At Viva El Birdos, in response to a truly odd article by Jeff Pearlman in which Jim Edmonds was lumped in with the likes of Bret Boone and Mo Vaughn, we took a look at what WAR had to say about his Hall of Fame candidacy. Clip:
↵↵↵Reminder: Jim Edmonds spent six seasons as an outstanding defensive centerfielder in which he hit .292/.406/.584, an OPS+ of 153. Mo Vaughn spent six seasons as an increasingly planetary first baseman in which he hit .315/.405/.569. In the six years before he moved to right Andre Dawson hit .298/.333/.495 (OPS+ 129, since by then we're getting into the Distant Pre-Longball Past.)
↵He also spent four years before that as Andre Dawson!
↵Jim Edmonds was Jim Rice, if Jim Rice were a better hitter and also a Gold Glove centerfielder, and also not the most prolific double-play grounder-into in baseball history, and also not a Red Sock.
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For my money it was more interesting to talk about J.D. Drew's bizarrely outstanding career. He might be the most disappointing 45 WAR player in the history of baseball.