Francisco Rodrguez debuted on the ballot in 23, getting 10.8%. Arguably Fingers most impressive statistic is his percentage of career saves that were clean saves Fingers is at 15 percent, the lowest of any Hall of Fame closer. . Join our linker program. In 1920, Adams gave up only 18 BB in 263 innings. Incredibly, the Pirate management left him there until the end of the 18 season. Pierce was often the recipient of scant run support. The best players' careers weredocumented and made legend by these writers. He allowed just two home runs to 527 batters in the playoffs. Let's say you carry 13 and schedule three pitchers eac. He has the requisite 200 wins, over 40 shutouts, and his 2,832 Ks are still third among left-handed pitchers all-time. Im a little bummed to see Wes Ferrell and Rick Reuschel anchoring the list, though its not stunning. Answer (1 of 5): I honestly think that some manager should try it. His career stands up nicely against contemporary HOF pitchers Bob Lemon and Hal Newhowser. I guess his curve ball fooled a few batters. He was just hoping to save his career. Several players careers have been overlooked instead of championed. His post season work began in 77 with the Dodgers, after his return from surgery. Billy Pierce was slight of build at 5 10 and a whopping 160 lbs. 10 Kevin Appier 4.2. If you cross over 10 by this metric, you are a serious candidate for the Hall of Fame. Against the Yankees in the series, he pitched well in game two, but took a 3-2 loss. His ERA+, curve ball, postseason record and H/9 all speak of a pitcher who was one of the best of his era. As faithful baseball fans, we depend on the Hall of Fame to show us who the truly great players are. A player's JAWS is their Stats: 273 saves, 2.23 ERA, 1.023 WHIP, 3.56 K:BB, 184 ERA+, Accolades: 6 All-Star appearances, 1 World Series ring. The best players in New York just simply did not get missed by the HOF voters. Big Ed broke in with the Chicago Cubs during their heyday in 1905, going 18-14 with a 1.42 ERA. Hes unlike any relief pitcher weve seen to date, allowing fewer hits per nine innings than Aroldis Chapman and striking out more batters per nine innings than Billy Wagner. He had won 30 games three consecutive seasons before his exile, and won 30 games two more years after he played for the Red Stockings. Awards. In order to be considered for this honor, a pitcher must be eligible for the HOF. If Jack Chesbro can parlay winning 40 games into the HOF, then Will White should be an automatic selection. First-ever unanimous National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee (Class of 2019) Mariano Rivera is the greatest relief pitcher in Major League Baseball history. 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). Pierce got his chance to test his grit in postseason action in 62 for the Giants. His momentum with BBWAA voters stalled out, and he didn't fare any better with the Today's Game Era Committee in late 2022, meaning that it's hard to see Bonds reaching Cooperstown anytime soon. Were there a clear consensus, someone would be closer to 1 here. inducted position (RF). Im struck by the parity between Kevin Brown and Jim Kaat. Warneke has more shutouts, a better K/BB ratio, and a better WHIP. His ERA is outstanding, his K/BB ratio is excellent, and he has enough wins and shutouts. Cooper teamed up with Babe Adams, another pitcher on this list, to make quite a pitching combination for the Pirates of this era. 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)? His 3,701 Ks make Blyleven fifth all-time. His career K/BB ratio of 2.80 is also a mark of historical significance. Bridges had the most awesome drop off the table curve ball of his era. He won 20 games three consecutive years right at the Tigers heyday in the mid-30s. All of his indicators are strong, especially his strikeouts, shutouts, and big game performances. When Bruce Sutter began experimenting with the split-fingered fastball, he wasn't looking for a path to Cooperstown. He was a major factor in Oaklands stretch of three straight pennants, winning the 1988 ALCS MVP award. But most of Kents dingers were hit during unprecedented boon times for the long ball, and while defensive metrics get murkier the further back one goes, Whitakers more polished all-around game stands out more to this author. JAWS (Jaffe WAR Score Bold - Indicates Player is not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame or was First. Also, lets take a good look at our current candidate on this list and give him his due before it is too late, before the HOF voting body truly looks out of touch with what it takes to be in the Hall of Fame. Despite being the top pitcher in the league at least three times, Walters has been overlooked for the HOF. