He featured a sinking fastball and a curve, later known as a slider. That means he entered the game in jams, and usually got out of those jams. Many of them were from the initial live ball era1921-1945. He has the requisite 200 wins, over 40 shutouts, and his 2,832 Ks are still third among left-handed pitchers all-time. 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. What do you think: Is Mariano Rivera the best relief pitcher in baseball history? The best players' careers weredocumented and made legend by these writers. 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. So with a lack of a real statistical standout, how about Quiz? The Reds finally won their second World Series. Pierce was often the recipient of scant run support. He was arguably as good a pitcher as Whitey Ford. the total count of actual and average players matches that of the most In Chicago he helped them to two championships, mostly as a second pitcher. 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). Bridges had the most awesome drop off the table curve ball of his era. There are some interesting findings to highlight along these lines as we get there. Stats: 652 saves, 2.21 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 4.10 K:BB, 205 ERA+. His last year of allowing fewer hits than innings pitched was 81. 1B: Rafael PalmeiroBBWAA voters strongly dismissed Palmeiros Cooperstown case on account of his connection to performance-enhancing drugs, but the fact remains that Palmeiro and Alex Rodriguez are the only Hall-eligible player with at least 3,000 hits and 500 homers who are not enshrined (Albert Pujols is yet to hit the ballot). That said, here are some names I wanted to put in but didnt have space for this time: Verlander, Johan Santana, Dave Stieb, Andy Pettitte, Orel Hershiser, and Dwight Gooden. Sure, hes in the Hall of Fame, but hes buried on the all-time save leaderboards largely due to the era in which he pitched. Blyleven had one more significant season in 89 for the California Angels, winning 17 games and Comeback Player of the Year award. 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). That said, if I field this again in the future, Ill probably sub in Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer for Ferrell and Reuschel. 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). 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. 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. All-Star Games. My last article studied The Worst Pitchers in the HOF: Searching for Historys Bottom Line . John's pitching exploits began in Chicago where he was part of the stingiest pitching staffs ever compiled. Would Santana have gotten enough votes to clear the 75% threshold for election? Recent history doesnt recognize Billy Wagner for how dominant he was. He represented the Tigers in three World Series against the Cardinals, Cubs and Reds in 34, 35 and 40. 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 began his career with the Cleveland Indians in '64, and established himself as an effective pitcher with lots of stuff. 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 . Wilhelm passed away on Aug. 23, 2002. 10 Kevin Appier 4.2. 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. Joe Nathan and Jonathan Papelbon both went one-and-done after falling shy of 5% of the BBWAA vote in their 22 ballot debuts. Matsui has no chance of ever making the Hall of Fame. For the most part, the best pitchers are in the HOF. Active: Terry Francona , Rocco Baldelli , Dave Roberts , . This list includes pitchers with some of the greatest curve balls in the history of the game. He faced Ford 15 times in his career and went 7-7. He is perhaps best known for his performance in the 68 series, pitching three complete game victories, and facing down Bob Gibson in game seven. Blyleven is arguably among the top 20-25 pitchers in baseball history. He was scouted by Hal Newhowser, who encouraged him to sign with the Orioles. He won three complete games including a shutout against the Tigers. Awards. Thisresearch should give us a framework to look within for our best pitchers not in the HOF. A 3.10 postseason ERA isn't terrible, but it's not Hall of Fame worthy. Cincinnati pitchers on this list include Will White, Mullane and Walters. 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. 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. What if Milt Pappas had not been traded to Cincinnati? (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?). Probably not. He led the league in ERA+ and shutouts (nine) in '73, but didnt get the attention he deserved for the Cy Young award. And John is at 2.6, not much better. He would have been part of the best pitching staffs in historyPappas was still pitching great in '71 and '72. He broke in going 123 with an exceptional 1.11 ERA on a staff that included Vic Willis at the end of his career. He didnt debut in the majors until he was almost 30 and promptly led the National League in ERA (2.43), games pitched (71), and winning percentage (.833). Their careers ranged from 1,900+ IP to 2,500 IP. He pitched the vast majority of his career for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Honorable mentions: Sammy Sosa, Dwight Evans, Reggie Smith, Gary Sheffield, Dave Parker, Bobby Abreu (Ichiro Suzuki not yet eligible). I dont necessarily fault Chapman for that because its the way the game is played today. position. 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. 