We won’t know if Buster Posey is a Hall of Famer for five years at the earliest, but the debate is already raging.
Whether or not you think Posey is worthy of Cooperstown depends on your philosophy regarding all-time greats. Some will say that Posey didn’t play for nearly long enough to accumulate the counting stats that are typically required for enshrinement. His supporters will counter with the fact that Posey was arguably the best catcher in baseball every season he was healthy, won an MVP and was a crucial element of three World Championship teams.
Few know baseball or the Hall of Fame as well as ESPN’s Buster Olney. Olney is on the side that supports Posey’s candidacy, and not just because they share the same first name. Olney says there is precedent for Posey making it to the Hall, and it comes from an unlikely place.
“I think the avenue through which I’d go, is more to look at the precedent of Sandy Koufax who as you guys know, didn’t have a 15 or 18 year career where he was putting up numbers every year,” Olney said on KNBR Monday. “It took him awhile to get his command and then starting in 1961 he had the greatest six year run of any starting pitcher we’ve ever seen. Based on those six dominant years where he was the best pitcher in baseball, he’s in the Hall of Fame.”
From 1961-1966, Koufax made six All-Star teams, won the Cy Young three times and was named MVP in 1963. Koufax also won four titles, and two during his dominant period.
“Well Buster Posey, playing a position where clearly there is a greater physical rigor, wound up being the best catcher in baseball for an eight year period for a lot of that, with a lot of the boxes checked; MVP, Rookie of the Year and playing in the postseason, having some great moments. I think Sarah Langs was the first to bring up the statistic that he’s caught six more shutouts than any other catcher in the history of the postseason.”
Posey caught every single game during the Giants’ three World Series runs, including 11 shutouts. Overall, his 14 postseason shutouts caught are the most by far in major league history (Yadier Molina is second all-time with 8) and account for over 24 percent of his playoff starts.
“He’s got a lot of dominance within that shorter period of time.”
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Listen to the full interview below.