Ben Zobrist Should Be the Worst Hall of Famer | Baseball Bits

[@FoolishBaseball]

Use code 50FOOLISH to get 50% OFF plus free shipping on your first Factor box at bit.ly/4fK11Hh

[@BlueJaybeard]

Love your videos, but please drop the Factor sponsorship. They are just environment-killing landfill makers like Keurig and other manufacturers who use excessive amounts of single-use plastic. Please get a better sponsor. Factor is (quite literally) trash.

[@bartonallenlewis6012]

@@BlueJaybeardThe box and food containers are all recyclable

[@RedneckOutdoorsman4life]

Jesus loves you bro!!!

[@CZsWorld]

Without Ben Zobrist, 2 consecutive WS probably have different outcomes.

[@FoolishBaseball]

And now GMs everywhere think they're one Ben Zobrist away from winning a WS (and they might just all be right)

[@taylorgordon2696]

@@FoolishBaseballlmao so true

[@Iamhungey]

Though Maddon did his best to give Game 7 to the Indians.

[@Joe-e1l2d]

@@Iamhungey Then it took an act of God to save the Cubs.

[@Iamhungey]

@@Joe-e1l2d Pretty much, the game shouldn't have been that close to begin with. Maddon made several panic moves that game.

[@declanolson3943]

As a Cub fan, Illinois native, Ben Zobrist is, and always will be a legend. I will never forget his pivotal double in Game 7, and his infectious smile on the diamond. We love you, Ben.

[@FoolishBaseball]

The pride of Eureka himself!

[@CCDaDon15]

@@FoolishBaseballBen may not have played in Peoria but he did play everywhere

[@ChainsGoldMask]

Love you Ben!

[@GODofORCS]

Same here! I was at his last game in StL him striking out Yadi was a great end to it all even tho I was pissed they clinched against us.

[@tmnumber1]

I was going to say the exact thing except I'm a Kenosha native.

[@mmsnorby]

I've been waiting YEARS for this video to make the argument for the utility GOAT better than I could. You're a hero for this, Bailey.

[@FoolishBaseball]

Thank you very much!

[@teddyconover1619]

I think Bailey should be the worst Hall of Famer

[@FoolishBaseball]

I do have a 25 Contact% in Appy League play

[@Yellowshyguy69]

*BEST

[@mariokart9227]

*worst hall of fame voter* LET MY MAN INTO THE WRITERS

[@JaredGoofball]

I think teddyconover1619 should be the worst Hall of Famer

[@crackedbull8492]

@@FoolishBaseballI hit .430 in jv, some would call me the goat

[@nathansyoutubeaccount]

Literally just finished the MLB article predicting hall of fame results, went to KZbin to see if your Zobrist video was up yet and here it is.

[@FoolishBaseball]

I just hope he gets a few votes

[@JWickyJr13]

Absolutely. Was never a big fan of his but undeniably he raised thee bar for utility players. Wouldnt be surprised to see them have an award for Best Utility player named after him.

[@FoolishBaseball]

Mookie doing what he's doing is a good example of how the bar has been raised. A player that good being used that way would be unthinkable pre-Zobrist.

[@michaelbaucom4019]

Glad you mentioned Tony Phillips

[@FoolishBaseball]

Had to!

[@karlschlenzig6884]

Man he could get on base. So underrated

[@diamondhead1984]

When he mentioned Zobrist's super utility role I immediately thought of Tony Philips, very underrated talent.

[@karlschlenzig6884]

@@diamondhead1984 I think he might be the most underrated player of his era to be honest

[@mighty_mulder4859]

Zobrist feels like a guy who's gonna make it via the veterans committee in like 20 years. Absolutely deserves to be in the hall

[@FoolishBaseball]

The tricky thing is that the Veteran's Committee tends to vote on players who did well (but not 75% well) on the Writer's Ballot, and Zobrist is almost certainly a one-and-done. That's the pain of guys like Kenny Lofton and Lou Whitaker who got dropped. They get passed over by the committees, and I think that needs to change.

