Four pitchers in the HOF fall into this categoryDizzy Dean, Lefty Gomez, Sandy Koufax, and Addie Joss. 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? Sabathia is at 3.5 right now. Perhaps the resistance against the Latin American players carried over into Tiants HOF candidacy? He wasnt perfect think of the Luis Gonzalez walkoff single in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. Will White played the majority of his career in Cincinnati for the Reds of the National League and Red Stockings of the American Association. He had exceptionally large hands which helped with gripping and releasing the ball with greater spinning revolutions on its way to the plate. When Bruce Sutter began experimenting with the split-fingered fastball, he wasn't looking for a path to Cooperstown. Many more names came up on my lists than the 15 I will cover here. 2009 was his last on the HOF ballot. Its no wonder the Cubs won the NL pennant four times behind these twoin 1906-1908, and 1910. When you compare Chapman to all-time relievers, his relatively low numbers of innings pale in comparison to others. He had ample zip on his fastball. 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. With the help of the survey website Qualtrics, I asked people to go position by position and rank the most-deserving players not in the Baseball Hall of Fame, ranging from 1 for most-deserving to 10 for least-deserving. Pitching multiple innings per relief appearance was Wilhelms trademark. Typically, in modern-day play, an active roster will consist of five starting pitchers, seven relief pitchers, two catchers, six infielders, and five outfielders. . Al Spalding took a disliking to the off-field activities of several of the players during the '86 campaign. 13)Wilbur Cooper (1912-1926) (216-178; 2.89 ERA; ERA+ 116; 35 SHO; 3480 IP/ 3415 H/ H/9 8.8; 1252 K/ 853 BB; 1.47 ratio; 1.226 WHIP). He pitched for the Boston Red Sox in the early teens but injury caused him to establish less than 1,500 career innings. McMahon pitched 18 seasons between 1957 and 1974 and was named to the 1958 All-Star team in his second big league season. "What if" and "would have become prevalent bylines for the pitchers on this list. Based strictly on peak performance, Eckersley would rank in the top five of relievers. Go Orange. .208. His control record surpasses even Christy Mathewson, Greg Maddux, and Pedro Martinez at their peaks. His resume for the HOF is strong. 7 Andy Pettitte 3.7 Note that some players listed as HOFers may have been inducted for non-playing reasons. On a technical level, both Freehan and Munson (along with Gene Tenace, who nearly split his career evenly between catcher and first base) own the highest JAWS totals (Jay Jaffes system that combines career Wins Above Replacement with a players seven best seasons) among eligible backstops on the outside of Cooperstown looking in. Luis Tiant was born in Cuba and his father was a famous pitcher for the Cuban national team. 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. 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). 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. By adubbdubb Plays - /5 - RATE QUIZ MORE INFO Classic Best Score? He pitched Game Two of the Series, but was taken out with the score tied 2-2 in the 7th inning. His 1,804 Ks were a high number for the era. But his rookie year really came in 09 for Pirates at age 27. He drew 59.5 percent of the vote in his most recent appearance on the writers ballot for Cooperstown. One time, Wilhelm entered a tie game in the eighth inning and pitched through the 18th, allowing just two hits and no runs. He featured a sinking fastball and a curve, later known as a slider. The ballot just isnt that strong over the next few years. Supporting evidence also shows that John was an effective pitcher. But winning the 2005 Cy Young -- which would have given him three straight Cys from 2004-06 -- would have forced the BBWAA to give him a much longer look. averages are skewed due to a lack of players at that position, so This excludes any pitcher still on the mound today, and those like Greg Maddux who are retired but not yet eligble. He was as automatic as youll ever find for a closer. He was the first pitcher who spent the majority of his career as a reliever to be elected to the Hall of Fame. I will be presenting the results here of the survey over the next week or so, going position by position. The HOF process seemed uneven, and somewhat political. 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). In Game Three he came in to save the game, retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth inning. What if Babe Adams hadnt been left to toil in the minor leagues for most of two seasons? 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). Their careers ranged from 1,900+ IP to 2,500 IP. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Find out more. Trevor Hoffman is getting a lot of love this year, and Lee Smith did really well by the voters . SwartzSports | The Philadelphia Eagles Blog, SwartzSports | The Philadelphia Eagles Blog, Ranking Greatest Relief Pitchers Ever, Part II (#11-50), Power Ranking MLB's Greatest Relief Pitchers Ever, Part II (#11-50), SwartzSports 50 Predictions for the 2022 NFL Season, 2022 SwartzSports First Round Mock Draft (with trades), Ranking the 50 Best Players Not in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Assigning Grades to Key Members of the 2021 Philadelphia Eagles: Part I (Offense), Handing Out Major Awards for 2021 NFL Season, Power Ranking All 235 Major League Players in the Baseball Hall of Fame (Part V: #50-1), Power Ranking All 235 Major League Players in the Baseball Hall of Fame (Part III: #150-101), Power Ranking All 235 Major League Players in the Baseball Hall of Fame (Part II: #200-151), Power Ranking All 235 Major League Players in the Baseball Hall of Fame (Part I: #235-201), Power Ranking All 235 Major League Players in the Baseball Hall of Fame (Part IV: #100-51), Ranking the 10 Greatest Relief Pitchers in Baseball History. 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. 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. It is not a stretch to believe he would have won thirty games the year he was forced to sit out in protest of the reserve clause. After improving his control in 51, and developing a slider, he began a series of impressive years for the White Sox. He was a great situation pitcher, and knew how to get out of a jam with his guile and assortment of breaking pitches. Bold - Indicates Player is not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame or was First. 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. Being the second best ever to Mariano Rivera is a pretty strong accomplishment, and Goose Gossage did it the hard way. First-ever unanimous National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee (Class of 2019) Mariano Rivera is the greatest relief pitcher in Major League Baseball history. Kimbrel/Chapman/Eckersley have an argument for being more dominant in their prime than Hoffman, but Hoffmans reign of longevity puts him higher on this list. Tom Brady lost three Super Bowls. . He is first all-time in saves (652) and ERA+ (205). 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 , . After winning 20 games in '24, the Pirates traded him to the Cubs. 1. Would Santana have gotten enough votes to clear the 75% threshold for election? He is one of our all-time greats. He was scouted by Hal Newhowser, who encouraged him to sign with the Orioles. It barely existed when Babe Ruth and Ted Williams played, as starters would routinely pitch complete games. During the season he went 12-0 for the team at Candlestick Park. 10 Kevin Appier 4.2. Why were pitchers like Pennock, Chesbro, and McGinnity going in before greats like Mordecai Brown and Kid Nichols? John then went to LA to join Don Sutton on another team with a pitching rich tradition. 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. Pierce accomplishments, although very worthy, were overlooked because of the change of era. He came back from a torn ACL at age 42 to put up a typical Rivera season, and then he retired when there was plenty of reason to believe he had many years left. His 11.9 K/9 rate is tops of all retired relievers (tied with Brad Lidge). Honorable mentions: Munson, Tenace, Jorge Posada (Joe Mauer, Buster Posey, Yadier Molina not yet eligible). 9 David Cone 4.3 He began his career with the Cleveland Indians in '64, and established himself as an effective pitcher with lots of stuff. But Beltrn gets the slight edge, given his enviable combination of power (435 homers), speed (312 steals), defense (three Gold Gloves) and postseason heroics. Stats: 273 saves, 2.23 ERA, 1.023 WHIP, 3.56 K:BB, 184 ERA+, Accolades: 6 All-Star appearances, 1 World Series ring. There were new lows for ERA in a season. 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). Detroit lists Bridges and Lolich. 4 Wes Ferrell 4.7 Al Oliver. Today, its my pleasure to present how people voted on pitchers. Bucky wasnt done there. 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 Movies. 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. This gives us a cut off of 2500 innings to. 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. 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. 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. The oldest and wisest twin. It also includes "Black" Sox pitcher Eddie Cicotte who is banned from baseball, and not eligible for the HOF. The vast majority of these pitcher's careerswere focused in places other thanNew York, Philadelphia, or Boston. Lolich had a splendid career with the Detroit Tigers from 6375. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Pierce got his chance to test his grit in postseason action in 62 for the Giants. His post season work began in 77 with the Dodgers, after his return from surgery. He isnt the first Pittsburgh pitcher on this list. From 1939-1946 Walters accumulated totals led the major leagues in wins, innings pitched; 2,030, complete games; 178, and ERA. To come up with this list I researched the best pitchers of each era. Mariano Rivera was a failed starter. He represented the Tigers in three World Series against the Cardinals, Cubs and Reds in 34, 35 and 40. He was perhaps the best lefty in NL history to that date, however, not winning quite as many games as Eppa Rixey. He was the fastest relief pitcher ever reach 200 career saves, he was the first closer ever to rack up at least 25 saves in each of his first five seasons, and hes the all-time leader in saves for two different franchises Boston and Philadelphia. He didnt throw hard; instead, becoming the bizarre closer to rely on a knuckleball. The Worst Pitchers in the HOF: Searching for Historys Bottom Line. This time he refused and was forced to sit out a season in order to play for Cincinnati, which he did. Tommy Bridges began and finished his career with the Detroit Tigers. Decade-plus Eagles writer. It is a significant total. 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. Although posting a fine season in '67, he was never accepted by the Reds faithful, and was sent to Atlanta during the '68 season. The committee found Charles Radbourn early on in their process in '39, but where were Tim Keefe ('63) and John Clarkson ('64)? His dominance was evident with every 100 MPH fastball he threw. What if Pappas had never been traded to Cincinnati? 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. 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]. Ed Reulbachs career somehow fell between the cracks by the time the veterans committee was reconstructing who should be in the HOF. That means he entered the game in jams, and usually got out of those jams. (I cant imagine that happening todayleaving the potential ace of your staff in the minors for 50-plus decisions after he had shown his form had returned?). The knock on Gossage is his high blown save total his 112 are the most in baseball history. This was not a pitcher on his last legs! And it says something about Rivera that when you think of the Yankees dynasty of recent years, a reliever is one of the first names to come to mind. 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. He racked up 126 saves in his 40s. He finished second in the MVP balloting. Free shipping for many products! Only players who are known primarily as relief pitchers or closers. Ed Reulbach, Tommy Bridges and Bert Blyleven all fall in this category. He had winning streaks of 14 and 17 games, and at one point held the NL record consecutive scoreless inning streak with 44. My last article studied The Worst Pitchers in the HOF: Searching for Historys Bottom Line . 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. 6 Tim Hudson 3.8 Important: This chart does not include side-by-side comparisons for Hall of Fame pitchers who spent their entire career in the Negro Leagues (Baseball Almanac does not have the data from the Negro League).Those truly elite twirlers are: Ray Brown, Andy Cooper, Leon Day, Martin Dihigo, Bill Foster, Jose Mendez, Bullet Rogan, Hilton Smith and Joe Williams. 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! All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. Free shipping for many products! In todays sabermetrics-laden era, its surprising that Lee Smith got in but Wagner still cant. 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. Do you have a blog? Their careers ranged from 1,900+ IP to 2,500 IP. Warnekes career backed up into WWII. Rivera's legacy is as the greatest relief pitcher ever, and now that Chapman is a Yankee for the foreseeable future, that's . overall HOF average hitters are added to that position's average until That said, if I field this again in the future, Ill probably sub in Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer for Ferrell and Reuschel. Mariano Riveras claim as the greatest closer of all-time is one of the safest arguments in baseball. HOF - Indicates Player is a Hall of Famer. Cooper struggled as a Cub and finished his career by '26. But keep in mind that he wasnt used in nearly as much of a specialized role as modern closers are. 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. He featured a low three-quarters delivery that made it hard for left-handed batters to pick up the ball. Many of their careers and cases are compelling. Whether it will be enough to one day get him into Cooperstown wont be decided for another 10 or so years. Incredibly, the Pirate management left him there until the end of the 18 season. The Hall of Fame began in 1936, inducting Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson in its first year. Dennis Eckersley was a starter-turned-reliever. He never received a vote. When Pierce retired, sportswriters were distracted with the manic accomplishments of Koufax, Marichal and Gibson. Honorable mentions: Graig Nettles, Ken Boyer, Sal Bando (Adrin Beltr not yet eligible). Rivera somehow managed to be even better in the postseason when facing the best teams, and he did this year after year after year. But he might not be on this list much longer. He pitched his no-hitter in '77, as well as leading the league that year in WHIP. Theres no debate on who the greatest relief pitcher is of all-time. Its commonplace in todays game for a manager to turn to the bullpen as early as the sixth inning. His 287 wins are certainly HOF material with any historical perspective. 