Vizquel

I was watching a Rangers-White Sox game the other day. The Rangers announcers were introducing the White Sox starting lineup. Omar Vizquel was starting and they introduced him as "former Ranger and future Hall of Famer Omar Vizquel."

I thought this laughable. Does anyone really think Omar Vizquel belongs in the Hall of Fame? Was he ever considered one of the best players in major league baseball at any one time in his career? I know he was an excellent defensive shortstop. And he became functional with the bat.

So I looked at Baseball Reference to see his comparable 10 players. I admit I was surprised to see 7 Hall of Famers. Basically it was a list of the good fielding/average hitting shortstops in the Hall of Fame--Apaircio, Maranville, Ozzie Smith. But I'm still not convinced at all. Vizquel didn't redefine the position like the three ahead of him. He has benefited from playing a very long time, but like with Jamie Moyer, that's not a reason to be in the Hall of Fame.

I'm not sure how many 3 time All-Stars are in the Hall of Fame. I know that's a statistic of limited use, but only 3 times did fans or managers think Vizquel was one of the best players in the game. His 11 Gold Gloves are impressive, but that's a joke of an award. Vizquel may have deserved them, but it's not a useful measurement. He had an OPS+ of over 100 only twice in his career.

My point is that Omar Vizquel is a very good player. And if there were a Hall of the Very Good, Vizquel would be in there along with players like Joe Carter, Don Mattingly, Will Clark, and a lot of others. And there'd be some shortstops in there too--guys who Vizquel very much reminds me of. Dave Concepcion. Tony Fernandez. That's Vizquel's level. Future Hall of Famer? No.