The 10 most under-appreciated players of the 1980s: #3 Bill Doran

Our string of Astros that started with Danny Darwin ends here with Bill Doran. You may have noticed Doran in the background of Darwin's card.

Doran is shown here on his 1988 Score card, #52. There are many photos like this in that set, with the player's face largely invisible. My first reaction is always "Gah! What a terrible photo!" but then I remember that 88 Score features a nice headshot on the back of each card, reserving the front for an action shot. So we get the best of both worlds on one card.

Bill Doran was never all All-Star. He didn't get a single Hall of Fame vote. He had very few top 10 appearances in major statistical categories.

But Doran was terribly under-appreciated.

Firstly, Doran did make the top 10 in walks 4 different times. In the 1980s, he had 514 walks and 460 strikeouts--really nice.

From 1982 to 1989, Doran was 29th in WAR. Limiting the list to just second basemen, Doran stacks up nicely:

Rk	Player	WAR/pos	From	To	PA	OPS	Tm
1	Lou Whitaker	34.6	1982	1989	5092	.795	DET
2	Ryne Sandberg	33.4	1982	1989	5379	.780	CHC
3	Bill Doran	26.2	1982	1989	4501	.721	HOU
4	Willie Randolph	26.1	1982	1989	4632	.722	NYY-LAD
5	Johnny Ray	20.5	1982	1989	5119	.729	PIT-TOT-CAL
6	Tom Herr	20.3	1982	1989	4524	.710	STL-TOT-PHI
7	Frank White	17.2	1982	1989	4525	.709	KCR
8	Glenn Hubbard	17.2	1982	1989	3699	.689	ATL-OAK
9	Robby Thompson	14.6	1986	1989	2249	.719	SFG
10	Bobby Grich	14.3	1982	1986	2451	.798	CAL
11	Steve Sax	14.3	1982	1989	5335	.704	LAD-NYY

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 1/11/2012.

Doran was a hair better than Willie Randolph and just a little off the pace set by Whitaker and Sandberg. He also had fewer plate appearances than those other guys.

Have a read at the copy on the back of Doran's card below. The  mention of Doran being considered one of the Major's best second basemen counters my inclusion him on this list! I'm utterly amazed, though, at the mention of on-base percentage on there--in 1988!!