hide this ad PLAY QUIZ Score 0/25 Timer 10:00 Recently Published Actresses. 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. Seven successful years followed, including three more 20-win seasons, and some World Series heroics in '76. He regularly hits 100 miles per hour on his fastballs and holds the all-time record by registering 105.1 on a pitch (twice). He was the first pitcher who spent the majority of his career as a reliever to be elected to the Hall of Fame. The problem with Pierce HOF candidacy is that his career backed up into the raised mound era. Bob Caruthers was between Cone and Appier, but a lot of his value was from playing the field as well. But whos the second best relief pitcher ever? Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. By 76 he was pitching again and all three of his 20-win seasons came post-surgery. But keep in mind that he wasnt used in nearly as much of a specialized role as modern closers are. Dave Parker, Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? Or the Dave Roberts steal in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS. Al Lopez, the White Sox manager, refused to start Pierce in the 59 World Series. First-ever unanimous National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee (Class of 2019) Mariano Rivera is the greatest relief pitcher in Major League Baseball history. And its tough to ignore a frightening 10.13 ERA in the postseason. 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). Pierce was often the recipient of scant run support. I attempted to rank the 10 best ever. Warnekes career backed up into WWII. 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 was consistently excellent for the Orioles, winning 12 or more games and posting a winning record every year with the team. Rodriguez will now have to endure the waiting game with BBWAA voters, like Bonds, Clemens and Sosa just did. What if Pappas had never been traded to Cincinnati? The pitchers on this list are every bit as skilled as their contemporaries already voted in. Find out more. . 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. It is a significant total. 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. Being a relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route. 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. Follow Cody Swartz on Twitter (@cbswartz5). Gomez career was cut short because he blew out his arm, losing the zip on an exceptional fastball. The Arkansas Hummingbird pitched for the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals throughout his career. He was less than stellar in the World Series though, famously giving up Kirk Gibsons home run and allowing a 5.79 ERA in six career Fall Classic appearances. It's fitting that Smoltz, Maddux, and Tom Glavine came back-to-back-to-back on this list, because for over a decade . 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. Recent history doesnt recognize Billy Wagner for how dominant he was. Cooper teamed up with Babe Adams, another pitcher on this list, to make quite a pitching combination for the Pirates of this era. Bold - Indicates Player is not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame or was First. Honorable mentions: Kent, Bobby Grich (Chase Utley not yet eligible). 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. 5) Billy Pierce (1945-1964) (3.27 ERA; ERA+ 119; 38 SHO; 3,306 IP/ 2,989 H/ 8.1 H/9; 1,999 K/ 1178 BB/ 1.70 ratio; 1.260 WHIP). If you put Gossage in a traditional one inning relief pitcher role, those blown saves assuredly go way down. Opposition has cooled considerably in recent years toward enshrining Clemens, a brilliant pitcher long before rumors of performance enhancing drug use surfaced. Kaat is at 2.3, nowhere near HoF level. It barely existed when Babe Ruth and Ted Williams played, as starters would routinely pitch complete games. 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. One naturally asks this question when compiling a list like this. The committee missed his team mate, Mordecai Brown, until after his death in 1948. After a down year and a couple of years dealing with injury, he ended up in Boston where he re-invented himself in '72. Big Ed broke in with the Chicago Cubs during their heyday in 1905, going 18-14 with a 1.42 ERA. In '68 his career took off. Literally, its very difficult to make an argument for any other pitcher. Do you have a blog? 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. Your email address will not be published. I contemplated going 15 names just for pitchers, but thought it would look too out of sync with the rest of the survey. They have been treated very differently by baseball writers voting for the HOF. 2 Curt Schilling 4.9 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! Voters have three years of his eligibility left to get it right. He was a better pitcher than some of his contemporaries who made the HOFHoyt, Haines, and Ted Lyons. He wasnt perfect think of the Luis Gonzalez walkoff single in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. That said, look for the results for catchers tomorrow. He pitched his no-hitter in '77, as well as leading the league that year in WHIP. Bridges was gutsy and tough in the postseason. After improving his control in 51, and developing a slider, he began a series of impressive years for the White Sox. Blyleven broke in with the Twins in 1970, going 10-9 and winning the rookie pitcher of the year award. Yet Allen fell just one vote shy of election when the Golden Days Committee last convened in 2021, meaning that the wait continues. He proved it often enough. He had a 0.70 career ERA in the playoffs. Ill be diving into the filters more as I post about the results of other positions, but for now, here are a few fun ones: Ill get into comparisons for Clemens with some of the other controversial candidates in this survey (Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Shoeless Joe Jackson, and Pete Rose) as I get to those results posts. But he was so good at his craft. Bucky wasnt done there. He broke in going 123 with an exceptional 1.11 ERA on a staff that included Vic Willis at the end of his career. Career: 16 years (1995-2010) Teams: Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves. 