Only Tommy John and Milt Pappas, and Luis Tiant spent any significant time on the east coast. Guess there was still some gas in this Tigers tank! He drew 59.5 percent of the vote in his most recent appearance on the writers ballot for Cooperstown. Being a relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route. He had a 0.70 career ERA in the playoffs. Matsui has no chance of ever making the Hall of Fame. If Jack Chesbro can parlay winning 40 games into the HOF, then Will White should be an automatic selection. overall HOF average hitters are added to that position's average until Note that some players listed as HOFers may have been inducted for non-playing reasons. 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. In the 1970s, the closer was the pitcher that would enter the game with the bases loaded in the sixth inning and try to work out of a jam and then sometimes finish the game. 5 Bret Saberhagen 4.6 It also includes "Black" Sox pitcher Eddie Cicotte who is banned from baseball, and not eligible for the HOF. His dominance was evident with every 100 MPH fastball he threw. Literally, its very difficult to make an argument for any other pitcher. That said, look for the results for catchers tomorrow. "With pick #132, @Brian59044 selects the first real relief pitcher of the draft, Phoenix Sanders. 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. In an era when everyone posts gaudy relief statistics, the trick is figuring out how rare and special Wagner really was. Many more names came up on my lists than the 15 I will cover here. The committee found Charles Radbourn early on in their process in '39, but where were Tim Keefe ('63) and John Clarkson ('64)? He got just 10.5 percent of the Hall of Fame voting in 2016, his first year of eligibility, and was still only at 31.7 percent at last year. What if Babe Adams hadnt been left to toil in the minor leagues for most of two seasons? He was a significant figure from his era, and should not be punished for his stand against the reserve clause. He never received a vote. 2 Curt Schilling 4.9 So with a lack of a real statistical standout, how about Quiz? Awards. But like Bonds, Clemens did not have an easier time with the Todays Game Era Committee than he did with the BBWAA. What if Bucky Walters had started his career in Cincinnati rather than struggling in Philadelphia? 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. Wilbur Cooper and Babe Adams have likewise been missed. Voters have three years of his eligibility left to get it right. Kimbrel is the only closer in history with as many as 200 saves and a save percentage over 90, and hes sitting comfortably at first on the active leaderboard at 346 saves. 3 Kevin Brown 4.2 By 76 he was pitching again and all three of his 20-win seasons came post-surgery. 11 Belongs: "Shoeless" Joe Jackson. Feb 11, 2023. The Pirates went on to win the game. Tommy Bridges began and finished his career with the Detroit Tigers. Stats: 422 saves, 2.31 ERA, 0.998 WHIP, 3.99 K:BB, 187ERA+. 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. Dennis Eckersley, 1987-1998 (as reliever), Stats (as reliever): 390 saves, 2.85 ERA, 0.999 WHIP, 6.29 K:BB, 136 ERA+, Accolades (as reliever): 4 All-Star appearances, 1 Cy Young award, 1 MVP award, 1 World Series ring, 1 ALCS MVP award, 2x Rolaids Relief award, Baseball Hall of Fame. Four pitchers in the HOF fall into this categoryDizzy Dean, Lefty Gomez, Sandy Koufax, and Addie Joss. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. It is a decision many believe cost the Sox the title. . The top few on the list have a body of work and cases for the HOF so compelling, one wonders how they got missed. What did it take to be ignored by the HOF voters and veterans committee? Al Spalding took a disliking to the off-field activities of several of the players during the '86 campaign. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. He led the league in innings pitched, complete games, and strikeouts in '85. And Muhammad Ali lost five fights. But he was so good at his craft. In Chicago he helped them to two championships, mostly as a second pitcher. 3) Tony Mullane (1881-1894) (284-220; 3.05 ERA; ERA+ 118; 30 SHO; 4,531 IP/ 4,195 H/ 8.3 H/9; 1,803 K/ 1,408 BB/ 1.28 ratio; 1.237 WHIP). How many relief pitchers are on a baseball team? He led the league in ERA+ and shutouts (nine) in '73, but didnt get the attention he deserved for the Cy Young award. In the same way that Jerry Rice is unanimously the greatest wide receiver of all-time and Wayne Gretzky is the greatest hockey player and Babe Ruth is the greatest baseball player, Mariano Rivera is far and above any other closer to ever play the game of baseball. Chapmans statistics look mind-boggling, even when you account for the fact that every reliever strikes out a ton of hitters. Rivera trails only Trevor Hoffman in all-time saves and has perhaps the most dominant one-pitch arsenal this side of Phil Niekro. 2) Luis Tiant (1964-1982) (229-172; 3.30 ERA; ERA+ 114; 49 SHO; 3,486 IP/ 3,075 H/ 7.9 H/9; 2416 K/ 1104 BB/ 2.19 ratio; 1.199 WHIP). Despite being the top pitcher in the league at least three times, Walters has been overlooked for the HOF. As MLB.coms Andrew Simon noted, Allens career 156 league-adjusted OPS+ puts him in the very upper echelon of post-integration hitters, and his best 10-year run at the plate was pretty much unmatched by his peers. 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). After being traded to the Pirates in the National League, he helped the team to a World Series title. Mariano Riveras claim as the greatest closer of all-time is one of the safest arguments in baseball. Recently retired stars sure to get a serious look once theyre eligible -- such as Ichiro Suzuki, Joe Mauer and Adrin Beltr -- are noted in the honorable mentions below. For anyone who cares, heres a more detailed breakdown of the votes each pitcher received for each ranking. He was the first pitcher who spent the majority of his career as a reliever to be elected to the Hall of Fame. 7 Andy Pettitte 3.7 He was never comfortable in Cincinnati, often being booed even though the trade was not his fault. Reulbachs 97-39 record combined with Browns 114-42 for a 211-81 record over those five years. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. 4 Rick Reuschel 4.0 There have been historical influences in the game itself that have effected how voters view candidacy for the HOF. 3B: Dick AllenIt's unfortunate that Allen (who died in December 2020) didn't live long enough to celebrate his induction, because he boasted some Cooperstown-worthy credentials. And his .187 batting average allowed is the lowest of any retired relief pitcher. Big Ed broke in with the Chicago Cubs during their heyday in 1905, going 18-14 with a 1.42 ERA. Bruce Sutter, a Hall of Fame reliever and 1979 Cy Young winner, has died at the age of 69. Gomez career was cut short because he blew out his arm, losing the zip on an exceptional fastball. Stats (as reliever): 228 saves, 2.51 ERA, 1.131 WHIP, 2.04 K:BB, 147 ERA+, Accolades (as reliever): 6 All-Star appearances, 1 World Series ring, Baseball Hall of Fame. Oct 14, 2022, 04:09 PM EDT. The Best MLB Player at Every Position Rejected by Hall of Fame Joel Reuter January 27, 2021 Focus on Sport/Getty Images The 2021 MLB Hall of Fame voting results were released Tuesday evening,. 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. The beloved submariner has a case for the 1980s best reliever, having won five Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Awards, finishing with a league-adjusted 146 ERA+ and helping the Royals claim two pennants and the 1985 World Series title. But his rookie year really came in 09 for Pirates at age 27. His control record surpasses even Christy Mathewson, Greg Maddux, and Pedro Martinez at their peaks. It barely existed when Babe Ruth and Ted Williams played, as starters would routinely pitch complete games. Particularly blighted were the pitchers in Pittsburgh. He represented the Tigers in three World Series against the Cardinals, Cubs and Reds in 34, 35 and 40. He was scouted by Hal Newhowser, who encouraged him to sign with the Orioles. Fingers won a league MVP, a Cy Young award, played an integral part in baseballs only non-New York Yankees three-peat ever, and even won World Series MVP once. Required fields are marked *. I suspect he will reach the necessary 75 percent sometime in his remaining three years of eligibility. However, Smokey Joe Wood is not among those pitchers given a bye for the length of their careers. 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! Get Jay Jaffe's book The Cooperstown Casebook He was a great situation pitcher, and knew how to get out of a jam with his guile and assortment of breaking pitches. 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. Its commonplace in todays game for a manager to turn to the bullpen as early as the sixth inning. 4) Jim McCormick (1878-1887) (265-214; 2.43 ERA; ERA+ 118; 33 SHO; 4,275 IP/4,092 H/ 8.6 H/9; 1704 K/ 749 BB/ 2.28 ratio; 1.132 WHIP). His stamina and effectiveness began to wane in the early '80s. Dennis Eckersley was a starter-turned-reliever. 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! Honorable mention: John Franco, Sparky Lyle, Tug McGraw, Randy Myers, Kelly's all-time non-HOF team (as of 2023), C: Bill Freehan1B: Rafael Palmeiro2B: Lou Whitaker3B: Dick AllenSS: Alex RodriguezLF: Barry BondsCF: Carlos BeltrnRF: Shoeless Joe JacksonDH: Hal McRae---R-H SP: Roger ClemensL-H SP: Johan SantanaR-H RP: Dan QuisenberryL-H RP: Billy Wagner, rightfully taken home the 2005 AL Cy Young Award. .208. Bucky wasnt done there. 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. What do you think: Is Mariano Rivera the best relief pitcher in baseball history? But whos the second best relief pitcher ever? When Bruce Sutter began experimenting with the split-fingered fastball, he wasn't looking for a path to Cooperstown. He was a 20 game winner in 11 and 13 but he didnt get to pitch in the World Series again until 25 at the age of 43. Looking at the names below, Curt Schilling is probably moving toward enshrinement. The Hall of Fame began in 1936, inducting Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson in its first year. 1. But keep in mind that he wasnt used in nearly as much of a specialized role as modern closers are. Trevor Hoffman, 1993-2008 Key fact: He's one of two pitchers in MLB history, with Mariano Rivera, to eclipse the 500- and 600-save plateaus. Trevor Hoffman is getting a lot of love this year, and Lee Smith did really well by the voters . Sanders projects well, with a 3.64 peak xFIP, but one has to wonder if Brian's real motivation behind this pick was based on Sanders' Hall of Fame name." This included work for the Dodgers, Yankees and the Angels. 6 Roy Oswalt 4.5 Its no wonder the Cubs won the NL pennant four times behind these twoin 1906-1908, and 1910. He pitched for the Boston Red Sox in the early teens but injury caused him to establish less than 1,500 career innings. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Incredibly, the Pirate management left him there until the end of the 18 season. In over 130 of his 390 starts for the team, they scored two or fewer runs. Pierce got his chance to test his grit in postseason action in 62 for the Giants. Wagner had three of them, and they came in three consecutive years (1997, 1998, and 1999). 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). In his World Series career, he threw an absurd amount of innings (33.1), appearing in 16 of a possible 19 games and fashioning a 1.35 ERA. Nothing in his pitching resume says he doesnt belong in the HOF. Tommy was pitching in October for six consecutive seasons, posting a 6-3 mark with a 2.65 ERA over 88 innings. 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. 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. 11) Lon Warneke (1930-1945) (192-121; 3.18 ERA; ERA+ 119; 30 SHO; 2782 IP/ 2726 H/ H/9 8.8; 1140 K/ 739 BB/ 1.54 ratio; 1.245 WHIP). By adubbdubb Plays - /5 - RATE QUIZ MORE INFO Classic Best Score? If he does not pick up that . One time, Wilhelm entered a tie game in the eighth inning and pitched through the 18th, allowing just two hits and no runs.