Talk:Mickey Vernon

From BR Bullpen

If you look, Mickey Vernon was seldom Washington's best player ('46, '53 & '54 being the only seasons I'd advocate for). Mickey was there for a long time (around a season-plus in Cleveland), but Buddy Lewis, Stan Spence, Eddie Yost were all more likely to be the MV-Senator when they were around . . . Cecil Travis, before the war, Jackie Jensen and Roy Sievers toward the end of Vernon's tenure, were also in competition for the title.

So to say he was "easily Washington's best player throughout most of his long career," sells a franchise short that's difficult to sell short. What Vernon had was longevity and a late peak that maybe rose-tinted what had come before.

In "The Records" section of the original Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, James wrote, "Vernon had one of the most inconsistent careers of any player who ever played the game. After having a monster year in 1946, hitting .353 with 51 doubles, he dropped off to .265 (in 600 at bats) in 1947, and then for good measure, lost another 23 points in 1948, dropping all the way down to .242 with 3 homers and 48 RBI in 558 at bats.

He goes on with ups and downs for another paragraph, then says, "Vernon is one of those players, like Rico Carty or Frank Howard, who would be in the Hall of Fame if he had just put in an ordinary progression between his high spots."

Vernon was a Senator for 11 full seasons (1941-1943, 1946-1948, and 1951-1955). He was the best player on the team in 46 and probably from 52-55. In fact, according to Win Shares, he was the top player on the team in 46, 53, 54, and 55. He was a pretty solid contributer his other years (except 48 and maybe 47) --Jeff 22:29, 20 April 2008 (EDT)