WHY IF DAMON BELONGS IN THE HALL, SO DOES BERNIE

I laughed at this one, but the way I see it, if Johnny Damon seriously believes he is Hall of Fame material, Bernie Williams needs to be there too. The difference of course is personality.  Why Johnny Damon would be so opened about why he should be a Hall of Famer seems weird to me. It's a Gary Sheffield move.  Damon's had a nice career, but you don't need to blab about it.  Bernie Williams on the other hand shows alittle class.  I don't recall he ever talking Hall of Fame, but if we're talking about considering guys that played through the steroid era, dudes like Bernie Williams and Johnny Damon should be at least considered.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, read Tyler Kepner’s piece in the New York Times HERE. He interviewed Johnny Damon and a question came up about the Hall of Fame.  Here's what Johnny said:

“I think even if you look at my numbers now, how high I am on the runs list, how high I am on the doubles list, and you also have to take into account the ballparks that I’ve played in. I’ve played in some pretty tough ones for left-handers. If I played in Yankee Stadium my whole career, my 230 home runs turn into 300, easy.”

Look, I found the interview with Johnny Damon very good and I like Johnny Damon.  I don’t however like cockiness.  I like confidence and I believe alittle ego, but Johnny Damon has always come off pompous to me, I'm not sure why.  That being said, there is no question the man did great things while he played professional baseball and I’d be a fool to say I didn’t want him in pinstripes…I did.  I did when he played for the Royals and the Athletics and to be honest, I loved him when he finally came to the Bronx.

But Bernie Williams doesn’t get enough credit either and every time the conversation comes up about the Hall of Fame and the steroid era, we can’t forget that there were guys like Johnny Damon and Bernie Williams who lived through that…clean.  Johnny in the Kepner piece makes his argument for the Hall of Fame and I get his argument, but in a world of long careers and big numbers, well, those numbers aren't exactly incredible...they are very very good.  

And let me ask you this? Would you put Johnny in over Bernie Williams? Look at the career numbers…then let me also add in championships, because while you can claim the Hall of Fame is an individual achievement, I am a believer that getting a championship needs to come into play, and I believe sometimes it does:

• Johnny Damon: 2730 H / 231 HR / 1122 RBI / 517 2B / 1647 R / 404 SB  / 2x AS / 2x Champion

• Bernie Williams: 2336 H / 287 HR / 1257 RBI / 449 2B / 1366 R / 147 SB / 5x AS / 4x Champion
  

This piece is not the dismiss Damon from ever entering the Hall of Fame, he probably should, eventually. Although without Damon’s hits and stolen bases, what else does Damon really have? Bernie Williams may have less numbers but he only played 16 years as opposed to Damon's 18 years and still ticking. 

• All-Time Hits list: Damon is #56. Bernie is at #132.  

• All-Time Home Run list:  Bernie is at #146. Damon is at #241.

• All-Time RBI list: Bernie is at #125. Damon is at #187.

• All-Time Doubles list: Damon is at #43. Bernie is at #96.

• All-Time Runs Scored: Damon is at #34. Bernie is at #95

• All-Time Stolen bases list: Damon is at #68. Bernie is at #530.

• Career Average: Bernie has .297. Damon has .285.

• All-Star: Bernie has 5. Damon has 2.

• World Championships: Bernie has 4. Damon has 2.

*NOTE: Obviously Damon is still active, these will change. But these number are as of 5/15/2012

The numbers are very similar and yeah, you can definitely make a case for each guy, no question about it, but all I'm saying is, if Johnny Damon were to get in, there is no question Bernie deserves his shot as well.  

But what do you think? Comment and let us know.

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