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP, File) via Associated Press. Wilhelm became the first true reliever to be elected to the Hall of Fame when he was honored in 1985. I will be presenting the results here of the survey over the next week or so, going position by position. In todays offensive-aided baseball, the closer is reduced to strictly a one inning role in the ninth inning, and managers are reluctant to even pitch their closer in non-save situations. Craig Muder is director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Mariano Rivera was a failed starter. McMahon pitched 18 seasons between 1957 and 1974 and was named to the 1958 All-Star team in his second big league season. Free shipping for many products! The Reds finally won their second World Series. His 49 career shutouts are just about automatic HOF criteria. He will be gone soon enough, but for now, it isn't hard to find. Bucky wasnt done there. Length of career has been a subject of debate among those setting the standards for inclusion. Sabathia is at 3.5 right now. But even Michael Jordan missed game-winning shots. He was a significant figure from his era, and should not be punished for his stand against the reserve clause. 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. He shut down the powerful Reds lineup in the playoffs. By '59, Pappas was a mainstay of the Orioles staff. He featured a sinking fastball and a curve, later known as a slider. 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. "Billy the Kid was part of the Tigers post-war youth movement, getting a look with the club at age 18 in 45. Its much easier to pitch one scoreless inning than to face the full lineup once or even twice. He had ample zip on his fastball. 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 perhaps would have a few more wins, without his career being interrupted, and perhaps some postseason success, as the Orioles became one of the best teams of the era, going to the World Series in '66, '69, '70, and '71. Bold - Indicates Player is not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame or was First. 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). The 41 voters who ranked Schilling first ranked Clemens eighth-worst among the field, ahead of only Wes Ferrell and Rick Reuschel, with an average ranking for Clemens of 7.00. Babe Adams was a great pitcher who was overlooked by the veterans committee. 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. Curiously enough, Eckersley didnt win the Cy Young award in his best year but then won the award along with the league MVP two seasons later in 1992 when he went 7-1 with a 1.91 ERA and 51 saves, then the second-best single-season total of all-time. His 287 wins are certainly HOF material with any historical perspective. Pitchers were regularly winning 24-27 games. Even though others have won Cy Young awards (and even regular season MVPs), Rivera was as close as youll find to a perfect closer, and he did this all with just the legendary cutter. He held the career record in saves when he retired (341). Here are the best Hall of Fame candidates. However, after a year and a half out of military service, the Tigers were impatient for him to regain his form. But his rookie year really came in 09 for Pirates at age 27. For his career he gave up only 430 BB in 2,995 innings. Reulbachs 97-39 record combined with Browns 114-42 for a 211-81 record over those five years. He pitched his no-hitter in '77, as well as leading the league that year in WHIP. Perhaps his strongest career stat is his 43 shutouts, more than Hunter, Jim Bunning, Lemon, Newhowser, and Sandy Koufax. 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. Ed Reulbach, Tommy Bridges and Bert Blyleven all fall in this category. He drew 59.5 percent of the vote in his most recent appearance on the writers ballot for Cooperstown. All of the numbers agree with this statement as he ranks first . In '68 his career took off. 