Worst MLB Hall of Famers

Metrics have reset the bar for Cooperstown, and a few of those who fall short may surprise you.

Worst MLB Hall of Famers

Jack Morris, pitching at the 1981 All-Star Game, has the highest career ERA (3.90) of any Hall of Fame pitcher.

Remember when baseball was a simple game? Yeah, me, too. Then metrics reared its decimal point and complicated everything.

The (too) many numbers and formulas have changed the way we view the game. They even can make Hall of Famers look better or worse than we remember them. And if you believe in Wins Above Replacement, some don’t make the cut at all.

Here are the 25 Hall of Famers with the lowest WAR rates.

25. Luis Aparicio

Position: Shortstop

Career: 18 seasons (1956-73)

Teams: Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox

Career statistics/162 games: .262 BA, 5 HR, 49 RBI, 32 SB

WAR/162: 3.48

World Series titles: 1 (1966)

Year inducted: 1984 (BBWAA)

Note: Players who also made contributions as managers, umpires or executives are not included. Statistics with asterisks are incomplete.

Bottom Line: Luis Aparicio

The 13-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glover had little competition in an era of good-field, no-hit middle infielders.

Luis Aparicio led the American League in stolen bases nine times, but a feeble .311 on-base percentage limited his chances. "Little Louie" never scored more than 98 runs in a season, though he batted first or second in the order in 83 percent of his starts. And despite not having a lot of pop (83 career home runs), Aparicio did collect 2,677 hits in his career.

Still, his greatest value was defense. That alone may no longer warrant a place in Cooperstown.

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24. George Kell

Position: Third base

Career: 15 seasons (1943-57)

Teams: Philadelphia Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles

Career statistics/162: .306 BA, 7 HR, 79 RBI, 5 SB

WAR/162: 3.37

World Series titles: None

Year inducted: 1983 (Veterans Committee)

Bottom Line: George Kell

Here’s one of the 16 players on the list who the Veterans Committee pushed through the Hall of Fame door.

The 10-time All-Star and one-time batting champion was a doubles hitter at a power position. George Kell hit as many as 10 homers in a season only once in his career.

He also was ordinary in the field, never appeared in a postseason game and failed to receive more than 37 percent of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) vote in 15 attempts.

So how did he get really, really good all of a sudden?

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23. Nellie Fox

Position: Second base

Career: 19 seasons (1946-65)

Teams: Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Houston Colt .45s/Astros

Career statistics/162: .288 BA, 2 HR, 54 RBI, 5 SB

WAR/162: 3.35

World Series titles: None

Year inducted: 1997 (Veterans Committee)

Bottom Line: Nellie Fox

One would think that 15 All-Star Games, three Gold Gloves and an MVP Award might be enough for Hall of Fame status.

Yet that wasn’t enough for this singles hitter with average speed to garner the necessary votes in 15 years on the BBWAA ballot.

Fun fact: "Little Nel" put the ball in play on 97.7 percent of his at-bats. His 1958 season was among the craziest ever — zero home runs, 11 strikeouts in 698 plate appearances.

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22. Red Ruffing

Position: Pitcher

Career: 22 seasons (1924-42, 1945-47)

Teams: Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox

Career statistics/162: 37 G, 254 IP, 16-13 W-L, 3.80 ERA

WAR/162: 3.24

World Series titles: 6 (1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941)

Year inducted: 1967 (BBWAA)

Bottom Line: Red Ruffing

Red Ruffing's success had as much to do with the greatness around him as anything else.

After six-plus awful seasons with the Red Sox (39-96 record, 4.61 ERA), the right-hander was shipped to New York, where his career took off in the midst of the Yankees' dynasty.

There was no extended dominance, though. His career 3.80 ERA ranks 80th of the 81 HOF pitchers, and 234 of his 273 victories came after he turned 30 years old.

