. He became a full-time player for the Cubs in 1993 and began a stretch of 10 seasons during which he averaged 5.5 WAR per season. His best year was the 9.9 WAR season of 2001 when he hit .328/.437/.737 with 146 runs, 64 homers, and 160 RBI.

The two old-time players on the ballot are Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown and Gabby Hartnett. Brown pitched for the Cubs during a time when they were one of the top teams in the National League. They went to four World Series in five years from 1906 to 1910, winning twice. During this five-year stretch, Brown averaged 292 innings and 25 wins per season, good for 5.7 WAR per season. During his 19 years with the Cubs, Gabby Hartnett played on four World Series squads. They lost each time, of course, because they’re the Cubs. Hartnett was the 1935 NL MVP.

Notable snubs: Cap Anson is one of three players who leads his franchise in WAR but is not on their team’s ballot. Of course, he played more than 100 years ago and likely would not resonate with today’s voters. He also is considered to have been one of the driving forces in keeping baseball segregated because he refused to take the field with African American players numerous times in his career, so he may not really be a snub. Perhaps one could argue for Frank Chance or Mark Grace having a place on the ballot. Chance was a big part of the Cubs’ World Series teams from 1906 to 1910 and Grace was one of the Cubs’ most popular players in the 1990s.

My Franchise Four: Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Ryne Sandberg, Billy Williams

 

Cincinnati Reds (1882-2015)

(1) Pete Rose, 76.2 WAR (1963-1978, 1984-1986)

(2) Johnny Bench, 74.8 WAR (1967-1983)

(3) Barry Larkin, 67.0 WAR (1986-2004)

(4) Bid McPhee, 62.7 WAR

(5) Frank Robinson, 59.6 WAR (1956-1965)

(6) Joe Morgan, 57.2 WAR (1972-1979)

(7) Tony Perez, 49.5 WAR (1964-1976, 1984-1986)

(8) Paul Derringer, 45.6 WAR

(9) Vada Pinson, 42.8 WAR

(10) Edd Roush, 42.0 WAR

(14) Dave Concepcion, 39.7 WAR (1970-1988)

(26) Eric Davis 29.3, WAR (1984-1991, 1996)

 

On the ballot: “The Big Red Machine” is well represented on the Reds Franchise Four ballot with Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, and Dave Concepcion all making the cut. All five were teammates on the Reds teams that went to three World Series and one NLCS in five years from 1972 to 1976. They won back-to-back championships in 1975 and 1976. In both of those seasons, Joe Morgan was the NL MVP, leading the league in on-base percentage both years. Joe Morgan was quite amazing. In his eight years with the Reds from 1972 to 1979, Morgan averaged 7.2 WAR per season while hitting .288/.415/.470 and playing good defense at second base. Even though Morgan played more games in his career with the Houston Astros, it’s his time with the Reds that made him a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Pete Rose played the first 16 years of his career with the Reds and won the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 1963 and was the NL MVP for his 1973 season. He also played wherever the team needed him. In his career, he played over 500 games at five different positions (1B, LF, 3B, 2B, RF). He came back to the Reds for the final two seasons of his career and broke Ty Cobb’s all-time record for career hits.

Johnny Bench and Tony Perez provided the power to many of the Reds teams in the 1970s. Bench was a two-time NL MVP, winning the award in 1970 and 1972. He led the league in home runs and RBI both seasons and was a terrific defensive catcher. In his prime, Tony Perez made seven All-Star teams as a Reds player. Dave Concepcion didn’t provide the power that Bench and Perez did, but he was a nine-time All-Star who won five Gold Glove Awards.

One of the players in the “non-Big Red Machine” category is Frank Robinson, who came up with the Reds in 1956 and was terrific right from the start, winning the NL Rookie of the Year award and making the All-Star team. He won the NL MVP in 1961 with a .323/.404/.611 batting line. Even though he played more years with the Reds than any other team, Robinson may be better known as a member of the Baltimore Orioles.