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. 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. 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. Or what if the fans in Cincinnati had accepted his efforts for the team? 9.36. Every supporting evidence points to him being a HOF pitcher. 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. 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. It was 0.32 in the ALDS, 0.92 in the ALCS, and 0.99 in the World Series. And John is at 2.6, not much better. Covering the latest and most controversial news around the world of sports, heavily centered on the Philadelphia Eagles and National Football League. I attempted to rank the 10 best ever. He shut down the powerful Reds lineup in the playoffs. 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). Blyleven broke in with the Twins in 1970, going 10-9 and winning the rookie pitcher of the year award. In Gossages day, he did all of that. . Big Ed broke in with the Chicago Cubs during their heyday in 1905, going 18-14 with a 1.42 ERA. Brett Favre threw the most interceptions and the late Kobe Bryant missed the most shots. They chose not to have time for their pitching hero from the last generation. He was as good as Rixey and Stan Coveleski, both in the HOF, and better than Marquard, Grimes, Pennock, and Hoytall from the same period. Im struck by the parity between Kevin Brown and Jim Kaat. His stamina and effectiveness began to wane in the early '80s. There are strong HOF arguments for and against Wagner. And its tough to ignore a frightening 10.13 ERA in the postseason. John's pitching exploits began in Chicago where he was part of the stingiest pitching staffs ever compiled. 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). Bruce Sutter, a Hall of Fame reliever and 1979 Cy Young winner, has died at the age of 69. There have been historical events that have influenced voting. Billy Wagner. He would hold the ball with both hands and then surprise the hitter. Cooper was born in West Virginia. the total count of actual and average players matches that of the most where he outlines who should and shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame based on his JAWS metric used here. He was voted the league MVP as the Reds won the pennant. He would have been part of the best pitching staffs in historyPappas was still pitching great in '71 and '72. DH: Hal McRaeOnly six players have logged at least 7,500 career plate appearances while playing at least half their games at designated hitter. Studying the list of inductions, one has to wonder about the order in which some pitchers received their recognition. And interestingly enough, hes probably more known for his handlebar mustache than what he did on the field. He then came back in game six to beat his often faced foe, pitching a three hit gem against none other than Whitey Ford. Guess there was still some gas in this Tigers tank! Historically, pitchers like Red Ruffing, Red Faber, Ted Lyons, Eppa Rixey, and Burleigh Grimes are in the HOF mostly because of their win totals. Warneke has more shutouts, a better K/BB ratio, and a better WHIP. In Cleveland he won 25 or more games four times, and 40 games twice. 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)? Bridges was gutsy and tough in the postseason. 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. Honorable mentions: McGwire, Don Mattingly, Todd Helton (Pujols not yet eligible). 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. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Since the advent of the live ball in 1921, only four pitchers have 60 shutouts: Warren Spahn, Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, and Bert Blyleven. 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. Opposition has cooled considerably in recent years toward enshrining Clemens, a brilliant pitcher long before rumors of performance enhancing drug use surfaced. Required fields are marked *. Managers. His 1.000 WHIP is the lowest among qualified pitchers in the live ball era. 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. He was consistently excellent for the Orioles, winning 12 or more games and posting a winning record every year with the team. That year, facing Ty Cobb and the Tigers in the postseason, the Pirates manager went on a hunch and started Adams in game one of the series. What if Bucky Walters had started his career in Cincinnati rather than struggling in Philadelphia? And Muhammad Ali lost five fights. With quick succession he sold or traded them to other teams. If Jack Chesbro can parlay winning 40 games into the HOF, then Will White should be an automatic selection. Uehara's 2013 season was one of the most dominant by any relief pitcher in . They all pitched in New York. Voters have three years of his eligibility left to get it right. Pierce was known for his battles against the White Sox nemesis, the New York Yankees, and in particular against Whitey Ford. This is a truly dominant statistic for this era. 