Pappas deserves recognition for his accomplishments, even if it is just to clear his name from the fall out of a trade for which he was never responsible. Wilhelm posted a sub-2.00 ERA for five consecutive seasons in his 40s, and he did so while averaging 108 innings pitched per year. They have been treated very differently by baseball writers voting for the HOF. Covering the latest and most controversial news around the world of sports, heavily centered on the Philadelphia Eagles and National Football League. 12) Milt Pappas (1957-1973) (209-164; 3.40 Era; ERA+ 110; 43 SHO; 3186 IP/ 3046 H/ H/9 8.6; 1728 K/ 858 BB/ 2.01 ratio; 1.225 WHIP). He featured a sinking fastball and a curve, later known as a slider. I will be presenting the results here of the survey over the next week or so, going position by position. 9 Charlie Buffinton 3.7 His alleged involvement in the Black Sox Scandal cut his careers short and has prevented him from being inducted in the Hall of Fame. Only players who are known primarily as relief pitchers or closers. He featured a fastball, curve, and change-up with excellent control. .208. There were numerous circumstances that held players careers back. The top ten pitchers eligible but not in the HoF, by rWAR/200 IP, minimum 2000 IP: 1 Roger Clemens 5.7 CF: Carlos BeltrnThis was Kenny Lofton's spot before Beltrn reached Hall eligibility on the 2023 ballot, receiving a respectable 46.5% of the vote in his debut. The top four candidates were all foreign born. On a 25-man roster, teams typically carry 12 or 13 pitchers. 5 Luis Tiant 3.8 Cincinnati pitchers on this list include Will White, Mullane and Walters. Wilbur Cooper and Babe Adams have likewise been missed. Pitching in an era before closers were sexy, McMahon pitched 872 games out of the bullpen won . I suspect he will reach the necessary 75 percent sometime in his remaining three years of eligibility. Here are the best Hall of Fame candidates. All-Star Games. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for RANDY JOHNSON 2009 Topps #185 Arizona Diamondbacks, HALL OF FAME GREAT PITCHER at the best online prices at eBay! Reulbach had arguably a more impressive career than any of them. His control record surpasses even Christy Mathewson, Greg Maddux, and Pedro Martinez at their peaks. Some historians have labeled the shorter career effect as the Smokey Joe Wood effect, referring to HOF pitchers whose career lengths were shorter than required for HOF inclusion, but whose careers made a significant impact and thus we're inducted. Warneke has more shutouts, a better K/BB ratio, and a better WHIP. Tiant was known for his unusual delivery, turning away from the batter during the wind up. Plus, it just doesnt feel right that Alan Trammell is in the Hall without his double-play partner. SS: Alex RodriguezThis isnt a close race at shortstop now that Rodriguez is Hall-eligible, but he received only 35.7% of the vote in his second year on the BBWAA ballot in 2023. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP, File) via Associated Press. Always ranking QBs. If you cross over 10 by this metric, you are a serious candidate for the Hall of Fame. But Beltrn gets the slight edge, given his enviable combination of power (435 homers), speed (312 steals), defense (three Gold Gloves) and postseason heroics. Note that some players listed as HOFers may have been inducted for non-playing reasons. He was the second great Latin pitcher, following Juan Marichal. With the aid of Comiskey Park, Gary Peters, Tommy John, and Joe Horlen, they were backed up by the likes of Bob Locker, Eddie fisher, Don McMahon and none other than Hoyt Wilhelm at his peak. Or what if the fans in Cincinnati had accepted his efforts for the team? Im struck again by the level of parity in this survey after Clemens. Q1 Rank the following pitchers, ranging from 1 for most-deserving of Hall of Fame induction to 10 for least-deserving, [From a survey of 425 respondents, fielded via Qualtrics]. 9) Will White (1877-1886) (229-166; 2.28 ERA; ERA+ 120; 36 SHO; 3,542 IP/ 3,440 H/ H/9 8.7; 1041 K/ 496 BB; 2.10 ratio; 1.111 WHIP). 10) Mickey Lolich (1963-1979) (217-191; 3.44 ERA; ERA+ 105; 41 SHO; 3,638 IP/ 3,366 H/ 8.3 H/9; 2,832 K/ 1,099 BB/ 2.58 K/BB ratio; 1.227 WHIP). Cooper may be the best pitcher in Pirates history. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. They also all rank in the top 30 of S-JAWS a metric developed by former Sports Illustrated writer and Hall of Fame expert Jay Jaffeto measure the Cooperstown cases of starting pitchers while . The man who stood 6 feet, 6 inches tall and rocked a mean Jheri curl dominated batters courtesy of his gargantuan hands. This gives us a cut off of 2500 innings to. Wagner has rapidly gained BBWAA support in recent years, rising to 68.1% in 2023, which gives him a good shot to crack the 75% mark over his two remaining ballots. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. As faithful baseball fans, we depend on the Hall of Fame to show us who the truly great players are. He would have been part of the best pitching staffs in historyPappas was still pitching great in '71 and '72. He displayed consistent excellence throughout his career. He featured a low three-quarters delivery that made it hard for left-handed batters to pick up the ball. Cardinals' 5 all-time best relief pitchers in franchise history. The Baseball Writers Association of America has elected the newest Hall of Famer, with third baseman Scott Rolen officially getting the call on Tuesday and joining Fred McGriff -- previously elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee -- in the Class of 2023. position. Hoffman broke in with the inaugural Florida Marlins team, was traded for Gary Sheffield, and then racked up an absurd 15 seasons of 30+ saves and nine of 40+, each of which still stands as MLB records. Dennis Eckersley was a starter-turned-reliever. Craig Kimbrels ranks among post-1900 pitchers with at least 500 innings pitched: Opponents batting average allowed: .158, H/9: 4.98 (1st), ERA+: 195, K/9: 14.61, opponents slugging percentage allowed: .257 (2nd). All of the numbers agree with this statement as he ranks first . hide this ad PLAY QUIZ Score 0/25 Timer 10:00 Recently Published Actresses. Relief RHP: Dan QuisenberryJust about every modern-day righty reliever who should be in the Hall is already there following Lee Smiths election in 2018. Cooper struggled as a Cub and finished his career by '26. Wilhelm passed away on Aug. 23, 2002. Active: Terry Francona , Rocco Baldelli , Dave Roberts , . For the most part, the best pitchers are in the HOF. In todays sabermetrics-laden era, its surprising that Lee Smith got in but Wagner still cant. Billy Wagner. Fingers career ERA+ of 120 is lower than youd expect (24th among 30 closers with at least 300+ saves). The pitchers on this list are every bit as skilled as their contemporaries already voted in. Chapman wont qualify on any official leaderboard because hes only at 535.2 innings, but if you look at all pitchers with 500+ innings, hes first all-time at 14.84 K/9 and a 2.01 FIP. Craig Muder is director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The most-deserving players not in the Hall of Fame: Pitchers Embed from Getty Images see more Roger Clemens, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox prepares to throw a pitch during the Major League Baseball American League East game against the Cleveland Indians on 27 May 1987 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The greatest relief pitchers of all time include some of the best current MLB players, as well as some legends who are already in the baseball hall of fame. Pitching multiple innings per relief appearance was Wilhelms trademark. Heres a stat for you to show Wagner was ahead of his era: There were five seasons before 2000 (38 after 2000) in which a pitcher threw at least 50 IP and had at least a 14.0 K/9 rate. His 1.000 WHIP is the lowest among qualified pitchers in the live ball era. That's the type of respect he garnered. The average run scoring in the period was some 20-25 percent more than the league average. His H/9 rate of 5.3 in 1906 is one of the best in history. Honorable mention: Andy Pettitte, Mark Buehrle, Ron Guidry, Tommy John, Mickey Lolich, Jimmy Key (CC Sabathia not yet eligible). Typically, in modern-day play, an active roster will consist of five starting pitchers, seven relief pitchers, two catchers, six infielders, and five outfielders. But there are pitchers whose careers have fallen through the cracks. His career K/BB ratio of 2.80 is also a mark of historical significance. Before the '66 season, Pappas was sent to Cincinnati for Frank Robinson in a very unpopular trade. 