Tuesday, August 11, 2009

1994 Ultra, Omar Vizquel



#125 Omar Vizquel

I was lucky enough to get this card signed through the mail in the mid '90s while Omar was with the Indians. While he was a slick fielder back then, I had no idea that he would still be around today. That is pretty impressive.

Last year, I almost had another Vizquel autograph when the Giants came to Kansas City. A native Venzuelan was able to draw Omar over with his Venzuelan flag that he was getting signatures on. He only signed a few autographs, so I didn't get one. But, I did see one of his autographs and it looked very similar to this one. It's good to see a player's signature stay the same for so long.

So what do you think? Is Omar Vizquel a Hall of Famer?
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10 comments:

  1. dealAugust 11, 2009 at 10:41 PM

    without looking I would like to say HOF. I would like to see fielding get more props.

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  2. AnonymousAugust 11, 2009 at 11:23 PM

    Nice autograph.

    If I had to vote without looking at the numbers, I'd say no. Vizquel may be the best fielder I've ever seen, but he had the misfortune to play in an era where defense alone was not the mark of a great shortstop.

    I'm just not sure he has the offensive numbers to compare favorably with his peers.

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  3. night owlAugust 11, 2009 at 11:51 PM

    I'd have to look at the numbers, too. My first reaction is "no." But it's a shaky "no."

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  4. zman40August 12, 2009 at 12:11 AM

    Surprisingly, most of his offensive numbers exceed Ozzie Smith's.

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  5. skoormitAugust 12, 2009 at 12:30 AM

    If Vizquel is not a HOFer, I don't know what the Hall is for any more. It's not the Hall of Offense. It's not the Hall of Postseason Greatness. It is the Hall of _Fame_. The man has played more games at shortstop in the major leagues than anyone else, ever. Nine consecutive Gold Gloves (at the most difficult defensive position). And then two more at age 38 and 39. If you play shortstop in the major leagues for twenty full seasons (give or take some partial-season injuries) and you win a Gold Glove in more than half of those seasons, you are a Hall of Famer.

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  6. Orioles MagicAugust 12, 2009 at 12:11 PM

    I think so, if nothing else he played through the majority of the steriod era without anyone accusing him of anything! Oh, and his fielding isn't too shabby either.

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  7. Collective TrollAugust 12, 2009 at 3:08 PM

    I say first ballot, no doubt about it! On defense alone, but his offensive numbers like runs scored, steals, hits are hall caliber. nice sig, he is one of my favs...

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  8. zman40August 12, 2009 at 8:59 PM

    Well said skoormit!

    Thanks for everyone's opinion.

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  9. unclemoeAugust 15, 2009 at 1:58 PM

    HOF! HOF!

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  10. Paul PAugust 18, 2009 at 11:28 AM

    It depends who he is up against. I think the upcoming vote is a very week field. My gut feeling is that he is a good and not a great player.
    His lack of success could count against him.

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