One Thing's for Sure: Davey Concepcion Deserves to Be in the Hall of Fame

Don't get me wrong; I am glad that Jim Rice and Rickey Henderson are going to the Hall of Fame. Both players were class acts and made huge impacts on the game: Rice with his bat, Henderson with his glove. I also think the Baseball Writers Association usually never misses out on the deserving players.

I do have to ask, how can anyone in their right mind overlook Dave Concepcion? He was one of the important parts of Cincinnati's Big Red Machine of the 1970s. A nine-time all-star and a five-time Gold Glove winner at shortstop, Concepcion made a mark of his own with the glove and batted .267 for his career.

His numbers are actually very comparable to other shortstops in the Hall of Fame, such as Ozzie Smith. His demeanor and style reflected a statesman, doing a fantastic job on the field and being a positive contributor to society, winning the Roberto Clemente Award for humanitarian work in 1977.

Concepcion was a finesse player, making difficult plays seem effortless. To take advantage of artificial turf in most National League stadiums, he developed a one-bounce play to first with teammate Tony Perez later in his career. In this time of frequent drug use among players, he did nothing to tarnish his image and proved a very loyal player, playing with the Reds his entire career from 1970 to 1988.

So again, I wonder as to why he still sits on the outside looking in to Cooperstown. Is it because he was a light hitter? Just looking at the statistics of other shortstops in the Hall of Fame, Concepcion is equal. Shortstop is not a position one expects to hammer 30-plus home runs, and no one becomes an All-Star hitting at or below the Mendoza line.

Is it because he was an all work, no glitz type of player? Tell me then when being a flashy player is a requirement for induction. Shortstop is a finesse position, and Concepcion was a finesse player. In addition, he proved to be a model player, helping to mold heir apparent Barry Larkin, another finesse player.

Concepcion also had a very admirable trait not common in any professional sports these days. He never required big money deals and was very loyal, spending his entire career as a Red. That sort of relationship not only helps build an identity for fans to follow, but also a face for the city to be proud of. When all is said and done, he is definitely a player I wouldn't mind getting an autograph from.

I don't know if many baseball writers frequent Bleacher Report or if many people read my articles, but one thing is for sure. There is a serious injustice being done to baseball, and it's sad that it still continues. Dave Concepcion, like Bench, Morgan, and Perez, should join his teammates in Cooperstown. He is everything a player should aspire to be: positive, hard-working, and loyal.

You just don't see that in the game anymore. The likes of Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees made sure of it.