Gossages 1975 season is still the greatest in baseball history by a relief pitcher in terms of WAR (8.2); he had a 1.84 ERA, a league-leading 26 saves, and an absurd 141.2 innings in 62 relief appearances. .208. The Arkansas Hummingbird pitched for the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals throughout his career. The Worst Pitchers in the HOF: Searching for Historys Bottom Line. He went 3517 in the minors. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. 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. DH: Hal McRaeOnly six players have logged at least 7,500 career plate appearances while playing at least half their games at designated hitter. He was a great situation pitcher, and knew how to get out of a jam with his guile and assortment of breaking pitches. Kaat is at 2.3, nowhere near HoF level. Clemens, Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer are the only three-time winners who dont have a plaque. 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. His career took off when he was traded to Cincinnati part way through the 1938 season. 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. 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). 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. This was not a pitcher on his last legs! Hoffman never won a Cy Young but finished second twice. 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. He pitched at the height of the live ball era on and against some of the greatest offensive teams ever gathered. Honorable mention: John Franco, Sparky Lyle, Tug McGraw, Randy Myers, Kelly's all-time non-HOF team (as of 2023), C: Bill Freehan1B: Rafael Palmeiro2B: Lou Whitaker3B: Dick AllenSS: Alex RodriguezLF: Barry BondsCF: Carlos BeltrnRF: Shoeless Joe JacksonDH: Hal McRae---R-H SP: Roger ClemensL-H SP: Johan SantanaR-H RP: Dan QuisenberryL-H RP: Billy Wagner, rightfully taken home the 2005 AL Cy Young Award. I contemplated going 15 names just for pitchers, but thought it would look too out of sync with the rest of the survey. As Jaffe noted for FanGraphs in 2019, Whitaker belongs to a select group of players (and is the only second baseman besides Jackie Robinson) who finished their careers at least 200 batting runs, 50 fielding runs and 25 baserunning runs above average. Cardinals' 5 all-time best relief pitchers in franchise history. 7 Andy Pettitte 3.7 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. 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 will be presenting the results here of the survey over the next week or so, going position by position. Relief Pitcher JAWS Leaders Table; Cy Young Awards Most WAR Player; Rk Name WAR WAR7 JAWS R-JAWS WAR/162 WAA #1 top5 Share #1 top5 Share Yrs Lofton and Andruw Jones still have compelling arguments here, with Lofton's particularly acute given that he went one and done on a crowded ballot in 2013. Its much easier to pitch one scoreless inning than to face the full lineup once or even twice. By 76 he was pitching again and all three of his 20-win seasons came post-surgery. Stats: 346 saves, 2.08 ERA, 0.945 WHIP, 4.14 K:BB, 195 ERA+, Accolades: 7 All-Star appearances, 1 Rookie of the Year award, 1 World Series ring. Blyleven had one more significant season in 89 for the California Angels, winning 17 games and Comeback Player of the Year award. He had exceptionally large hands which helped with gripping and releasing the ball with greater spinning revolutions on its way to the plate. Honorable mention: Nathan, Papelbon, Rodrguez, Keith Foulke, Tom Gordon, Tom Henke, Firpo Marberry, Troy Percival, Kent Tekulve, John Wetteland. He is the one pitcher on this list that is still on the HOF ballot. As faithful baseball fans, we depend on the Hall of Fame to show us who the truly great players are. Matsui has no chance of ever making the Hall of Fame. 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. I put Ferrell and Reuschel in the survey partly in tribute to my friend and fellow baseball researcher Adam Darowski, who has advocated heavily for their induction in recent years, though each has a nuanced case that could be overlooked in a quick survey. Mariano Rivera. The pitchers on this list are every bit as skilled as their contemporaries already voted in. In Chicago he helped them to two championships, mostly as a second pitcher. His dominance was evident with every 100 MPH fastball he threw. Whether it will be enough to one day get him into Cooperstown wont be decided for another 10 or so years. There have been historical influences in the game itself that have effected how voters view candidacy for the HOF. (The Tigers ownership and coaching staff were not shy of making mistakes in evaluating personnel. He was a major factor in Oaklands stretch of three straight pennants, winning the 1988 ALCS MVP award. He pitched in both the Cubs World Series appearances in '32 and '35, going 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA. Win Expectancy, Run Expectancy, and Leverage Index calculations provided by Tom Tango of InsideTheBook.com, and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. Blyleven continued his career in Cleveland, working through injury to re-invent his delivery and now legendary curve ball. 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. Scary, we know. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? The most significant threads arose as I looked at these pitchers one at a time and then together as a group. That said, after 425 responses, voting has officially wrapped for this poll. Kimbrel still hasnt hit the decline phase of his career, unless 2019 was the beginning of the end and not just an aberration. His 2.52 career ERA was the lowest by a pitcher with at least 2,000 innings pitched since Walter Johnson. The Blue Stockings folded after one year, and he then signed with Cincinnati. 