[@taylorgordon2696]

@@FoolishBaseballposada should be hof

[@OccasionalNASCARRaces]

No he shouldn't be. Lol. He only deserves to be in the Divorce HOF

[@bradyculp7531]

Ben Zobrist used to run a "Play with the Pros" baseball camp near my home town. His baseball excellence aside, he was one of the nicest dudes you could ever meet

[@lordxelizor]

I have him as the first 2B below my HOF line but very much within a range where I’d be completely happy with him getting in. Definitely helped define an era and a clearly a great player.

[@lordxelizor]

I know defining him as a 2B is ironic but also like idk what else to do. I rank Ohtani as a DH too. Positions are weird

[@FoolishBaseball]

Obviously guys like Whitaker, Utley, and Grich are more deserving first, but Zobrist's profile is unique

[@lordxelizor]

⁠@@FoolishBaseballI have a HOF line in my rankings but really I also have a ranking of players based on how much I care about them getting in (doesn’t include people on the ballot). If and when Zobrist falls off the ballot he will have a spot on that list although my top 3 right now among unscandalized players are also categorized as 2Bs (Scales, Grich, and Whitaker)

[@yankeeshater]

As a lifelong Rays fan, whenever someone brings up Zobrist I'm always saddened that it reminds me of what he went through after retiring.

[@carteljameson8395]

"He never hit over .300" Foolishness right there. He hit over .300 in 2018 for the Cubs.

[@Flying_Skier]

The 2018 Cubs never existed.

[@carteljameson8395]

@@Flying_Skier Baseball never existed either.

[@AlexDevMLB]

Ben Zobrist had 40.1 fWAR from age-28 to age-35. That is the 51st-most ever between those ages, above guys like Adrian Beltre, George Brett, Larry Walker, Derek Jeter, and 120 other HOF position players (out of 163 total). Too bad he didn’t play a full season until he was 28 years old

[@HatManCS]

Thank you for bringing attention to Tony Phillips Bailey. Hugely underrated player who would have thrived and been appreciated more in today's MLB.

[@OccasionalNASCARRaces]

He probably wouldn't play much with all that coke snorting

[@shidditiddis]

Just as I was enjoying a beautiful, crisp, Texas Saturday morning cleaning the house with my lady, watching old Baseball Bit vids, a new video drops. It’s gonna be a good day. 😎

[@FoolishBaseball]

Enjoy!

[@jexcellence2326]

was reading this comment right as I learned about Rickey Henderson's passing, which is unfortunate timing, but I do hope your day remains good outside of that

[@shidditiddis]

@ dude you just broke the news to me… what the fuck…….. God bless his family

[@etrain8885]

I did not have “revenge of the Bob Wickman calendar” on my 2024 bingo card, but it made me smile nonetheless :)

[@JakeyIce]

Can’t believe we got a Ben zobrist baseball bits before a full fledged Buttercup Dickerson one

[@soapsatellite]

I want one on Johnny Kling personally

[@rudnickulous]

Damn rays foolish and I’m here in under a minute

[@FoolishBaseball]

we love the rays don't we folks

[@oscarcarrillo39]

As a Rays fan my whole life whenever i see any type of video title or thumbnail that has a former ray i watched i gotta check it out. Thanks for refreshing some memories. (Matt Rodriquez is hilarious btw😂)

[@AmTTmA-q4l]

I feel like there's some deep dive someone could do that credits Zobrist for the projected differential between the player that would have played and the player that did play due to Zobrist opening the position for them.

[@FoolishBaseball]

Someone out there can do the math. I'm probably not that someone, but hopefully the Matt Rodriguez/Sean Joyce example is illustrative enough.

[@AmTTmA-q4l]

@@FoolishBaseball I might try if he stays on the ballot one year lol, just if you can squeeze enough out of it to get home closer to 50 'war' the warheads would probably balk less as voting for him

[@zym6687]

Some party could make a very interesting chart about it all

[@Nwasy-oc6kd]

Take the difference in WAR accumulated by Matt Rodriguez and Sean Joyce and multiply it by the percent of plate appearances that Matt Rodriguez had vs the total Rodriguez/Joyce appearances. That feels like a pretty fair way to represent the WAR generated directly from Zobrist's utility and do it for any notable similar examples. With that I'm pretty sure he easily clears 50 career WAR

[@fuhkerz]

​@@FoolishBaseballI'll be honest, I had to watch that part twice to understand what you were saying. The first time I was too distracted by the pictures lol

[@trobone]

As a Rays fan, he still is my favorite player of all time. I love how versatile he is. I hated to see him leave. Very underrated. Thanks so much for this video.