Barry Larkin and Eric Davis were teammates in the late 1980s. Larkin had a Hall of Fame, 19-year career with the Reds that included the NL MVP Award in 1995. Eric Davis was immensely talented but injuries prevented him from ever playing more than 135 games in a season.

Notable snubs: None. I don’t think anyone is pining for Bid McPhee or Paul Derringer on the ballot.

My Franchise Four: Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Barry Larkin

 

Milwaukee Brewers (1969-2015) 

(1) Robin Yount, 66.5 WAR (1974-1993)

(2) Paul Molitor, 56.0 WAR (1978-1992)

(3) Ryan Braun, 32.6 WAR (2007-2015)

(4) Ben Sheets, 32.2 WAR

(5) Cecil Cooper, 29.5 WAR (1977-1987)

(6) Teddy Higuera, 26.8 WAR

(7) Don Money, 26.2 WAR

(8) Jeff Cirillo, 25.9 WAR

(9) Geoff Jenkins, 24.2 WAR

(10) Moose Haas, 22.1 WAR

(14) Prince Fielder, 20.2 WAR (2005-2011)

(16) Jim Gantner, 19.5 WAR (1976-1992)

(17) Gorman Thomas, 19.5 WAR (1973-76, 1978-83, 1986)

(74) Rollie Fingers,  5.1 WAR (1981-1982, 1984-1985)

 

On the ballot: In their first 39 years of existence, the Milwaukee Brewers made the playoffs twice, in 1981 and 1982. That 1982 team not only made the playoffs but also advanced to the World Series, which they lost in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals. Six of the eight players on the Brewers’ ballot played on those two postseason teams. Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Cecil Cooper, and Jim Gantner were teammates for ten seasons from 1978 to 1987 and all but Gantner played in multiple All-Star games during this time. They are also the top four players in games played in Brewers’ history.

Robin Yount won MVP Awards at two positions—shortstop and center field—and had over 3000 hits in his career. Paul Molitor also had over 3000 hits and was an All-Star five times as a Milwaukee Brewer. Cecil Cooper won two Gold Gloves, was a five-time All-Star, and hit .302/.339/.470 for Milwaukee. Jim Gantner was the Ringo of the Brewers’ Fab Four. In 17 years with the team, he was worth 2 or more WAR just four times.

Gorman Thomas did very little in his first four seasons with the Brewers, hitting under .200 three times, but had a good stretch of play from 1978 to 1982 when he averaged 35 home runs and nearly 4 WAR per season. He led the league in home runs twice as a Brewer.

Rollie Fingers was only with the Brewers for four seasons. He led the league in saves in the strike-shortened 1981 season and was effective again in 1982 before being injured. The injury made him unable to pitch in the World Series. He missed all of 1983 but came back to have a good 1984 season (1.96 ERA, 23 saves) that was shortened by a herniated disk in July, then was terrible in 1985 before hanging up his spikes. He’s way down the list for Brewers’ career WAR but his contributions to the Brewers’ first two playoff teams and his top notch mustache will get him some votes.

The other two players on the Brewers’ ballot, Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, were teammates for five years and played on the two most-recent Brewers’ playoff teams, in 2008 and 2011. Braun came up in 2007 and won the NL Rookie of the Year Award despite playing in just 113 games. In his first six seasons with the team, he made the All-Star team twice, won the Rookie of the Year Award, the 2011 NL MVP, and hit .313/.374/.568 while averaging 34 homers and 21 steals per season. Over the last two full seasons, he’s hit just .275/.339/.466. Prince Fielder was an All-Star three times in his six seasons with the Brewers, led the league in home runs once and RBI once, and had a .282/.390/.540 batting line.

Notable snub: Ben Sheets had more WAR as a Milwaukee Brewer than five guys on the ballot. Sure, he had problems with injuries that limited him during multiple seasons but he was very good when he was healthy and had 4.8 WAR during the 2008 playoff season.

