10 Cooperstown Mistakes Nobody Wants to Admit

Last Updated: August 25th, 2026 by Michael Schatz

I know you clicked on this article, ready to debate. There is no Hall of Fame in sports that is more scrutinized than Cooperstown. It is famous (or infamous) for its selective nature, and that has led to many people criticizing it for using hindsight.

Players from the past worked so hard to accomplish the things that they did that it's tough to say that their induction was one that maybe shouldn't have been. There is no easy way to make this list, so we should just dive in, and you can give us your thoughts as you read.

10. Harold Baines

Baines sure has longevity on his side with his 22-year career. But even then, the counting numbers don't quite add up in comparison to many other Hall of Famers. He does not have 3,000 hits, 500 home runs, or a .300 career batting average. The accolades fall pretty short as well in comparison to those who had the full slate of awards to be chosen for. Baines was selected to the All-Star Game six times and was honored with one Silver Slugger Award.

One additional note: Baines was primarily a designated hitter. So career WAR is certainly not on his side. He did not predominantly play the field. This one is definitely a case of longevity taking over the argument enough for him to get the votes needed to be cast in bronze.

Harold Baines — Career	Total
G	2830
AB	9908
H	2866
HR	384
RBI	1628
SB	34
AVG	.289
OBP	.356
SLG	.465
OPS	.821
All-Star selections	6
Silver Sluggers	1

9. Jim Rice

I believe Jim Rice definitely deserves a long look to be considered for the Hall of Fame, but he falls just short of 2,500 career hits and a .300 career batting average. He also hit under 400 home runs in his career. A 130 OPS+ is considered Hall of Fame worthy for a career. Rice falls just short of that at 128. He does have eight All-Star selections with two Silver Sluggers and an impressive MVP award. So he is definitely close. My biggest argument is that if he's in, one of his all-time teammates, Fred Lynn, should be in too.

Lynn couldn't stay healthy as consistently, so he doesn't have quite the number of hits, but he has more accolades with one additional All-Star selection, four Gold Gloves, a batting title, and a Rookie of the Year to go along with his MVP. He also obtained one more point of career OPS+ than Rice. Sometimes I think the number of career hits is weighed too heavily.

Jim Rice — Career	Total
G	2089
AB	8225
H	2452
HR	382
RBI	1451
SB	58
AVG	.298
OBP	.352
SLG	.502
OPS	.854
MVP	1
All-Star selections	8
Silver Sluggers	2

8. Catfish Hunter

Hunter easily had one of the best peaks a pitcher has had in baseball history. His five straight All-Star selections came with four straight top-four Cy Young finishes. It proved that when he was on, he was really on. However, there are a number of years in Hunter's 15-year career that were not as elite.

A 104 ERA+ actually suggests that he was closer to league average than many people remember him to be. I get it. He was durable and pitched almost every time he was asked in his career, but that didn't lead to the best possible success.

This one is really tough because he is such a legendary figure with his five World Series championships. But it may be that he complemented some really good offenses during his career.

Catfish Hunter — Career	Total
W	224
L	166
ERA	3.26
G	500
IP	3449.1
SO	2012
WHIP	1.13
SV	1
Cy Young	1
All-Star selections	8
World Series titles	5

7. Jack Morris

Just like Catfish Hunter, championships can go a long way. I get that Jack Morris was a major part of three World Series championships with three different teams, which is easily what he is remembered for most. However, it is well documented that Morris has the highest career ERA at 3.90 among the Hall of Famers.

There were eight seasons in his career where he appeared in over 20 games and collected an ERA above 4.00. His ERA+ ended at 105 for his career, which is close to league average. 254 wins is a lot, but they weren't highlighted with the same dominance that was displayed in the playoffs.

I know he is a beloved workhorse and definitely an ace for three different teams, which is already impressive, but there are other pitchers in history who have had similar careers and are not in the Hall of Fame.

Jack Morris — Career	Total
W	254
L	186
ERA	3.90
G	549
IP	3824.0
SO	2478
WHIP	1.30
SV	0
All-Star selections	5
World Series titles	4

6. Bruce Sutter

Here is a career that is short but sweet. There is no doubt that Bruce Sutter was dominant when he entered the game out of the bullpen. He was an innovator in the game of baseball, as he led the league in saves five different times. His numbers suggest greatness, like his 136 career ERA+. The issue comes through the longevity. Is 12 years enough? The Hall of Fame voters certainly think so.

For a reliever, it can be tough to really make an impact on a sport when you have the same amount of career innings pitched as some starting pitchers from that era could complete in less than five years. Again, this one is close because of how innovative he was with the position. His 300 saves are easily enough for consideration, but was he able to do enough outside of that to warrant baseball's highest honor?