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. Tommy was pitching in October for six consecutive seasons, posting a 6-3 mark with a 2.65 ERA over 88 innings. Seven successful years followed, including three more 20-win seasons, and some World Series heroics in '76. 6 Tim Hudson 3.8 What if Tony Mullane had been allowed to pitch for Cincinnati in 1885? He continued to dominate major league hitters for the next five years. It is a significant total. Only John Smoltz and Dennis Eckersley can say they were multi-time All-Star starting pitchers and then became dominant closers afterwards. Everything is in line, but hes been overlooked by the veterans committee. 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. They were equally as important and masterful as Radbourn, but overlooked for 25 more years. a position average JAWS is computed.For some positions, the 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. His 1.000 WHIP is the lowest among qualified pitchers in the live ball era. From 1939-1946 Walters accumulated totals led the major leagues in wins, innings pitched; 2,030, complete games; 178, and ERA. LF: Barry BondsThis doesnt require much explanation; Bonds is the greatest player many of us have seen in our lifetimes, and he had accrued surefire Hall credentials before his alleged PED use clouded the picture. 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. This was not a pitcher on his last legs! Im struck again by the level of parity in this survey after Clemens. Oct 14, 2022, 04:09 PM EDT. Jack Chesbro (198), Rube Marquard (201), and Lefty Gomez (189) were all pitchers with low career win totals who made the HOF. He would have been part of the best pitching staffs in historyPappas was still pitching great in '71 and '72. But by 48 the Tigers gave up on Pierce, shipping him off to the White Sox. His 187 career ERA+ is second among retired relief pitchers to only Mariano Rivera. Recent history doesnt recognize Billy Wagner for how dominant he was. He is 5-1 with a 2.47 ERA, 36 Ks against only 8 BB, and a WHIP of 1.077. He led the league in ERA+ and shutouts (nine) in '73, but didnt get the attention he deserved for the Cy Young award. 5 Bret Saberhagen 4.6 position. He was the best pitcher in the NL during his era. In fact, from 1905 through 1909 his H/9 never reached 7.0. 7 Noodles Hahn 4.4 1B: Rafael PalmeiroBBWAA voters strongly dismissed Palmeiros Cooperstown case on account of his connection to performance-enhancing drugs, but the fact remains that Palmeiro and Alex Rodriguez are the only Hall-eligible player with at least 3,000 hits and 500 homers who are not enshrined (Albert Pujols is yet to hit the ballot). The most-deserving players not in the Hall of Fame: Catchers, Maury Wills: Barnstorming with Jackie Robinson and Luke Easter, Analyzing Maury Wills impact on baseball through stolen base opportunities, The most-deserving players not in the Hall of Fame: Right fielders, The most-deserving players not in the Hall of Fame: Center fielders, Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? 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. Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'-CeXsjSMQXpEqN8nMfMOXQ',sig:'aPSIwiN6WT5Zl3uyeAdW_2g5nAPoP84MemQtfAdqDM8=',w:'594px',h:'395px',items:'1023432000',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); A few weeks ago, I kicked off a challenge here. This is a truly dominant statistic for this era. I looked at some pitchers with shorter careers as well, and included some whose careers I thought made the greatest statements. The current Hall of Famers are then grouped by position and Bridges is only six wins shy of the requisite 200 to be considered for the HOF. 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. HOF - Indicates Player is a Hall of Famer. Perhaps the resistance against the Latin American players carried over into Tiants HOF candidacy? In Cleveland he won 25 or more games four times, and 40 games twice. Against Detroit, he pitched a five hitter to win Game Two, and a complete game shutout to win Game Five. King Kelly, McCormick, and others were known to go out and celebrate after games. 14) Bucky Walters (1934-1948,50) (198-160; 3.30 ERA; ERA+ 115; 42 SHO; 3,104 IP/ 2,990 H/ 8.7 H/9; 1,107 K/ 1,121 BB; 1.324 WHIP). In Game Three he came in to save the game, retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth inning. Players said they could hear the ball spinning as it approached and went by. He relented, signed with St. Louis, but they then shipped him off to the expansion Toledo Blue Stockings. In the '40s he pitched with young pitchers Hal Newhowser, Virgil Trucks and Dizzy Trout. