Well, at least Mariano and Edgar made it easy for them. They spent their entire careers with the same team, so the hat that'll be on their Hall of Fame plaques didn't require much thought.
I didn't think there was much thought required for Roy Halladay, either, so it was a bit of a surprise when they announced that Halladay's plaque would be logo-less. Halladay's wife said she couldn't decide because his time in both Toronto and Philadelphia meant so much to him. It's ultimately the Hall of Fame's decision, but they certainly took his family's wishes into consideration. Even still, I'm surprised. Because I thought the only question regarding Halladay's hat would be which design they'd be using for the Blue Jays logo.
When MLB Network asked Mike Mussina what team he'll represent, he was understandably noncommittal. He spent 10 years in Baltimore and eight with the Yankees, so his career was pretty evenly split, both in terms of years and numbers. Of course, I think the decision on Mussina should also be an easy one. He should go in as an Oriole. My rationale for that is this: it really doesn't matter to Yankees fans which one he wears, but Orioles fans will be LIVID if he goes in as a Yankee. Mussina is an Orioles legend. On the Yankees, he was the No. 3 starter. To me, it's a no-brainer. All of Baltimore isn't traveling to Cooperstown to see two Yankees pitchers.
Mussina, Halladay and Greg Maddux before them are just three of the latest examples of the conundrum the Hall of Fame often finds itself in. The players like Mariano and Edgar who spend their whole career with the same team are becoming fewer and fewer. Because of free agency, players are becoming associated with two or more teams, making these Hall of Fame hat decisions all the more complicated.
Still, even though they might play for multiple teams, there's going to be that one you think of first when you reflect on a Hall of Famer's career. So, to make things easier for them, I'm going to decide right now for some of this year's guys, as well as those hitting the ballot soon and some current players who've already put together Cooperstown-worthy resumes.
Curt Schilling: He's probably the guy most likely to join Derek Jeter in next year's class, and there are three legitimate choices. He won a World Series in Arizona and two in Boston. He spent the most amount of time in Philadelphia, though, and earned nearly half of his career wins there. Schilling goes in as a Phillie.
Roger Clemens: Assuming Bonds (who obviously would be a Giant) and Clemens eventually get in, Clemens presents another interesting predicament. Except not really. The Yankees are really the only other option, but not really. The whole reason Clemens and Bonds are looked at differently than the rest of the Steroid Era guys is because they were already on a Hall of Fame track. And Clemens got on that track in Boston.
Omar Vizquel: Not that hard. He spent 11 years in Cleveland. That's where Vizquel made his mark. And if he does get in, they'll probably give him the wrong Indians hat, just like they did Jim Thome.
Fred McGriff: McGriff is a prime example of what I was talking about with free agents not really making a home for themselves. Nevertheless, McGriff appears Hall of Fame bound via the Veterans Committee at some point. And when he does, they've got six different hats to choose from. Except I think everyone would agree Atlanta is the only real choice. That's where he won a World Series and played in two others.
Among the newly-eligible candidates over the next several years, there are only two obvious guys. And the team on their hat is just as obvious (the Yankees for Jeter, the Red Sox for Ortiz). The others are fringe candidates at best. But some of them would still require a decision.
Adrian Beltre: The longer his career went, Beltre's Hall of Fame candidacy went from maybe to no-doubt-about-it. He had great numbers with the Dodgers at the start. But he didn't become a sure-fire Hall of Famer until his time in Texas. And all of the biggest moments in his career came as a Ranger.
Carlos Beltran: Yes, he's a long shot. But not the longest one. So, it's not crazy to think of Carlos Beltran possibly giving a Hall of Fame speech one day. And his plaque selection would prove to be quite the dilemma. It really would come down to Mets vs. Royals, though. He was a five-time All-Star in seven seasons with a good Mets team. That's the deciding factor for me.
Mark Teixeira: Is Mark Teixeira a Hall of Famer? Probably not. His situation is an interesting one, though. Because his best years were the four and a half at the start of his career in Texas. Even though he spent eight of his 14 years with the Yankees, I'd put Teixeira in as a Ranger. However, it's unlikely to matter ultimately.
Alex Rodriguez: A-Rod has even less of a chance of being elected than Bonds and Clemens. Even he knows that. But, for the sake of argument (and this post), let's assume he's got a shot. He was great in Seattle. He was great in Texas. He was great with the Yankees. That's where he spent 12 years, hit more than half of his home runs and had more than half of his RBIs. His Cooperstown hat would have an interlocking NY on it.
There are also two active players who fit this description, but I don't think either one of them is a particularly hard call. Albert Pujols and Ichiro were the Rookies of the Year in 2001, and they're both destined for Cooperstown.
By the time he actually retires, Albert will have spent nearly as much time in Anaheim as he did in St. Louis, which is crazy to think about. Remember how good he was with the Cardinals? That's the guy who earned a spot in the Hall of Fame. Not this old guy playing in Anaheim now. Likewise, Ichiro will always and forever be a Seattle Mariner. Since Randy Johnson went in as a Diamondback, he'll be the next one wearing a Mariners hat in the Hall of Fame. Of course, that would require Ichiro actually retiring first...
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