MVP
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1999 MLB Hall of Fame
The 1999 ballot for the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame was a wide open one with no slam dunk debuts, opening up opportunities for returners on the ballot. Three players breached the 66% threshold to earn induction, each as returners on the ballot. None of them had massive numbers though. The leader was first baseman Aranha Carlos at 76.3% in his fourth try. He was joined by fellow 1B Kymani Massey at 67.9% on his seventh attempt and 2B Cade Parker with 67.6% for his third ballot. Two debutants crossed 50% with Closer Alex Cantos at 58.6% and 2B Rodrigo Badillo at 54.4%. Also crossing 50% was LF Xiandong He with 54.4% for his seventh ballot.
One player was dropped after ten failed ballots in two-way player Uriel Larking. He had a 17 year career, winning MVP in 1969 along with two Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers. As a pitcher, Larking had a 151-114 record, 3.72 ERA, 2409.2 innings, 1806 strikeouts, a 103 ERA+, and 46.1 WAR. Playing the infield (mostly first base), he had 1238 hits, 848 runs, 225 home runs, 728 RBI, a .237/.341/.434 slash, 111 wRC+, and 26.9 WAR. Being a two-way guy is impressive, but Larking was merely average to above average on both sides. Voters didn’t feel he was strong enough at either spot to get the nod. Larking peaked at 28.1% on his second ballot and ended at a low of 8.7%.
Aranha “Champagne” Carlos – First Base – Philadelphia Phillies – 76.3% Fourth Ballot
Aranha Carlos was a 6’0’’, 205 pound right-handed infielder from Moji das Cruzes, Brazil; a city of around 450,000 within metro Sao Paulo. Carlos was a solid contact hitter with a strong pop in his bat, regularly averaging 30+ home runs and 30+ doubles per season. He had a respectable eye for drawing walks with a decent ability at avoiding strikeouts. Carlos was a fairly intelligent baserunner, but had below average speed. He was a career first baseman and graded out as very average defensively there. Carlos also had a few starts at second base, but struggled with poor range. Carlos was considered an ironman who played pro baseball in four different decades.
Carlos was viewed as an impressive prospect coming up in Brazil, getting drafted 11th overall in the 1965 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft by Belo Horizonte. Carlos was never able to crack the lineup regularly during his eight years under contract with the Hogs. He played 439 games, but only had four starts with a .282/.315/.435 slash and 2.7 WAR. Annoyed with his lack of use, Carlos was traded by Belo Horizonte to Guayaquil after the 1973 season for SS Salvador Villarreal and 3B Boris Cervantez.
The Golds gave Carlos a shot at second base and although he was a poor defender there, he won a Silver Slugger. He was moved to designated hitter in his other two years with Guayaquil, leading the Bolivar League in hits in 1975 and winning a Silver Slugger in 1976. In three seasons with the Golds, Carlos had 605 hits, 297 runs, 104 doubles, 94 home runs, 282 RBI, a .324/.359/.552 slash, 154 wRC+, and 16.8 WAR. After the 1976 season, the 31-year old Carlos became a free agent for the first time.
His bat earned international attention and MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies were impressed. Carlos signed a seven-year, $3,710,000 deal to begin his MLB career. It wasn’t too uncommon for a foreign player to come to MLB for his later years, but beginning what would be a 14-year MLB career at age 31 was unique to Carlos. In the United States, Carlos earned the nickname “Champagne” for his enjoyment of the high life. Some criticized him for a lack of leadership and loyalty. However, his durability and bat were above reproach.
It was a down period for Philadelphia with only one playoff berth in his seven year tenure. However, Carlos couldn’t be blamed for their mediocrity. He actually got better as he aged, posting three 6+ WAR seasons in his final three years with the Phillies. Playing first base, Carlos led the National Association in home runs and total bases in 1982, winning a Silver Slugger that year. He would return home to Brazil for the World Baseball Championship, becoming a starter in his later From 1972-90, Carlos had 172 games and 124 starts in the WBC with 134 hits, 82 runs, 26 doubles, 35 home runs, 95 RBI, and a .285/.368/.568 slash. He was part of Brazil’s 1987, 1989, and 1990 World Championship teams.