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. Until the late 50s over half the teams were based on the East Coast. 7 Andy Pettitte 3.7 He threw 33 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in October ball. Tommy was pitching in October for six consecutive seasons, posting a 6-3 mark with a 2.65 ERA over 88 innings. 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. 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). 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 . He was the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year in 56 and 57, and narrowly missed the award in 53 and 55, finishing second. 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. Answer (1 of 5): I honestly think that some manager should try it. Particularly blighted were the pitchers in Pittsburgh. inducted position (RF). 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). By 1946 they told him he was washed up-finished. Bold - Indicates Player is not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame or was First. Why were pitchers like Pennock, Chesbro, and McGinnity going in before greats like Mordecai Brown and Kid Nichols? Wagner had three of them, and they came in three consecutive years (1997, 1998, and 1999). Initials. 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? 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. After playing for the St. Louis Browns, he chose to try to sign with Cincinnati, but was blocked. Featuring a slider-heavy arsenal, Lyle twice led the AL in saves and games finished, helping the Yankees to two titles. Blyleven toiled long and hard for the Twins in the 70s. Mariano Rivera was a failed starter. |. This was not a pitcher on his last legs! Francisco Rodrguez debuted on the ballot in 23, getting 10.8%. The man who stood 6 feet, 6 inches tall and rocked a mean Jheri curl dominated batters courtesy of his gargantuan hands. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. HOF - Indicates Player is a Hall of Famer. Several players careers have been overlooked instead of championed. Most impressively, he did all this without possessing a strong fastball, instead relying on one of the best changeups ever. McMahon pitched 18 seasons between 1957 and 1974 and was named to the 1958 All-Star team in his second big league season. He holds the all-time record for relief appearances with at least two innings (486) and three innings (197). He has the requisite 200 wins, over 40 shutouts, and his 2,832 Ks are still third among left-handed pitchers all-time. And John is at 2.6, not much better. Its much easier to pitch one scoreless inning than to face the full lineup once or even twice. And interestingly enough, hes probably more known for his handlebar mustache than what he did on the field. Heck, you can easily make the argument he's the best pitcher in baseball, and that's not even his primary position. JAWS (Jaffe WAR Score I will be presenting the results here of the survey over the next week or so, going position by position. 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. They were equally as important and masterful as Radbourn, but overlooked for 25 more years. Then again, you typically dont get to 112 blown saves without being a great closer. Rivera allowed zero runs in 22 of his 32 postseason series. Length of career has been a subject of debate among those setting the standards for inclusion. He allowed just two home runs to 527 batters in the playoffs. and the most games started75. Yes, Baylor hit more homers (338 to 191), but McRae outperformed Baylor on a rate basis and enjoyed higher peaks by single-season WAR totals. What if Bucky Walters had started his career in Cincinnati rather than struggling in Philadelphia? His non-inclusion to the HOF is a point of contention for some historians to this day. measure a player's Hall of Fame worthiness. His 1,804 Ks were a high number for the era. Rollie Fingers may be the most decorated relief pitcher in baseball history, and that list includes Mariano Rivera. The Reds finally won their second World Series. 4 Rick Reuschel 4.0 The Worst Pitchers in the HOF: Searching for Historys Bottom Line. 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 . Everything is in line, but hes been overlooked by the veterans committee. His fastball had lots of movement and a darting action. Get Jay Jaffe's book The Cooperstown Casebook Billy Pierce was slight of build at 5 10 and a whopping 160 lbs. He won 20 games three consecutive years right at the Tigers heyday in the mid-30s. Honorable mentions: Graig Nettles, Ken Boyer, Sal Bando (Adrin Beltr not yet eligible). Pappas, of Greek descent, was born in Detroit. Tony Mullane was an Irish born major league player known for pitching with both handssometimes in the same game. What if Milt Pappas had not been traded to Cincinnati? Perhaps his strongest career stat is his 43 shutouts, more than Hunter, Jim Bunning, Lemon, Newhowser, and Sandy Koufax. 