1. He relented, signed with St. Louis, but they then shipped him off to the expansion Toledo Blue Stockings. Tommy was pitching in October for six consecutive seasons, posting a 6-3 mark with a 2.65 ERA over 88 innings. The reserve clause was so restrictive in his era that once you signed with a team, unless they traded or sold you, you belonged to them. He had ample zip on his fastball. Jack Chesbro (198), Rube Marquard (201), and Lefty Gomez (189) were all pitchers with low career win totals who made the HOF. His career stands up nicely against contemporary HOF pitchers Bob Lemon and Hal Newhowser. The Reds finally won their second World Series. One hundred years have passed since Shoeless Joes last big league season, and his talent and numbers (a ridiculous .356 career average and 170 career OPS+) may still make him the best choice for this spot 100 years from now. Mariano Rivera. But long before Cooperstown honored him on Sunday, the first black reliever inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame was well-known around baseball circles as: Lee Arthur Smith. He was just hoping to save his career. One of the top relievers of the decade, Lyle was acquired from the Red Sox in March 1972 and recorded a 2.41 ERA (148 ERA+) in New York, tallying 141 saves and finishing 348 games. Drysdale, Ferguson Jenkins, and Early Wynn are the other pitchers with 49 shutouts, and all are in the HOF. Sportswriters and players wondered how Pierce could go toe-to-toe with the firepower of the Yankees, coming armed with slap hitters Nellie Fox, Luis Aparicio, and Minnie Minoso. It also includes "Black" Sox pitcher Eddie Cicotte who is banned from baseball, and not eligible for the HOF. He pitched for the Boston Red Sox in the early teens but injury caused him to establish less than 1,500 career innings. That means he entered the game in jams, and usually got out of those jams. Relief Pitcher: Billy Wagner. The best players in New York just simply did not get missed by the HOF voters. That said, here are some names I wanted to put in but didnt have space for this time: Verlander, Johan Santana, Dave Stieb, Andy Pettitte, Orel Hershiser, and Dwight Gooden. He was arguably as good a pitcher as Whitey Ford. Stats: 601 saves, 2.87 ERA, 1.058 WHIP, 3.69 K:BB, 141 ERA+, Accolades: 7 All-Star appearances, Baseball Hall of Fame. So with a lack of a real statistical standout, how about Quiz? Based strictly on peak performance, Eckersley would rank in the top five of relievers. Billy Pierce was slight of build at 5 10 and a whopping 160 lbs. Its hard not to wonder whether Santana would be making a steady year-by-year improvement in the voting totals now if he had rightfully taken home the 2005 AL Cy Young Award that went to Bartolo Colon instead. If Jack Chesbro can parlay winning 40 games into the HOF, then Will White should be an automatic selection. Top 25 Relief Pitchers not in the Hall of Fame Can you name the Best Relief Pitchers not in the MLB Hall of Fame (by Baseball Reference WAR)? In 1920, Adams gave up only 18 BB in 263 innings. Bridges continued pitching in the Pacific Coast Leaguewinning the ERA title in 47. A player's JAWS is their 2/4/18 Super Bowl champs. I should add that unlike most of the other positions in this survey, it was difficult to get the list of pitchers down to 10 names. Three times in his career he led the AL in saves, four times he finished top five in the Cy Young award voting, and he had a 2.63 career World Series ERA. Oct 14, 2022, 04:09 PM EDT. Find out more. Yet Allen fell just one vote shy of election when the Golden Days Committee last convened in 2021, meaning that the wait continues. Clemens, Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer are the only three-time winners who dont have a plaque. Honorable mentions: Munson, Tenace, Jorge Posada (Joe Mauer, Buster Posey, Yadier Molina not yet eligible). Stats: 341 saves, 2.90 ERA, 1.156 WHIP, 2.64 K:BB, 120 ERA+, Accolades: 7 All-Star appearances, 1 MVP, 1 Cy Young award, 3 World Series rings, 1 World Series MVP, Baseball Hall of Fame. Comparing across eras isnt easy, as the role of a relief pitcher has changed drastically over the years. Relief LHP: Billy Wagner Among all Live Ball Era pitchers with at least 750 innings, Wagner is the very best in strikeouts per nine innings (11.9) and WHIP (0.998) while also ranking behind only Mariano Rivera in ERA+ (187) and owning the sixth-highest save total in history (422). 