Well?

 

Kent is another who is right on the line. It is rumored that Kent was one of the most acerbic and difficult men in the game. His teammates rarely had anything good to say about him. Wherever he went, clubhouse trouble seemed to follow.

But on the statistical side, he does hold the record for most HRs by a second baseman by nearly 75. He is a .290 career hitter, was a 5-time All Star and won the MVP in 2000.

He seemed to protest too much about steriods which made me suspect about him. But seeing as he appears to have steered clear of the PED problem, I give him a better than average chance of making it.

In 2010 Roberto Alomar will become eligable for the HOF. That will be a kind of test for Kent. If Alomar doesn't get in, I can't see how they can let Kent in. While Kent hit for more power, Alomar was the better overall player.

 

could we say Alomar is a spitting image of Kent?

within spitting distance of the hall?

 

You'll have to ask John Hirschbeck! But that image may be first and foremost in the voters minds. Bad for him.



But in Alomar's defense, Hirschbeck is a bad umpire and has a reputation for provoking players. He is part of the "old guard" of umpires that act with impunity.

Interestingly, Alomar and Hirschbeck have become close friends since the "spitting" incident.

 

It seems likely to me that Kent is a Hall of Famer.

 

Kent's a HoFer. Probably not 1st ballot, but he will get in. Greatest offensive 2B ever. The 9 year stretch where he averaged 28 HR & 111 RBI per season alone will get him in, never mind that no 2B has ever had 8 seasons of 100 RBI or better (and he missed 9 consecutive seasons by 7 RBI in season #7). He wasn't a RAlomar defensively (who is?), but he played 2B decently enough to go until he was 40 years old.

Character-wise, he was an a-hole. But there are plenty of guys already in Cooperstown who are a-holes.

 

I buy most of your argument but not the part about giving him some sort of special consideration for being a 2B. That bought Ryne Sanberg into the HOF when he likely didn't belong there. Are either of them in the same class as Joe Morgan - or Alfonso Soriano who hit 39 HRs in a single season as a second baseman with the Yankees. Wouldn't he be the best if his situation had not required him to move to the outfield?

I like that Kent was nearly a .300 hitter for his career and had nearly 2,500 hits more than anything. But so did Bill Buckner.

 

I was at that game

 

absolutely not. i get so frustrated at what the HOF has become. HOF players should be the truly special players of an era, the ones who electrified the crowd every time they were playing. Roberto Alomar is a HOFer, Jeff Kent is not.

 

Of course Kent is a HOF!! Roberto Alomar in and not Kent? LOL. That is ridiculous.

Looks at Kent's numbers over the long haul. Most prolific hitting 2nd basemen ever. Nuff said. You may not care for him personally, but he played the game right (very few do nowadays) and his numbers get him in.

Alomar had a few good years by comparison. But to the above poster... he electrified the crowd and Kent didn't? That's pretty damn funny....