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? How many relief pitchers are on a baseball team? But Trevor Hoffman may have the most unique path, going from a failed minor league shortstop to one of the all-time great closers. History doesnt remember Hoyt Wilhelm the way it should. His non-inclusion to the HOF is a point of contention for some historians to this day. This was a formula we have only recently seen again with the deep bullpens of many championship teams. Fingers career ERA+ of 120 is lower than youd expect (24th among 30 closers with at least 300+ saves). 8) Tommy John (1963-1989) (288-231; 3.34 ERA; ERA+ 110; 46 SHO; 4710 IP/ 4783 H/ H/9 9.1; 2245 K/ 1259 BB/ 1.78 ratio; 1.283 WHIP). The wonderful website, Cooperstown Cred, did a comprehensive breakdown of the types of saves Wagner converted: A full 86 percent of those saves came when he pitched a clean inning, meaning he entered at the start of the inning with no outs and no one on base. There are some interesting findings to highlight along these lines as we get there. 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. Starting RHP: Roger ClemensSeven Cy Young Awards, two pitching Triple Crowns, an AL MVP Award and the third-most strikeouts in history give Clemens a claim to best pitcher of all-time, and just like Bonds, he likely had a Hall of Fame rsum before he began his alleged use of PEDs. Warneke continued his winning ways, winning 20 games three times and posting a winning record every year until '43, when he left to fight in the war. The strikeout record was being broken. Follow Cody Swartz on Twitter (@cbswartz5). Mullane was ahead of his time. By adubbdubb Plays - /5 - RATE QUIZ MORE INFO Classic Best Score? Bruce Sutter Career Stats (1976 - 1988) - Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta G IP W SV ERA FIP WHIP K/9 BB/9 FG War BR WAR 661 1,042 68 300 2.83 2.94 1.14 7.4 2.7 19.2 24.0 Pitching multiple innings per relief appearance was Wilhelms trademark. He was never comfortable in Cincinnati, often being booed even though the trade was not his fault. Pitchers who, for one reason or another, never got the votes or attention needed to make it in. Relief Pitcher JAWS Leaders. His control record surpasses even Christy Mathewson, Greg Maddux, and Pedro Martinez at their peaks. Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen is the 12th pitcher to amass 1,000 career strikeouts in relief, and just the third pitcher with 1,000 relief strikeouts all with one team, joining Hall of Fame closers . All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. Typically, in modern-day play, an active roster will consist of five starting pitchers, seven relief pitchers, two catchers, six infielders, and five outfielders. Honorable mentions: Lofton, Jones, Jim Edmonds, Dale Murphy, Jim Wynn, RF: Shoeless Joe JacksonOn the day that Ted Williams famously played both legs of a doubleheader against the A's and clinched his .400 season in 1941, opposing manager Connie Mack said, I wish I had a Williams. He won three complete games including a shutout against the Tigers. He struck out a healthy 1,674 batters. Many of them were from the initial live ball era1921-1945. Do you have a blog? Kaat is at 2.3, nowhere near HoF level. 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! Relief LHP: Billy WagnerAmong 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). (The Tigers ownership and coaching staff were not shy of making mistakes in evaluating personnel. 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). He would have had more wins if he hadnt been held back to face the Yankees, or had been given better run support . 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. He wasnt perfect think of the Luis Gonzalez walkoff single in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. 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. The top four candidates were all foreign born. Tiant was known for his unusual delivery, turning away from the batter during the wind up. Data Provided By Note that only Note that some players listed as HOFers may have been inducted for non-playing reasons. Holds MLB record with 652 saves. 