A spectacular, entertaining center fielder, but one whose reputation did not always match the defensive metrics, Hunter faces an uphill climb to Cooperstown.
Acevedo’s family isn’t sure what to make of the circumstances of his death. “The question we have is, ‘What caused this?’” Acevedo’s mother Mildred Roman, 65, told the Daily News. “Something must have happened.”
A spectacular, entertaining center fielder, but one whose reputation did not always match the defensive metrics, Hunter faces an uphill climb to Cooperstown.
The following article is part of Jay Jaffe’s ongoing look at the candidates on the BBWAA 2021 Hall of Fame ballot. For a detailed introduction to this year’s ballot, and other candidates in the series, use the tool above; an introduction to JAWS can be found here. For a tentative schedule and a chance to fill out a Hall of Fame ballot for our crowdsourcing project, see here. All WAR figures refer to the Baseball-Reference version unless otherwise indicated.
Torii Hunter could go get it. Fluid and graceful while patrolling center field, he was renowned for his leaping, acrobatic catches and his willingness to sacrifice his body. He made a strong enough impression upon those who watched him that he won nine Gold Gloves during his 19-year career, more than all but three center fielders, namely Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., and Andruw Jones. Hunter earned the nickname “Spider-Man” for his ability to climb outfield walls to steal home runs something he did more than just about