Why is Phil Rizzuto in the Hall of Fame, but Roger Maris isn't?

Question

Why is Phil Rizzuto in the Hall of Fame, but Roger Maris isn't?

Answer 1

Rizzuto was a better play than Roger Maris.  Not a lot better, and arguably not hall of fame worthy, but he was a better player.  Maris's career just didn't last long enough.  

Answer 2

for the same reason Jeter will get in. Hype, NY bias

Answer 3

Rizzuto being in is a slap in the face of Ron Santo and Bert Blyleven.

Answer 4

People write Maris off to blithely. The fact is he had 5 consecutive good seasons, 2 in row winning the MVP, and he held not just any record, but THE record of all-time even longer than did the Babe. He belongs. The Hall of Fame is about greatness, not big numbers.

Answer 5

Maris doesn't have the numbers. Many argue that Rizzuto didn't either, but the veterans committee is arguably sentimental and with Rizzuto winning an MVP and 10 Championships, it was enough to convince him that "Scooter" belongs in the Hall. To commemorate his passing the Hall put up a life sized cow with Phil's #10 boldly painted on the side... my reaction, as others i am certain was "Holy Cow"

Regards  

Answer 6

Maris was a fine player, albeit for too short a time to merit HOF status.  He only had three seasons of more than 72 RBI's.  Not enough for an outfielder.

Rizzutto only got into the hall on a fluke.  He went through his entire fifteen years of standard eligibility not being elected.  Even when the veteran's committee considered him he didn't get enough play.I don't even know why they should have considered him, I thought that they were there to consider pre-1920 players as well as Neg** League players that hadn't gotten due consideration.  Anyway, it wasn't until Bill White, Rizzutto's broadcast partner became part of the committee that he was elected.  Does he belong there?  Well, the writers that vote on it didn't think so for fifteen years.

I guess my conclusion is that neither one of them should be there.

Answer 7

Roger Maris had tht one good season with 61 HRs and a couple of 30-40HR seasons, but was pretty much an average player the rest of his career. I have no clue why Rizzuto got in, but I think he was a pretty good fielder like Omar Vizquel

Answer 8

There are several players in the Hall that in my opinion don't really deserve it, but hey it's too late to take it away from them.  Rizzuto was an excellent fielder and a decent hitter but didn't put up true Hall numbers.  Maris was great for a few seasons and perhaps even the best in 60-61, but faded and had a short career.  I could name some others, but it would be a fairly long list.

Answer 9

Maris has to be inducted by the MLB to be in the HOF.

Answer 10

Maris had a few terrific years and of course the great 61 HR season.  If he had hit 2 less homeruns that season..would you have even questioned him and the HOF??  Rizzuto was a very good player and a key part of MANY championship teams with the NY Yanks.  Sure there is a huge NY bias for him getting in but don't forget and that the NY Yanks during that era was baseball.  They had the money to get the best players(sounds like today!)and they almost always had the best teams.  Also no media/press compared to NY's back then.  They had 3 teams don't forget(yanks, dodgers and Giants).  So there wasn't a bigger baseball city maybe ever in baseball history than what NY had pre Western expansion(when the dodgers and giants left NY).  You have to remember that back then baseball was the only major sport in town.  NFL was still in it's infancy, NBA came later on, Hockey Rangers was #2 in town but couldn't compare in popularity to baseball.  So the legends of guys like Rizzuto were greater then some of the better players of that era that happened to play in smaller markets.  You can't look at just number people! You need to understand the history of the game too!