Bruce Sutter — Career	Total
W	68
L	71
ERA	2.83
G	661
IP	1042.0
SO	861
WHIP	1.14
SV	300
Cy Young	1
All-Star selections	6
World Series titles	1

5. Phil Rizzuto

Rizzuto is an iconic Yankee for a number of reasons. Some would say that a major reason was his broadcasting career, which started after he played. I will say that he was still a very good player and shortstop for the Yankees. He was loyal to the organization through World War II and throughout his 13-year career.

This era is tough for the obvious reason of military service that interrupts a promising career. Rizzuto was still able to turn in an MVP season in 1950. That accolade comes with five All-Star selections and seven World Series rings. I think, however, his career OPS+ comes at an underwhelming 93. That means he was a below-average hitter collectively for his career.

That, combined with stunted counting stats due to the war interruption, makes Rizzuto's statistics seem a little lacking compared to the lofty standards of Cooperstown.

Phil Rizzuto — Career	Total
G	1661
AB	5816
H	1588
HR	38
RBI	563
SB	149
AVG	.273
OBP	.351
SLG	.355
OPS	.706
MVP	1
All-Star selections	5
World Series titles	7

4. Larry Doby

First of all, I want to say that Larry Doby absolutely deserves to be in the Hall of Fame for the barrier breaking that he did. This is absolutely not a slight of his work in that context.

He spent 13 years in the American League after becoming the first black player in that league after Jackie Robinson was able to do it in the National League. Doby collected 1,515 hits, which is not as impressive as many of his peers in the Hall of Fame. He did put up a 136 OPS+, which means he had Hall of Fame offensive talent.

Again, I am not saying that his barrier breaking wasn't significant. I just wish we had a little more time to watch his greatness accumulate as he retired at the age of 35.

Larry Doby — Career	Total
G	1674
AB	5883
H	1697
HR	273
RBI	1093
SB	64
AVG	.288
OBP	.389
SLG	.499
OPS	.888
All-Star selections	7
World Series titles	1

3. Orlando Cepeda

Cepeda played in a golden age of baseball. These were times when All-Star selections doubled because two All-Star Games were played during one season. He was able to take advantage of that for four straight seasons. Those years were part of his best stretch of play in a 17-year career.

After those seasons, he had just three other years where he earned an All-Star selection. In one of them, he won an MVP award. Other than that, the career accumulation isn't quite as elite as some of his teammates and peers. He hit under .300 and under 400 home runs. A 133 OPS+ does make this debate close.

But I can see those who would lean the other way if they were as strict as the Hall of Fame's reputation leads us to think.

Orlando Cepeda — Career	Total
G	2124
AB	7927
H	2351
HR	379
RBI	1365
SB	142
AVG	.297
OBP	.350
SLG	.499
OPS	.849
MVP	1
All-Star selections	7
World Series titles	1
Rookie of the Year	1

2. Ralph Kiner

There are short careers due to World War II, and then there is Ralph Kiner's career. He retired at just the age of 32, which shortened his career to 10 years. He sure was dominant for the better part of that decade. But the easy question is: was it enough? For a home run hitter that could reach the 40 per season threshold, Kiner had to stop his career total at 369.

Because of his penchant for home runs, he did not have as high a batting average as many others during his generation. He did not accumulate 1,500 hits in his career, nor did he reach 300 doubles.

There's no doubt that the peak is there and he has an extremely strong prime, but where is that line for those who want to take longevity into deep consideration?

Ralph Kiner — Career	Total
G	1472
AB	5205
H	1451
HR	369
RBI	1015
SB	22
AVG	.279
OBP	.398
SLG	.548
OPS	.946
All-Star selections	6

1. Tony Perez

This is definitely a question of how much the Big Red Machine should be taken into consideration when analyzing Tony Perez's career. He has the longevity of a 23-year career, during which he played well into his 40s. He has some solid counting stats like his 2,732 hits and 1,652 RBI. However, how much of that was boosted by the fact that he was on such a dynamic offense for so long?

He never led the league in any offensive category in his career. He earned seven All-Star selections to go along with his two World Series rings. But that's about it. His 122 OPS+ is just short of the imaginary Hall of Fame line of 130. There is no doubt that his career reached many fans across the country in different generations. But was he solid enough throughout his long career to warrant this ultimate recognition?

Tony Perez — Career	Total
G	2777
AB	9778
H	2732
HR	379
RBI	1652
SB	49
AVG	.279
OBP	.341
SLG	.463
OPS	.804
All-Star selections	7
World Series titles	2

Keep reading

• 12 Controversial Hall of Fame Selections
• 11 Overrated MLB Players Your Childhood Self Loved
• 11 Pitchers From the 1970s That Would Embarrass Today’s Aces