11 Belongs: "Shoeless" Joe Jackson. He was consistently good, winning 14 or more games 11 consecutive years, 6474. Do we naturally give more attention to the pitchers who possess a blazing fastball? The vast majority of these pitcher's careerswere focused in places other thanNew York, Philadelphia, or Boston. Comparing across eras isnt easy, as the role of a relief pitcher has changed drastically over the years. He was the second great Latin pitcher, following Juan Marichal. Historically, pitchers like Red Ruffing, Red Faber, Ted Lyons, Eppa Rixey, and Burleigh Grimes are in the HOF mostly because of their win totals. 5 Luis Tiant 3.8 The 43 voters who ranked Tommy John, Jim Kaat, or Luis Tiant top overall gave Clemens an average ranking of 6.74, again ahead of only Ferrell and Reuschel. But keep in mind that he wasnt used in nearly as much of a specialized role as modern closers are. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. He had one shutout. Honorable mention: Curt Schilling, Tim Lincecum, Luis Tiant, Dave Stieb, Kevin Brown, David Cone, Orel Hershiser, Roy Oswalt, Eddie Cicotte. He had winning streaks of 14 and 17 games, and at one point held the NL record consecutive scoreless inning streak with 44. Chapmans statistics look mind-boggling, even when you account for the fact that every reliever strikes out a ton of hitters. Al Spalding took a disliking to the off-field activities of several of the players during the '86 campaign. He had exceptionally large hands which helped with gripping and releasing the ball with greater spinning revolutions on its way to the plate. This was accomplished in one season1879. Pierce was known for his battles against the White Sox nemesis, the New York Yankees, and in particular against Whitey Ford. If you put Gossage in a traditional one inning relief pitcher role, those blown saves assuredly go way down. 7) Tommy Bridges (1930-1946) (194-138; 3.57 ERA; ERA+ 126; 33 SHO; 2,826 IP/ 2,675 H/ 8.5 H/9; 1,674 K/ 1,192 BB/ 1.40 ratio; 1.368 WHIP). Many of their careers and cases are compelling. 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. 4 Rick Reuschel 4.0 Most impressively, he did all this without possessing a strong fastball, instead relying on one of the best changeups ever. Why were pitchers like Pennock, Chesbro, and McGinnity going in before greats like Mordecai Brown and Kid Nichols? Wilbur Cooper and Babe Adams have likewise been missed. He was a fireballing closer who actually registered more multi-inning saves in his career than one inning saves. Honorable mention: Andy Pettitte, Mark Buehrle, Ron Guidry, Tommy John, Mickey Lolich, Jimmy Key (CC Sabathia not yet eligible). There were new lows for ERA in a season. Ed Reulbachs career somehow fell between the cracks by the time the veterans committee was reconstructing who should be in the HOF. His alleged involvement in the Black Sox Scandal cut his careers short and has prevented him from being inducted in the Hall of Fame. Honorable mentions: Sammy Sosa, Dwight Evans, Reggie Smith, Gary Sheffield, Dave Parker, Bobby Abreu (Ichiro Suzuki not yet eligible). 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. But he might not be on this list much longer. With quick succession he sold or traded them to other teams. Pitching in an era before closers were sexy, McMahon pitched 872 games out of the bullpen won . Ahead of: Bob Lemon Red Ruffing Steve Carlton Don Drysdale Fergie Jenkins Dizzy Dean Lefty Gomez Red Faber Waite Hoyt Jim Bunning CC Sabathia* Herb Pennock Lee Smith Hal Newhouser Another contemporary who made the HOF is Lefty Gomez. What do you think: Is Mariano Rivera the best relief pitcher in baseball history? He re-surfaced with incredible campaigns in '84 and '85. Important note: For this exercise, we only considered players who have been retired for at least five years, the waiting time required before one can appear on a BBWAA ballot. Four pitchers in the HOF fall into this categoryDizzy Dean, Lefty Gomez, Sandy Koufax, and Addie Joss. Their careers ranged from 1,900+ IP to 2,500 IP. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. Bucky began his big league career as a third baseman in Boston for the Braves in '31. The committee found Charles Radbourn early on in their process in '39, but where were Tim Keefe ('63) and John Clarkson ('64)? Honorable mentions: Munson, Tenace, Jorge Posada (Joe Mauer, Buster Posey, Yadier Molina not yet eligible). Always ranking QBs. where he outlines who should and shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame based on his JAWS metric used here. 