Hall of Fame-Season 69

After much deliberation over a player’s career statistics, playoff success, era, and other factors, the official Franchise Ball Hall of Fame class has been selected for season 69. The class primarily features players who retired in season 69, although a few historic players were finally given their rightful place in the Hall.

Currently there are ten members of the Hall of Fame voting panel. In order to earn induction, a player must receive at least six votes from these members. In a few instances, a player can gain induction with only five votes if it passes a certain tiebreaker.

Below are features for the players, sorted by position and then alphabetically. The team listed alongside their names are the team they were inducted with, which would be either the team they spent the majority of their career with or the one in which they very at their best. Links are provided to each one’s career statistics page, where one may observe a more in-depth analysis of a players career.

An indication of L beside their name denotes a “Legend”, a tier above an average Hall of Famer. A GL stands for “Goat Legend” and represents that a player is the cream of the crop, one of the absolute greatest of all time.

Pitchers

Kendrick Buford, Spokane Warriors (GL)

Active Seasons 53-69

Votes Received: 10

Buford was a clear-cut Hall of Famer, made clear by his unanimous induction. He joined the league in season 53 with the historic Las Vegas DBAA in season 53, but only lasted there for three seasons. He moved to the Spokane Warriors, where he spent eight seasons in the prime of his career. He was absolutely dominant during this span, never losing more than three games in a season. After an undefeated season 63, Buford was sent to Hartford to play for the HTFD_YANKEES for five seasons before finishing his career with one season for the Los Angeles Lions. Buford was incredibly efficient throughout his career, with an ERA of 3.18 and a WHIP of 0.89 through nearly 1500 innings. He also had 121 wins compared to only 40 losses. In the playoffs, Buford racked up 11 division titles and a World Series championship in season 58 with the Warriors.

Talon Dionne, Toronto Blue Jays (L)

Active Seasons 49-69

Voted Received: 5

Dionne was a career Blue Jay, although the team underwent a few name changes during his career. Unlike many other pitchers in this Hall of Fame class, his ERA was mediocre, sitting at 4.02, with a WHIP of 1.09. What earned him induction was his workhorse abilities and monster strikeout numbers. Dionne pitched 1,987 innings with 1,729 strikeouts, which lead this draft class. Dionne had success in the playoffs, with eleven division titles, two league titles and a world championship.

Jordan Macdonald, Hartford HTFD_YANKEES (GL) Active Seasons 49-69

Votes Received: 10

Macdonald received a unanimous induction to the Hall of Fame. In a 20 year career that took him to play for five different teams, Macdonald dominated each season. He played a whopping 1,802 innings, which puts him near the top of the Franchise Ball records. In those innings, he racked up 159 wins and maintained a great 3.11 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. He also had nearly 1,500 strikeouts. Macdonald had eight seasons with double-digit wins, which goes to show both his dominance and longevity. With the exception of his first two and last two seasons, Macdonald never threw less than 75 pitches, making him a true workhorse. Unfortunately, he never got to experience a World Series win, but he does have ten divisional titles and one league title under his belt.

Rai Menendez, New Orleans Rusty Tollers

Active Seasons 52-69

Votes Received: 5

Menendez had to rely on the tiebreaker to earn induction the Hall, and this ended up being a blessing for him. While it is true his WHIP was a very solid 0.96 through eighteen seasons, his ERA was 3.50 and he had a poor 5.47 K/9. Menendez played for four different teams throughout his long career and had eight division titles and one league title.

Aluino Montemayor, Milwaukee Miltown Brewers

Active Seasons 49-68

Votes Received: 7

The most journeyman-like of all Hall of Famers in this class, Montemayor played for seven different teams. He was best at striking batters out, with 1,214 Ks in 1,396 innings pitched. He also had 97 wins. Nothing else was particularly noteworthy about his career, but he still easily made it into the Hall of Fame.

Alijah Mott, Mesa FooFighters (L)

Active Seasons 54-69

Votes Received: 5

Alijah Mott spent his entire career in the southern deserts, spending four seasons with the Fort Worth Broncs and then was transferred to the Mesa FooFighters for his final eleven. Mott was great at limiting offenses as he had a career ERA of 3.37. He was very consistent in terms of win production, having only two losing seasons. However, his innings totals are significantly lower than other Hall of Famers at just 909, and his usage was low at times. He was in the playoffs all eleven seasons with the FooFighters and even had a league championship. Though perhaps not quite as obvious a choice as others, Mott has been immortalized in the Hall of Fame.

