Cal Ripken is not a Hall of Famer

[The Sleeper]

So even discounting the streak, if he was that head and shoulders above every other professional shortstop for a decade (in terms of offense and defense), then he probably deserves to be in.

exactly. if he was a first basemen, he'd be borderline. but at shortstop, he's a lock. shortstops didn't start putting up power numbers til the tail end of his career.