My Franchise Four: Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Cecil Cooper, Gorman Thomas

 

Pittsburgh Pirates (1882-2015) 

(1) Honus Wagner, 127.0 WAR (1900-1917)

(2) Roberto Clemente, 80.6 WAR (1955-1972)

(3) Paul Waner, 70.5 WAR (1926-1940)

(4) Arky Vaughan, 63.3 WAR

(5) Willie Stargell, 62.9 WAR (1962-1982)

(6) Bob Friend, 60.0 WAR

(7) Max Carey, 57.7 WAR

(8) Fred Clarke, 50.9 WAR

(9) Babe Adams, 50.2 WAR

(10) Barry Bonds, 48.4 WAR (1986-1992)

(12) Ralph Kiner, 42.2 WAR (1946-1953)

(15) Pie Traynor, 37.8 WAR (1920-1935, 1937)

(23) Bill Mazeroski, 30.9 WAR (1956-1972)

 

On the ballot: The players on the Pirates Franchise Four ballot span every decade of the 20^th century, from Honus Wagner to Barry Bonds. Honus Wagner has significantly more WAR than any other player in Pittsburgh Pirates’ history. The gap between Wagner and Roberto Clemente is 46.6 WAR, good for the third-highest gap between the top two players of any team. Honus Wagner played 18 seasons with the Pirates and averaged 7 WAR per season, including eight seasons with 8 or more WAR. He led the league in hitting eight times, on-base percentage four times, slugging percentage six times, and steals five times. And he did all that damage with the bat while playing shortstop. He’s fifth all-time in FanGraphs WAR, behind only Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, and Ty Cobb.

Roberto Clemente came up with the Pirates in 1955, had his first good season in 1958, was injured in 1959, then had a run of greatness from 1960 to 1972, averaging 5.6 WAR per season and helping the Bucs to two World Series titles. Along the way he was a 12-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glove winner, and won the 1966 MVP. In the 1972 World Series, Clemente hit .414/.452/.759 and was named MVP of the series.

Paul Waner was good in his rookie year of 1926 but really came into his own in the 1927 season when he led the league in average (.380), hits (237), triples (18), RBI (131), and total bases (342). He was the MVP that year and led the Pirates to the World Series, which they lost in four games to the “Murderer’s Row” 1927 Yankees. He would lead the league in hitting two other times during his 15 years with the Pirates and is one of three Pittsburgh players with at least 3000 career hits (along with Wagner and Clemente).

During the 1970s the Pirates had an extended run of success when they made the playoffs six times in 10 years and won two World Series titles. After Roberto Clemente’s death following the 1972 season, Willie Stargell became the heart and soul of the “Lumber Company” Pirates. Stargell’s best year by WAR was 1971 when he hit .295/398/.628 with a league-leading 48 home runs. He was nearly as good in 1973 when he hit .299/.392/.646 and again led the league in home runs (44), and led in RBI also (119). As good as he was in 1971 and 1973, Stargell’s most-celebrated season was in 1979, when he was 39 years old. He was co-MVP of the National League during the regular season, then hit .455/.571/1.182 and was named MVP of the NLCS, and followed that up by winning the World Series MVP Award for his excellent hitting and clutch home runs in a seven-game series victory against the Baltimore Orioles.

Because Wagner, Waner, Clemente, and Stargell were so good, it’s hard to imagine any of the other four players on the ballot making the cut ahead of them. Barry Bonds, of course, was a terrific player with the Pirates. He averaged nearly 7 WAR per season but only played seven of his 22 years with Pittsburgh. His five best seasons by WAR were with the San Francisco Giants. Ralph Kiner only played eight seasons with the Pirates but led the league in home runs during seven of them. He had great power and good on-base abilities but was limited on defense.

At one time, Pie Traynor was considered the best third baseman of his generation, but a look back has diminished his standing historically. During the prime of his career, Traynor averaged 3.4 WAR per season. He was an above-average player but not an all-time great. Bill Mazeroski was a terrific fielding second baseman who never had even a league-average season with the bat (per wRC+). Despite this, he was a seven-time All-Star and part of two World Series-winning teams. His home run in the bottom of the ninth of the seventh game of the 1960 World Series was the first World Series walk-off ever.

