Did missing out on the 1987 Most Valuable Player Award cost Alan Trammell a spot in the Hall of Fame?
One man, long ago, had the vision to realize it might.
That man was Sparky Anderson.
When the 1987 MVP vote came out, and Blue Jays slugger George Bell edged out Trammell, Anderson called up his star shortstop. Anderson was upset; Trammell was not.
“ ‘Gosh,’ he says, ‘I wish you would’ve won that, it would’ve helped you for the Hall of Fame kind of thing,’ ” Trammell said in a recent chat with The Detroit News.