Calvino Naranjo, Halifax Kantai (L)

Active Seasons 62-69

Votes Received: 7

Calvino Naranjo’s stellar career was cut short by a tragic fatal incident in his native El Salvador, but his legacy will live on with his enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. Naranjo spent his last five seasons with the Halifax Kantai, where he had a sub-1.00 WHIP every season. He won 49 games, one of which was an elusive perfect game. We are saddened by the loss of Calvino Naranjo that came far too soon, an elite pitcher who will be remembered in the Hall of Fame.

Cesaro Pulido, Shreveport Ratchets (L)

Active Seasons 50-69

Votes Received: 10

A unanimous selection for the Hall of Fame, Cesaro Pulido began his career with the Thomassow, although he was never utilized. The now historic Thomassow definitely regret their decision to leave him on the bench for the three seasons they had him, as he went on to have an elite career. He played for the Miami crazybear for five seasons before going to the Shreveport Ratchets for the remainder of his career. Pulido was known for his efficiency, with eleven seasons with a WHIP of 1.00 or less. He won four division championships.

Coleman Ramirez, Cincinnati Reds (GL)

Active Seasons 51-69

Votes Received: 9

Another workhorse, Coleman Ramirez reached the Hall of Fame through pitching monstrous amounts of innings, racking up 151 wins and 1,598 strikeouts in the process. Ramirez played the majority of his career with the Cincinnati Reds, where he had 12 winning seasons. He had 6 seasons with more than 100 strikeouts. Ramirez’s WHIP was also very good, sitting at 0.99. Ramirez led the Reds to four division titles and a world series championship in season 59.

Ernest Roundtree, Cincinnati Reds (L)

Active Seasons 53-69

Votes Received: 9

Ernest Roundtree played for only two teams in his 17 season career. He joined the league in season 53 with the Charlotte Glazed Donuts, and four seasons later was transferred to the Cincinnati Reds. Roundtree was an elite strikeout pitcher, with six seasons of 90 or more. He finished his career with 1,213 strikeouts through 1,285 innings pitched. He did not allow many batters to get on base and had a WHIP just under 1.00. He had an incredible winning percentage of 68%. He won six division tiles, two league titles, and a world championship in season 59, when he had an ERA of just 1.86. Roundtree’s strikeout rate and low WHIP earned him a spot in the Hall.

Derrick Stuckey, Mesa FooFighters

Active Seasons 54-69

Votes Received: 5

Derrick Stucky is an interesting case in this Hall of Fame class. True, he had an elite 3.17 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP, but he only had 648 career innings pitched, a significantly smaller sample size compared to other pitchers. He only had five seasons with over 75 innings and was used primarily as a relief pitcher. Due to his great ERA this pick is probably well-deserved, but the question remains that he could have struggled more if given a heftier load like the other pitchers in this class. It is clear voters felt this uncertainty as Stucky struggled his way in with just five votes.

Giovanni Tafoya, Calgary Fire Birds (GL)

Active Seasons 49-69

Votes Received: 10

A unanimous pick for the Hall of Fame, Giovanni Tafoya will be remembered as a pitcher who severely limited a team’s opportunity to score runs. In 1,010 innings he had a WHIP of just 0.93 and only issued 91 walks. He perhaps wasn’t the trickiest of pitchers, only racking up 710 strikeouts, but he was still able to shut down offenses by forcing lots of groundballs and routine popouts. Tafoya’s career can be definitely split in two eras. In his first seven seasons, he was used primarily as a closer, with six consecutive double-digit save seasons. Once he was acquired by the Fire Birds, his role changed into one of the starter. By the end of his career, his record stood at an amazing 80-28 with a 3.42 ERA. Tafoya was on fourteen division title teams and had one league championship.

Brennan Thigpen, Mesa Foofighters

Active Seasons 50-69

Votes Received: 9

Thigpen spent time with four different clubs, but the majority of his career was spent in Mesa with the Foofighters, where established himself as a force to be reckoned with. He had a great WHIP at 0.96 and had over 100 career wins. He also is notable for his strikeouts, of which he had 1,249. Although his ERA was not elite, sitting at 3.69 Votes Received:, his other statistics were great enough to bring him into the Hall. In the postseason, he had 5 division titles with the Miami Mystics, 10 division titles and 1 league title with the Mesa Foofighters, and 3 division titles with the Green Bay Brewers. He missed the playoffs only twice, in the first two seasons of his career. His greatness both in the regular season and the playoffs earned him Hall of Fame enshrinement.