[@cleancapitalist9320]

An episode many years in the making… I remember seeing you talking about this ages ago.

[@FoolishBaseball]

Yup! This has been on the backburner for years.

[@bdelaney20]

The best way to describe Zobrist is that he was solid. Put him in most any position and he's gonna be a solid defense. He was also clutch at the plate when the team needed a hit. Even with guys like Bryant and Rizzo on the '16 Cubs, Zobrist was my favorite player.

[@CiabanItReal]

You're impression of me was 100% SPOT on. You nailed it.

[@notlikethevegetable]

3:56 The Bob Wickman calendar is BACK 😩🤤

[@FoolishBaseball]

Someone actually made their friend a real Bob Wickman calendar a few years back

[@notlikethevegetable]

@@FoolishBaseball I need to meet this person and befriend them. As long as they don’t try to sneak a picture of Bartolo Colon in there…

[@tigercap100]

Thanks for acknowledging Tony Phillips. He was my favorite Tiger in the early 90s! He was so under-rated!

[@johncolle6534]

As a Royals fan. It's very likely we don't win the 2015 World Series without that half season with him. He was an integral part of that run.

[@Tergara1]

Agreed!

[@10thletter40]

For sure!

[@trobone]

As a Rays fan, he still is my favorite player of all time. I love how versatile he is. I hated to see him leave. Very underrated.

[@loganb.313]

10:31 mentioning this bc I know it was used to prove the point (which it did!) but Zobrist did hit 300 in 2018! I only remember because I believe he was the last full-season cub to hit 300 until bellinger in 2023!

[@SanFranFan30]

Fun Fact: Zobrist played a key role in loosing the rules around personal equipment and cleat colors when he was with the Cubs because he decided he wanted to wear all-black cleats in a throwback to the early days of baseball when cleats were made out of leather (they were also PF Flyers). However since black wasn't a color in the Cub's logo and there wasn't at least 60% of team colors in the cleats, MLB fined him. Just like Brian Wilson back in 2011 and Michael Jordan in the NBA as a rookie.

[@AK-so9gm]

He’s a forever legend in Chicago 🫡

[@bobbywinner9590]

Zobrist’s HOF case is similar to Devin Hester’s in the NFL to me. The numbers might not exactly indicate that they are HOFers, but both can be considered modern innovators of game

[@ethanricci8741]

Hester shouldn't be a HOF player when Steve Smith can't even get to the finalist stage. Been Zobrist did everything baseball related at a really high level. Hester is more like electing Jesse Orosco than Zobrist.

[@randallcunningfam1790]

WE LOVE YOU BAILEY , THANK YOU AS ALWAYS FOR MAKING GREAT CONTENT

[@FoolishBaseball]

thank you for the love

[@jimc.goodfellas]

0:40 That's some Skenes-esque form right there

[@ThatOneGuy8305]

I dream of a day where HOF voters realize the value of players that make building a team around them easier. Really hard to win a championship without a player that can cover for any injury and work around any free agent signing. I mean the Yankees don't make the World Series this year if Jazz is not able to step in and play 3rd on a days notice. THAT is championship value even if the WAR and the counting stats don't reflect it.

[@FoolishBaseball]

The fact that many GMs think they're one "Ben Zobrist type" away from a World Series is telling, and it actually proved to be true in 2015 and 2016, provided the Ben Zobrist type is Ben Zobrist.

[@zym6687]

@@FoolishBaseball That's sounds quite analogous to the Not Rick Rubin phenomenon, where music execs try hiring Rick Rubin non-musician type producers only they turn out to be Not Rick Rubin.

