Top 10 Players Who Should Be in The Baseball Hall of Fame

Some of baseball's greatest players are enshrined in the Hall of Fame. However, certain great players have not gotten in for some crazy reason. 

Usually the reason why these players never get in is simply because there were other players who out shined them. Hopefully, these men will finally get the credit they deserve. 

This slideshow will list the 10 players that deserve a one-way trip to Cooperstown.

10. Ron Santo

Despite being afflicted with diabetes, Santo was the greatest all around offensive and defensive third baseman of the sixties. 

Santo was a nine-time All-Star and set numerous fielding records at third base. He only played for 14 years, which certainly means he could have done even more damage in his career offensively had diabetes not complicated his health.

Regardless, Santo finished his career with a .277 average, 2,254 hits, 342 HR, and 1,331 RBI. 

9. Tim Raines

If it weren't for Rickey Henderson, Raines would probably be known as the greatest leadoff hitter of his generation. 

Raines was a seven-time All-Star and batted .334 in 1986 to win the National League Silver Slugger award. From 1981-1986 Raines stole at least 70 bases. Despite never winning a Gold Glove Award, the left-fielder had a .988 fielding percentage. 

When he retired he was only the seventh player whose career began after 1945 to score 1,500 runs and have 100 triples. He is only one of twenty-eight players to play in four different decades (seventies, eighties, nineties, and 2000s).

Raines finished his career with a .294 average, 2,606 hits, 1,571 runs, and 808 steals, which is fifth all-time. 

8. Harold Baines

Chicago White Sox owner Bill Veeck discovered Harold Baines when he was in Little League. Impressed with the young man's talent, Veeck decided to make Baines the Chicago White Sox No. 1 draft pick when he became eligible.

Baines lived up to the hype and played for 21 years. His days as a full time player ended a bit early due to knee problems, so Baines was forced to become a designated hitter. He proved to be a good hitter— even as he aged—when he hit .312, 25 home runs, and knocked in 103 RBI at the age of forty in 1999.

In 2011, he gained only 4.8 percent of the votes for the Hall of Fame. A player needs to have five percent of the vote in order to stay on the ballot.

When Baines finished his career in 2001 his overall stats were impressive with a .289 average, 2,866 hits, 384 HR, and 1,628 RBI.

7. Lou Whitaker

In 1978, second basemen Lou Whitaker took the MLB by storm when he won the Rookie of the Year Award. Whitaker was one-half of the longest double play combinations with Alan Trammell.

Whitaker was a five-time All-Star, won three Gold Gloves, and won four Silver Slugger awards for best offensive second basemen. Whitaker was also part of the Detroit Tigers 1984 World Championship team. 

He only gained 2.9 percent of the vote for the Hall of Fame.

Whitaker finished his career with a .276 average, 2,369 hits, 244 HR, and 1,084 RBI.

6. Alan Trammell

Unfortunately for Trammell, his managerial record has been held against him when he has come up for election. Trammell was one of the most underrated shortstops of the eighties, and guys like Cal Ripken and Ozzie Smith got more attention.

Trammell was a six time All-Star, won four Gold Gloves, won three Silver Sluggers for offense at the shortstop position, and was World Series MVP in 1984.

Trammell finished his career with a .285 average, 2,365 hits, 412 doubles, 185 HR, and 1,003 RBI.

5. Jack Morris

In 1991, Jack Morris put on one of the most legendary performances in World Series history, when he shutout the Braves for 10 innings in Game 7 to clinch the win for his hometown team, the Minnesota Twins.

Morris was one of the best pitchers of the eighties; he won the most games, pitched the most innings, and started the most games of any pitcher in the decade. He also started 14 consecutive opening days. 

Morris was a five-time All-Star, a four-time World Series Champion, and was the 1991 World Series MVP. He also threw a no-hitter in the 1984 season. In 2011, he gained 53.5 percent of the Hall of Fame vote.

Morris finished his career with a 3.90 ERA and 2,478 K. His record was 254-186.

4. Tommy John

Tommy John was the first man that underwent the procedure that is named after him. When he was injured, people said he would never be able to pitch again. When he recovered, he proved the skeptics wrong for the next 14 years.

After the surgery, he was one of the most durable pitchers in baseball. In fact, it wasn't until after the surgery that he won 20 games. John was a four-time All-Star as well. He played for 26 seasons, which is second all-time. He only recieved 31.7 percent of the Hall of Fame vote in 2009, his last year of eligibility.

John finished his career with a 3.34 ERA and 2,245 K. His record was 288-231.

3. Darrell Evans

The only other third basemen that struck more fear in pitchers during the seventies and eighties than Darrell Evans is Mike Schmidt. Yet, only one of them is in the Hall of fame.

The two-time All-Star was a genuine power threat and was an excellent fielder. He was also very good at drawing walks. If he had played today, he would have been a highly touted player by baseball analysts. 

The only problem with Evans was that he was a career .248 hitter. That's probably the No. 1 reason why he isn't in the Hall of Fame. Even though he hit 40 home runs at the age of 38, 29 at the age of 39, 34 at the age of 40, and 22 at the age of 41.

Evans finished his underrated career with 2,223 hits, 414 HR, 1,344 runs, 1,354 RBI, and 1,605 walks, compared to his 1,410 strikeouts.

2. Fred McGriff

Oh, Fred you couldn't stick around a little longer to get seven home runs and 10 more hits?

Regardless of coming just short of 500 home runs and 2,500 hits, McGriff was a great first basemen. He was a five-time All-Star, a three-time Silver Slugger Award winner for offense at first base, and was a World Series Champion in 1995 with the Atlanta Braves. He was the first player since the dead-ball era to lead both American and National League in home runs.

He only got 17.9 percent of the Hall of Fame vote.

McGriff finished his career with a .284 average, 2,490 hits, 493 HR, and 1,550 RBI.

1. Lee Smith

For 13 years, Lee Smith held the record for saves. Yet, he has never been elected to the Hall of Fame.

Smith is third all-time in games finished with 802. Smith was a seven-time All-Star, won the National League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award twice, and the American League version once. 

He only received 45.3 percent of the Hall of Fame vote in 2011

Smith has 478 saves, which is third all-time and 1,251 K. He has a career ERA of 3.03