10 Orel Hershiser 3.6. Relief Pitcher JAWS Leaders Table; Cy Young Awards Most WAR Player; Rk Name WAR WAR7 JAWS R-JAWS WAR/162 WAA #1 top5 Share #1 top5 Share Yrs Free shipping for many products! "With pick #132, @Brian59044 selects the first real relief pitcher of the draft, Phoenix Sanders. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. His 287 wins are certainly HOF material with any historical perspective. He isnt the first Pittsburgh pitcher on this list. Four pitchers in the HOF fall into this categoryDizzy Dean, Lefty Gomez, Sandy Koufax, and Addie Joss. He was consistently excellent for the Orioles, winning 12 or more games and posting a winning record every year with the team. His ERA+, curve ball, postseason record and H/9 all speak of a pitcher who was one of the best of his era. inducted position (RF). The top few on the list have a body of work and cases for the HOF so compelling, one wonders how they got missed. Many of their careers and cases are compelling. But he was also just as accomplished a two-way catcher as the Yankees captain -- and just as revered a leader for the Tigers, too. Among these, my favorites are Charles Buffington, a pitcher of significant quality and accomplishment from the 1880s, and Doc White, who pitched alongside Ed Walsh on the White Sox and won 189 games while tossing 45 shutouts. Their careers ranged from 1,900+ IP to 2,500 IP. Wilhelm became the first true reliever to be elected to the Hall of Fame when he was honored in 1985. Along with those pitchers, Ill evaluate others with a case to be considered among the 10 best ever, which can be broken into categories of the modern (Craig Kimbrel, Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen, Francisco Rodriguez, Billy Wagner, and Joe Nathan), and the throwbacks (Sparky Lyle and Dan Quisenberry). He had a 1.80 ERA after the age of 38. McMahon pitched 18 seasons between 1957 and 1974 and was named to the 1958 All-Star team in his second big league season. Not every pitcher on this list should necessarily be in the HOF, but all of them could have been selected and voted in with the proper attention and support without any change in the historical standards that have been set. By the late '50s Pierce had come out on top, beating Ford more often than losing, and in '59 winning the game against Ford that put the White Sox ahead for good in the pennant race. It's fitting that Smoltz, Maddux, and Tom Glavine came back-to-back-to-back on this list, because for over a decade . He really was unhittable. His last year of allowing fewer hits than innings pitched was 81. It is a significant total. My last article studied The Worst Pitchers in the HOF: Searching for Historys Bottom Line . Baseball Hall of Fame , MLB MVP's , MLB Cy Young Award , MLB Rookie of the Year , Rawlings Gold Gloves , 2023 HOF results , 2024 Hall of Fame ballot , . RF Andre Ethier He would hold the ball with both hands and then surprise the hitter. Cooper teamed up with Babe Adams, another pitcher on this list, to make quite a pitching combination for the Pirates of this era. I challenge the veterans committee to take a good look at the pitchers whose careers have been bypassed for the honor of induction to the HOF. Al Lopez, the White Sox manager, refused to start Pierce in the 59 World Series. Even if you dont like him (hand raised here), Jonathan Papelbon was Hall of Fame worthy dominant for his career. Get Jay Jaffe's book The Cooperstown Casebook Kaat is at 2.3, nowhere near HoF level. Honorable mentions: Bill Dahlen, Omar Vizquel, Jimmy Rollins, Nomar Garciaparra, Miguel Tejada, Jim Fregosi. Cooper was slender and had a remarkable smooth and graceful delivery. Four straight seasons early on Kimbrel led the league in saves, posting