208 players have been inducted into the Hall Fame based on their playing careers in the major leagues. The following is a breakdown of how many of those played their final year in the majors in each decade:

2000 through 2009: 5 players
1990 through 1999: 16 players
1980 through 1989: 19 players
1970 through 1979: 19 players
1960 through 1969: 15 players
1950 through 1959: 17 players
1940 through 1949: 23 players
1930 through 1939: 34 players
1920 through 1929: 13 players
1910 through 1919: 19 players
1900 through 1909: 15 players
1890 through 1899: 13 players

The 2008 and 2009 final year guys have not even been eligible yet (the 2008 guys are just being voted on for the first time now, results to be announced in January). But this breakdown might provide a sense of what might be expected to ultimately be the number of guys that will be inducted whose careers ended between 2000 and 2009.

Derek Jeter has long had the nickname Captain Clutch, a moniker usually attributed to his post-season performance. Indeed, that post-season career reads pretty much like a a full season stat line. A very good stat line.

But, for regular season play, who are the top clutch performers in today’s game? I’ll tell you after the jump.

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With our first busy week of the offseason in the books, the 2013-14 Major League Baseball spending spree is on. We’ve seen Jhonny Peralta and Brian McCann reel in buku bucks by signing long-term deals with franchises that historically view themselves as contenders. Josh Johnson and Dan Haren have managed to nab some pretty pennies from NL West ball clubs, the Phillies made some interesting moves, and of course who could forget the monumental Prince Fielder–Ian Kinsler swap. Why don’t we take a quick swing through some of last week’s newsworthy notes:

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These are the only players since 1901 with a particular seasonal batting feat, first introduced by Jim Wynn. A batter before his time, Wynn had been out of baseball for a decade before any of these other hitters had played a full season.

What is the seasonal batting feat Wynn pioneered that is now coming into vogue?

Congratulations to Richard Chester! He correctly identified that these are the only players since 1901 having a qualifying season with more strikeouts than hits, and with a run total exceeding 80% of the hit total. This combination of modest hits and immodest strikeouts surprisingly resulting in lots of runs is, aside from Jim Wynn, a very recent phenomenon.

More after the jump.

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After spending the better part of the past few seasons climbing baseball’s Mount Everest only to run out of steam just shy of the peak, the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers have decided enough is enough. Those 90-95 win seasons and deep playoff runs that don’t quite bear fruit will no longer be tolerated. The time to go for it is now, and no move quite emphasizes that mindset than the Prince Fielder–Ian Kinsler swap.

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Which players had the best games of the 2013 season batting from a certain lineup spot? That idle thought crossed my mind, so I thought I’d find out, and then see what kind of a team I could put together with just those players.

More on these All-Stars for a day after the jump.

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This Circle of Greats (COG) vote is not to induct anyone into the Circle, but only to select two players who will be restored back on to the main ballot after having been previously been dropped from eligibility.  This third “redemption round” (we also held such rounds after the 1960 and 1950 rounds of voting) gives voters a chance to reconsider past candidates that have been rejected.  Rules and lists are after the jump. Continue reading →

This post is for voting and discussion in the 37th round of balloting for the Circle of Greats.  This round adds to the ballot those players born in 1939.  Rules and lists are after the jump. Continue reading →

Having fallen short of induction by the smallest of margins in the 1941 and 1940 Part 1 rounds of balloting, Pete Rose broke through with the narrowest of victories in the 1940 Part 2 round.  After a chaotic finish to the voting, including an unprecedented recount and a barely disqualified late vote, Pete becomes the 36th inductee into the High Heat Stats Circle of Great.  More on Rose and the voting after the jump.   Continue reading →

Tiger shortstop Jose Iglesias was the AL RoY runner-up, turning in a .300 hitting campaign to go with solid defense (0.989 fielding). That by itself would be an unusual rookie campaign for a shortstop, but a mid-season trade from the Red Sox to Detroit made Iglesias’ season more unusual still.

I was curious how often a rookie who had established himself as the “regular” shortstop (i.e. not necessarily an “everyday” player, but the player used at his position more frequently than any other) had been traded to another team to became its regular shortstop. I figured it was probably unusual, but I wouldn’t have guessed it had happened only once before in the live ball era.

After the jump, more on rookies who establish themselves only to get traded mid-season.

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