Hall of Fame fence-sitter Steve Garvey has earned his shot – elcajon newson Elcajon News only

For Steve Garvey, Sunday is another day of wondering if all he did over his 19 seasons in Major League Baseball is hall-worthy.

The Hall of Fame’s Classic Baseball Era Committee will vote Sunday whether to include eight potential inductees. The list includes Garvey, the longtime Dodgers star and late-career member of the Padres.

Garvey’s career is eye-catching in so many ways. The 10-time All-Star and 1974 National League MVP piled up six 200-hit seasons, one more than Hall of Famers Tony Gwynn and Kirby Puckett.

A .294 career hitter, Garvey drove in 100 or more runs in five seasons. He once played in 1,207 straight games, an NL record and the fourth most all-time.

It must be torturous for Garvey to think he might always be on the outside looking in, caught in the gray area of players who were close but never broke through.

Garvey is the type of player whose candidacy is perfectly built for a debate club exercise.

You can make the case for him, through the jumble of numbers above and more. One compelling and underappreciated element: When the moment was large, Garvey was equally so.

Across 11 playoff series, including five trips to the World Series, he hit .338 with a beefy .910 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). In the 1981 World Series against the Yankees, Garvey hit at a scorching .417 clip.

In the 1984 NL Championship Series, Garvey cooked for the Padres against the Cubs. He was named MVP after hitting .400 and tying the series in Game 4 with the most memorable home run in franchise history.

“People will tell me where they were when I hit the home run,” Garvey told me in 2016. “On a boat in Mission Bay, at the airport or wherever. I always say we’re in the memory business. That’s what this game does, creates memories.”

He created many.

You can also make the case against him. His 2,599 hits is 84th most all-time, ahead of hall members like Ernie Banks, Todd Helton, Joe Morgan and Fred McGriff — but short of 3,000, which is considered no-brainer territory.

Garvey didn’t take a lot of walks, didn’t have the home-run numbers that elite first basemen compile and lacked on the bases.

Though a four-time Gold Glove winner, his defense was not thought of as great for the bulk of his career. On the flip side, Garvey led all first basemen in fielding percentage during five seasons.

Gray-area stuff.

I lean toward giving Garvey the nod. His 1,308 RBIs bested Hall of Famers Paul Molitor, Roberto Clemente and Scott Rolen. And he played and played and played.

Garvey finished with six 162-game seasons, once lacing up for 163, the third most in history behind only Cal Ripken Jr. and Pete Rose according to MLB.com.

That led to the ultimate baseball cap tip: He posted, as they say. Garvey was durable. He was a game-changer when it mattered most.

It makes more sense, as odd as it might seem, that he belongs in the ultimate Hall of Fame more than the Padres’ wing, which is based largely on one monstrous swing for a team thin on history.

There is an interesting tea leaf to ponder. Garvey had the highest percent of votes during his time on the writers’ ballot among the players being considered alongside him, via USA Today, at 42.6% in 1995.

Players must be selected on 75% of ballots by the writers. The Classic Era Committee requires a nod from 12 of the 16 electors.

The discussion about Garvey in that room would be fascinating to hear. Hall of Fame members of the group include Molitor, Eddie Murray, Tony Perez, Lee Smith and Ozzie Smith.

What part of Garvey’s case do they value? What holes do they see in his resume? What will be the deal-maker or deal-breaker?

If Garvey makes the cut, a sliver of his time in San Diego goes along for the ride.

“Most people think of me as a Dodger, but those five years in San Diego were pretty special to me,” Garvey said in 2016. “For a franchise that hadn’t really won before, we created this magical season (in 1984). To be a part of that turnaround was great.”

Garvey’s waited long enough.

Originally Published: December 7, 2024 at 12:01 PM PST