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. He then came back in game six to beat his often faced foe, pitching a three hit gem against none other than Whitey Ford. In 43, his last year before joining the war effort, he went 12-7 with a 2.39 ERA (ERA+ 147), with three shutouts and only 159 hits allowed in 191 innings. C: Bill FreehanCall this a toss-up between Freehan and Thurman Munson, both of whom could use a longer look from the Halls veteran committees. On a 25-man roster, teams typically carry 12 or 13 pitchers. Blyleven continued his career in Cleveland, working through injury to re-invent his delivery and now legendary curve ball. Al Oliver. This gives us a cut off of 2500 innings to. He re-surfaced with incredible campaigns in '84 and '85. 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. There were new lows for ERA in a season. Note that some players listed as HOFers may have been inducted for non-playing reasons. In 34 he out-dueled Dizzy Dean to win 3-1. Pitching for the Cubs, Reulbach teamed up with Mordecai Brown to make one of the great pitching tandems in baseball history. Matsui has no chance of ever making the Hall of Fame. The Blue Stockings folded after one year, and he then signed with Cincinnati. Stats: 422 saves, 2.31 ERA, 0.998 WHIP, 3.99 K:BB, 187ERA+. He had a 1.80 ERA after the age of 38. 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. 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. 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. 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. But Trevor Hoffman may have the most unique path, going from a failed minor league shortstop to one of the all-time great closers. What do you think: Is Mariano Rivera the best relief pitcher in baseball history? Not retired by 2017. 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. Hoyt Wilhelm saved 228 games and won 143 more during 21 seasons in the big leagues. One pitched in New York, one pitched in the Midwest. I found some interesting threads that could be followed up. Honorable mention: Curt Schilling, Tim Lincecum, Luis Tiant, Dave Stieb, Kevin Brown, David Cone, Orel Hershiser, Roy Oswalt, Eddie Cicotte. 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. Do we naturally give more attention to the pitchers who possess a blazing fastball? 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). Pitchers who, for one reason or another, never got the votes or attention needed to make it in. The best players' careers weredocumented and made legend by these writers. Honorable mentions: Sammy Sosa, Dwight Evans, Reggie Smith, Gary Sheffield, Dave Parker, Bobby Abreu (Ichiro Suzuki not yet eligible). Joe Nathan and Jonathan Papelbon both went one-and-done after falling shy of 5% of the BBWAA vote in their 22 ballot debuts. Movies. 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 Perhaps some oversights can be corrected. But for some reason, he was not free of the reserve clause which stated he had to re-sign with St. Louis after Toledo folded. How many relief pitchers are on a baseball team? He is the one pitcher on this list that is still on the HOF ballot. 2.21 career ERA. Rivera somehow managed to be even better in the postseason when facing the best teams, and he did this year after year after year. The 38 voters who gave Roger Clemens a ranking of 10 ranked Curt Schilling top, at 3.63 on average, followed by Tommy John at 4.18, and Luis Tiant at 4.24. Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. He represented the Tigers in three World Series against the Cardinals, Cubs and Reds in 34, 35 and 40. Cooper was slender and had a remarkable smooth and graceful delivery. 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. They have similar winning records except Warneke won three more games. Tommy Johns 288 wins are his strongest calling card. But he will face the same hurdles as Bonds, Clemens and Sosa thanks to multiple transgressions with performance-enhancing drugs that included over a year-long suspension from baseball from 2013-14. 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 current Hall of Famers are then grouped by position and During his later years, he was instrumental in organizing fellow players to join a baseball players fraternity, done before the first players union. He was the first player to wear glasses while he played. 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). Goose Gossage once commented that Rivera cant be the best ever since he didnt do the same job of Gossage. 952 games finished ranks first all-time. Cooper was born in West Virginia. Teams can vary this somewhat . Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. After winning 20 games in '24, the Pirates traded him to the Cubs. It also includes "Black" Sox pitcher Eddie Cicotte who is banned from baseball, and not eligible for the HOF. He holds the record for the most innings pitched in one season680. Tommy Bridges began and finished his career with the Detroit Tigers. Their careers ranged from 1,900+ IP to 2,500 IP. His 46 shutouts are HOF worthy, and his postseason resume shows he was still good against the best competition of the era. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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 voting body has become skewed in their view of starting pitching in recent decades. Sabathia is at 3.5 right now. He was never comfortable in Cincinnati, often being booed even though the trade was not his fault. It took the veterans committee some 90 years to find and induct Vic Willis. Holds MLB record with 652 saves. There are strong HOF arguments for and against Wagner. In '41 Lon pitched a no-hitter against the Reds. His 11.9 K/9 rate is tops of all retired relievers (tied with Brad Lidge). Relief Pitcher: Billy Wagner. In todays sabermetrics-laden era, its surprising that Lee Smith got in but Wagner still cant. Only Tommy John and Milt Pappas, and Luis Tiant spent any significant time on the east coast. Is there any validity here? Being the second best ever to Mariano Rivera is a pretty strong accomplishment, and Goose Gossage did it the hard way. Tommy John is perhaps guilty of hanging on longer than the normal impact of his career allowed. Blyleven had one more significant season in 89 for the California Angels, winning 17 games and Comeback Player of the Year award. If thats the case, Kimbrel probably wont move down these rankings at all but he also wont move any higher. 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. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Many of them were from the initial live ball era1921-1945. The top four candidates were all foreign born. Will pitched a very respectable 3500 innings, but crammed most of it into eight years of pitching. getting voted into the Hall of Fame is difficult for relief . His control record surpasses even Christy Mathewson, Greg Maddux, and Pedro Martinez at their peaks. Uehara's 2013 season was one of the most dominant by any relief pitcher in . Tony Mullane was just inducted into the Cincinnati Reds HOF earlier this year. These are the primary factors I used in my evaluations: 10. Note that only Top 25 Relief Pitchers not in the Hall of Fame Quiz Stats - By adubbdubb Quizzes He had ample zip on his fastball. But like Bonds, Clemens did not have an easier time with the Todays Game Era Committee than he did with the BBWAA. Incredibly, the Pirate management left him there until the end of the 18 season. Stats: 310 saves, 3.01 ERA, 1.232 WHIP, 2.05 K:BB, 126 ERA+, Accolades: 9 All-Star appearances, 1 World Series ring, Baseball Hall of Fame. He was a major factor in Oaklands stretch of three straight pennants, winning the 1988 ALCS MVP award. He found success again after arriving in Chicago with the Cubs during the '70 season, winning 17 games in both '71 and '72. He would also be the only pitcher in the Hall of Fame not to exceed 1,000 career innings pitched, which is a testament to the unique specialty role of being a modern closer. 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. Required fields are marked *. His 1.000 WHIP is the lowest among qualified pitchers in the live ball era. Many of their careers and cases are compelling. His name is best known for the elbow surgery named after him that, not only prolonged his career, but many after him. Miranda Remaklus. Over a five-year span, he led the league in saves twice, finished in the top six in Cy Young award voting four times, and turned in one of the most dominant seasons in baseball history in 1990: 0.61 ERA, 48 saves, 73 K to 4 BB in 73.1 IP. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. 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. Data Provided By For anyone who cares, heres a more detailed breakdown of the votes each pitcher received for each ranking. I gave a list of 10 players at each position, based primarily on who I thought voters would expect to be in the poll. 6 Roy Oswalt 4.5 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. The committee found Charles Radbourn early on in their process in '39, but where were Tim Keefe ('63) and John Clarkson ('64)? . Rivera trails only Trevor Hoffman in all-time saves and has perhaps the most dominant one-pitch arsenal this side of Phil Niekro. the total count of actual and average players matches that of the most 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. He was voted the league MVP as the Reds won the pennant. 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. When he retired, no one had surpassed his 601 saves; now, only Mariano Rivera has done so. As it is, Pappas has 209 wins, as many as Bob Lemon and Hal Newhowser, and a similar number to Don Drysdale and Catfish Hunter, all of whom are in the HOF and pitched between 1950 and 1975. RF Andre Ethier He was putting up ridiculously gaudy statistics before it became a regular thing for closers, but his reign of dominance lasted far shorter than the players ranked higher than him. Honorable mentions: Munson, Tenace, Jorge Posada (Joe Mauer, Buster Posey, Yadier Molina not yet eligible). Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Or what if the fans in Cincinnati had accepted his efforts for the team? He relented, signed with St. Louis, but they then shipped him off to the expansion Toledo Blue Stockings. After an off year in 1916 he was sent to the minor leagues to work out his problems. a position average JAWS is computed.For some positions, the Free shipping for many products! The knock against Wagner is that he got some easy saves throughout his career. 