Jeff Kent, while not someone I would have elected, doesn't put a black eye on the Hall IMO. It's trended toward being bigger/more elections...and Kent is one of the better hitting second basemen of all time. All that said, Kent to me is a HOVG guy. Was never a guy who I viewed as a top 5 player in baseball. No bold ink. Got an MVP, which while deserved wasn't exactly an epic season, but only 3 other top-10 finishes and only 5 ASGs. He benefited from being able to play at a fairly high level until he was 40.
On the flip side, guys like Mattingly, Murphy, and more recently Johan Santana (I'm sure there are many others) are getting the shaft. These guys were absolute elite players in their prime - arguably the best in their league for a 4-5 year stretch - only to be cut down by injury. Loads of bold ink, annual contenders/winners of the MVP/CY awards, true 'best in baseball' types. I understand you can't assume anything statistically, but it seems Mattingly's 1987 back injury, Murphy's 1989 knee injuries, and Santana's 2011 shoulder surgery aren't taken into consideration enough. If guys like Jeff Kent, Alan Trammell, etc. are getting in - it's way past the time to get the injured superstars in.
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