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21. Freddie Lindstrom

Position: Third base, outfield

Career: 13 seasons (1924-36)

Teams: New York Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers

Career statistics/162: .311 BA, 12 HR, 88 RBI, 9 SB

WAR/162: 3.19

World Series titles: None

Year inducted: 1976 (Veterans Committee)

Bottom Line: Freddie Lindstrom

Freddie Lindstrom averaged 212 hits and 17 homers in the 1928-30 seasons, at which point the 24-year-old was on a potential Hall of Fame path.

He played only two full seasons thereafter because of ankle and back problems.

His 1,747 career hits are among the fewest for any position player in Cooperstown.

In other words, he's the Hall of What Might Have Been.

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20. Tony Perez

Position: First base, third base

Career: 23 seasons (1964-86)

Teams: Cincinnati Reds, Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies

Career statistics/162: .279 BA, 22 HR, 96 RBI, 3 SB

WAR/162: 3.15

World Series titles: 2 (1975, 1976)

Year inducted: 2000 (BBWAA)

Bottom Line: Tony Perez

The seven-time All-Star was long on longevity, short on dominance.

While "Doggie" made his name as a consistent run producer, table-setters Pete Rose and Joe Morgan had a lot to do with it.

Tony Perez was a league leader in one category — grounded into double plays. Factor in subpar speed and range, and he’s closer to Hall of Good (HOG) standards.

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19. Eppa Rixey

Position: Pitcher

Career: 21 seasons (1912-17, 1919-33)

Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds

Career statistics/162: 38 G, 245 IP, 15-14 W-L, 3.15 ERA

WAR/162: 3.12

World Series titles: None

Year inducted: 1963 (Veterans Committee)

Bottom Line: Eppa Rixey

The left-hander was a 20-game loser (twice) almost as many times as he was a 20-game winner (thrice).

Then again, Eppa Rixey played with average teams or worse for much of his career.

The BBWAA wasn’t overly impressed, either. He received more than 31 percent of the vote once in 16 tries.

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18. Ray Schalk

Position: Catcher

Career: 18 seasons (1912-29)

Teams: Chicago White Sox, New York Giants

Career statistics/162: .253 BA, 1 HR, 55 RBI, 16 SB

WAR/162: 3.05

World Series titles: 1 (1917)

Year inducted: 1955 (Veterans Committee)

Bottom Line: Ray Schalk

Ray Schalk was a rock behind the plate for some the best White Sox teams ever. But how good does a catcher have to be on defense to overcome a career .316 slugging percentage?

Only once did "Cracker" hit more than two homers in a season. And he had as many as 60 RBI in two seasons.

The BBWAA denied him 15 times before the Veterans Committee came to the rescue.

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17. Pie Traynor

Position: Third base

Career: 17 seasons (1920-35, 1937)

Team: Pittsburgh Pirates

Career statistics/162: .320 BA, 5 HR, 106 RBI, 13 SB

WAR/162: 3.02

World Series titles: 1 (1925)

Year inducted: 1948 (BBWAA)

Bottom Line: Pie Traynor

The high-average, Gold Glove-caliber infielder was as consistent as the sunrise for the better part of his career. Yet Pie Traynor led the league in one category — triples (once).

He also had one season of 10-or-more homers and two of 50-or-more walks, hardly the ideal combination for someone who batted fourth or fifth in the order throughout his career.

He’s a first-ballot member of the Hall of Very Good, no doubt.

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16. Herb Pennock

Position: Pitcher

Career: 22 seasons (1912-17, 1919-34)

Teams: Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees

Career statistics/162: 40 G, 234 IP, 16-11 W-L, 3.60 ERA

WAR/162: 2.92

World Series titles: 3 (1923, 1927, 1932)

Year inducted: 1948 (BBWAA)

Bottom Line: Herb Pennock

The "Knight of Kennett Square" (Pennsylvania) was Red Ruffing before Red Ruffing.

Barely average in his first 10 seasons, Herb Pennock was a late bloomer who went on to thrive with dominant Yankees teams.

The lefty was money in the World Series (5-0 record, 1.95 ERA), but his career ERA (75th among HOFers) and WAR (44.6, 62nd) make him another HOG candidate.

