Pete Browning

[Baseball Guru]

Continuing to get the views from the esteemed members of Fever, I would like to know the opinion of the omission of Pete Browning from the HOF.

Top 3 in batting average 9 times
Top 9 in obp% 9 times
Top 7 in slugging % 9 times
Top 6 in ops 9 times
.341 career avg is 13th best all-time
.403 obp% is 53rd all-time
His Adjusted OPS+ of 162 is 13th all-time


Just some raw #'s thrown out there...

So in your eyes, is he a HOF'er or not?

If not, why?

[PVNICK]

The original Louisville Slugger's not in? I couldn't think of a reason.

[jalbright]

Here's my and AG2004's reasons why Browning isn't in:

Pete Browning
He's a hard case because when he played, he was top shelf. The problem is, he only played 13 years, and wasn't durable--he managed less than the equivalent of 10 full seasons in that time. Add to that the fact he was in a weaker league (the AA) in the 19th century when things were getting started, it's safe to say there are good reasons to question his qualifications, too. I've come to the conclusion he doesn't belong, for reasons well stated by AG2004 below:

Note: All seasons up to and including 1889 are adjusted to 140 games. All seasons from 1890 onwards are adjusted to 154 games.

1. Was he ever regarded as the best player in baseball? Did anybody, while he was active, ever suggest that he was the best player in baseball?

No.

2. Was he the best player on his team?

He led Louisville’s position players in win shares five times: 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, and 1887. He also led the PL’s Cleveland team in win shares among position players in 1890.

3. Was he the best player in baseball at his position? Was he the best player in the league at his position?

He led all MLB 2B in win shares in 1882, all MLB LF in 1883, and all MLB CF in 1887. He was among the top three outfielders in the PL in 1890. He also led AA 3B in win shares in 1884 and AA CF in 1885.

4. Did he have an impact on a number of pennant races?

No. His teams were always far out of contention.

5. Was he good enough that he could play regularly after passing his prime?

No. The last season when Browning played in at least half of his team’s games was 1892, when he was 31.

6. Is he the very best baseball player in history who is not in the Hall of Fame?

No.

7. Are most players who have comparable statistics in the Hall of Fame?

By similarity scores: Ross Youngs, Riggs Stephenson, Tip O’Neill, Joe Jackson, Elmer Flick, John Stone, Elmer Smith, Chick Stahl, Earle Combs, and Pete Fox. Three are in Cooperstown, but just one in the BBFHOF. However, only Browning (162) and Jackson (170) have an OPS+ over 142.

Adjusted career win shares, pre-1900 CF: Hugh Duffy 325, George Gore 322, Dummy Hoy 275, Mike Griffin 266, BROWNING 266, Tom Brown 252. Among modern players, we have Earl Averill 280, Fred Lynn 280, Clyde Milan 266, Chet Lemon, Roy Thomas 260, Rick Monday 258, and Lloyd Waner 245. Browning is a long way from BBFHOF territory.

Adjusted peak three seasons, pre-1900 CF: George Gore 109, Paul Hines 107, Hugh Duffy 103, BROWNING 98, Jake Stenzel 89, Jimmy Ryan 88, George Van Haltren 88. Browning is at the lower end of the gray area. Among moderns, 98 is close to Jimmy Wynn 100, Wally Berger 100, Hack Wilson 98, Larry Doby 97, Dale Murphy 97, Edd Roush 96, Fred Lynn 94, and Earl Averill 93. This is the gray area.

Adjusted best five consecutive seasons, pre-1900 CF: Paul Hines 161, Hugh Duffy 161, George Gore 146, BROWNING 143, Jimmy Ryan 135, George Van Haltren 135, Tom Brown 128. Browning’s in the gray area. Among moderns, 143 win shares is close to Larry Doby 152, Wally Berger 152, Dale Murphy 150, Earl Averill 143, Jimmy Wynn 141, Cesar Cedeno, Richie Ashburn 137, Vada Pinson 137, and Edd Roush 136. Browning is a little low.

8. Do the player's numbers meet Hall of Fame standards?

Browning’s black ink total of 21 (97th) and gray ink score of 147 (90th) are enough to crack the top 100. That’s a good sign. However, he’s only at 204th in HOF Standards, at 34.7. The short seasons may have something to do with that low mark. He also managed to win two Win Shares Gold Gloves.

Browning is not in Cooperstown, nor is he in the Hall of Merit. He is in the BBF Timeline HOF, however.

9. Is there any evidence to suggest that the player was significantly better or worse than is suggested by his statistics?

Browning played in the AA, which was the weaker of the two leagues during the 1880s. Also, from the age of 27 onwards, there was just one season when he played in 80% of his team’s games; rate stats from those years make him look more productive than he actually was.

10. Is he the best player at his position who is eligible for the Hall of Fame?

No. Among nineteenth-century CFs, Duffy and Gore would be better choices for the BBFHOF.

11. How many MVP-type seasons did he have? Did he ever win an MVP award? If not, how many times was he close?

There was no MVP award in Browning’s era. He led all AA position players in win shares in 1882 and 1883. Browning had three seasons which project to 30 win shares over 140 games; that’s a good sign. However, one of them came in the 1882 AA season, when the AA was an expansion league at best.