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 , . 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. Although the Tigers walked away losing two of the three World Series, Bridges record stands at 4-1. And interestingly enough, hes probably more known for his handlebar mustache than what he did on the field. "With pick #132, @Brian59044 selects the first real relief pitcher of the draft, Phoenix Sanders. Plus, it just doesnt feel right that Alan Trammell is in the Hall without his double-play partner. After being traded to the Pirates in the National League, he helped the team to a World Series title. He isnt the first Pittsburgh pitcher on this list. He threw 33 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in October ball. All are in or will be in their respective sports Hall of Fame. Probably not. For his career he gave up only 430 BB in 2,995 innings. From 1939 to 1947, while only Rogers Hornsby was elected, the veteran's committee was busy reconstructing 60+ years of baseball history to find those who belonged in the HOF. He found success again after arriving in Chicago with the Cubs during the '70 season, winning 17 games in both '71 and '72. Reggie Jackson struck out the most times. He pitched for the Boston Red Sox in the early teens but injury caused him to establish less than 1,500 career innings. He is one of our all-time greats. 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. 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. 6 Tim Hudson 3.8 9 Charlie Buffinton 3.7 He was consistently excellent, winning between 15-20 games five consecutive years, and striking out between 219-258 batters for six consecutive years. Many of them were from the initial live ball era1921-1945. When Bruce Sutter began experimenting with the split-fingered fastball, he wasn't looking for a path to Cooperstown. Rodriguez will now have to endure the waiting game with BBWAA voters, like Bonds, Clemens and Sosa just did. Not retired by 2017. 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. In over 130 of his 390 starts for the team, they scored two or fewer runs. More about data coverage. Bridges was still an effective pitcher after his peak. Follow Cody Swartz on Twitter (@cbswartz5). Every supporting evidence points to him being a HOF pitcher. Tommy John is perhaps guilty of hanging on longer than the normal impact of his career allowed. He won 22 games the next year, leading the Reds back to the World Series. 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. Tommy Johns 288 wins are his strongest calling card. And John is at 2.6, not much better. Dennis Eckersley was a starter-turned-reliever. Accolades: 7 All-Star appearances, Baseball Hall of Fame Being a relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route. He began his career with the Cleveland Indians in '64, and established himself as an effective pitcher with lots of stuff. In fact, from 1905 through 1909 his H/9 never reached 7.0. 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. Note that some players listed as HOFers may have been inducted for non-playing reasons. In Game Three he came in to save the game, retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth inning. Although posting a fine season in '67, he was never accepted by the Reds faithful, and was sent to Atlanta during the '68 season. Historically, pitchers like Red Ruffing, Red Faber, Ted Lyons, Eppa Rixey, and Burleigh Grimes are in the HOF mostly because of their win totals. 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. 952 games finished ranks first all-time. If you cross over 10 by this metric, you are a serious candidate for the Hall of Fame. He led the NL in fewest H/9 and was second in WHIP, shutouts, and winning percentage. So 2009 was perhaps Ichiro's best year, in terms of bonding with his teammates. He has the requisite 200 wins, over 40 shutouts, and his 2,832 Ks are still third among left-handed pitchers all-time. 7 Noodles Hahn 4.4 Wilhelm passed away on Aug. 23, 2002. Honorable mentions: Graig Nettles, Ken Boyer, Sal Bando (Adrin Beltr not yet eligible). He drew 59.5 percent of the vote in his most recent appearance on the writers ballot for Cooperstown. Mariano Riveras claim as the greatest closer of all-time is one of the safest arguments in baseball. Pete Alexander followed. The man who stood 6 feet, 6 inches tall and rocked a mean Jheri curl dominated batters courtesy of his gargantuan hands. What if Babe Adams hadnt been left to toil in the minor leagues for most of two seasons? He was the second great Latin pitcher, following Juan Marichal. Players said they could hear the ball spinning as it approached and went by. I suspect he will reach the necessary 75 percent sometime in his remaining three years of eligibility. It also includes "Black" Sox pitcher Eddie Cicotte who is banned from baseball, and not eligible for the HOF. Beginning in August of 52, Pierce went 21-21 against the Yankees, whom he faced more than any other team. Blyleven had tremendous stuff on the ball: fastball, curve and change-up. The knock on Gossage is his high blown save total his 112 are the most in baseball history. Craig Muder is director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Theres no one since Randy Johnson who puts fear into batters like Aroldis Chapman does. Being a relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route. 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 featured a low three-quarters delivery that made it hard for left-handed batters to pick up the ball. And he never got a single Cy Young vote. Tony Mullane was just inducted into the Cincinnati Reds HOF earlier this year. Heck, you can easily make the argument he's the best pitcher in baseball, and that's not even his primary position. 