4.1% in the 2010 MLB Hall of Fame vote
The Big Cat had a career that was essentially broken in two.
He was most definitely a "hot young lion" in the late Eighties for the Montreal Expos and impressed as a rare righthanded hitting first baseman. He hit 0.300 a few times, won some Gold Gloves and clubbed some home runs. However, his skill set soon dipped and Galarraga was eventually shipped to St Louis for the lanky Ken Hill.
Galaragga's most significant contributions to the Cards were not very significant and he sought refuge with the expansion Colorado Rockies for their maiden 1993 season. Good move. Galarraga surprised... no, Galaragga SHOCKED... yes, he SHOCKED by leading the NL with an insane 0.370 average. He went on to enjoy several other big seasons with the Rockies and eventually, the Atlanta Braves, offering a strong combination of average, power, fielding prowess and positivity in the dugout.
Galaragga played until he was 43 and amassed some impressive career totals: 399 homeruns (equal to Hall of Famer Al Kaline), 1425 RBIs (more than Hall of Famer Robin Yount), a 0.288 average and five All-Star Games. And yet not unlike Fred McGriff, Galarraga played in an era of achievement and longevity no longer lands you in Cooperstown. Luckily, there is a spot in the Anti HOF for the Cat.
Top Baseball-Reference.com comparable of the modern era: Jim Rice
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