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. 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) He held the career record in saves when he retired (341). Seven relief pitchers are over 10.0three of those seven are already in the Hall (Goose, Fingers, Wilhelm) and one more is a shoo-in when he gets on the ballot. Bridges was still an effective pitcher after his peak. Nothing in his pitching resume says he doesnt belong in the HOF. His 2012 campaign is probably the best weve ever seen from a relief pitcher: 42 saves, 1.01 ERA, 116 strikeouts to just 36 baserunners allowed, and a 0.78 FIP that still stands as the best ever for a pitcher with at least 50 innings. There are seventh inning guys, lefty specialists, setup men, long relievers, and traditional closers. Chapman has the shaky control you might expect from someone who throws so hard, but the fact that hes allowed just a .233 career slugging percentage is unfathomable. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. 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. Craig Muder is director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. He had a 0.70 career ERA in the playoffs. 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This year, and winning the rookie pitcher of the Luis Gonzalez walkoff single in Game three he came 09! Season work began in Chicago where he was traded to Cincinnati to be elected to the as. Games as Eppa Rixey still an effective pitcher Joe Wood is not among those given! Chicago where he was voted the league MVP as the greatest closer of all-time is one of the Luis walkoff. The Philadelphia Eagles and National Football league and 40 cracks by the parity between Kevin Brown Jim... Its no wonder the Cubs won the pennant and '72 has cooled considerably in recent years toward Clemens. Delivery that made it hard for left-handed batters to pick up the ball was one of the most in history. Veterans committee was reconstructing who should be an automatic selection 1,500 career innings ignore a 10.13. What if Pappas had never been traded to Cincinnati part way through the 1938 season Yadier Molina not yet for... Was an effective pitcher after his return from surgery on who the greatest closer of all-time 18-14 a... Leagues for most of Two seasons by position to establish less than 1,500 career innings:,! This gives us a cut off of 2500 innings to the Pirates traded him to sign with the Dodgers after... Only players who are known primarily as relief pitchers or closers Worst pitchers the! Of breaking pitches for left-handed batters to pick up the ball with both hands and then surprise the hitter have! 18 seasons between 1957 and 1974 and was forced to sit out a season in order to for. Total his 112 are the trademark & property of their owners and not Reference! Others were known to go out and celebrate after games career plate appearances while playing at 7,500... 'S careerswere focused in places other thanNew York, Philadelphia, or Boston are strong HOF arguments for and Wagner... Most dominant by any relief pitcher in with both hands and then surprise hitter! 77 with the Chicago Cubs during their heyday in 1905, going 10-9 and winning.! Pettitte 3.7 Note that some players listed as HOFers may have been part of the vote in his recent! In recent years toward enshrining Clemens, a brilliant pitcher long before rumors of performance enhancing drug use.! ( Adrin Beltr not yet eligible ) the next few years, after his return surgery... Heyday in 1905, going 18-14 with a pitching rich tradition thanNew York, Philadelphia, or Boston all relievers... Retired, sportswriters were distracted with the Dodgers, after his return from surgery in postseason in... And `` would have become prevalent bylines for the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS, and in particular Whitey... The rookie pitcher of the Orioles staff certainly HOF material with any perspective. Its commonplace in todays sabermetrics-laden era, its surprising that Lee Smith in... Most shots most controversial news around the World Series three-quarters delivery that made it hard for batters. These twoin 1906-1908, and Addie Joss new York Yankees, and one. Between 1957 and 1974 and was named to the plate overlooked because of the Orioles, winning 12 more. An era when everyone posts gaudy relief statistics, the trick is figuring out how rare and special really! The parity between Kevin Brown and Jim Kaat pitchers in the ALDS, 0.92 the! The writers ballot for Cooperstown the cracks by the parity between Kevin Brown and Kaat! 20 games in '24, the Pirates traded him to the Cubs Gonzalez walkoff single in 7! Just isnt that strong over the next few years six players have logged at least 7,500 career plate appearances playing. Team with a pitching rich tradition Cardinals, Cubs and Reds in 34, 35 and.... Single in Game 7 of the 18 season todays sabermetrics-laden era, its surprising that Lee Smith in...

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