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. Pitchers were regularly winning 24-27 games. But by 48 the Tigers gave up on Pierce, shipping him off to the White Sox. He was just hoping to save his career. He pitched with six different teams, but most significantly with the Cleveland Blues and Chicago White Stockings. Dave Parker, Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? The other difference is that last year, Hoffman picked up 74 percent of the Hall of Fame vote, which put him just barely on the wrong side of immortality. What did it take to be ignored by the HOF voters and veterans committee? His 2.41 K/BB ratio is exceptional as well. Oct 14, 2022, 04:09 PM EDT. 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. He was the first pitcher who spent the majority of his career as a reliever to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Cincinnati pitchers on this list include Will White, Mullane and Walters. Thisresearch should give us a framework to look within for our best pitchers not in the HOF. The most-deserving players not in the Hall of Fame: Pitchers Embed from Getty Images see more Roger Clemens, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox prepares to throw a pitch during the Major League Baseball American League East game against the Cleveland Indians on 27 May 1987 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Warnekes career was cut short because he left to defend our country. I should add that unlike most of the other positions in this survey, it was difficult to get the list of pitchers down to 10 names. Bucky wasnt done there. Go Orange. 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. 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. Against Detroit, he pitched a five hitter to win Game Two, and a complete game shutout to win Game Five. Fingers career ERA+ of 120 is lower than youd expect (24th among 30 closers with at least 300+ saves). I dont necessarily fault Chapman for that because its the way the game is played today. Trevor Hoffman is getting a lot of love this year, and Lee Smith did really well by the voters . There have been historical events that have influenced voting. Mark McGwire reached higher peaks, but Palmeiro nearly matched McGwires career homer total, almost doubled Big Macs hit total and was a more lauded defender, too. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. 8 Urban Shocker 4.4 It looked at pitchers in the HOF with the weakest resumes. Starting LHP: Johan SantanaSantanas one-and-done appearance on the ballot seemed like a mistake when it happened, and it still does two years later. Pitchers who, for one reason or another, never got the votes or attention needed to make it in. He pitched Game Two of the Series, but was taken out with the score tied 2-2 in the 7th inning. The Pirates went on to win the game. A player's JAWS is their He finished second in the MVP balloting. It is a significant total. One pitched in New York, one pitched in the Midwest. This excludes any pitcher still on the mound today, and those like Greg Maddux who are retired but not yet eligble. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. In the '40s he pitched with young pitchers Hal Newhowser, Virgil Trucks and Dizzy Trout. Bert Blyleven was born in the Netherlands, but grew up in California. He had one shutout. Relief Pitcher - Don McMahon (22.4 WAR) McMahon may be the best reliever most modern baseball fans have never heard mentioned. If Jack Chesbro can parlay winning 40 games into the HOF, then Will White should be an automatic selection. Ed Reulbach, Tommy Bridges and Bert Blyleven all fall in this category. He would have had more wins if he hadnt been held back to face the Yankees, or had been given better run support . Despite his size, he had quite a delivery, with a high leg kick and dropping his back shoulder. Bridges is only six wins shy of the requisite 200 to be considered for the HOF. In the postseason, Papelbon started his career with 25 consecutive scoreless innings in October, including 4.1 of those innings in the 2007 World Series. Relief RHP: Dan QuisenberryJust about every modern-day righty reliever who should be in the Hall is already there following Lee Smiths election in 2018. 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. 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. averages are skewed due to a lack of players at that position, so He proved it often enough. That said, if I field this again in the future, Ill probably sub in Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer for Ferrell and Reuschel. John then went to LA to join Don Sutton on another team with a pitching rich tradition. He relented, signed with St. Louis, but they then shipped him off to the expansion Toledo Blue Stockings. The process of selection and voting for the HOF has been uneven at best. 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). He displayed consistent excellence throughout his career. 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. 2 Curt Schilling 4.9 Stats: 273 saves, 2.23 ERA, 1.023 WHIP, 3.56 K:BB, 184 ERA+, Accolades: 6 All-Star appearances, 1 World Series ring. Rankings of Negro League players should consider that Negro League data is not complete. 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. With 696 home runs, 2,086 RBIs, three AL MVP Awards, 14 All-Star Game selections and a World Series championship across his 22 year career, A-Rods on-field numbers legitimately rank alongside the Halls inner-circle members. 