Why Cal Ripken was highly overrated........

I know that is next to blasphemy here in Maryland, but it is true.
Now before you read on, please note this-I am NOT saying that Cal Ripken doesn't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.
Reaching the benchmarks that he did earn him that honor, but he is overrated and not among the elite that most rate him as a part of.
Ripken played 17 seasons and missed one game and parts of three more near the end of his career.
Ripken hit over .300 5 times of those 20 seasons and 1 of those was over a season in which he played 86 games.
His power numbers were steady and impressive until he reached 31.
Up until that point, Cal always was in the 20+ homer range, although he hit more than 28 only once in his career.
That was when he smacked 34 in his terrific 1991 season, which was clearly his career year in all offensive facets.
After his tremendous 1991 efforts though, his power dropped and over the rest of his career,(1992-2001)Ripken would exceed 20 homers just twice in that span.
Looking at his career numbers and considering that he played EVERY day during the vast majority of his career, they really aren't extraordinary.
Career batting average .276, 431 homers,1685 RBI aren't tremendous stats when you take the number of games that he played to achieve them.
Imagine the numbers that Tony Gwynn could have compiled for hits and average or look at the players right below Ripken on the all-time homer list.
Think those guys would have hit more than Ripken if they played the same amount of games?
His RBI numbers are solid, but again imagine if guys below him play the same game total.
I know the argument that those guys did miss games and Ripken didn't make all comparisons
"What if 's and I give Ripken credit for the streak.
So let's compare him to the guy that had his record broken-Lou,Gehrig.
Ripken still played 834 MORE games than Gehrig and yet fails to beat him in ANY offensive category!
As a defender, contrary to popular belief, Ripken was not a dominant gloveman.
I know locally this perception is taken as fact, but it is simply untrue.
Put aside that he only won two Gold Gloves in his career.
Ripken still was basically this as a defensive player-A sure-handed, range limited player.
I will give Ripken this-he caught what he got to and if it was hit to him-it became an out.
However, watching him plod after balls that went up the middle for hits that Ozzie Smith and Omar Vizquel were grabbing and throwing runners out showed Ripken's defensive skills for what they really were.
Solid, but limited.
In the end, Cal Ripken put up the numbers to be in the Hall and deservedly so.
But in many ways, he may be the most overrated player enshrined there.

Back later with Cubs-Pirates.