[@OccasionalNASCARRaces]

Jazz Chisholm sucks and is not "championship value" lol

[@wrecker132]

Miguel Cabrera deserved both the 2012 and 2013 MVP’s. I have a serious compulsion to tell people this whenever 2012 Mike Trout is mentioned

[@chicagodude8888]

Biggest issue with WAR is not rewarding RBIs. Sure they’re situational but is it fair to give a guy 1-2 with a grand slam and bases empty K the same WAR as a guy with a bases loaded K and a solo homer? That’s the flaw.

[@brennantmi5063]

@@chicagodude8888 The problem with RBI's is they reflect the quality of your teammates just as much as they do you. Anyone who bats after a couple of studs who are regularly on base with have better numbers than someone who plays with a bunch of jobbers. However, Hitting a flyball to center when a runner is on third no outs could be considered a skill and it isn't fair to compare that to fly balls to center that don't score.. There is something to be said about some players are much clutch than others and that should be reflective in analysis, but I'm not sure RBI's would necessarily be the stat for that .Perhaps some funny sabermetrics stat that compares plate appearances with runners in scoring position and runs batted in.

[@JeffyPDiddy]

Ben Zobrist is the best thanks for covering him!

[@Kevoguy]

7:40 I love how Rajai Davis's home run from the same game as Zobrist's double is higher up on the list. Go Cubs Go!

[@goldensocks]

Zobrist was a fantasy baseball monster. Consistent stats and you could slot him into any position you needed.

[@BiggestPLANTS]

It takes a special kind of player to be an absolute legend for three different franchises

[@yukdum]

Foolish Baseball should be the worst Hall of Fame KZbinr. He's so sneaky good you don't even realize he's already an all-timer.

[@FoolishBaseball]

Aw shucks

[@insertname5371]

Inner circle hof you mean.

[@nickanton7983]

sometimes I feel like I'm out of the loop with baseball and then sometimes I watch a video like this and the voice in my head says "bob wickman" before I've become consciously aware of what's happening.

[@Baseballify]

3:56 I’m incredibly happy to see the Bob wickman calendar return

[@joemarais7683]

I’m still out on Zobrist being in the hall as a traditional inductee, but he should still be recognized in some way for being a unicorn that changed modern baseball. His candidacy will highlight the flaws in the current HOF process and standards, so maybe he’ll spark some changes with that as well (fat chance, I know).

[@t206kid]

Thing is he isn't a utility player in the classical sense. He played everyday. Utility guys play like 60 games a year because someone is injured, day off, etc. he was an everyday player that can play multiple positions.

[@Aurora_Fan_Ryan]

Besides changing utility players forever, there is not a single stat or anything he has done that will convince me. He’s anywhere near a Hall of Famer. I wouldn’t even consider him on the ballot.

[@OccasionalNASCARRaces]

There are so many people on this year's ballot as first years that are only on there to pad out the list and confuse people, and Zobrist is one of them. The fact that one person has already voted for Ian Kinsler is a disgrace.

[@Aurora_Fan_Ryan]

@@OccasionalNASCARRaces Like this is hall of fame not hall of ok.

[@LinksatElginfield]

Fantastically written piece! Every single team deploys a 'Zobrist-type' player to fill platoon roles now; he really did change the game.

[@ryanscott4038]

9:09 as an O’s fan, thank you

[@lunarumbreon7699]

12:57 I love how many of these players played specifically for Maddon

[@FBIStatMajor]

My rule is if you're a hall of famer, subtracting you dramatically alters your sport and its history, influence and development. Ben Zobrist is a massive subtraction for on field performance, the moments he created and how front offices value players if he doesn't exist. Look at the dodgers when they got zobrist jr in Tommy Edman, it was arguably their most important midseason pickup ever. Therefore, I find him to be a hall of famer

[@OccasionalNASCARRaces]

Yeah that's not how the Hall of Fame works. Statistical best of their era get in. I guess Greg A. Harris and Pat Venditte should be a HOFer, I mean no one else switch pitched!

[@TheScaba100]

This video really makes the case for Joe Maddon's hall of fame induction.

[@calvinwilliamson4202]

A Hall of Famer in my heart forever! Thanks for the biggest hit of my life, which can never be surpassed.

