Willie Horton

[Cowtipper]

In an 18-year career, Willie Horton hit .273 with 325 home runs and 1,163 RBI. He was a four-time All-Star who led the league in games played in 1979.

Statistically, he is similar to the following: George Foster, Joe Adcock, Boog Powell, Roy Sievers, Lee May, Greg Luzinski, George Hendrick, George Scott, Tino Martinez and Vic Wertz. Through age 22, he was most similar to Willie Mays, although that's not saying much.

The Baseball Page ranks him as the 38th best left fielder of all time. In 1986, his only year of Hall of Fame eligibility, he received only four votes.

So, do you think Willie Horton should be in the Hall of Fame?

[jjpm74]

Horton was a great player in his day, but not a HOF level player. If he was a phenomenal fielder with his career stats, I could see giving him the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, he was a poor fielder.

[nerfan]

Dukakis gave 10 Weekend Passes To Convicted Rapist... Then He Raped Another


And that guy might come closer to the Hall of Fame than the morally upstanding Willie Horton.

[Brad Harris]

Dukakis gave 10 Weekend Passes To Convicted Rapist... Then He Raped Another


And that guy might come closer to the Hall of Fame than the morally upstanding Willie Horton.
A little twisted history for you...

Think about it. Had it not been for Horton, Dukakis might have won the presidency. Had it not been for Dukakis' '88 loss, Bush Sr. would never have reached the White House. Had Sr. never reached ththe Bush dynasty might never have put a man in the WH. Had it not been for POTUS Bush I, then "Dubya" might not have entered politics. And had that happened, we might have had W. as Commissioner instead of Bud Selig all these years.

Damn that Willie Horton.

[Paul Wendt]

Horton was very good for several years at the right time to help make Detroit a contender during Baltimore's off years, '67-68 and '72.

"He was a four-time All-Star who led the league in games played in 1979."

1979? Was he still in the league? ... Wow, suddenly he played every game, just shy of age 37. In 16 years he had played more than 146 games only once, also as a fulltime DH. He played no more than 141 in the field.

[Captain Cold Nose]

Horton was very good for several years at the right time to help make Detroit a contender during Baltimore's off years, '67-68 and '72.

"He was a four-time All-Star who led the league in games played in 1979."

1979? Was he still in the league? ... Wow, suddenly he played every game, just shy of age 37. In 16 years he had played more than 146 games only once, also as a fulltime DH. He played no more than 141 in the field.

The Mariners still were carrying some baby fat. He also really wanted to reach his personal goal of 2000 career hits. He just fell short.

[nerfan]

A little twisted history for you...

Think about it. Had it not been for Horton, Dukakis might have won the presidency. Had it not been for Dukakis' '88 loss, Bush Sr. would never have reached the White House. Had Sr. never reached ththe Bush dynasty might never have put a man in the WH. Had it not been for POTUS Bush I, then "Dubya" might not have entered politics. And had that happened, we might have had W. as Commissioner instead of Bud Selig all these years.

Damn that Willie Horton.

I wonder where Dubya stands on the Rose issue. Bush's a cool guy. I bet he'd let Rose back in.

[ol' aches and pains]

Statistically, he is similar to the following: George Foster, Joe Adcock, Boog Powell, Roy Sievers, Lee May, Greg Luzinski, George Hendrick, George Scott, Tino Martinez and Vic Wertz. Through age 22, he was most similar to Willie Mays, although that's not saying much

Statisically, he's similar to a bunch of other guys who don't belong in the HOF either. He was a DH before his time, and during his time, for that matter.

[PVNICK]

Willie Wattison Horton he has a middle name that has stuck in my memory since I first read it on the back of a baseball card at least 35 years ago, for that he at least deserves some rocognition. He was a very good ballplayer with a nice last hurrah in Seattle in 1979.

[ol' aches and pains]

For the same reason, I'm glad Heinie Manush is in the Hall, just to keep that name alive.

[Jsquared83]

I wonder where Dubya stands on the Rose issue. Bush's a cool guy. I bet he'd let Rose back in.

Agreed. When's Selig's time up? I miss W :cry:

[KCGHOST]

Willie was a fine player, but not an HoFer.

[sturg1dj]

his era killed him too. His 1968 is very underrated. He was 2nd in HR's 4th in RBI's and 4th in AVG.....but none of the stats were impressive because of the year.


not saying I voted for him...but saying that he was hurt by the era he played in.


he was my dad's favorite player...btw.

[nerfan]

He was the incredibly slow one, wasn't he?

[ol' aches and pains]

He was the incredibly slow one, wasn't he?

He was no gazelle in the outfield, as I remember.