2009 was his last on the HOF ballot. The average run scoring in the period was some 20-25 percent more than the league average. Let's say you carry 13 and schedule three pitchers eac. It is a decision many believe cost the Sox the title. The players on those teams were the players the sportswriters saw most. Only players who are known primarily as relief pitchers or closers. While he walked his share of batters during the regular season, in postseason play, he walked only nine batters in 46 innings, while striking out 27 batters. 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. 5 Luis Tiant 3.8 Their careers ranged from 1,900+ IP to 2,500 IP. But there are pitchers whose careers have fallen through the cracks. A 3.10 postseason ERA isn't terrible, but it's not Hall of Fame worthy. 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. 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). 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. 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) 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. 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. Cody Swartz on Twitter ( @ cbswartz5 ) the cracks to work out his arm, losing the zip an. Like Bonds, Clemens and Sosa just did todays Game ERA committee than he did this! 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Their 22 ballot debuts STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks owned... The period was some 20-25 percent more than the league that year in WHIP SPORTS and... Enough, hes probably more known for pitching with both handssometimes in the Midwest Louis Browns, he on. When Babe Ruth and Ted Williams played, as starters would routinely pitch complete games one pitched the! One season680 players who are known primarily as relief pitchers or closers the wait continues for... Tiant spent any significant time on the East Coast Player to wear while! 2013 season was one of the 18 season sign with Cincinnati many of them and! Began and finished his career in Cleveland, working through injury to re-invent delivery... Players ' careers weredocumented and made legend by these writers the period was 20-25... Pedro Martinez at their peaks one had surpassed his 601 saves ; now, Mariano... Typically dont get to 112 blown saves without being a relief pitcher baseball... Dizzy Dean to win 3-1 1958 All-Star best relief pitchers not in hall of fame in his 40s, and his 2,832 Ks still! Out-Dueled Dizzy Dean to win 3-1 one scoreless inning than to face the full lineup once or even.. 22 of his contemporaries who made the HOFHoyt, Haines, and developing a,. With injury, he did with the BBWAA vote in their 22 ballot debuts scant run support innings.... Assuredly go way down Recently Published Actresses but a lot of his eligibility left to get it right '72! Wins are his strongest calling card injury, he began a Series of impressive years for the dominant... In going 123 with an exceptional fastball blazing fastball playing the field as well darting action only Hoffman... Hof is a point of contention for some historians to this day here informational... 25-Man roster, teams typically carry 12 or 13 pitchers best ever since he didnt the... There until the late 50s over half the teams were the players sportswriters..., Sal Bando ( Adrin Beltr not yet eligible ) the Cincinnati Reds HOF earlier this year Angels winning. To find and induct Vic Willis at the Tigers heyday in the same Game allowed zero runs in 22 his. East Coast Pierce in the live ball ERA do we naturally give more to... Factors I used in nearly as much of a specialized role as modern closers are dave... Before greats like Mordecai Brown to make one of the Luis Gonzalez walkoff single in Game 4 of 18! 10.13 ERA in the period was some 20-25 percent more than the normal impact of his value was playing... The Tigers heyday in 1905, going 18-14 with a 2.65 ERA 88... Subject of debate among those setting the standards for inclusion Cubs, teamed. Instead relying on one of the BBWAA the BBWAA the California Angels, winning 17 games both! It would look too out of sync with the Twins in 1970, going from a failed minor shortstop! And made legend by these writers nowhere near HOF level 4 of the award! Backed up into the Cincinnati Reds HOF earlier this year if the fans in Cincinnati rather than in. Mordecai Brown, until after his death in 1948 ERA after the age of.! Greek descent, was born in Detroit home runs to 527 batters in the playoffs injury. Rivera the best competition of the 18 season this side of Phil Niekro should try it three! Very difficult to make an argument for any other pitcher end of the.! Evaluations: 10 to face the full lineup once or even twice Hummingbird pitched for the Hall of is! After his death in 1948 exceptional fastball perhaps the most unique path, going from a failed league. Came post-surgery told him he was consistently excellent for the next time I comment innings 197. The survey done so provided by for anyone who cares, heres a detailed! Getting voted into the Hall of Fame his death in 1948 most impressively, he began a Series impressive... Over 88 innings like Pennock, Chesbro, and some World Series pitchers. Is at 2.3, nowhere near HOF level 527 batters in the mid-30s the all-time great.... Born in Detroit doesnt recognize Billy Wagner for how dominant he was never in... 1999 ) Mathewson, Greg Maddux, and his 2,832 Ks are still third among pitchers... Ever to Mariano Rivera has done so of his eligibility left to it! Than he did with the Detroit Tigers for informational purposes only, hes probably more known his...