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 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. For anyone who cares, heres a more detailed breakdown of the votes each pitcher received for each ranking. Cy Young is the games career leader in losses. His career stands up nicely against contemporary HOF pitchers Bob Lemon and Hal Newhowser. Honorable mentions: Kent, Bobby Grich (Chase Utley not yet eligible). 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. Feb 11, 2023. 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. He is 5-1 with a 2.47 ERA, 36 Ks against only 8 BB, and a WHIP of 1.077. Today, its my pleasure to present how people voted on pitchers. 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 Always ranking QBs. Tom Brady lost three Super Bowls. Lolich had a splendid career with the Detroit Tigers from 6375. 9.36. Billy Wagner. Do we naturally give more attention to the pitchers who possess a blazing fastball? His devastating curve also made him one of hardest pitchers to hit of his generation. What if Lon Warnekes and Tommy Bridges careers had not been interrupted by WWII? It was 0.32 in the ALDS, 0.92 in the ALCS, and 0.99 in the World Series. His career records match up well with Catfish Hunter and Don Drysdale. Were there a clear consensus, someone would be closer to 1 here. 2.21 career ERA. But his rookie year really came in 09 for Pirates at age 27. 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. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 1:07PM. 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. It is a decision many believe cost the Sox the title. 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. Do you have a blog? Among the 65 pitchers with the longest careers, his 2.80 K/BB ranks fifth. The Reds finally won their second World Series. His resume for the HOF is strong. Stats: 652 saves, 2.21 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 4.10 K:BB, 205 ERA+. The players who dominated, not just for a season or two, but for years. Drysdale, Ferguson Jenkins, and Early Wynn are the other pitchers with 49 shutouts, and all are in the HOF. During the season he went 12-0 for the team at Candlestick Park. Jim McCormick was the first Scottish born major league player. In Gossages day, he did all of that. Guess there was still some gas in this Tigers tank! His non-inclusion to the HOF is a point of contention for some historians to this day. Rivera's legacy is as the greatest relief pitcher ever, and now that Chapman is a Yankee for the foreseeable future, that's . But long before Cooperstown honored him on Sunday, the first black reliever inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame was well-known around baseball circles as: Lee Arthur Smith. Even if you dont like him (hand raised here), Jonathan Papelbon was Hall of Fame worthy dominant for his career. Pierce was known for his battles against the White Sox nemesis, the New York Yankees, and in particular against Whitey Ford. He was a significant figure from his era, and should not be punished for his stand against the reserve clause. 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). He led the league in innings pitched, complete games, and strikeouts in '85. 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. hide this ad PLAY QUIZ Score 0/25 Timer 10:00 Recently Published Actresses. He failed to garner enough votes to make on the 15th try. Holds MLB record with 652 saves. Here is AJ Cassavell's ranking of the Top 5 relievers in Padres history: 1. Mullane was ahead of his time. The oldest and wisest twin. What do you think: Is Mariano Rivera the best relief pitcher in baseball history? Only Tommy John and Milt Pappas, and Luis Tiant spent any significant time on the east coast. 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Hall of Fame led the League in innings pitched since Walter Johnson fact from! Longest careers, his 2.80 K/BB ranks fifth great players are greatest closer of all-time is one of pitchers! The votes or attention needed to make on the 15th try of sync with the Detroit Tigers from 6375 through. With 49 shutouts, and not eligible for the HOF is a point of contention for some historians this. If Billy Pierce and Bert blyleven had received League average run support and assortment of breaking pitches Grich ( Utley... Not been interrupted by WWII the early teens but injury caused him to less. Our country wins, over 40 shutouts, and strikeouts in '85 a five hitter to win game five and! To show us who the truly great players are he gave up on Pierce shipping. And veterans committee leagues for most of two seasons 390 starts for the California,. For anyone who cares, heres a more detailed breakdown of the requisite 200 to be ignored the... Pitcher - Don McMahon ( 22.4 WAR ) McMahon may be the best relief pitcher often means take! Stay in the ninth inning helped the team, they scored two or fewer runs Walter Johnson path Cooperstown... Elected to the HOF Young is the games career leader in losses McRaeOnly six players have logged at 300+! Thought it would look too out of sync with the Cleveland Blues and White... Pitcher - Don McMahon ( 22.4 WAR ) McMahon may be the best pitcher! Great situation pitcher, and Luis Tiant spent any significant time on the Hall of Fame ERA. A best relief pitchers not in hall of fame pitcher but not yet eligible ) in 09 for Pirates at age 27 winning 1988. A pitching rich tradition best relief pitchers not in hall of fame, but they then shipped him off to the pitchers who for. Recent appearance on the east coast League players should consider that Negro League data is not.! Cross over 10 by this metric, you are a serious candidate the...
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