[Brad Harris]

I wonder where Dubya stands on the Rose issue. Bush's a cool guy. I bet he'd let Rose back in.
He semi-pardoned Scooter Libby. That's more than Selig's done for Rose. :laugh

[leecemark]

--Willie is a Tigers Hall of Famer, but nowhere close to Cooperstown. He does have a large statue at Comerica which is a nice tribute. He had the bat to make the grade, but couldn't stay healthy. His baserunning and fielding were nothing to write home about either. He did set a record for putouts in a game by a leftfielder at one point. Which just goes to show that such tradtional fieldign metrics can be very misleading. That was just alot of flies into his small territory.

[Paul Wendt]

I wonder, how many players are someone's favorite player?
Who leads in playing time among those who are no one's favorite?
Of course there must be career, prime, peak, and single season versions of those questions.
;)

his era killed him too. His 1968 is very underrated. He was 2nd in HR's 4th in RBI's and 4th in AVG.....but none of the stats were impressive because of the year.

He ran 4th in the MVP election, one point behind third. Teammates Denny McLain, Bill Freehan, Dick McAuliffe, and Jim Northrup ran 1, 2, 7, 13. Norm Cash and Mickey Stanley scored a few points. Don Wert, Ray Oyler, and Al Kaline did not. Horton was nearly a fixture in left while Stanley, Northrup, and Kaline shared center and right.

[Brad Harris]

--Willie is a Tigers Hall of Famer, but nowhere close to Cooperstown. He does have a large statue at Comerica which is a nice tribute. He had the bat to make the grade, but couldn't stay healthy. His baserunning and fielding were nothing to write home about either. He did set a record for putouts in a game by a leftfielder at one point. Which just goes to show that such tradtional fieldign metrics can be very misleading. That was just alot of flies into his small territory.

Where is Gates Brown's statue? :laugh

[Fuzzy Bear]

Willie Horton isn't a HOF-caliber player.

Here's a question for you guys here: Who had the better career; Horton, or Don Baylor?

I think Horton had the better career, and Baylor is overrated, but that's just my opinion.

[sturg1dj]

I wonder, how many players are someone's favorite player?
Who leads in playing time among those who are no one's favorite?
Of course there must be career, prime, peak, and single season versions of those questions.
;)



He ran 4th in the MVP election, one point behind third. Teammates Denny McLain, Bill Freehan, Dick McAuliffe, and Jim Northrup ran 1, 2, 7, 13. Norm Cash and Mickey Stanley scored a few points. Don Wert, Ray Oyler, and Al Kaline did not. Horton was nearly a fixture in left while Stanley, Northrup, and Kaline shared center and right.

Where is Gates Brown's statue? :laugh

- think about how amazing that outfield was. Of course only 1 hall of famer so there have been better, but it basically ran 5 deep. Willie Horton, Mickey Stanley, Jim Northrup, Al Kaline and Gate Brown.

- I am a firm believer that if the reserve clause wasn't around then Northrup and Brown would have had great careers elsewhere.


- Horton's statue is not just for what he did on the field but what he did off it. He is a local Detroit product who worked in the community and did what he could to ease tensions during the riots.

- I keep wondering, when it comes to those statues, when will they add the Trammell/Whitaker statue (turning a double play). There is plenty of room in right-center.

[AG2004]

Horton was very good for several years at the right time to help make Detroit a contender during Baltimore's off years, '67-68 and '72.

"He was a four-time All-Star who led the league in games played in 1979."

1979? Was he still in the league? ... Wow, suddenly he played every game, just shy of age 37. In 16 years he had played more than 146 games only once, also as a fulltime DH. He played no more than 141 in the field.

He lasted until 1980, which is when Maury Wills gave a memorable quote. According to Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Blunders, Wills wanted his players to come in half and hour before pregame practice to work on bunting and baserunning. Wills said, "Everybody on this ballclub will become a good bunter except Willie Horton."

[STLCards2]

A little twisted history for you...

Think about it. Had it not been for Horton, Dukakis might have won the presidency. Had it not been for Dukakis' '88 loss, Bush Sr. would never have reached the White House. Had Sr. never reached ththe Bush dynasty might never have put a man in the WH. Had it not been for POTUS Bush I, then "Dubya" might not have entered politics. And had that happened, we might have had W. as Commissioner instead of Bud Selig all these years.

Damn that Willie Horton.

Another interesing note: the person who first brought up the Horton issue...Al Gore at a DNC debate. Following your line of progression, Gore really shot himself in the foot.

[jalbright]

Since the Willie Horton of Dukakis fame has nothing to do with baseball, the discussion of that ends now. Future posts on that will be deleted, and, should I have to delete anyone's posts over this more than once, you can count on a suspension as well. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

[Freakshow]

He lasted until 1980,Willie was traded to Texas after that season and was cut by them at the end of spring training in 1981. Pittsburgh signed him and sent him to their AAA club in Portland, where he played well for two years, but never got another shot in MLB.