In total with Philadelphia, Carlos had 1154 hits, 636 runs, 205 doubles, 247 home runs, 711 RBI, a .286/.345/.530 slash, 154 wRC+, and 36.9 WAR. He was a free agent again entering the 1984 season at age 38. Houston was interested, signing Carlos to a three-year, $3,180,000 deal. He maintained his same level of production with the Hornets, helping them to two playoff appearances, although they didn’t get beyond the second round. With Houston, Carlos had 534 hits, 305 runs, 107 doubles, 109 home runs, 350 RBI, a .302/.361/.558 slash, and 15.8 WAR.
Teams usually didn’t give long deals to guys in their 40s, but Carlos still looked great as a 41-year old free agent for 1987. Detroit signed him to a three-year, $5,160,000 deal. After a good 1987, Carlos shocked many with an outstanding 1988. He led the National Association in runs, RBI, total bases, slugging, OBP, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. He posted career bests in each of those stats and in homers and average. Carlos won his fourth Silver Slugger and made world history by becoming the oldest-ever MVP winner at age 42. Detroit made the playoffs, but were ousted in the first round.
Carlos regressed a bit in 1989, but still had 3.7 WAR in 111 starts. For his Tigers tenure, he had 491 hits, 292 runs, 96 home runs, 282 RBI, a .303/.380/.533 slash, and 19.0 WAR. Now age 44, Wichita gave Carlos a three-year, $4,140,000 deal. He finally looked pedestrian in his one year with the Wasps, posting 1.6 WAR and a 110 wRC+. Carlos was released after spring training 1991 by Wichita. After going unsigned that year, he finally retired at age 46; one of the longest tenured players in pro baseball history.
For his entire professional career, Carlos had 3032 hits, 1637 runs, 532 doubles, 572 home runs, 1750 RBI, a .296/.353/.528 slash, 152 wRC+, and 92.7 WAR. For his 14-year MLB tenure, he had 2296 hits, 1287 runs, 407 doubles, 466 home runs, 1397 RBI, a .290/.353/.528 slash, 153 wRC+, and 73.2 WAR. Those totals were especially remarkable since they all came after his 30th birthday, but on their own, his tallies were borderline. Carlos missed out narrowly in his first three ballots with 56.8%, 64.3%, and 63.5%. His incredible story and MVP at age 42 made him a very popular player and one that would be hard to deny. With a weaker 1999 field, Carlos got the bump to 76.3% for a fourth ballot induction.
Kymani “Hands” Massey – First Base – Montreal Maples – 67.9% Seventh Ballot
Kymani Massey was a 6’6’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Montana Rey, Curacao; located within the capital Willemstad. Massey had the nickname “Hands” as his big frame meant he had very unusually long hands. He had great home run power and was excellent at drawing walks. However, Massey was a below average contact hitter with a poor strikeout rate. His gap power was decent, but he lacked the speed to get too many extra bases.
Massey played exclusively at first base and was considered pretty good defensively. He would win a Gold Glove in 1975. Massey was quite durable and reliable, starting 140+ games every year from 1971-84. His reliability, work ethic, and ability to mash dingers made Massey a very popular player in his era.
Massey left Curacao in his late teens and ended up in the United States, playing college baseball at Kentucky. He dominated the college ranks, winning Silver Sluggers in 1966 and 1968. Massey was the NCAA MVP in 1968 with a .364/.446/.892 slash in 48 games, 27 home runs, and 5.0 WAR. For his college career, Massey played 145 games with 166 hits, 109 runs, 65 home runs, 146 RBI, a .309/.395/.726 slash, 219 wRC+, and 11.3 WAR.
Many teams were quite interested, but as someone born outside of the US and Canada, Massey wasn’t eligible in the first three rounds of the 1969 MLB Draft due to regional restrictions. With the fifth pick in the fourth round, the 156th overall pick, Massey was selected by Montreal. He spent his first two seasons with minor league Quebec City, although he did play 28 games in 1970 with the big league club. Massey became a full-time starter in 1971 and held that role for the next 14 years with the Maples.
