1) Playing for a loser, even if you ignore the 3 championships, should have nothing to do with not being elected to the Hall of Fame. I’ve always been against that logic. Was Michael Jordan not the MVP or HOF-worthy his first 6-or-so years when the Bulls didn’t win? Santo was one player on a team. So, if he had the same career, but if everyone realized the Cubs won the World Series in 1969, that makes him worthy?
2) He was part of the core that took his team to 3 World Series wins. People ignore what the players do and count what the umpires do. Had the umps stolen games from the Orioles and they didn’t make the World Series the year Robinson had the great defensive Series, should he be in the Hall? Is the decision thus based on a few games, and not a career? Did Robinson’s team win because they had 4 20-game winners on their team, or because of him?
3) He also came through in the clutch many times, but people focus on when he didn’t. He led the entire league in sacrifice flies in the 60s, and led the MAJORS in RBI over a 7-year span, and the MAJORS in runs created over a 5-year span. That’s not clutch? I guess they all came in blowouts.
4) Missing it every year by a mile doesn’t change the fact that his offensive stats are better than a number of guys in the Hall, and his defense, which is a very important part of the game, was much better than most others.
5) It might be tainted to have those guys on the committee, but it was also tainted to have guys voting previously who never saw him play and probably didn’t know the stats and how dominant he was for a decade.
6) Runs created, RBI, on-base percentage, walks, total bases, hits, etc. are key stats. He led all third-basemen during his career and the entire league for a decade in these categories. Here are just some of the stats:
Ranking among third basemen during his career:
a) First in runs (1138)
b) First in homeruns (342)
c) First in RBI (1331)
d) First in walks (1108)
e) First in runs created(1378)
f) First in total bases (3779)
g) First in extra-base hits (774)
h) Second in hits (2254)
i) Second in singles (1480)
j) Second in doubles (365)
k) Second in triples (67)
l) Second in on-base average (.362)
7) Led N.L. in walks in 1960s (768)
8) Led N.L. in sacrifice flies in 1960s (69)
9) Led 3rd-basemen in runs in 1960s (816)
10) Led 3rd-basemen in HRs in 1960s (253)
11) Led 3rd-basemen in RBI in 1960s (937)
12) Led 3rd-basemen in walks in 1960s (768)
13) Led 3rd-basemen in runs created in 1960s (999)
14) Led 3rd-basemen in total bases in 1960s (2706)
15) Led 3rd-basemen in total extra base hits in 1960s (554)
16) Led N.L. in on-base average in 1964 and 1966.
17) Led major leagues in games over 8-year span 1961-1968 (1281)
18) Led major leagues in RBI over 7-year span 1964-1970 (742)
19) Led N.L. in walks over 10-year span 5 TIMES 1960-1973 (range 768-860)
20) Led N.L. in on-base average over 5-year span 1964-1968 (.387)
21) Led major leagues in runs created over 5-year span 1964-1968 (590)