HOF ’09: Alan Trammell

Some interesting facts and trivia about Alan Trammell:

• Other than Jim Rice, he’s the only one on this year’s Hall of Fame ballot who played his whole career with one team (20 years with the Detroit Tigers). 
• He and keystone partner Lou Whitaker played more games together than any other pair of teammates in baseball history.  Not only that, the two had incredibly similar stats through 1986.  Same batting average (.281), within one point on slugging percentage (Trammell’s .403 to Sweet Lou’s .404).  They were also close on games played (within 6), homeruns (within 3), and hits (20). 
• Trammell’s grand slam off Royals’ relief pitcher Dan Quisenberry was the first hit off the submarine pitcher.
• Named his son after Lance Parrish.

Does Alan Trammel make the Hall of Fame?  Find some Detroit Tiger fans and I’ll bet you’ll meet some takers.  He’s an interesting case, that’s for sure.  Comparing him stat-wise to the slugger-types is hardly fair.  He brings much more to the table.  Defense, speed, team leadership.

Trammell was brought up to the major leagues in 1977 but played his first full season the next year.  He played a solid enough season to place fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting.  Two years later in 1980, he had a breakout year with Detroit batting .300 and scoring 107 runs not to mention winning his first of four Gold Gloves. 

Trammell hit .300 plus six more times in his career.  His one chance at the MVP was in 1987 when he hit .343 with 28 homeruns, 105 rbis and 109 runs.  He placed second in the voting that year to George Bell and his 47 homeruns.  To this day, some say he was robbed. 

To make the Hall of Fame, Alan Trammell won’t do it because of his hitting.  Unless you want to count sacrifice hits, he never led the league in a single category during his whole career.  The close he came was his .343 average in 1987 which brought him 3rd place. 

In the field, Trammell was a very good shortstop… good enough to get him four Gold Gloves early on in his career.  He does deserve props for his part in bringing the Tigers to World Series in 1987 and winning the whole thing.  Trammell was the World Series MVP.

That said, I’ll give him a no vote with respect to Detroit fans.  It seems that the BBWAA is seeing that way, too.  His vote numbers have been steadily going down in recent years. 

	Hall of Fame
	Hall of Very Good
	Why is he even on the Ballot?

While we wait for January 12 ballot results, The Baseball Zealot will be profiling those players who are on the 2009 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.  Read the rest the of the profiles.