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15. Rick Ferrell

Rick Ferrell and Ray Schalk — Washington Senators catcher Rick Ferrell, left, is congratulated by former Chicago White Sox catcher Ray Schalk in 1945 before catching the 1,721st game of his career to equal the American League catching record set by Schalk in 1928.

Position: Catcher

Career: 18 seasons (1929-45, 1947)

Teams: St. Louis Browns, Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators

Career statistics/162: .281 BA, 2 HR, 63 RBI, 2 SB

WAR/162: 2.90

World Series titles: None

Year inducted: 1984 (Veterans Committee)

Bottom Line: Rick Ferrell

The durable, strong-armed catcher never received more than 0.5 percent of the BWAA vote before the veterans gave him a Hall pass.

Rick Ferrell was a seven-time All-Star back when offense was optional at the position.

Fun fact: His 28 career homers were 10 fewer than brother Wes, a two-time All-Star pitcher himself.

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14. Jim Bottomley

Position: First base

Career: 16 seasons (1922-37)

Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Browns

Career statistics/162: .310 BA, 18 HR, 116 RBI, 5 SB

WAR/162: 2.87

World Series titles: 2 (1926, 1931)

Year inducted: 1974 (Veterans Committee)

Bottom Line: Jim Bottomley

In his prime, the 1928 National League MVP averaged 22 homers and 126 RBI over six seasons. Trouble was, Jim Bottomley's production declined sharply after he turned 30 years old.

"Sunny Jim" was a liability in the field and on the basepaths, not to mention a considerable disappointment (.200/.258/.311 slash line) in 24 postseason games.

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13. Burleigh Grimes

Position: Pitcher

Career: 19 seasons (1916-34)

Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, Boston Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees

Career statistics/162: 38 G, 255 IP, 16-13 W-L, 3.53 ERA

WAR/162: 2.85

World Series titles: 1 (1931)

Year inducted: 1964 (Veterans Committee)

Bottom Line: Burleigh Grimes

"Ol' Stubblebeard" was the last of the legal spitball pitchers. The five-time 20-game winner had his moments, all right, yet Burleigh Grimes was more durable than dominant.

What’s more, the right-hander was among the 17 players who were granted lifetime exemptions when his out pitch was banned before the 1920 season. Asterisk, anyone?

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12. Lou Brock

Position: Outfield

Career: 19 seasons (1961-79)

Teams: Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals

Career statistics/162: .293 BA, 9 HR, 56 RBI, 58 SB

WAR/162: 2.81

World Series titles: 2 (1964, 1967)

Year inducted: 1985 (BBWAA)

Bottom Line: Lou Brock

Lou Brock, during the 1967 World Series against the Boston Red Sox, scored 1,610 runs in his career.

How does a world-class base stealer with 3,023 career hits not qualify for the Hall of Fame? Uh, let me try to explain.

First, he plays more than 2,600 games. "The Rocket" had four stellar seasons in his mid-to-late 20s, but otherwise, his career lacked extended excellence.

The guy thrived on raw athleticism, but bad habits reduced his effectiveness. (See Game 5, 1968 World Series). His career .344 on-base percentage and 75 percent stolen-base success rate were good at best. And his -51 Total Zone Fielding Runs were more like that of a designated hitter.

That said, we still would trade Ernie Broglio for him in a heartbeat.

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11. Jack Morris

Position: Pitcher

Career: 18 seasons (1977-94)

Teams: Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians

Career statistics/162: 35 G, 242 IP, 16-12 W-L, 3.90 ERA

WAR/162: 2.75

World Series titles: 3 (1984, 1991, 1992)

Year inducted: 2018 (Veterans Committee)

Bottom Line: Jack Morris

As many of those who covered him would agree, Jack Morris was an all-time ... pain. Remember when this lovely human told a female intern in the clubhouse, "I don’t talk to women when I’m naked unless they’re on top of me or I’m on top of them"?

Yet I don’t buy that media bias is what kept Mr. Congeniality out of the Cooperstown for so long. It had a lot more to do with his career 3.90 ERA (worst of the 81 Hall of Fame pitchers), WAR total (No. 64) and win percentage (No. 49).

