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runs batted in twice, leading the league in both categories in two straight seasons (1968 and 1969). McCovey was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1969 when he hit 45 homers, knocked in 126 runs, and batted .320. He also finished in the top ten in the voting three other times. McCovey was a six-time All-Star, and was probably the most feared hitter in baseball for much of the pitching-dominated 1960s. During his career, McCovey topped the 30-homer mark seven times, surpassing 40 on two separate occasions. He also knocked in more than 100 runs four times, scored more than 100 runs twice, and batted over .300 twice. Although he faced stiff competition from Harmon Killebrew and Orlando Cepeda, McCovey was arguably the best first baseman in baseball for much of the period extending from 1963 to 1970. He was certainly the sport’s top first baseman in 1963 (44 HR, 102 RBIs, 103 RUNS, .280 AVG), 1966 (36 HR, 96 RBIs, .295 AVG), and from 1968 to 1970, when he averaged 40 home runs and 119 runs batted in per season.
    Harmon Killebrew, in almost the same number of at-bats as McCovey, hit even more home runs (573) and drove in even more runs (1,584). Those numbers more than make up for the fact that his lifetime batting average was only .256. He has the fourth highest home run-to-at-bat ratio in the history of the game (behind only Mark McGwire, Babe Ruth and Ralph Kiner), and he hit more home runs than any other righthanded batter in American League history. Killebrew led the league in home runs six times, runs batted in three times, walks four times, and slugging once. He topped the 40-homer mark eight times, knocked in more than 100 runs nine times, and drew over 100 walks seven times. Like McCovey, he won his league’s MVP Award in 1969. That year, he led the A.L. with 49 home runs, 140 runs batted in, and 145 walks, while batting .276. Killebrew was an 11-time All-Star and, although he split time at other positions during his career, was the top first baseman in the American League for most of the 1960s. It could also be argued that he was one of the five or six best players in the league from 1959 to 1970.
    Johnny Mize/Jim Bottomley
    Although neither man should be viewed as a clear-cut choice, both Johnny Mize and Jim Bottomley are deserving of their places in Cooperstown because they were very, very good players who were each the best first baseman in the National League for extended periods of time.
    Johnny Mize hit 359 home runs, drove in 1,337 runs, and batted .312 during an abbreviated career in which he lost three years due to time spent in the military. He led the N.L. in home runs four times, hitting 51 for the Giants in 1947. He also led the league in runs batted in three times, batting average once, and slugging percentage four times. Playing from the mid-1930s to the early 1950s, during a fairly good era for hitters, Mize knocked in more than 100 runs eight times, scored over 100 runs five times, and batted over .300 nine times, topping the .340 mark twice. He was a 10-time All-Star, and he fared well in the MVP voting as well, finishing second twice, third once, and in the top 10 on three other occasions. Mize was the best first baseman in the National League from 1937 to 1948, with the exception of the three years he was in the military, and also 1941, when Dolph Camilli of the Dodgers won the league’s Most Valuable Player Award. He was arguably the best first baseman in the game in 1940 (43 HR, 137 RBIs, 111 RUNS, .314 AVG), 1942 (26 HR, 110 RBIs, .305 AVG), 1946 (22 HR, 70 RBIs, .337 AVG, in only 101 games), and 1947 (51 HR, 138 RBIs, 137 RUNS, .302 AVG).
    In his book, Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame?, Bill James describes Jim Bottomley as a “good ballplayer” and as a “marginal Hall of Famer at best.” While James’ book is informative insightful, and makes some very interesting points, he also makes mistakes and, in my opinion, errors in judgment. This is a prime example. While