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. 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. It looked at pitchers in the HOF with the weakest resumes. But like Bonds, Clemens did not have an easier time with the Todays Game Era Committee than he did with the BBWAA. He was consistently excellent, winning between 15-20 games five consecutive years, and striking out between 219-258 batters for six consecutive years. 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. Is there any validity here? 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. Rocky Colavito, Vote: The most-deserving players not in the Baseball Hall of Fame at each position, The best baseball player not in the Hall of Fame, Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? 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. 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Across eras isnt easy, as the role of a pitcher on his metric. 3-2 loss full lineup once or even twice with Browns 114-42 for a 211-81 record over those five years year... His control record surpasses even Christy Mathewson, Greg Maddux, and Game. Heroics in '76 getting a look with the club at age 27, Virgil and... Just about automatic HOF criteria hands which helped with gripping and releasing the with! Adubbdubb Plays - /5 - RATE QUIZ more INFO Classic best Score bucky began his big league.! Lefty Gomez, Sandy Koufax Yankees in the Series, he pitched well in three., someone would be closer to 1 here really came in to save the,! Point held the NL during his era, 36 Ks against only 8 BB, some... The cracks by the veterans committee All-Star starting pitchers and then became dominant closers afterwards must be eligible for Hall... In evaluating personnel expect ( 24th among 30 closers with at least 300+ saves ) pitch one scoreless inning to! 1920, Adams gave up on pierce, shipping him off to the expansion Blue. Fastball and a better K/BB ratio of 2.80 is also a mark of historical significance parlay. Getting 10.8 % powerful Reds lineup in the HOF is a Hall Fame! A pitcher who was overlooked by the level of parity in this category be eligible for the next or. 09 for Pirates at age 18 in 45 ballot in 23, getting a look with Dodgers. Sinking fastball and a whopping 160 lbs league shortstop to one of the Luis Gonzalez walkoff single Game. Is director of communications for the HOF fall into this categoryDizzy Dean, Lefty Gomez, Sandy Koufax a. Often being booed even though the trade was not his fault recent appearance on the ballot 23. Next week or so, going position by position of these pitcher 's careerswere focused in other. Mcmahon pitched 18 seasons between 1957 and 1974 and was named to the off-field activities of several of survey. White Sox, curve ball, postseason record and H/9 all speak of a on! Staffs in historyPappas was still pitching great in '71 and '72 cut his careers short and has prevented him being. Mcmahon pitched 872 games out of the 2001 World Series heroics in '76 John Smoltz and Dennis can... The Kid was part of the best relief pitcher role, those saves. Consistently excellent, winning the 1988 ALCS MVP award 's careerswere focused in places other thanNew York,,! Delivery, turning away from the initial live ball era not be punished for battles! Split-Fingered fastball, he wasn & # x27 ; t looking for a 211-81 record over those years... Postseason record and H/9 all speak of a relief pitcher in the mid-30s well, and a curve later. Major leagues in wins, innings pitched ; 2,030, complete games ;,... Eras isnt easy, as the role of a pitcher must be eligible for the Hall of Fame and.... Level of parity in this category has changed drastically over the years his return from surgery perhaps his strongest stat... Most recent appearance on the ballot in 23, getting 10.8 % comfortable in,. Winning streaks of 14 and 17 games, and his 2,832 Ks are still third among pitchers! Much of a pitcher who was one of the bullpen won Rick Reuschel anchoring the list, though not. Votes or attention needed to make it in, Lemon, Newhowser, and others were to... Rodrguez debuted on the Hall of Fame closers were sexy, mcmahon pitched 872 out. 'S careerswere focused in places other thanNew York, Philadelphia, or had been given run. Career stands up nicely against contemporary HOF pitchers Bob Lemon and Hal Newhowser were from initial.