If not for his 10-inning gem in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, I bet the Veterans Committee wouldn’t have put him, uh, over the top, either.

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10. Bill Mazeroski

Position: Second base

Career: 17 seasons (1956-72)

Team: Pittsburgh Pirates

Career statistics/162: .260 BA, 10 HR, 64 RBI, 2 SB

WAR/162: 2.74

World Series titles: 2 (1960, 1971)

Year inducted: 2001 (Veterans Committee)

Bottom Line: Bill Mazeroski

The eight-time Gold Glover was the defensive equivalent of Babe Ruth at second base. Let that sink in for a while. Yeah, I know what his other numbers say, but cavernous Forbes Field did right-handed, fly-ball hitters like him no favors whatsoever.

If Maz had played every game at Wrigley Field, for instance, he would have had 241 (not 138) career homers. Or 41 fewer than Ryne Sandberg, who ranks fifth at the position.

Oh, there’s also that 1960 World Series homer of his, still the greatest in baseball history. New York Yankees haters believe that should put him in Cooperstown automatically.

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9. Early Wynn

Position: Pitcher

Career: 23 seasons (1939, 1941-44, 1946-63)

Teams: Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox

Career statistics/162: 36 G, 238 IP, 16-13 W-L, 3.54 ERA

WAR/162: 2.69

World Series titles: None

Year inducted: 1972 (BBWAA)

Bottom Line: Early Wynn

We're not picking on the 1959 White Sox here, but this is the third member of the American League champs on the list. Just saying.

"Burly Early" wound up with exactly 300 victories in his career, although it took Early Wynn seven starts and five months over two seasons to get the last one. At 43 years of age.

Dude, the guy pitched forever. Repeat after me, girls and boys: Longevity does not mean greatness.

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8. Rabbit Maranville

Position: Shortstop, second base

Career: 23 seasons (1912-33, 1935)

Teams: Boston Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals

Career statistics/162: .258 BA, 2 HR, 54 RBI, 18 SB

WAR/162: 2.60

World Series titles: 1 (1914)

Year inducted: 1954 (BBWAA)

Bottom Line: Rabbit Maranville

If there had been a Gold Glove Award in his day, Walter "Rabbit" Maranville would have won a bunch of them. At the plate, though, his puny .318 career on-base percentage was no match for his 5-foot-5 stature.

He hit .270 or better five times and never higher than .295 in his long career.

Even so, one of the all-time practical jokers finally got the last laugh when he was inducted posthumorously, er, posthumously into the Hall of Fame in his 14th year of eligibility.

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7. Jesse Haines

Position: Pitcher

Career: 19 seasons (1918, 1920-37)

Teams: Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals

Career statistics/162: 40 G, 242 IP, 15-11 W-L, 3.64 ERA

WAR/162: 2.59

World Series titles: 2 (1926, 1934)

Year inducted: 1970 (Veterans Committee)

Bottom Line: Jesse Haines

"Pop" was the only team member to play with the first five pennant winners in Cardinals history. Jesse Haines also beat the New York Yankees in Game 7 of the 1926 World Series.

Unfortunately, the right-handed knuckleballer spent too much of his athletic prime in the minors to put up gaudy numbers. He ranks a distant 76th in career ERA and 72nd in WAR (35.8) on the Hall of Fame list.

In a dozen tries on the BBWAA ballot, he received no more than 8 percent of the vote.

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6. George Kelly

Position: First base

Career: 16 seasons (1915-17, 1919-30, 1932)

Teams: New York Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers

Career statistics/162: .297 BA, 15 HR, 102 RBI, 6 SB

WAR/162: 2.52573

World Series titles: 2 (1921, 1922)

Year inducted: 1973 (Veterans Committee)

Bottom Line: George Kelly

Some critics consider the 6-foot-4 beanpole known as "High Pockets" to be the worst player with a HOF plaque. We won’t go there.

George Kelly was a one-time home run champion, two-time RBI leader and confirmed clutch hitter. The slick fielder also was credited with the advancement of fundamentals at first base.

