Is Johnny Damon a Hall of Famer?

Josh of Jorge Says No discussed the possibility. Damon, despite the recent injury, is on pace this season to set a personal best for home runs and RBI’s at the age of 35. Recently he has talked about playing another 3-4 years which should easily allow him to eclipse 2,500 hits. Josh correctly points out that Damon is not a Hall of Fame player since he was never one of the best players in baseball, his team, or position. He also asks the question of his impact to winning teams and points out Baseball Reference comparables. Some may think this question is absurd, but in an era of PED’s, small ballparks, and players on multiple teams the Hall of Fame line becomes very blurry.

The Hall of Fame debate makes our dialogue on the MVP benign. Last year Howard Megdal and I discussed if Bobby Abreu was a Hall of Fame player. After posting this on Dugout Central it received over a 100 comments. Most were as polarizing as our Mark Teixeira/Joe Mauer discussion (almost, maybe not quite). Unlike the MVP voting, I look at Hall of Fame in terms of production at position, consistency, and historic seasons. Winning team doesn’t fall into the equation. Johnny Damon falls short in all three categories.

His position, outfield, is the first strike against Damon. Put him at 2b and we would be already assembling his plaque. Historically the game’s best players have roamed the outfield. Interesting how that works, perhaps the quantity and demands of the position make it more likely to put together consistent offensive seasons. Even in non PED offensive eras Damon’s best season (2000 in my opinion) is dubious when discussing the HOF. His defense has always been in question so that can’t even make up the difference.

Next, let’s look at consistency. Damon has stretches where, according to OPS+, he is above league average. Unfortunately, they never are more than 2-3 years in a row. I believe a Hall of Fame player puts together 7-10 consecutive seasons of high level play. Look at recent inductees like Tony Gwynn, Rickey Henderson, and Cal Ripken. Each had long stretches of consistency and were leaders in at least one aspect of the game (Henderson leadoff, Gwynn BA, Ripken SS). Again, Johnny Damon doesn’t pass the test.

Finally, the historic seasons. Some players may have a shorter career, but a bunch of historic seasons. Ralph Kiner is always one who comes to mind. Obviously, Damon is the antithesis of this as he is playing in his fifteenth season. Believe it or not, length is where arguments may start to occur for players like Damon. Over the next decade, there may be players that play well into their mid forties. Banning PED’s may decrease the number, but you may still have “freaks”, like Jaime Moyer, who stick around long enough to compile. At 257 wins, don’t you think some will make a case for Moyer when he retires? Even Julio Franco might garner a couple of votes thanks to 2,500 plus hits. This becomes even more of an issue if voters penalize Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Manny Ramirez for eternity. Someone is going to need to be inducted each year. That is where players, like Johnny Damon, may be able to sneak in.

How will the committee handle Johnny Damon if he sticks around long enough to get 3,000 hits? Is it crazy to see Damon playing into his early forties? Probably not, but at an average of 100 hits a year for 7 years he will get there. Not easy by any stretch, but not impossible with modern nutritional practices and good health.

Johnny Damon is not a Hall of Fame player, but he might symbolize some of the tough decisions that will come as a result of PED’s and arbitrary benchmarks. The Hall of Fame very well could make us laugh at the outcry over Teixeira/Mauer. Perhaps even yearn for those days.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com

Mike Silva

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Tags: Barry Bonds, Bobby Abreu, Boston Red Sox, Hall of Fame, Jaime Moyer, Johnny Damon, Julio Franco, Kansas City Royals, Manny Ramirez, Mark McGwire, New York Yankees, Ralph Kiner