In an article in yesterday's Hardball Times, Steve Treder names Darrell Evans, Norm Cash and Reggie Smith as underrated players. I agree with those choices. Steve's comments got me to thinking about an All-Underrated Team.
So, what are the criteria? The player has got to be at least good, cannot be in the Hall of Fame or receiving support for the Hall of Fame commensurate with his ability, and received less recognition in All-Star or MVP voting while active than he deserved.
So, who's on my All-Underrated Team? Let's take a look at the players and their credentials
C- Darrell Porter
No, he doesn't really belong in the Hall of Fame, but he's here because he was overshadowed by others in the limelight in Kansas City and St. Louis. It's hard to compete with George Brett and Keith Hernandez, and the memory of Porter as a fine offensive and defensive catcher from the day he arrived in the Show until the day he left seems to me to be fading fast. I could have chosen Bill Freehan, who was a better defensive catcher, but Freehan did receive the recognition he deserved while he was playing.
1b- Norm Cash
Norm Cash was one of the top 10 hitters in the American League of the 1960s. He was not really of Hall of Fame quality, mostly because his career started late and he was not durable, but when he was in the lineup, he put runs on the board. I am desperately hoping that Fred McGriff, a somewhat better and much more durable version of Cash, does not eventually supplant him when he becomes eligible.
2b- Joe Gordon
This is the home of underrated players. The formula is surprising power, great patience and good or better defence. It worked for Gordon, Bobby Grich, and Lou Whitaker. Gordon lost over 2 prime years to the war, but unlike DiMaggio or Williams, he wasn't so outstanding that he received recognition for that time lost. As a right-handed hitter in Yankee Stadium, his home run totals were deflated, whereas his modern confrere Ryan Sandberg got a boost from his home park. Like Grich, Gordon was a superior defender but had a little more power and a little less strike zone control. By choosing Gordon over his equally worthy modern contenders, we achieve some balance over the ages.
ss- Dick McAuliffe
What was it with those 1960s Tigers? Cash, Kaline, McAuliffe, Freehan, Willie Horton, Bunning, Lolich and Denny McLain. It sure looks like they should have won more than one pennant. Anyways, McAuliffe was a shortstop who didn't steal bases, didn't hit home runs in bunches and didn't make fancy fielding plays. What he did do was field the position properly and hit. That didn't grab much attention in the days of Luis Aparicio and Bert Campaneris. If you could have an underrated Hall of Famer, it would be Arky Vaughan. Bill Dahlen would be an excellent choice from the 1890-1910 period.
3b- Darrell Evans
Evans had a strangely-shaped career path. A peak at age 26, a dip in power from age 27-age 35, and then another surge in late career as a first baseman/DH with the Giants and Tigers. That combined with the presence of Mike Schmidt at third base in the National League of the 1970s made Evans seem to be less than he was. Stan Hack would be my second choice here.
lf- Jose Cruz Sr.
In Cruz' case, it was the ballpark that made him look ordinary. Playing in the Astrodome of the 70s (think Petco, young ones), he hit 5-10 fewer homers per year than he would have in another park. A fine defensive leftfielder, with excellent speed, fine plate discipline and medium range power, he was a consistently good player with gusts to great. It is truly hard to believe that he was not an All-Star in 1983 or 1984.
cf- Reggie Smith
Reggie Smith was a favourite of mine from the 60s Red Sox to the early 70s Cardinals to the late 70s Dodgers. He had a nice balance of skills, hit well from both sides of the plate, and was perfectly adequate defensively in centerfield early in his career and just fine in right-field later on. Roy Thomas, an early precursor to Richie Ashburn, would be my second choice. Jimmy Wynn also works for me.
rf- Dwight Evans
As Norm Cash was two decades earlier, one of the top 10 hitters in the American League of the 1980s. Plus he was durable and a great defensive rightfielder. What more could you want?
p- Urban Shocker
Fine pitcher for the Browns and Yankees (including the Murderers Row club of '27) in a hitter's era. I expect him to be supplanted by one of Mike Mussina or John Smoltz, great pitchers from our current hitter's era, who have been overshadowed by even greater ones. The ticket to making the all-underrated team is to avoid winning 300 games, to not overpower hitters completely, and to pitch in a hitter's era where the superificial earned run averages of pitchers generally are not at low ebb.
So, who's on your All-Underrated Team?
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20060627135228512