Gall of Fame: The 10 Players By Position Cooperstown Has the Nerve To Omit

Until Sunday, Jim Rice was often the first guy mentioned when discussing the best players eligible for, but not in baseball's Hall of Fame. Rice may never have gained enshrinement had the steroid era not come to a close, sort of (we thought it concluded until Manny Ramirez was exposed).

Yes, I know Gil Hodges was great and so was Shoeless Joe Jackson, but that's a tad too "old school" for this list. I'm looking for guys some of us at least remember watching play.

Pete Rose was great, but not eligible. He still owes Jim Gray an apology. You don't hear much about Rose ever since he came clean (for cash) in book form.

Time will tell if Mark McGwire of "I'm not here to talk about the past" fame ever gets in and what fate holds in store in 2012 for Barry Bonds.

Now I give you The 10 Best Players (of the last 40 years) by Position Not in Baseball's Hall of Fame:

C - Dale Murphy

Disclaimer: Murphy came up as a catcher, so I'm taking a little poetic license for this pick.

Career Numbers: .265, 398 HR, 1266 RBI over 18 seasons

162 Game Average: 30 HR, 94 RBI, 12 Steals

All-Star Games: 7

Gold Gloves: 5

Won back-to-back MVP's in 1982 and 1983 and had he remained a catcher would most certainly have a plaque in Cooperstown by now.

1B - Don Mattingly

Career Numbers: .307, 222 HR, 1019 RBI over 14 seasons

162 Game Average: 20 HR, 100 RBI, 14 Steals

All-Star Games: 6

Gold Gloves: 9

Keith Hernandez (11 Gold Gloves), Steve Garvey (10 All-Star Games), and Mark McGwire (roids) merit consideration.

2B - Lou Whitaker

Career Numbers: .276, 244 HR, 1084 RBI over 19 seasons

162 Game Average: 17 HR, 73 RBI, 10 Steals

All-Star Games: 5

Gold Gloves: 3

Along with the guy in our next slide, turned more double plays than any other duo in MLB history.

Bobby Grich could be considered for this position. He had similar numbers but never made it to the World Series (thanks to Dave Henderson).

SS - Alan Trammell

Career Numbers: .285, 185 HR, 1083 RBI over 20 seasons

162 Game Average: 13 HR, 85 RBI

All-Star Games: 6

Gold Gloves: 4

1984 World Series MVP

Don't remember him as that terrible manager of the Tigers, but instead as the greatest shortstop in Motor City Kitty history.

3B - Ron Santo

Career Numbers: .277, 342 HR, 1331 RBI over 15 seasons

162 Game Average: 25 HR, 96 RBI

All-Star Games: 9

Gold Gloves: 5

Only third baseman in MLB history to drive home 90 runs in eight straight years.

OF - Andre Dawson

Career Numbers: .279, 438 HR, 1591 RBI over 21 seasons

162 Game Average: 27 HR, 98 RBI, 19 Steals

All-Star Games: 8

Gold Gloves: 8

If there was no such thing as steroids skewing the opinion of what's HOF-worthy, this guy would have been in years ago.

OF - Dave Parker

Career Numbers: .290, 339 HR, 1493 RBI over 19 seasons

162 Game Average: 22 HR, 98 RBI, 10 Steals

All-Star Games: 7

Gold Gloves: 3

Member of the 1979 World Series Champion Pirates and 1989 W.S. Champion A's

"The Cobra" was one of the more feared sluggers of the 1970s into the '80s. Had a cannon for a right arm.

OF - Albert Belle

Career Numbers: .295, 381 HR, 1239 RB over 12 seasons

162 Game Average: 40 HR, 130 RBI

All-Star Games: 5

Was so epically despised by the press, he actually finished second to Mo Vaughn in the 1995 A.L. MVP balloting despite 52 home runs and 50 doubles in just 143 games.

Was he roid-free?

SP - Dwight Gooden

Career Numbers: 194-112, 3.51 ERA

162 Game Average: 16-9

All-Star Games: 4

1984 ROY

1985 Cy Young Award winner

Owns three World Series rings (at least I think he still owns them)

Doc's career was derailed by drug use and suspensions and he still won 194 games.

Some of you may say "What about Bert Blyleven?" He won 287 games, but was good, not great for 22 years in accumulating all those wins.

RP - Lee Smith

Career Numbers: 478 Saves and a 3.03 ERA over 18 seasons

162 Game Average: 32 Saves

All-Star Games: 7

Was the all-time Saves leader when he retired. The Art Monk of baseball. Monk finally got his bust in Canton, so maybe there's hope for Smith in Cooperstown.