A nomination to the baseball hall of fame is the greatest honor a baseball player can recieve. Knowing this, what does it take the recieve this honor

Stats

Although not the only thing that matters, a hall of famer will have great numbers next to their name. The average hall of fame hitter will have 2,416 hits, a .302 batting average, a ,376 on base percentage, a .465 slugging and a WAR of 69. For pitchers on average they have a 3.00 ERA, 2127 strikeouts and a 69 WAR. Of the 8 relief pitchers in the hall of fame they average 413 saves and a 2.86 ERA.

Longevity

Longevity deals with how long you play baseball. This is not only how many years you play but how long you’re a star level player for. Many question how much this matters when deciding who should be in the hall of fame. For 95 percent of players it can make or break you hall of fame case. There are of course exceptions. Joe Dimaggio only played 13 years but still got into the hall of fame. Dimaggio was so good that the amount of years he played simply didn’t matter. For most players they don’t have that much pure talent. More times than not a hall of famer will have a long career. The average career length for a hall of fame career is 18.

Intergrity

Intergrity is about if you play the game fairly and how you act. It is a very important part of the hall of fame voting process. Joe Jackson was a part of the black sox scandal. Despite the fact his ban was suppose to expire after his death he still hasn’t been let in. Pete Rose’s ban for gambling didn’t prevent him from being in the hall of fame but the voters decided to ban him from the ballot on their own. Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds used steroids to get an advantage. Despite their all time great numbers they’re not in the hall of fame because of their cheating.

Off the field

Off the field behavior and actions can help a hall of fame case a lot. This is not only giving back to your communities but also how you contribute to baseball once you retire. Even being a good person off the field can make baseball look good. Roberto Clemente was let into the hall of fame just a few months after his death. Normally players have to wait 5 years. However, since Clemente contributed so much off the field he was given the honor early. Off the field contributions also helped Mariano Rivera become the first unanimous hall of famer. However, off the field contributions are only a bonus. If you don’t have an extensive off the field resume it doesn’t hurt your case. Babe Ruth was known for smoking and drinking off the field but he was still a no question hall of famer.

Conclusion

Having great stats is an important part of a hall of fame career but it is only a piece of the pie.