This forgotten 2003 Cubs outfielder has a legitimate Hall of Fame resume

Kenny Lofton made just one appearance on a National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, garnering a mere 3.2 percent of votes in 2013 - placing him below the 5 percent threshold required to remain on the ballot moving forward.

So why am I bringing him up more than a decade later? Why spend time talking about a guy who played all of 56 games in a Chicago Cubs uniform? Because his resume is Cooperstown-worthy and the candidacy of sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki makes that clearer than ever.

That's right. I'm using Suzuki as my measuring stick for Lofton - and you'd be shocked how well the former Cubs outfielder stacks up against a guy who has a legitimate chance at being just the second unanimous selection in Hall of Fame history.

Suzuki accomplished everything outside of winning a World Series during his 19-year MLB career: he was a 10-time All-Star, American League MVP and Rookie of the Year, two-time batting champ, 10-time Gold Glover and three-time Silver Slugger. But when you stack up their respective numbers side-by-side, it's actually Lofton who comes out on top.

Kenny Lofton was a statistically superior player to Ichiro Suzuki - but got no love in his brief quest for the Hall of Fame

The Mariners legend edges Lofton in games played, plate appearance, hits and batting average. But in every other statistical measure, Lofton comes out on top. Despite playing in more than 500 fewer games, Lofton accumulated 68.4 bWAR to Suzuki's 60.0 bWAR (he also has the advantage if you use fWAR for what it's worth). He hit more home runs (130 to 117, though power wasn't either's calling card), drove in more runs (781 to 780) and stole more bases (622 to 509 - which ranks 15th in baseball history).

His on-base percentage was nearly 20 points higher (.372 to .355, he slugged a bit more and his OPS topped Suzuki's by a decent margin, as well (.794 to .757). OPS+? Dead even at 107. So what's the deal? How can we, as a sport, be rolling out the red carpet for Ichiro while dooming a statistically superior player to irrelevancy in retirement?

A few things likely played a role in Lofton being overlooked by voters. He played in a power-hitter era - and wasn't a power hitter. In his early career in Cleveland, fans were caught up in the big boppers like Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez - he was never the guy on any of the 11 teams he played for. And that brings us to another narrative-crushing aspect of his career: he was a journeyman - a valuable one, to be sure, but Cleveland was the only team he played more than one season for.

He also had a pretty touch-and-go relationship with the media which, all too often, impacts how BBWAA voters determine their Hall of Fame ballots. But the numbers speak for themselves. He might not be a stereotypical Hall of Famer or have come with the fanfare of someone like Ichiro, but he deserves his place in the hallowed halls of Cooperstown.