Roberto Upton, Lexington RED ONIONS

Active Seasons 55-69

Votes Received: 9

Roberto Upton was a journeyman throughout his career, playing for four separate teams. He was with the RED ONIONS for five, and during the prime of his career, which is why he has been inducted with their team. Upton was a strikeout master, with 1,008 in 1,108 innings pitched. He had three seasons with more strikeouts than innings pitched, which is a very rare occurrence. He also had a WHIP of below 1.00 and allowed only 87 walks. Upton played for nine division title winners and had one league title.

Jan Wagner, Spokane Warriors (L)

Active Seasons 55-69

Votes Received: 6

Perhaps one of the most underrated Hall of Famers, Wagner only received 6 votes. His career was nothing short of elite, however, with an ERA of 3.26 and a record of 95-46. His WHIP was well below 1.00. He had only two losing seasons in his fifteen season career. Wagner made it to seven division titles and a world series championship, all with the Spokane Warriors. While he lacked in great voter turnout, he made up by earning the L tag.

Heriberto Zambrano, New Orleans Rusty Tollers

Active Seasons 50-68

Votes Received: 7

Zambrano joined the league in season 50 with the Houston Oilers, where he spent four seasons. He then joined the Rusty Tollers, where he spent the rest of his career. Zambrano was an incredibly difficult pitcher to face, as he had 1108 strikeouts, nearly 1 for every inning he pitched. His ERA was a pristine 3.16 and he had a WHIP of 0.96. He had only four losing seasons, but wasn’t known as a starter for most of his career. His greatest success came when closing out games, as he racked up 191 saves. He had eight seasons with at least fifteen saves. Zambrano also had immense playoff success, helping the Rusty Tollers to 13 division titles, 3 league titles, and a world championship in season 62.

Catchers

Arnoldo Loya, Louisville Colonels

Active Seasons 51-69

Votes Received: 9

Loya played for the Colonels every season of his 20 season career. He proved to be one of the best slugging catchers, perhaps one of the best of any position, in Franchise Ball history. He hit 279 home runs, with 12 seasons of 15 or more home runs, including one season with thirty. He also got on base plenty, with a career average just over the 300 mark, sitting at .301, with 1,225 career hits. In the playoffs, Loya had seven division titles, two league titles and one world championship. A unanimous pick, Loya is now immortalized in the Hall of Fame.

First Basemen

Cipriano Briones, Louisville Colonels

Active Seasons 53-69

Votes Received: 8

Almost completely a career Colonel, Briones was a terror at the plate, smashing 283 home runs and driving in 712 runs in his 17 season career. He also had over 1,000 hits on a 0.290 batting average. Briones was on four division championship teams with the Colonels, including a world championship in season 66.

Second Basemen

Shannon Nunez, Montreal Soldats

Active Seasons 51-68

Votes Received: 7

This was Nunez’s second time on the ballot. Nunez was a reliable player who didn’t necessarily excel at any one skill, but was above average at all. In 18 seasons, he racked up well over 1,000 hits and collected a .311 batting average. He was incredibly reliable, with seven seasons with a .300 batting average and double-digit home runs, stolen bases, and doubles. Nunez made it to the division title seven times and had two league championships. Nunez had to wait an extra season, but has made it into the Hall of Fame.

Emerson Washington, Shreveport Ratchets

Active Seasons 46-60

One of the few historic players who were inducted in this Hall of Fame class, Emerson Washington had to wait nine seasons past retirement to finally earn his rightful place in Franchise Ball legend. Although Washington’s career spanned 15 years, he was only active for nine seasons, four with the Kansas City Cobras and five with the Shreveport Ratchets. The remaining five seasons were unfortunately spent on the bench as the Ratchets did not recognize his full potential. Still, with a shortened career he managed to rack up 181 home runs and 250 stolen bases on a .315 batting average. He had at least 15 home runs in every season in which he was active, and had at least 20 steals in all but one. He was a team leader in the Kansas City Cobra’s playoff run of season 47 that ultimately ended in a World Series defeat, and had five division titles and a league title with the Ratchets. Although he was overlooked for several seasons past retirement, Washington has finally found his rightful place in the Hall of Fame.