Still, he received a total of 15 votes in seven BBWAA elections before the Veterans Committee went to bat for him. Let’s move him to the Nickname Hall of Fame, shall we?

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5. Jim 'Catfish' Hunter

Jim Hunter — Jim "Catfish" Hunter went 224-166 with a 3.26 ERA in his career.

Position: Pitcher

Career: 15 seasons (1965-79)

Teams: Kansas City-Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees

Career statistics/162: 35 G, 240 IP, 16-12 W-L, 3.26 ERA

WAR/162: 2.52569

World Series titles: 5 (1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978)

Year inducted: 1987 (BBWAA)

Bottom Line: Catfish Hunter

The best of "Catfish" was confined to five seasons. In that span, he recorded nearly half (111) of his 224 career victories, which rank 70th among Hall of Fame pitchers.

He also was fortunate to play with two loaded teams in a pitchers-friendly decade at the time. Otherwise, he had a 113-117 record, the definition of mediocre.

He led the league in two categories more than once — win percentage and homers allowed (twice each).

His postseason numbers were remarkably similar, which is to say, good to very good but not great.

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4. Rube Marquard

Position: Pitcher

Career: 18 seasons (1908-25)

Teams: New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Braves

Career statistics/162: 39 G, 238 IP, 14-13 W-L, 3.08 ERA

WAR/162: 2.51

World Series titles: None

Year inducted: 1971 (Veterans Committee)

Bottom Line: Rube Marquard

The lefty is widely regarded to be the worst of the Hall of Fame pitchers, but let’s cut him some slack here. Rube Marquard did win 19 consecutive games in 1912, still the modern record for one season.

The run came in the midst of three stellar seasons (73-28 record) before he turned mediocre.

No matter. He never received more than 14 percent of the vote in a dozen BBWAA elections before the Veterans Committee got it wrong again.

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3. Harold Baines

Position: Outfield, designated hitter

Career: 22 seasons (1980-2001)

Teams: Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians

Career statistics/162: .289 BA, 22 HR, 93 RBI, 2 SB

WAR/162: 2.22

World Series titles: None

Year inducted: 2019 (Veterans Committee)

Bottom Line: Harold Baines

In his last 17 seasons, Harold Baines never led the league in any category. In his last nine, he spent exactly two innings in the field.

He does hold one major league record — fewest words spoken in a long, long career.

If his former manager Tony La Russa and former team owner Jerry Reinsdorf hadn’t strong-armed the Veterans Committee, he would be a member of the Hall of Kinda Sorta Good.

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2. Tommy McCarthy

Position: Outfield

Career: 13 seasons (1884-96)

Teams: Boston Pilgrims, Boston Beaneaters, Philadelphia Quakers, St. Louis Browns, Brooklyn Bridegrooms

Career statistics/162: .292 BA, 6 HR, 93 RB, 64* SB

WAR/162: 2.06

Championship Series titles: 1 (1892)

Year inducted: 1946 (Old Timers Committee)

Bottom Line: Tommy McCarthy

His claim to fame, if not the Hall of Fame, came as a pioneer of the hit-and-run play. Tommy McCarthy also was an excellent base stealer, although how excellent isn’t clear because caught-stealing numbers aren’t available for his era.

That and three bucks would get him a tall cappuccino at Starbucks if he were still here.

No way should it get him the highest honor in the game.

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1. Lloyd Waner

Position: Outfielder

Career: 18 seasons (1927-42, 1944-45)

Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Brooklyn Dodgers

Career statistics/162: .316 BA, 2 HR, 49 RBI, 5 SB

WAR/162: 1.96

World Series title: None

Year inducted: 1967 (Veterans Committee)

Bottom Line: Lloyd Waner

"Little Poison" was an accomplished high-contact hitter with speed to burn. His strikeout rate ranks behind only Joe Sewell and Nellie Fox in major league history.

The 5-foot-9 scatback played center field like he owned it. But after six stellar seasons, in what should have been the prime of his career, health and alcohol issues began to take their tolls.

Above average, definitely. All-time great, uh, don’t think so.

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