Should former Reds shortstop Dave Concepcion be in the National Baseball Hall of Fame?
Nine-time All-Star had better offensive numbers than Hall of Fame shortstops Ozzie Smith, Luis Aparicio, Peewee Reese, Phil Rizzuto
This Sunday, thousands of baseball fans and members of the sports media will gather in the small town of Cooperstown, NY to watch former Cincinnati Reds third baseman Scott Rolen and one of the game’s most underrated sluggers of all time, first baseman Fred McGriff, be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Induction Ceremony will be televised live on my favorite TV channel, MLB Network, beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET, and simulcast on MLB.com.Â
I’m excited for Rolen and McGriff, both well deserving of baseball’s highest honor, but I always find myself thinking prior to the newest members being enshrined each year the great players I saw play who are not enshrined in Cooperstown but should be.
One such player is former Reds shortstop Dave Concepcion.Â
Concepcion, who spent his entire 19-year Major League career with the Reds, had a .267 career batting average with 2,326 hits, 101 home runs, 950 runs batted in, scored 993 runs and compiled a WAR of 40.1. He was selected to play in nine All-Star Games (1973, 1975-1982), won five Gold Glove Awards (1974-1977, 1979), two Silver Slugger Awards (1981, 1982) and was a member of two World Series championship teams (1975, 1976) while appearing in two others (1970, 1972).Â
Before, and for the first half of Concepcion’s career, Major League shortstops were for the most part all-field, no-hit types – Roger Metzger with the Astros, Larry Bowa with the Phillies, Bud Harrelson with the Mets, Don Kessinger with the Cubs, Marty Perez with the Braves, for example. It wasn’t until late in his career that the really good offensive shortstops came along, like Cal Ripken Jr, Barry Larkin, Alex Rodriquez, Nomar Garciaparra and Derek Jeter. While his numbers weren’t as good as those players, he was a better offensive player than Hall of Fame shortstops Ozzie Smith, Luis Aparicio, Peewee Reese and Phil Rizzuto.Â
Off the ballet and no longer eligible to be voted upon by the baseball writers, the now 75-year-old Concepcion’s only chance left is with one of the various Hall of Fame committees. Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be much support for the best shortstop of his era.
I don’t understand why.Â
It's an outrage that Dave Concepcion is not enshrined in Cooperstown.
The veterans committee has had head so far up it ass they can't think straight.
The Reds are also somewhat to blame for not backing Davey publicly.
The whole reds infield from 75+76 should be in the Hall of Fame.
U know it real baseball fabs know it.