Roberto Alomar Stats Are Those Of A True Baseball Hall Of Famer

Earlier on Wednesday, the 2011 Baseball Hall of Fame voting results were revealed, and two new players were elected into Cooperstown. Bert Blyleven picked up 79.7% of the vote, while Roberto Alomar blew by everybody in getting his name on 90.0% of all ballots. Alomar was clearly seen by the BBWAA as a very strong candidate, and in looking at his career numbers, it isn’t hard to figure out why.

Alomar’s .300 career average and .814 career OPS aren’t staggering in and of themselves. It’s that Alomar was able to hit that well while allegedly serving as a phenomenal defensive second baseman that made him so valuable. Whether right or wrong, Alomar is considered by many to have been one of the best glovemen at second in baseball history. That would’ve made him a good player had he hit even just a little bit. Instead, he hit a lot, ranking 55th all-time in hits, 78th all-time in total bases, and 100th all-time in walks. A statistic called Wins Above Replacement, which takes into consideration both offensive and defensive value, ranks Alomar’s career between those of Hall of Famers Al Simmons and Jackie Robinson.

Last year was Alomar’s first year on the ballot, and he fell shy of election, as many voters wanted to punish him for a 1996 incident in which he spit at umpire John Hirschbeck during an on-field argument. However, the penalty was evidently to simply not allow Alomar first-ballot election, as today he became just the 26th player ever to receive at least 90% support. He becomes the 20th second baseman to enter the Hall.