A Tiger Fans' Case for Tram

The title of this post admits my bias on this subject. I grew up during the 80s, and it was the Tigers who initially turned me on to sports. Admittedly, Trammell was never my favorite player (that honor belonged to Lance Parrish), but it was clear that Tram was the best player on a strong Tiger team.

With Sparky Anderson at the helm, the Tigers were above .500 for all but one year during the decade - the dreadful 1989 campaign when they lost 103 games. Otherwise, they averaged an 87-69 record (the total games are a bit off due to the strike-shortened 1981 season). The Tigers finished atop their division twice, winning the World Series in 1984 and later losing to the Twins in the ALCS in 1987 (due, of course, to the Curse of Señor Smoke).

They were a regular contender. They won the World Series. They fielded All-stars every season. So why is not a single member of that team in the Hall of Fame, let alone their best player?

The case against Trammell is relatively simple - numbers and awards. When the dust settles on a career - and the emotions and memories of the player's ability fade - the numbers and awards remain. Trammell had the misfortune of playing during the 80s, a decade without eye-popping offensive numbers. Nobody hit 50 homers. 150 RBIs was a thing of legend. In 1988, Will Clark led the entire NL with just 109 RBIs. In the 90s, Trammell faced a series of injury setbacks, hindering his chance to accumulate hits. He retired after 20 seasons with 2,365 hits, 1,003 RBIs, 185 HRs, and a .285 BA. While Brandon Inge would die for those numbers, they simply won't win the attention of many Hall of Fame voters.

To augment his case, Trammell needed some hardware. He did win the World Series MVP in 1984. He earned 4 Gold Gloves, 3 Silver Sluggers, and 6 All-Star appearances. What he lacks, though, is the AL MVP award. Damn George Bell narrowly edged Tram for the MVP award in 1987, perhaps dooming Tram's HOF chances. Would one MVP award make the difference? I honestly believe so, because it's tangible proof that the particular player was the best in the league. The Hall of Fame wants the best of the best. It wants MVPs and record-setters. Without that hardware, Trammell becomes just another hopeful.

Let's just ignore numbers and awards for a while. I realize that's about as likely as asking the Oscars to ignore box office receipts, but humor me. Let's make the assumption that Trammell was the best player on the Tigers. Let's also assume that the Tigers were one of the best teams of the 80s (their W-L record and 1984 World Series championship back that up). Almost all Trammell's contemporaries that fit that description are in the Hall.

Best player on the Brewers? Robin Yount. Hall of Fame.

Best player on the BoSox? Wade Boggs. Hall of Fame.

Best player on the Orioles? Cal Ripken. Hall of Fame.

2nd Best player on the Orioles? Eddie Murray. Hall of Fame.

Best player on the Twins? Kirby Puckett. Hall of Fame.

Best player on the Royals? George Brett. Hall of Fame.

And, of course, the most irksome Hall of Fame honoree to Tiger fans:

Ozzie Smith.

From a numbers standpoint, Smith doesn't hold a candle to Tram. The guy had just 28 home runs career. He retired with a pedestrian .262 BA, but to judge the Wizard of Oz by numbers is to judge the Beatles by record sales. Ozzie Smith was the Michael Jordan of shortstops. His acrobatics made him a human highlight reel, and the fans adored him for it, voting him into the All-star game every season. So, in spite of the numbers, Ozzie Smith received an invite to the Hall in his first year of eligibility. Maybe the Hall isn't always about numbers? The voters also take into account popularity and defense. Outside of Detroit, Tram just didn't have the popularity. At shortstop, he was in the shadow of Cal Ripken, fer cryin' out loud. But, Tram's defense compares favorably to the wondrous Wizard of Oz. Their fielding percentage is almost identical (.978 to .977). My guess is that Tram's defense is usually overlooked due to the lack of highlight reel plays.

To date, Tram's had 10 chances to get in the Hall. He needs 75% to get in. While his numbers have, in general, gone up each year, he's still receiving just 24.3% of the votes. That's way short. By comparison, Jack Morris received 53.5% last year. Morris, of course, has the whole "Winningest Pitcher of the 80s" - a tangible factoid that proves Morris's "greatness". Trammell's got nothing to rely on but memories and the belief that he was the best player on a great team. My hope is that will be enough.