Cooperstown & WAR

Presently, there are 306 members in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. (If you haven't been, make plans to. It's baseball heaven. Paul will have more on that next week, though.) Of those 306, 240 are players, 23 are managers, 10 are umpires, and 33 are executives or pioneers of the game. This weekend, the 2015 class will be added: Craig Biggio, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and John Smoltz. The quality of this class got me thinking; where does it rank all-time? So, I spent some time compiling the career WAR numbers for each Hall of Fame class (72 total). Below is the all-time ranking of each Hall of Fame class based on these numbers.

Voting for the Hall of Fame began in 1936, though there wasn't a formal induction ceremony until 1939. Unfortunately, there are no WAR numbers available for players in the Hall of Fame from the Negro Leagues. So sadly, they are not included this list. And of course, no managers, umpires, or executives were included. That means that there are 208 players included in this list. I'll have individual WAR rankings for each player in the Hall of Fame next week. WAR numbers come from Baseball-Reference.com.

  1. 1936: Ty Cobb (151) + Walter Johnson (152.3) + Christy Mathewson (95.3) + Babe Ruth (155.1) + Honus Wagner (131) = 684.7
  2. 1939: Eddie Collins (123.9) + Cap Anson (93.9) + Buck Ewing (47.7) + Lou Gehrig (112.4) + Willie Keeler (54) + Charles Radbourn (73.5) + George Sisler (54.5) = 559.9
  3. 1945: Roger Bresnahan (41) + Dan Brouthers (79.4) + Fred Clarke (67.8) + Jimmy Collins (53.2) + Ed Delahanty (69.5) + Hugh Duffy (43) + Hugh Jennings (42.3) + King Kelly (44.3) + Jim O’Rourke (51.3) = 491.8
  4. 1946: Jesse Burkett (62.9) + Frank Chance (45.6) + Jack Chesbro (41.2) + Johnny Evers (47.7) + Tommy McCarthy (16.1) + Eddie Plank (86.5) + Joe Tinker (53.2) + Rube Waddell (61) + Ed Walsh (63.2) = 477.4
  5. 1937: Nap Lajole (107.4) + Tris Speaker (133.7) + Cy Young (170.3) = 411.4
  6. 1964: Luke Appling (74.5) + Red Faber (68.4) + Burleigh Grimes (46.9) + Tim Keefe (88.9) + Heinie Manush (45.8) + John Ward (35.6) = 360.1
  7. 1955: Frank Baker (62.8) + Joe DiMaggio (78.1) + Gabby Hartnett (53.4) + Ted Lyons (67.2) + Ray Schalk (28.5) + Dazzy Vance (62.5) = 352.5
  8. 2015: Craig Biggio (65.1) + Randy Johnson (104.3) + Pedro Martinez (86) + John Smoltz (66.5) = 321.9
  9. 1991: Rod Carew (81.1) + Ferguson Jenkins (82.8) + Tony Lazzeri (49.9) + Gaylord Perry (93.7) = 307.5
  10. 1947: Mickey Cochrane (52.1) + Frankie Frisch (70.4) + Lefty Grove (109.9) + Carl Hubbell (67.8) = 300.2
  11. 1999: George Brett (88.4) + Orlando Cepeda (50.3) + Nolan Ryan (83.8) + Robin Yount (77) = 299.5
  12. 1973: Roberto Clemente (94.5) + Monte Irvin (21.3) George Kelly (25.2) + Warren Spahn (92.6) + Mickey Welch (63.8) = 297.4
  13. 1982: Hank Aaron (142.6) + Travis Jackson (44) + Frank Robinson (107.2) = 293.8
  14. 1969: Roy Campanella (34.2) + Stan Coveleski (65.2) + Waite Hoyt (53.3) + Stan Musial (128.1) = 280.8
  15. 1971: Dave Bancroft (48.5) + Jake Beckley (61.5) + Chick Hafey (30.1) + Harry Hooper (53.1) + Joe Kelley (50.6) + Rube Marquard (34.2) = 278
  16. 1984: Luis Aparicio (55.7) + Don Drysdale (61.2) + Rick Ferrell (29.8) + Harmon Killebrew (60.3) + Pee Wee Reese (66.4) = 273.4
  17. 1949: Mordecai Brown (55.1) + Charlie Gehringer (80.6) + Kid Nichols (116.6) = 252.3
  18. 2014: Tom Glavine (74) + Greg Maddux (104.6) + Frank Thomas (73.7) = 252.3
  19. 1963: John Clarkson (85.7) + Elmer Flick (53.2) + Sam Rice (52.8) + Eppa Rixey (56.8) = 248.5