absurd single-season ERAs of 2.10, 1.01, 1.21, and 1.61. Career: 16 years (1995-2010) Teams: Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves. In 48 they discarded Billy Pierce to the White Sox!). Length of career has been a subject of debate among those setting the standards for inclusion. Until the late 50s over half the teams were based on the East Coast. Im a little bummed to see Wes Ferrell and Rick Reuschel anchoring the list, though its not stunning. Lolich had a splendid career with the Detroit Tigers from 6375. The only question now is whether enough voters will eventually warm to Beltrn's case, given his ties to the 2017 Astros sign-stealing scandal. Most Unique Players by Age by Similarity Scores, Most Games without a World Series Appearance, Most Games without a Postseason Appearance, Highest Career and Single-Season Salaries, Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball, Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. He simply does not have the statistics or the longevity. Chapmans statistics look mind-boggling, even when you account for the fact that every reliever strikes out a ton of hitters. Since the advent of the live ball in 1921, only four pitchers have 60 shutouts: Warren Spahn, Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, and Bert Blyleven. His 187 career ERA+ is second among retired relief pitchers to only Mariano Rivera. 9. One time, Wilhelm entered a tie game in the eighth inning and pitched through the 18th, allowing just two hits and no runs. He led the league in innings pitched, complete games, and strikeouts in '85. So it was no real surprise that Rivera earned 100 percent support from the BBWAA in his election to the Hall of Fame in 2019. When he retired, no one had surpassed his 601 saves; now, only Mariano Rivera has done so. However, after a year and a half out of military service, the Tigers were impatient for him to regain his form. When he finished playing nearly two decades later, Wilhelm held the major league record for games pitched (1,070), relief wins (124), and saves (228). Its a valid point, but also probably worth mentioning that Rivera dominated the closers of his era much more than Gossage dominated the closers ofhisera. 2 Curt Schilling 4.9 Although posting a fine season in '67, he was never accepted by the Reds faithful, and was sent to Atlanta during the '68 season. His ban from the game doesn't seem like it will ever be lifted. and the most games started75. Win Expectancy, Run Expectancy, and Leverage Index calculations provided by Tom Tango of InsideTheBook.com, and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. Tom Brady lost three Super Bowls. Ill add in hyperlinks for each subsequent post, allowing anyone who happens upon this post later to easily be able to navigate between the different positions. Not retired by 2017. He sustained his excellence late into his career. He regularly hits 100 miles per hour on his fastballs and holds the all-time record by registering 105.1 on a pitch (twice). What do you think: Is Mariano Rivera the best relief pitcher in baseball history? the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Tommy Bridges began and finished his career with the Detroit Tigers. where he outlines who should and shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame based on his JAWS metric used here. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. Stats: 422 saves, 2.31 ERA, 0.998 WHIP, 3.99 K:BB, 187ERA+. I attempted to rank the 10 best ever. Stats: 273 saves, 2.23 ERA, 1.023 WHIP, 3.56 K:BB, 184 ERA+, Accolades: 6 All-Star appearances, 1 World Series ring. Literally, its very difficult to make an argument for any other pitcher. Honorable mentions: McGwire, Don Mattingly, Todd Helton (Pujols not yet eligible). He was a significant figure from his era, and should not be punished for his stand against the reserve clause. Relief Pitcher - Don McMahon (22.4 WAR) McMahon may be the best reliever most modern baseball fans have never heard mentioned. After playing for the St. Louis Browns, he chose to try to sign with Cincinnati, but was blocked. Mack was referring to Jackson -- maybe the games most revered natural hitter before Williams came along -- whom Mack