[@hibuscis]

love the callback to the bob wickman calendar

[@chonkly]

Bailey, my boy, another video in 2024, now that's a good Christmas gift.

[@FoolishBaseball]

One last video for the year

[@Weaponator18]

I certainly wouldn't put zobrist in the HOF in a vacuum. But this is the best case I've heard on behalf of him. Well done, sir.

[@alexgrashorn2242]

Andy Sonnanstine has been mentioned in a baseball bits episode, my life is now officially complete

[@yukdum]

Another spin on a featured stat: Keith Hernandez with 60 rWAR and the #28 (game 7, 1982 WS) and #52 (game 7, 1986 WS) plays by cWPA.

[@sterlingherrera1792]

Keith Hernandez is a president big HOF snub in my opinion.

[@tommayrant2279]

Fantastic video on the importance of a great utility player! Please make a video on the HOF case for an all-time great middle reliever. Thank you!

[@randomcoffeetable777]

I love how the Bob Whickman calendar went from one off joke to a staple of baseball bits.

[@DrewSinclair-fw5wn]

as a chicago sports fan who owned a ben zobrist jersey, he keeps me going during the football season

[@shoeless1137]

Have you considered the he played for the cubs and therefore should be excluded due to the character clause

[@caseyapeterson]

Loved watching him come up with the Devil Rays. A very good ballplayer and a very good man.

[@XKloosyvv]

Jon Bois, Boy Boy and Foolish Baseball all dropping content in a single day?? Christmas is already here!

[@fromulus]

I don't know who Boy Boy is, but the other two, without a doubt 2 of the best anywhere at what they do.

[@fromulus]

I searched, and it looks good to me, thanks for the tip. I'll take your word for it, you obviously enjoy the finer things in life.

[@OccasionalNASCARRaces]

Three idiots

[@fromulus]

At first I was like, why is he wearing a shirt advertising an insurance company? Then I realized it's a soccer jersey, I get it. Thanks for the Saturday Bits, it's my favorite day for them.

[@scottbaldwin6763]

Man I really wish Chad Pinder was still playing. His defense was legitimately phenomenal everywhere, but never got the recognition. He was also one of the most clutch and strongest players, having some massive home runs in the cavernous Oakland coliseum. He was always my favorite player when he was still active. He played the game the right way. He was awesome.

[@OccasionalNASCARRaces]

"Played the game the right way" - was white. Hmmm shocking lol

[@rockflagneagle42]

Not appreciating the Tony Womack slander. That’s my Guilford College legend

[@seanlowry3393]

Good to see the second channel getting some love

[@NY-Vice]

Merry Christmas everyone & thanks for the video Bailey

[@suikinng4232]

It's 1 am here in my country but I won't sleep before finishing this video Good content

[@meiji.meiji.]

When I was getting my 2015 WS memorabilia shersey, I had to get my guy Cain, but I was heavily thinking about getting Zobrist. As a kid, I liked the Cubs in the NL because of WGN, so I was happy I was able to get a Zobrist shirt the next year.

[@TheLetsPlayBaseballCurse]

I sure as hell hope he makes it. He was influential in back-to-back championship seasons that broke decades-long streaks (including the Royals' one I have a heavy bias towards), and based on what was presented a fair bit of what analysis and award we give is due to Zobrist's utility nad influence. Changing the game in a meaningful way may be a subjective metric but Zobrist definitely did enough for me to warrant making it in.

[@benk6153]

This one might be up there with 2012 As as one of my favorite Baseball Bits yet!

[@FoolishBaseball]

Glad you liked this one!

[@glucosaminecondroitan9135]

​@@FoolishBaseballmoneyba-zzzzttt

[@itunesthief4525]

Been watching you for years and years now Homer Bailey. Been watching Any Austin for about 2 now and just can’t help but think that you guys would have the best time talking about your guys’ creative processes

[@Lyrici17]

I'm, generally, a big Hall guy, so I am totally in on Zobrist. I also love the Tony Phillips shoutout.... Thanks!

[@JakobyAndrew]

Watching baseball in the 2010s was watching your team play Zobrist and he'd ALWAYS do something against you. True definition of utility and HoF worthy imo.