  20. 1974: Jim Bottomley (35.3) + Whitey Ford (53.9) + Mickey Mantle (109.7) + Sam Thompson (44.3) = 243.2
  21. 1972: Yogi Berra (59.5) + Lefty Gomez (43.1) + Sandy Koufax (53.2) + Early Wynn (51.6) + Ross Youngs (32.2) = 239.6
  22. 1995: Richie Ashburn (63.6) + Mike Schmidt (106.5) + Vic Willis (67.1) = 237.2
  23. 1976: Roger Connor (84.1) + Bob Lemon (37.5) + Freddie Lindstrom (28.3) + Robin Roberts (83.1) = 233
  24. 1953: Chief Bender (44) + Dizzy Dean (42.7) + Al Simmons (68.7) + Bobby Wallace (70.2) = 225.6
  25. 1985: Lou Brock (45.2) + Enos Slaughter (55.1) + Arky Vaughan (72.9) + Hoyt Wilhelm (50.1) = 223.3
  26. 2009: Joe Gordon (57.1) + Rickey Henderson (110.8) + Jim Rice (47.4) = 215.3
  27. 1989: Johnny Bench (75) + Red Schoendienst (42.3) + Carl Yastrzemski (96.1) = 213.4
  28. 1951: Jimmie Foxx (96.4) + Mel Ott (107.8) = 204.2
  29. 1998: George Davis (84.7) + Larry Doby (49.5) + Don Sutton (68.7) = 202.9
  30. 1980: Al Kaline (92.5) + Chuck Klein (43.6) + Duke Snider (66.5) = 202.6
  31. 1979: Willie Mays (156.2) + Hack Wilson (38.8) = 195
  32. 1992: Rollie Fingers (25) + Hal Newhouser (60.4) + Tom Seaver (106.3) = 191.7
  33. 1977: Ernie Banks (67.4) + Amos Rusie (68.4) + Joe Sewell (53.7) = 189.5
  34. 1983: George Kell (37.4) + Juan Marichal (61.9) + Brooks Robinson (78.4) = 177.7
  35. 2000: Carlton Fisk (68.3) + Bid McPhee (52.4) + Tony Perez (53.9) = 174.6
  36. 1962: Bob Feller (65.2) + Jackie Robinson (61.5) + Ed Roush (45.2) = 171.9
  37. 1968: Kiki Cuyler (46.7) + Goose Goslin (66.1) + Joe Medwick (55.6) = 168.4
  38. 1990: Joe Morgan (100.3) + Jim Palmer (68.1) = 168.4
  39. 2007: Tony Gwynn (68.8) + Cal Ripken Jr. (95.5) = 164.3
  40. 2011: Roberto Alomar (66.8) + Bert Blyleven (96.5) = 163.3
  41. 1986: Bobby Doerr (51.2) + Ernie Lombardi (45.9) + Willie McCovey (64.4) = 161.5
  42. 2005: Wade Boggs (91.1) + Ryne Sandberg (67.5) = 158.6
  43. 1981: Bob Gibson (81.9) + Johnny Mize (71) = 152.9
  44. 1954: Bill Dickey (55.8) Rabbit Maranville (42.8) + Bill Terry (54.2) = 152.8
  45. 1975: Earl Averill (48) + Billy Herman (54.7) + Ralph Kiner (49.3) = 152
  46. 2001: Bill Mazeroski (36.2) + Kirby Puckett (50.9) + Dave Winfield (63.8) = 150.9
  47. 1997: Nellie Fox (49) + Phil Niekro (97.4) = 146.4
  48. 1952: Harry Heilmann (72.1) + Paul Waner (72.8) = 144.9
  49. 1978: Addie Joss (45.9) + Eddie Mathews (96.4) = 142.3
  50. 1970: Lou Boudreau (63) + Earle Combs (42.5) + Jesse Haines (35.7) = 141.2
  51. 2012: Barry Larkin (70.2) + Ron Santo (70.4) = 140.6
  52. 2003: Gary Carter (69.8) + Eddie Murray (68.3) = 138.1
  53. 2004: Dennis Eckersley (62.5) + Paul Molitor (75.4) = 137.9
  54. 1942: Rogers Hornsby (127) = 127
  55. 1994: Steve Carlton (84.1) + Phil Rizzuto (40.8) = 124.9
  56. 1956: Joe Cronin (66.4) + Hank Greenberg (57.5) = 123.9
  57. 1966: Ted Williams (123.1) = 123.1
  58. 1961: Max Carey (54.2) + Billy Hamilton (63.3) = 117.5
  59. 1938: Grover Alexander (117) = 117
  60. 1987: Catfish Hunter (36.6) + Billy Williams (63.5) = 100.1
  61. 1965: Pud Galvin (83.6) = 83.6
  62. 1948: Herb Pennock (44.1) + Pie Traynor (36.2) = 80.3
  63. 1967: Red Ruffing (55.4) + Lloyd Waner (24.1) = 79.5
  64. 2002: Ozzie Smith (76.5) = 76.5
  65. 1957: Sam Crawford (75.1) = 75.1
  66. 1993: Reggie Jackson (73.8) = 73.8
  67. 2010: Andre Dawson (64.5) = 64.5
  68. 1996: Jim Bunning (60.3) = 60.3
  69. 1959: Zack Wheat (60.2) = 60.2
  70. 1988: Willie Stargell (57.5) = 57.5
  71. 2008: Rich Gossage (41.8) = 41.8
  72. 2006: Bruce Sutter (24.5) = 24.5