regrettably traded away before he became a star in Cleveland. The Go-Go White Sox of the period scored few runs. No real surprises at the top, I suppose. And interestingly enough, hes probably more known for his handlebar mustache than what he did on the field. By '59, Pappas was a mainstay of the Orioles staff. . Incredibly, the Pirate management left him there until the end of the 18 season. He was a product of the more relaxed "Golden Years". Despite having made his MLB debut over 100 years ago (1908), "Shoeless" Joe Jackson remains one of the most controversial figures in the game. Being a relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route. Tommy John is perhaps guilty of hanging on longer than the normal impact of his career allowed. His name is best known for the elbow surgery named after him that, not only prolonged his career, but many after him. In '68 his career took off. Freehan enjoyed a longer career because of Munsons unfortunate passing at age 32, and thus he finished with more hits, homers, RBIs and Gold Glove Awards. I think the voting has become somewhat skewed in recent years in regards to starting pitching; too many of the voters expect no less than 300 wins. There have been historical events that have influenced voting. Historically, pitchers like Red Ruffing, Red Faber, Ted Lyons, Eppa Rixey, and Burleigh Grimes are in the HOF mostly because of their win totals. He would have had more wins if he hadnt been held back to face the Yankees, or had been given better run support . All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. overall HOF average hitters are added to that position's average until After tying the Dodgers for the pennant, it was determined they would play a three game playoff to determine the pennant. The most significant threads arose as I looked at these pitchers one at a time and then together as a group. Mariano Rivera was a failed starter. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1978 Topps #703 ROOKIE PITCHERS PSA 9 90146083 at the best online prices at eBay! Particularly blighted were the pitchers in Pittsburgh. Rivera trails only Trevor Hoffman in all-time saves and has perhaps the most dominant one-pitch arsenal this side of Phil Niekro. He went 3517 in the minors. Blyleven had one more significant season in 89 for the California Angels, winning 17 games and Comeback Player of the Year award. After breaking in with the Cleveland Indians, Tommy John spent significant time with the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Yankees, as well as a shorter stint with the California Angels. Mullane was ahead of his time. He holds the record for the most innings pitched in one season680. This was not a pitcher on his last legs! I gave a list of 10 players at each position, based primarily on who I thought voters would expect to be in the poll. measure a player's Hall of Fame worthiness. Babe Adams had brief looks at the major leagues in 06 with the St. Louis Cardinals and 07 for the Pirates. More about data coverage. The pitchers of note among them areCharles Buffington, David Cone, Paul Derringer, Orel Hershiser, Larry Jackson, Jim Kaat, Carl Mays, Dave Stieb, Hippo Vaughn, and Doc White. Miranda Remaklus. We present them here for purely educational purposes. There were new lows for ERA in a season. When he finished his career, his 1,999 strikeouts were fifth most for a left-handed pitcher. He pitched the vast majority of his career for the Pittsburgh Pirates. 7 Andy Pettitte 3.7 Wagner is sixth on the all-time list with 422 saves (a number that could have been much higher if he didnt retire after arguably his best year). He proved it often enough. This gives us a cut off of 2500 innings to use on the short end, while looking for candidates to make our list of best pitchers not in the HOF. While I was limited through my free account to 10 questions and thus chose to forgo demographic questions to get the maximum amount of data, it is possible to use filters to show how certain voters voted. A 3.10 postseason ERA isn't terrible, but it's not Hall of Fame worthy. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1978 Topps #703 Jack Morris RC Rookie Pitchers NM at the best online prices at eBay! Larry Anderson (1975-1994) 699 games, 995.1 innings pitched, 3.15 ERA, 18.2 K%, 121 ERA+ Paul Assenmacher (1986-1999) 884 games, 855.2 innings pitched, 3.53 ERA, 22.0 K%, 118 ERA+ Luis Ayala (2003-2013) 534 games, 554.1 innings pitched, 3.34 ERA, 15.7 K%, 129 ERA+ Grant Balfour (2001-2015) The voting body has become skewed in their view of starting pitching in recent decades. If we limit it to 3000 innings, heres the top ten: 1 Roger Clemens 5.7 Babe went on to pitch the rest of his career for Pittsburgh. All rights reserved. Rodriguez will now have to endure the waiting game with BBWAA voters, like Bonds, Clemens and Sosa just did. Sabathia is at 3.5 right now. Research is still ongoing and well continue to publish updates as more information becomes available. Let's say you carry 13 and schedule three pitchers eac. Pitching for the Cubs, Reulbach teamed up with Mordecai Brown to make one of the great pitching tandems in baseball history. In fact, from 1905 through 1909 his H/9 never reached 7.0. Mark McGwire reached higher peaks, but Palmeiro nearly matched McGwires career homer total, almost doubled Big Macs hit total and was a more lauded defender, too. The knock against Wagner is that he got some easy saves throughout his career. I put Ferrell and Reuschel in the survey partly in tribute to my friend and fellow baseball researcher Adam Darowski, who has advocated heavily for their induction in recent years, though each has a nuanced case that could be overlooked in a quick survey. Rivera allowed zero runs in 22 of his 32 postseason series. I contemplated going 15 names just for pitchers, but thought it would look too out of sync with the rest of the survey. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Four of them (Harold Baines, Edgar Martinez, David Ortiz and Frank Thomas) are already in the Hall following Big Papis election in 2022, while Nelson Cruz remains active. Stats: 346 saves, 2.08 ERA, 0.945 WHIP, 4.14 K:BB, 195 ERA+, Accolades: 7 All-Star appearances, 1 Rookie of the Year award, 1 World Series ring. He won 20 games three consecutive years right at the Tigers heyday in the mid-30s. But like Bonds, Clemens did not have an easier time with the Todays Game Era Committee than he did with the BBWAA. Accolades: 7 All-Star appearances, Baseball Hall of Fame Being a relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route. Perhaps some oversights can be corrected. This time he refused and was forced to sit out a season in order to play for Cincinnati, which he did. He holds the all-time record for relief appearances with at least two innings (486) and three innings (197). They all pitched in New York. Bucky wasnt done there. . He finished second in the MVP balloting. Go Orange. The process of selection and voting for the HOF has been uneven at best. But even Michael Jordan missed game-winning shots. His fastball had lots of movement and a darting action. He wasnt perfect think of the Luis Gonzalez walkoff single in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. Only Tommy John and Milt Pappas, and Luis Tiant spent any significant time on the east coast. Ed Reulbach, Tommy Bridges and Bert Blyleven all fall in this category. His initial surgery came after the 1974 season. In addition, I cross-referenced all non-HOF pitchers by length of career, beginning with 2,800 IP, and made lists from each range of IP: 2,800-3,000, 3,000-3,500, 3,500-4,500, and 4,500-plus. As a teen he went to watch Sandy Koufax pitch and later learned how to throw a curve ball with a hold similar to Koufax. 2B: Lou WhitakerJeff Kent famously hit the most homers of any second baseman, thus making his exclusion from the Hall somewhat strange. One pitched in New York, one pitched in the Midwest. He pitched with six different teams, but most significantly with the Cleveland Blues and Chicago White Stockings. Honorable mention: Nathan, Papelbon, Rodrguez, Keith Foulke, Tom Gordon, Tom Henke, Firpo Marberry, Troy Percival, Kent Tekulve, John Wetteland. But Trevor Hoffman may have the most unique path, going from a failed minor league shortstop to one of the all-time great closers.
Why Are My Rhododendron Leaves Turning Red,
Corkill And Callow Obituaries,
Woman Murdered On Bissonnet,
Articles B