Shortstop
Alan Trammell: Played from 1977 to 1996
- .285/.352/.415, 111 wRC+, 63.7 WAR
- All-time rank at position: 12th
- Positional rank from 1970-1987: 3rd
Trammell’s career doesn’t line up well with the 1970-1987 bracket. He came up in 1977 and played until 1996. Most of his career value came during the first 11 years of his career, but he also had a handful of good seasons after 1988. He was a six-time All-Star and received MVP votes in seven years, including a second-place finish in 1987. George Bell won the Award that year, but it really should have been Trammell’s.
When looking at players in the history of baseball who played a significant number of games at shortstop, there are some defined tiers that can be identified. Honus Wagner and Alex Rodriguez tower over the rest of the field with more than 100 WAR each. Cal Ripken, Jr. is on a tier of his own (92.5 WAR), then there’s a group of three in the 70s that includes Luke Appling, Arky Vaughn, and Derek Jeter.
Eight shortstops sit in the 60-67 WAR range, including Allan Trammell. He’s right there with Lou Boudreau, Ernie Banks, and Pee Wee Reese. Then there’s a sizeable gap to Joe Tinker, the famous shortstop in the “Tinkers to Evers to Chance” poem. Of these 15 shortstops, only Alan Trammel is not in the Hall of Fame. He should be.
My Verdict: Yes on Alan Trammel for the MLB Hall of Fame
Ballot Snubs: None