12. How many All-Star-type seasons did he have? How many All-Star games did he play in? Did most of the players who played in this many All-Star games go into the Hall of Fame?

The All-Star game came along half a century after Browning’s career. Browning did record six seasons which project to 20+ win shares. That’s very low for a Hall of Famer.

13. If this man were the best player on his team, would it be likely that the team could win the pennant?

At his peak, probably.

14. What impact did the player have on baseball history? Was he responsible for any rule changes? Did he introduce any new equipment? Did he change the game in any way?

The Hillerich firm named its “Louisville Slugger” bat after Browning.

15. Did the player uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider?

In 1888, a drunk and shirtless Browning, sporting a black eye, climbed onto a streetcar, insulted a member of the City Council, and dragged him into a saloon. Louisville suspended him for a month over that incident. In 1886, he was benched for a month for “incompetent playing.”

CONCLUSION: Browning’s peak is solid, but not spectacular. However, his career didn’t have that much value, and he didn’t play at an All-Star-type level for all that long (the 1886 and 1888 suspensions also lowered the number of All-Star-type seasons, so they are relevant). He doesn’t make my queue for the BBFHOF.

[Fuzzy Bear]

I don't advocate for Browning's induction, but I don't oppose it, either.

The "major league" concept was far less well developed in Browning's time than it is now. "Major league" meant the leagues in the biggest cities. There was not a one-to-one match between the best x number of players and the x number of slots on major league rosters as there is now, pretty much.

I would recommend a Scholar's panel to study the issue of the 19th century players that might deserve recognition. Browning was a star in his own time, and that's a powerful argument on behalf of his induction. He was also (by many accounts) an alcoholic, functionally illiterate, and somewhat deaf. Much of these issues can be traced to serious medical issues, which contributed to his early death. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Browning) One has to wonder if Browning, with all his talent, would be a star in this day and age as he was back then.

[Baseball Guru]

Excellent, excellent analysis jalbright!:clapping

I thoroughly enjoyed reading that post! Thank you!

[KCGHOST]

The argument to keep Browning out of the HoF because he is not the Best Player not yet admitted is silly. That would mean that every time we wanted to discuss someone's candidacy we would have to deal with that question and for everybody but one the answer would be "No".

And in a perfect world sooner or later the answer is going to be "Yes, and we aren't letting him in anyway".

Guys who have studied this era in far more depth than I have really discount Browning career mightily due to the league quality thing. And I respect their expertise on the issue.

I will say that all player's with a higher RCAA (as calculated by the SBE) are in the HoF.

[brett]

I have no problem with Browning and am suprised that he wasn't put in by the VC. Put Dahlen in first though please.

[1905 Giants]

I thought he was in.

Put him in man.

(Is he in the BBF Hall?)

Dahlen too.

[jalbright]

Excellent, excellent analysis jalbright!:clapping

I thoroughly enjoyed reading that post! Thank you!

You're welcome, but a great deal of the credit for it goes to AG2004.

[Dodgerfan1]

15. Did the player uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider?

In 1888, a drunk and shirtless Browning, sporting a black eye, climbed onto a streetcar, insulted a member of the City Council, and dragged him into a saloon. Louisville suspended him for a month over that incident. In 1886, he was benched for a month for “incompetent playing.”

Yep! He upholds behavior consistent with many HOFers, alright! :D

[Baseball Guru]

T
Guys who have studied this era in far more depth than I have really discount Browning career mightily due to the league quality thing. And I respect their expertise on the issue.

I will say that all player's with a higher RCAA (as calculated by the SBE) are in the HoF.

Thats what i was pretty much think, that it had more to do with league quality...

I would assume that is probably the same reasoning behind Tip O'Neill not getting much attention?

O'Neill rates pretty well on the black ink (a 35, good for #42) and the HOF monitor (112.5, good for 128)

There really isn't a player that has played the majority of his career in the AA that is in the HOF is there?

[jalbright]

The American Association hasn't gotten much support in HOF terms, that's for sure. It was the weaker league, but I do wonder if there isn't a bit of the victor writing history involved here.

Jim Albright

[Calif_Eagle]

Perhaps either on this Forum or the 19th Century Forum, someone might be of a mind to start the BBF "AA" "PL" "UA" & "FL" Hall of Fame ? Just an idle thought while reading this thread... I wouldnt mind seeing Browning in Cooperstown myself... good numbers... The Louisville Slugger bat was named for him... seems like he would fit well, at the very least Fame-wise anyway.

[RubeBaker]

15. Did the player uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider?

In 1888, a drunk and shirtless Browning, sporting a black eye, climbed onto a streetcar, insulted a member of the City Council, and dragged him into a saloon. Louisville suspended him for a month over that incident. In 1886, he was benched for a month for “incompetent playing.”

Yep! He upholds behavior consistent with many HOFers, alright! :D


:laugh Indeed.

[Freakshow]

There really isn't a player that has played the majority of his career in the AA that is in the HOF is there?
Bid McPhee would be the closest. He spent his entire career with Cincinnati, from the founding of the AA in 1882, through 1889, after which the franchise jumped to the NL, and retiring after the 1899 season. The HOF reluctantly elected him 101 years later.

The AA was only around for ten years; it's hard to build a HOF career in that short a time.