Dominique Worthy, New Orleans Rusty Tollers (GL)

Active Seasons 48-69

Votes Received: 10

If I were able to choose one player that is the best of this Hall of Fame class, I would have to go with Dominique Worthy. A tenured slugger, he also had incredible speed that allowed him to attain a whopping 489 stolen bases. He had nine seasons with at least 25 steals, and in season 49 he managed to steal 43 bags. He probably would have had even more steals if it weren’t for the 337 home runs he also crushed, when baserunning wasn’t even necessary. He was a major contributor to all of his teams in run production, racking up 809 RBI. Worthy played for the Scottsdale Devils Assassins in the first few seasons of his career, where he immediately made an impact with three seasons of 30 or more stolen bases, including season 50 when he led the Devils Assassins to a division title. He then played six seasons with the New Orleans Voodoo, adding three more division titles to his repertoire. He then moved across town to play for the Rusty Tollers, where he retired after a twelve season run. He had an additional 10 division titles, including a world championship in season 62. He retires with 14 total playoff appearances and one world championship. It is clear that he is worthy of his spot in the Hall of Fame.

Shortstops

Randy Gillaspie, Grand Rapids BBBs

Active Seasons: 52-69

Votes Received: 7

Gillaspie was a heavily disputed Hall of Famer due to his arguably mediocre statistics. He batted .313 in 2,887 at bats and had only slightly above average totals at home runs (192) and RBI (465). He played for four different teams but spent the majority of his career with the BBBs. He made it to five division titles. Whether he was the most deserving player is beside the point; Gillaspie is in the Hall of Fame.

Santiago Stevens, Salt Lake City Brewmeisters

Active Seasons 48-68

Votes Received: 6

Stevens was on the Hall of Fame ballot last season, where he fell short of induction. Not to be forgotten, he was able to pass the threshold and earn his enshrinement. He played all but his final season with the Salt Lake City Brewmeisters, who were disbanded in season 67 before going to the appropriately named Oceanside Retirement Home for his final season. In his long career, Stevens racked up 263 home runs and 1,398 hits. He was one of the best power hitters of his time. He led the Brewmeisters to 8 division titles, including 2 league titles. Although he is not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, Stevens has been inducted in his second round of voting.

Left Fielders

Nicolas Kimbrough, Kansas City Royals! (L)

Active Seasons 48-69

Votes Received: 7

Kimbrough was one of the league’s great dual-purpose hitters, making his spot in the Hall of Fame clear. Kimbrough terrorized pitchers and sent many balls flying from the stadium. He hit 309 home runs and hit at least 15 fourteen times, including four seasons of twenty or more long bombs. Not only did he slug, but he had speed as well, stealing 209 bases in his career. He had five seasons with at least 15 home runs and stolen bases. Kimbrough is also a member of the 1,000 hit club, with 1291 on a .287 average. Kimbrough sadly never made it to the playoffs, as he was always stuck on teams that couldn’t gain enough all-around skill to make the postseason, but this didn’t tarnish his record as a Hall of Famer.

Right Fielders

Angelo Abeyta, Oakland Athletics

Active Seasons 51-69

Votes Received: 5

Angelo Abeyta was graced by the tiebreaker rule in order to get into the Hall of Fame. Nothing about his game was particularly incredible. He batted only .285 and this was not backed up by great home run or stolen base numbers, where he only put up 217 and 128, respectively. Abeyta could never really settle down in his career, playing for six teams. He had great playoff experience, with ten division titles and two league titles to his name.

Adelio Mena, Shreveport Ratchets

Active Seasons 51-68

Votes Received: 6

Adelio Mena just slipped by into the Hall of Fame. He was best known as a stolen base threat, swiping 281 bags in his 18 season career. He played his first four seasons with the Cincinnati Elite before going to Shreveport, where he spent the majority of his career. Mena had nine seasons with a batting average above .300. He won eight division titles, with at least one with four different teams. This was Mena’s second year on the ballot, and although he missed out last time around, he has been immortalized this time around.

Best in Class

Hits: Dominique Worthy (1450)

AVG: Randy Gillaspie (.313) RBI: Dominique Worthy (819)

SLG: Randy Gillaspie (.591)

2B: Dominique Worthy (232)

3B: Shannon Nunez (82)

HR: Dominique Worthy (337) SB: Dominique Worthy (489)

ERA: Jordan Macdonald (3.11)

W: Talon Dionne/Jordan Macdonald (159) W%: Kendrick Buford (121-40, .751)

SV: Coleman Ramirez (181) K: Talon Dionne (1729)

BB: Derrick Stuckey (49)

WHIP: Kendrick Buford (0.893) IP: Talon Dionne (1987)

What do you think of this year’s Hall of Fame class? Did anybody sneak in who you feel didn’t deserve it? How about anyone you feel was snubbed? Please, if you have any opinions or ideas leave a comment. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this year’s Hall of Fame class.