Notable snub: Arky Vaughan averaged 6.3 WAR per season over 10 seasons with the Pirates and hit .324/.415/.472 while playing above-average defense at shortstop. Surely he deserves a place on the ballot.

My Franchise Four: Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Paul Waner

 

St. Louis Cardinals (1882-2015)

(1) Stan Musial, 127.0 WAR (1941-1944, 1946-1963)

(2) Rogers Hornsby, 93.5 WAR (1915-1926, 1933)

(3) Bob Gibson, 83.0 WAR (1959-1975)

(4) Albert Pujols, 81.4 WAR (2001-2011)

(5) Ozzie Smith, 59.5 WAR (1982-1996)

(6) Ken Boyer, 50.7 WAR

(7) Ted Simmons, 49.2 WAR

(8) Enos Slaughter, 47.0 WAR

(9) Jim Edmonds, 42.4 WAR

(10) Lou Brock, 41.6 WAR (1964-1979)

(14) Dizzy Dean, 37.1 WAR (1930, 1932-1937)

(25) Red Schoendienst, 29.2 WAR (1945-1956, 1961-1963)

  

On the ballot: Stan Musial is an icon in St. Louis. He was an amazing player for 22 years with the Cardinals and a baseball ambassador after his career ended. As a player, he was a three-time MVP Award winner, 20-time All-Star, seven-time batting champion, and helped the Cardinals to three World Series titles. Based on FanGraphs WAR, he’s one of the 10 best hitters to ever play the game.

Rogers Hornsby was another Cardinals player who was terrific with the bat. Hornsby played 13 years with the Cardinals and hit .359/.427/,568 with the team. He led the league in hitting six straight years from 1920 to 1925. Over that stretch, he averaged .397/.467/.666 and 10.3 WAR per season.

Bob Gibson and Dizzy Dean are the only two pitchers among the eight players on the Cardinals’ ballot. Gibson’s 1968 season is legendary. He completed 28 of 34 starts, had 13 shutouts, a 1.12 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and 268 strikeouts in 304 2/3 innings. He was the NL Cy Young and NL MVP. He was the NL Cy Young again in 1970. From 1964 to 1968, Gibson helped the Cardinals make three World Series, winning in 1964 and 1967, with Gibson being named World Series MVP both years. Dizzy Dean’s stretch of greatness came about 30 years before Gibson. Dean was a meteor who shined brightly across the sky but burned out too quickly. From 1932 to 1936, Dean averaged 24 wins, 306 innings pitched, 25 complete games, and a 3.04 ERA during a hitter’s era. He was the NL MVP in the Cardinals’ 1934 World Series-winning season.

Albert Pujols averaged 7.4 WAR per season in his 11 years as a Cardinal. He also won the NL Rookie of the Year Award and three NL MVP Awards, while hitting .328/.420/.617 with an average of 40 home runs per year. Ozzie Smith was a wizard on defense who held his own with the bat. He won 13 consecutive Gold Gloves during his prime. Another well-regarded defensive player on the Cardinals’ ballot is Red Schoendienst. Red doesn’t rank high among the Cardinals’ all-time WAR leaders, but his post-career time as a manager and coach since his retirement has earned him a soft spot in the hearts of Cardinals’ fans.

Lou Brock played 16 years with the Cardinals and led the league in steals during eight of them. He was well regarded during and after his career and made the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, but more advanced metrics suggest he was a very poor fielder for many years and was not as good a player as many thought at the time.

Notable snubs: Ken Boyer is sixth in career WAR for the Cardinals, ahead of Lou Brock, Dizzy Dean, and Red Schoendienst, so he has an argument. He doesn’t have the narrative of the other three, but he was a more valuable player.

My Franchise Four: Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Albert Pujols, Ozzie Smith