In his rookie season, Massey led the National Association with 46 home runs. He posted career bests in runs, batting average, and WAR. Massey won Rookie of the Year and a Silver Slugger. He never exceeded that season, but he put up steady reliable numbers for the next decade. Massey had 30+ home runs in all but one of his full seasons with the Maples and posted six seasons of 100+ RBI. He won a second Silver Slugger in 1974.
Montreal won the National Association pennant in 1972 and 1973, although they lost both years in the World Series. Massey had 17 hits, 10 runs, 6 doubles, and 2 home runs in the 1972 run. A hamstring strain cost him most of the 1973 postseason. The Maples had a four-year playoff drought from 1975-78, but Massey carried on. Montreal committed long-term to Massey with an eight-year, $5,980,000 deal in spring 1976.
His native Curacao didn’t have enough players to field a team in the World Baseball Championship, but the island was part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Massey would be a regular for the Dutch team from 1970-88, playing 138 games with 110 starts. He had 93 hits, 75 runs, 45 home runs, 84 RBI, a .228/.343/.593 slash, 158 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR.
Massey helped bring Montreal back into the playoff fold with three straight playoff berths from 1979-81. He led the NA in home runs in 1979 as the Maples again made the World Series, falling to Las Vegas. Montreal lost in the NACS in 1980, but took another pennant in 1981. That year, the Maples won their first World Series since 1951 and Massey was named World Series MVP. He had 21 hits, 11 runs, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI in that playoff run. For his playoff career with Montreal, Massey had 71 starts, 76 hits, 45 runs, 15 home runs, 43 RBI, a .291/.371/.539 slash, 162 wRC+, and 3.2 WAR.
In 1983, Massey had a career best 47 home runs. But he struggled in 1984 with a career worst .192 batting average and 1.8 WAR. This was the final year of his big contract with Montreal, making Massey a free agent at age 37. For his Maples career, Massey had 1974 hits, 1235 runs, 320 doubles, 528 home runs, 1398 RBI, a .248/.331/.497 slash, 136 wRC+, and 58.5 WAR. He remained extremely popular in later years throughout Quebec, although Montreal never did retire his jersey number.
Massey wasn’t signed in 1985 until late May with a one-year deal with Kansas City. He still managed 25 home runs and 2.9 WAR in 101 games in his one year with the Cougars. That earned him a three-year deal in the offseason worth $4,020,000 from San Diego. With the Seals, Massey crossed the 600 home run and 1500 career RBI marks. However, he was only a part-time starter with SD with middling production. Massey had a .212/.307/.406 average, 55 home runs, 104 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR. Massey didn’t meet the vesting criteria in his contract for a third season, becoming a free agent again at age 40. He played in the 1988 WBC with the Netherlands, but couldn’t find a full-time job, retiring that winter.
For his career, Massey had 2220 hits, 1417 runs, 360 doubles, 608 home runs, 1604 RBI, 1135 walks, a .244/.329/.494 slash, 134 wRC+, and 63.4 WAR. He was the 17th MLB slugger to reach 600 career home runs. The homers and walks were impressive, but Massey’s other stats were borderline compared to other MLB Hall of Famers. Many voters thought he was a Hall of Good type and he hovered in the 50-59% range for five years. Massey had a new high of 1998 in 61.7%, then narrowly crossed the line in 1999 at 67.9%. His popularity and role in multiple pennants for Montreal helped Massey earn a spot in the three-player 1999 class.
Cade Parker – Second Base – San Diego Seals – 67.6% Third Ballot
Cade Parker was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed second baseman from Seattle, Washington. Parker was an excellent contact hitter who was outstanding at avoiding strikeouts and putting the ball in play. He was great at finding the gap, averaging 34 doubles and 9 triples per 162 games. Parker’s speed was respectable and he could stretch extra bases, although he wasn’t a prolific thief. His home run power was subpar and he was decent at drawing walks. Parker made about 2/3s of his career starts at second base, where he was viewed as firmly average defensively. He also had some brief stints at shortstop, third base, and right field, but was awful in those spots with a poor arm. Parker was popular and didn’t miss much time in his prime to injury, but some felt he lacked drive and wasn’t the brightest.
