The Atlantic

There Will Never Be Another Vladimir Guerrero

The 2018 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee played with an originality that outshone even his incredible statistics.
Source: Jeff Topping / Reuters

Baseball revels in numbers, and this year’s Hall of Fame class—elected by the Baseball Writers Association of America and announced Wednesday evening—boasts plenty of impressive ones. Chipper Jones, the Atlanta Braves’ stalwart third baseman and left fielder, hit over .300 from both sides of the plate, tallying 2,726 hits and 468 home runs. Jim Thome, the well-traveled and barn-sized slugger, has more than 600 homers to his credit. Trevor Hoffman, the San Diego Padres’ untouchable closer, has the second-most saves in history, at 601.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Atlantic

The Atlantic4 min read
KitchenAid Did It Right 87 Years Ago
My KitchenAid stand mixer is older than I am. My dad bought the white-enameled machine 35 years ago, during a brief first marriage. The bits of batter crusted into its cracks could be from the pasta I made yesterday or from the bread he made then. I
The Atlantic17 min read
How America Became Addicted to Therapy
A few months ago, as I was absent-mindedly mending a pillow, I thought, I should quit therapy. Then I quickly suppressed the heresy. Among many people I know, therapy is like regular exercise or taking vitamin D: something a sensible person does rout
The Atlantic5 min read
The Strangest Job in the World
This is an edition of the Books Briefing, our editors’ weekly guide to the best in books. Sign up for it here. The role of first lady couldn’t be stranger. You attain the position almost by accident, simply by virtue of being married to the president

Related Books & Audiobooks