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. Were there a clear consensus, someone would be closer to 1 here. 4) Jim McCormick (1878-1887) (265-214; 2.43 ERA; ERA+ 118; 33 SHO; 4,275 IP/4,092 H/ 8.6 H/9; 1704 K/ 749 BB/ 2.28 ratio; 1.132 WHIP). His ERA of 1.97 in 55 gave him an ERA less than half that of the league (ERA+ 201). If you put Gossage in a traditional one inning relief pitcher role, those blown saves assuredly go way down. He would hold the ball with both hands and then surprise the hitter. It's fitting that Smoltz, Maddux, and Tom Glavine came back-to-back-to-back on this list, because for over a decade . I had one once, and I lost him.. Data Provided By There were numerous circumstances that held players careers back. I found some interesting threads that could be followed up. This gives us a cut off of 2500 innings to. During his later years, he was instrumental in organizing fellow players to join a baseball players fraternity, done before the first players union. Sabermetrics lover. Will pitched a very respectable 3500 innings, but crammed most of it into eight years of pitching. He is one of our all-time greats. Lolich had a splendid career with the Detroit Tigers from 6375. This time he refused and was forced to sit out a season in order to play for Cincinnati, which he did. 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. But whos the second best relief pitcher ever? 952 games finished ranks first all-time. The Arkansas Hummingbird pitched for the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals throughout his career. Perhaps some oversights can be corrected. 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)? 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 found success again after arriving in Chicago with the Cubs during the '70 season, winning 17 games in both '71 and '72. Feb 11, 2023. Reggie Jackson struck out the most times. 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. Babe Adams had brief looks at the major leagues in 06 with the St. Louis Cardinals and 07 for the Pirates. The current Hall of Famers are then grouped by position and Certainly he can be given credit for his time in the service, as he would have easily made 200 wins without giving up the season and a half to the war, plus the recovery time. 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. He was the first pitcher who spent the majority of his career as a reliever to be elected to the Hall of Fame. By the late '50s Pierce had come out on top, beating Ford more often than losing, and in '59 winning the game against Ford that put the White Sox ahead for good in the pennant race. HOF - Indicates Player is a Hall of Famer. Bob Caruthers was between Cone and Appier, but a lot of his value was from playing the field as well. It looked at pitchers in the HOF with the weakest resumes. For his career he gave up only 430 BB in 2,995 innings. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. The most significant threads arose as I looked at these pitchers one at a time and then together as a group. Honorable mention: Andy Pettitte, Mark Buehrle, Ron Guidry, Tommy John, Mickey Lolich, Jimmy Key (CC Sabathia not yet eligible). All of his indicators are strong, especially his strikeouts, shutouts, and big game performances. 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. Miranda Remaklus. 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. 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. By '59, Pappas was a mainstay of the Orioles staff. His ERA is outstanding, his K/BB ratio is excellent, and he has enough wins and shutouts. The vast majority of these pitcher's careerswere focused in places other thanNew York, Philadelphia, or Boston. 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. He was the first player to wear glasses while he played. When you compare Chapman to all-time relievers, his relatively low numbers of innings pale in comparison to others. Fingers career ERA+ of 120 is lower than youd expect (24th among 30 closers with at least 300+ saves). Among the 65 pitchers with the longest careers, his 2.80 K/BB ranks fifth. Blyleven broke in with the Twins in 1970, going 10-9 and winning the rookie pitcher of the year award. His resume for the HOF is strong. He was a significant figure from his era, and should not be punished for his stand against the reserve clause. . then in Boston. In 35 he won two games against the Cubs, and in 40 he won his only appearance against the Reds. Tony Mullane was just inducted into the Cincinnati Reds HOF earlier this year. He will be gone soon enough, but for now, it isn't hard to find. Walters spent his developing years struggling in Philadelphias bandbox of a stadium. Blyleven toiled long and hard for the Twins in the 70s. 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. His name is best known for the elbow surgery named after him that, not only prolonged his career, but many after him. Since the advent of the live ball in 1921, only four pitchers have 60 shutouts: Warren Spahn, Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, and Bert Blyleven. Robinson went on to win the triple crown in '66 and the MVP award for the American League. Length of career has been a subject of debate among those setting the standards for inclusion. So 2009 was perhaps Ichiro's best year, in terms of bonding with his teammates. Al Spalding took a disliking to the off-field activities of several of the players during the '86 campaign. There are seventh inning guys, lefty specialists, setup men, long relievers, and traditional closers. His devastating curve also made him one of hardest pitchers to hit of his generation. With the aid of Comiskey Park, Gary Peters, Tommy John, and Joe Horlen, they were backed up by the likes of Bob Locker, Eddie fisher, Don McMahon and none other than Hoyt Wilhelm at his peak. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. I looked at some pitchers with shorter careers as well, and included some whose careers I thought made the greatest statements. Until the late 50s over half the teams were based on the East Coast. Whether it will be enough to one day get him into Cooperstown wont be decided for another 10 or so years. Pierce accomplishments, although very worthy, were overlooked because of the change of era. All of his career as a group established himself as an effective pitcher with lots of stuff ). Began in Chicago where he was a mainstay of the greatest curve balls in the 70s still pitching in... 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