Parker left the Pacific Northwest to play college baseball at Baylor. In three years with the Bears, he had 143 games, 159 hits, 97 runs, 26 doubles, 17 home runs, 71 RBI, a .286/.356/.425 slash, 131 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR. Guys with a solid bat that could competently field at second weren’t the easiest to come by, thus Parker was picked sixth overall by San Diego in the 1972 MLB Draft. He was a starter immediately and had a respectable rookie campaign, followed by a Silver Slugger 1974, along with his lone batting title with a .354 average. However, Parker struggled immensely in 1975 with a -3.2 WAR season, posting a shockingly bad 24.9% strikeout rate.
He corrected his approach in the offseason and had an outstanding 2.7% strikeout rate the next year, returning to form and winning his second Silver Slugger. Parker wasn’t a league leader for the rest of his run, but he regularly gave you an average above .300 and between 4-6 WAR. This was a dark era for San Diego, who didn’t make the playoffs during Parker’s entire run. He was popular though and holding his own, earning an eight-year, $5,310,000 extension after the 1977 season.
Later in his career, Parker also played in the World Baseball Championship for the United States. From 1980-87, he played 105 games with 95 starts, getting 97 hits, 60 runs, 16 doubles, 12 home runs, 51 RBI, a .289/.355/.467 slash, and 3.1 WAR. Parker was a part of world title winning American teams in 1981, 82, 84, and 85.
In his final season with San Diego, Parker won his third Silver Slugger in 1984. The Seals were close to snapping that playoff drought, but just short. Parker was still solid at age 33 heading into 1985, but it was the final year of his contract. The Seals didn’t expect to re-sign him and traded him in spring training to Calgary for prospects. For his San Diego tenure, Parker posted 2200 hits, 1004 runs, 352 doubles, 133 home runs, 893 RBI, a .323/.377/.463 slash, 129 wRC+, and 54.3 WAR.
His one season with the Cheetahs saw torn ankle ligaments cost him the second half of the year. Calgary won 109 games that year, but were upset in the second round of the playoffs. The Cheetahs would go onto win the next two World Series, but they were underwhelmed and didn’t keep Parker after his one year. A 34-year old free agent, some were surprised as Charlotte committed to a five-year, $7,400,000 contract with Parker.
Injuries cost him bits of his Canaries tenure, but Parker maintained respectable starter-quality production when healthy. He finally got to play in the postseason in 1986, as Charlotte lost to Calgary in the American Association Championship Series. This ultimately was his only time playing in the playoffs for his whole career. With the Canaries, Parker crossed 3000 career hits; the 46th MLB player to do so. He also became the 29th guy to reach 500 career doubles.
With Charlotte, Parker had 775 hits, 399 runs, 144 doubles, a .309/.363/.456 slash, 120 wRC+, and 15.7 WAR. Numerous injuries cost him about half of his final year with the Canaries, making many teams leery of signing him for 1991. Louisville gave him a shot in spring training and he was very middling as a part-time starter with the Lynx. While there, he would score his 1500th career run. Parker retired that winter at age 40.
For his pro career, Parker had 3240 hits, 1529 runs, 544 doubles, 137 triples, 203 home runs, 1284 RBI, 375 stolen bases, a .320/.373/.461 slash, 127 wRC+, and 75.8 WAR. At induction, he was 12th all-time in doubles and 24th in hits. At the time as well, there were only 14 guys in the Hall of Fame that had a .320 or better batting average like Parker. However, he was never viewed as a top ten hitter in the league and although well liked, was overlooked on some mediocre teams. Parker debuted at 57.7% in 1997, then missed the cut by the slimmest margin in 1998 at 65.9%. He only needed to win over one more voter and in 1999, he won a few to get to 67.6%, rounding out the class as a third ballot inductee.
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