[@michaelcooke5695]

My biggest pet peeve in HOF debates these days is the treatment of WAR/JAWS standards as hard barriers for entry rather than medians like they actually are. I don't think I'm fully convinced of Zobrist's HOF case but he definitely has one, would like to see him stay on the ballot.

[@FigFrenzy]

Its about time someone is taking about ben zobrist

[@FoolishBaseball]

@nomorefielders also did a Zobrist video earlier this year

[@FigFrenzy]

@@FoolishBaseball ohhhhh yeah I forgot

[@waxknucklebearingjuice5592]

Hell yeah ! Main channel posts are the best !

[@austin8783]

In my mind, the term "Ballplayer" in the dictionary should have a picture of Ben Zobrist beside it. A true player's player.

[@nfugitt89]

Trout was the consensus MVP until August when some writers started a campaign for Cabrera based off of his Triple Crown numbers. It was an astroturfed robbery

[@duality4739]

Honestly i know zobrist was underrated but his resume is wayyy stronger than alot of these other dudes

[@MetFanMac]

Harry Walker and Dom DiMaggio's 1946 Game 7 hits being tied on the cWPA list is wild.

[@avimisra1312]

Finally, a post on the second channel! I feel like Bailey forgets about this one

[@tsj12340]

Foolish Baseball and Pretty Good on the Same Day! Great start to Christmas this year!

[@FoolishBaseball]

That sounds Pretty Great! See what I did there

[@TylerAven10]

Thanks for this excellent video, as well as a reminder that Ben Zobrist did in fact play for the Oakland A’s

[@JoshuaEfron]

If people use your name to describe other players and mean it as a compliment, you deserve to be in the hall of fame.

[@twlgz5192]

this is your best video ever great topic and argument, even better writing.

[@doorkman13]

Some guys need to be in the Hall because of their impact on the sport in one way or another. Zobrist is one of those guys. The Hall of Fame should include guys that helped change the game positively.

[@10thletter40]

Glad to have him for the Royals run, it was awesome!

[@brownjohn423]

That Bob Wickman calendar would make a great gift.

[@lovedavantlamour301]

Im sorry this is a great video but what are we actually talking about here ? anyone seriously advocating for ben zobrist as a HOF'er while denying the legitimacy of Andruw Jones , Jim Edmonds , Dale Murphy , Dick Allen or even Dustin Pedroia need to give their head a thorough wobble because i know theres a bunch of you out there and the idea of it makes me livid

[@OccasionalNASCARRaces]

Thankfully the Dick Allen snub has been righted this year (waiting until after he died, how classy) but even as a Red Sox fan there's other more obvious snubs than Pedroia (Kenny Lofton, Posada, Dwight Evans). And all of those players run circles around Ben fucking Zobrist

[@lunarumbreon7699]

I love how the Bob Wickman calendar keeps coming back

[@geekimusprime]

Zobrist is definitely a fantasy baseball hall of famer! One of my favorite players to draft every season

[@dawsonshibz15]

The Bob Wickman calendar is my favorite recurring bit on this channel

[@kangaroodude34]

14:32 wow I was NOT expecting to see Giancarlo that high for most DRS for RF, I forgot he was a pretty good outfielder back on the Marlins

[@blessd24]

I'm pretty connected to the Zob family. It was fun to watch him do what he did, although he re-canted his Cardinal fan upbringing and won World Series' for the Cardinals' 2 biggest rivals in back to back years. 😄

[@egbduf]

I have ALWAYS hated that Mazeroski is in the HOF and Joe Carter isn't. Carter also hit an iconic WS walk off AND was a better player

[@FoolishBaseball]

Carter had a lot of accolades, especially with regards to downballot MVP voting. Probably didn't deserve some of them, but I understand the sentiment.

[@egbduf]

@FoolishBaseball I am also biased!

[@guacodile]

i enjoy the continued use of the Bob Wickman calendar

[@FoolishBaseball]

This channel has lore

[@JohnnyCashavetes]

While it is technically true that "Tony Phillips is largely forgotten" it is also true that I think about him all the time and have placed him in many positions on many spreadsheets containing imaginary rosters of my mind.