FanGraphs has Banks at 63.3 WAR and Smith at 67.6 WAR, respectively.Ĭal Ripken’s WAR total is 95.9 by Baseball Reference’s measures and 92.5 by FanGraphs calculations, much higher totals than Larkin, Banks, or Smith. Either way, these are numbers very comparable to Ernie Banks’ 67.7 WAR or defensive wizard Ozzie Smith’s 76.9 WAR, which is predicated on the strength of his glove. However, FanGraphs pegs Barry Larkin at 67 WAR, thanks to their replacement level being somewhat higher in their calculations. Larkin was a prototypical lead-off hitter, and with his high on-base skills and base-running abilities, he produced about the same as those two icons in a somewhat different way.Īs far as saber-metric stats like Wins Above Replacement (WAR) are concerned, Larkin racked up 70.5 WAR during his 19-year career according to Baseball Reference. Yes, Banks hit over 500 home runs, and Cal certainly was a middle of the order power hitter. Interestingly enough, however, Larkin actually has a better career OPS (.815) – on-base plus slugging percentage – than Cal Ripken (.787) and one very close to Ernie Banks (.833). Still, Larkin’s numbers are certainly very respectable and notable for any ballplayer, especially one who played nearly two decades of Major League Baseball. (although Cal played third for the last quarter of his career). Larkin’s traditional counting statistic totals of hits, home runs, RBI and stolen bases aren’t nearly as “sexy” as those of his Hall of Fame shortstop peers, especially those of Ernie Banks and Cal Ripken Jr. Larkin Compared to Other Hall of Fame Shortstops It’s likely that if Larkin hadn’t missed significant parts of several seasons with injury, his numbers would have finished considerably closer to many of his now peers in the Hall of Fame such as Luis Aparicio and Ozzie Smith. But, he did hit 198 home runs (an excellent number for a shortstop) and racked up 379 stolen bases. He didn’t reach any of the major milestones that many Hall of Famers have, such as 3000 hits. Statistically, as far as shortstops go, Larkin stacks up pretty well against his Hall-of-Fame counterparts, with a career line of. As a hitter, he regularly walked more than he struck out, and in the field was a capable shortstop. Larkin also played his entire career in a Cincinnati Reds uniform. During that time, he helped the Reds win the 1990 World Series and became the first ever shortstop to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a season. Louis are Royce Clayton, Edgar Renteria, David Eckstein, Cesar Izturis, Khalil Greene, Brendon Ryan, Tyler Greene, Ryan, Theriot, Rafael Furcal, Pete Kozma, Jhonny Peralta, Aledmys Diaz, and Paul DeJong.Joining Ron Santo in the 2012 Baseball Hall of Fame class, Barry Larkin is enshrined forever in Cooperstown after a nineteen-year Major League Baseball career that spanned from 1986-2004. Some of the names who have come and gone playing shortstop in St. That being said, many have been forgettable. Some were very good and were difference makers with the Cardinals. What does all this add up to? In the 26 years Since Ozzie Smith’s retirement, every shortstop that’s been on the Cardinals roster has had to live in his shadow. But none of them defined the position they played like Ozzie did. Keith Hernandez, Bill White, Scott Rolen, Ken Boyer, Jim Edmonds, and Curt Flood to name a few. There have been other outstanding Cardinals in the past who were defensive standouts and won multiple Gold Gloves. In other words, as opposed to being a legend with a bat, or a arm, such as Stan Musial or Bob Gibson.ĭon’t get me wrong. 87 in The Sporting News list of 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and finished third in voting at shortstop for the Major League Baseball All Century Team.Īlso, Ozzie Smith is probably the only player in Cardinals history to be identified as a baseball legend more at a defensive position. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame.Īdditionally, in 1999, he ranked No. In 2014, he was inducted with 22 other players in the inaugural class of the St. In 2002, he became a first ballot Baseball Hall of Famer with 91.7% of the votes cast. I don’t think anyone would argue that Ozzie Smith was the greatest shortstop in Cardinals history, and certainly, one of the greatest in baseball history. The 11 Gold Gloves, 14 time All Star, a Silver Slugger Award, the backflip, and Jack Buck’s famous “Go Crazy Folks” call in the 1985 NLCS against the Dodgers, all contributed to Ozzie’s legacy in St. When Ozzie Smith turned in his glove after the 1996 season, he left a legacy at shortstop no one has since matched in St. Since Ozzie Smith retired in 1996, all Cardinals shortstops have been compared to him and living in The Wizards shadow.
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