The Frustrating Argument of Bobby Grich, the Most Polarizing HOF Case Ever

In 1992, Bobby Grich made his first and only appearance on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. So few thought him worthy of the ultimate accomplishment in baseball that he finished 24th in total votes, appearing on only 2,4% of the Baseball Writer’s Association of America’s (BBWAA) ballots. While this was hardly news at the time, it managed to spark a debate decades later that still has no answer: Is Robert Anthony Grich actually a Hall of Famer?

To start the argument, it is important to understand what kept Grich out of the Hall in the first place. Although he was considered by many to be one of the top second-basemen of his day, he did not win a World Series or even reach a single traditional statistical milestone. A player with less than 2,000 hits, 250 home-runs, and a measly .266 career batting average would’ve been a pretty open-shut case back then.

Even in his time he was hardly recognized His resume contains only six All-Star appearances, four Gold Glove Awards, and a Silver Slugger. While that is a very impressive list of accomplishments, it hardly holds up to those of the Game’s most elite players in history.

Fast forward another 28 years, however, and suddenly the criteria changes considerably. Gone are many of the “traditionalist” writers who cared only about the awards, the rings, and the milestones. While the way the game has been played has been changed by the new wave of information that has come crashing in during the last few decades, the standards held by the Hall of Fame voters have as well.

By today’s numbers, Grich was beyond outstanding. His career Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is 71.1 with a seven year peak at 46.4. Both of those numbers are above average for a Hall of Fame Second basemen, meaning that he actually exceeds the value of a typical selectee.

This accomplishment is made even more impressive after accounting for the skewing of Rogers Hornsby and Eddie Collins, both of whom were so advanced in their era that their career WAR nearly doubled the current average for second base. Removing them drops the average WAR from 69.5 to 63.8, meaning Grich greatly exceeds the career value of an average second basement.

The reason Grich’s WAR went unnoticed is because of how much it relied on statistics not commonly in use at the time. For starters, despite only posting a .266 career batting average, Grich’s On-Base Percentage (OBP) was .371, a number high for any era but especially in the pitcher friendly era Grich played in. Although getting on via a walk was not considered the necessary skill back then that it is now, few were better in Grich’s time the he.

Grich’s slugging was also undervalued by a wide margin. While he only finished with 224 homers, his ability to slash out doubles kept his Slugging Percentage (SLG%) at or above league average his entire career. He provided plenty of extra base hits even without getting the ball over the wall all of the time.

That all meant that despite being seen as a defender with a little pop, Grich in actuality was a superb offensive weapon. In his entire 17 year career, he only once posted an On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS) that was below league average. That level of consistency is legendary and would often be more than enough, when combined with stellar defense at multiple positions, to give anyone a plaque.

Even today, though, there are obstacles in Grich’s way. His complete lack of recognition is hard to compensate for. Joe Morgan’s true value was also masked by a lack of information, and he still managed two MVP’s. It may not be fair to compare Grich to that level of a player, but it still feels like someone would’ve recognized him as great.

What’s more, Grich was having a career year in 1981. He led the league in home-runs and SLG%. Had it not been cut short, it may have been the huge resume booster that he’d need to push himself over the top as a candidate.

Sure, in terms of value produced, Grich checks every single box that a modern fan could hope for. There’s no question that the quality of play he provided during his career should be enough to push him in. That said, without the fiscal awards or any series post-season accomplishments, there will be a long way to go before enough voters are truly convinced that he’s worthy.