Jay Jaffe at FanGraphs is writing a series of articles on players eligible for the Hall of Fame this coming year, and No. 1 in my heart on that list is James Shields.
In honor of his nomination, which is unfortunately and most assuredly a one-and-done, Jaffe has penned a wonderful retrospection of Shields’s career, concluding with the following:
Shields lacks the numbers for Cooperstown. But this isn’t about framing his case for election, it’s about recalling the mark he left on the game. In his case, the workload stands out, particularly at a time when starters’ innings are so limited.