Cleveland Indians: 3 Tribe players from club history snubbed from Hall of Fame

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Kenny Lofton of the Cleveland Indians (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

3 Cleveland Indians snubbed from Hall of Fame

With Major League Baseball hosting the induction ceremonies for the Hall of Fame, it got us thinking about the history of the Cleveland Indians and what players have been snubbed from the Hall. Every sport has players that fans believe should be in that aren’t, but baseball’s list seems to be much longer and Cleveland is no stranger to it.

Plenty of Cleveland greats have their name in the Hall, from Bob Feller to Jim Thome. However, that doesn’t mean that everyone that should be in has been selected. There’s a slew of players across the game that have passed the eye test, but their stats apparently aren’t strong enough to get into the elite group.

For this list we strayed away from any recent controversies. We avoided the steroid era or major off the field concerns from the last 50 years. These players played by the rules and put up stats that should qualify them for the Hall, but for whatever reason they just couldn’t get the votes.

Kenny Lofton, OF, Cleveland Indians 1992-1996, 1998-2001, 2007

Over three different stints with Cleveland, along with 10 other teams, Kenny Lofton put up stats that are clearly Hall of Fame worthy. So much so that he got his own article not too long ago. Playing a total of 17 major league seasons, Lofton was one of the best baserunners in the history of the game, not to mention his unmatchable prowess in the field.

Over the entirety of Lofton’s first stay in Cleveland, spanning from 1992 until 1996, he was able to lead at least the American League in stolen bases and led all of baseball with 70+ twice. The 1995 season saw Lofton tally an MLB-high 13 triples while he paced the American League in hits during the 1994 season with 160.

For his career, Lofton was just as impressive. He slashed .299/.372/.423 with 622 stolen bases, good for 15th all-time, and 116 triples. With numbers like that and considering how long he sustained that level of production, it’s hard to understand how Lofton didn’t even advance to a second ballot.

Cleveland Indians hall of famer Rocky Colavito (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Rocky Colavito, OF, Cleveland Indians 1955-1959, 1965-1967

One of the more tenured Hall of Fame arguments in baseball is for Rocky Colavito. He’s already in Cleveland’s Hall of Fame, but not Major League Baseball’s. While his career stats don’t scream Hall of Fame, Colavito still put up strong enough seasons that should have warranted a closer look than he was granted.

The 1956 season saw Colavito finish second in the Rookie of the Year voting and it was only two years later in 1958 that he finished third in the MVP voting. He would go on to finish in the top five of the MVP voting two more times over the course of his career.

Colavito also led the American League in home runs with 42 during the 1959 season as well as RBI (108) and walks (93) in the 1965 season.

Colavito’s career numbers at the plate don’t have the look that typical Hall of Fame candidates might. He slashed just .266/.359/.489, but his extended success is what is intriguing. He played the game well in multiple different areas, essentially transforming from a power hitter early in his career to drawing more walks later in his career.

For Colavito, he’s on the fringe for the Hall of Fame. His career numbers took a big hit in the last few years of his playing days, but the early days were impressive. He’s the type of player that gets shut out of Cooperstown, but would probably get in for other sports.

Joe Jackson of the Cleveland Indians (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images) /

“Shoeless” Joe Jackson, OF, Cleveland Indians 1910-1915

Yes, I know. I said I was going to stay away from controversies, but I did say of the last 50 years. Shoeless Joe Jackson ran into his issue over 100 years ago and it’s time to put him in the Hall of Fame. If it could be obviously proven he participated in the scandal, then it would be a different story, but his stats from the series say otherwise.

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When you look at Jackson’s stats, specifically from when he was in Cleveland, it’s honestly crazy to think that he isn’t in the Hall of Fame. He led all of Major League Baseball in hits in both 1912 and 1913. The 1912 season also saw Jackson tally a league-leading 26 triples. As for 1913, he tallied a league-best 39 doubles. Thanks to the strong seasons, Jackson finished in the Top 10 for MVP voting each year from 1911 until 1914, including a second place finish in 1913.

What’s even more impressive are his career numbers. Jackson posted a career batting average of .356, which is third in baseball history. Despite the shortened career, his 168 triples are still 26th all-time. He completed his slash line with marks of .356/.423/.517.

Had Jackson not been associated with the Black Sox Scandal, he would have been a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame (pun intended). Considering that many believe he didn’t partake in the throwing of the series, he should be inducted. It’s been over 100 years since he last played, I think he served his time for his alleged crime against the integrity of the game.

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3 Cleveland Indians snubbed from Hall of Fame

Kenny Lofton, OF, Cleveland Indians 1992-1996, 1998-2001, 2007

Rocky Colavito, OF, Cleveland Indians 1955-1959, 1965-1967

“Shoeless” Joe Jackson, OF, Cleveland Indians 1910-1915

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