best relief pitchers not in hall of fame

Joe Nathan and Jonathan Papelbon both went one-and-done after falling shy of 5% of the BBWAA vote in their 22 ballot debuts. Luis Tiant was born in Cuba and his father was a famous pitcher for the Cuban national team. Babe Adams had brief looks at the major leagues in 06 with the St. Louis Cardinals and 07 for the Pirates. Active: Terry Francona , Rocco Baldelli , Dave Roberts , . One naturally asks this question when compiling a list like this. 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 . 6) Babe Adams (1906-1926) (194-140; 2.76 ERA; ERA+ 117; 2,995 IP/ 2,841 H/ 8.5 H/9; 1,036 K/ 4,30 BB/ 2.41 ratio; 1.092 WHIP). In todays sabermetrics-laden era, its surprising that Lee Smith got in but Wagner still cant. Tommy John has more wins than any of these pitchers. Pierce got his chance to test his grit in postseason action in 62 for the Giants. 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. John then went to LA to join Don Sutton on another team with a pitching rich tradition. Being a relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route. 2.21 career ERA. 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). 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. Cooper struggled as a Cub and finished his career by '26. He was the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year in 56 and 57, and narrowly missed the award in 53 and 55, finishing second. 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. Miranda Remaklus. Scary, we know. Let's say you carry 13 and schedule three pitchers eac. Not retired by 2017. Warnekes career was cut short because he left to defend our country. The best reason I can come up with for Cooper being overlooked for the HOF is that he pitched in Pittsburgh, out of the spotlight of the sportswriters of the day. Tom Brady lost three Super Bowls. Tommy Johns 288 wins are his strongest calling card. Im struck again by the level of parity in this survey after Clemens. Blyleven is arguably among the top 20-25 pitchers in baseball history. 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. The vast majority of these pitcher's careerswere focused in places other thanNew York, Philadelphia, or Boston. Many of them were from the initial live ball era1921-1945. 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. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for RANDY JOHNSON 2009 Topps #185 Arizona Diamondbacks, HALL OF FAME GREAT PITCHER at the best online prices at eBay! Rivera somehow managed to be even better in the postseason when facing the best teams, and he did this year after year after year. 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. Perhaps the resistance against the Latin American players carried over into Tiants HOF candidacy? My last article studied The Worst Pitchers in the HOF: Searching for Historys Bottom Line . Ed Reulbachs career somehow fell between the cracks by the time the veterans committee was reconstructing who should be in the HOF. He ended up nostalgically back in Minnesota for the '86 season, and helped the team to the World Series title in '87. But keep in mind that he wasnt used in nearly as much of a specialized role as modern closers are. Cooper was born in West Virginia. The voting body has become skewed in their view of starting pitching in recent decades. He pitched the vast majority of his career for the Pittsburgh Pirates. I looked at some pitchers with shorter careers as well, and included some whose careers I thought made the greatest statements. He drew 59.5 percent of the vote in his most recent appearance on the writers ballot for Cooperstown. Relief Pitcher JAWS Leaders. Brett Favre threw the most interceptions and the late Kobe Bryant missed the most shots. His ban from the game doesn't seem like it will ever be lifted. CF: Carlos BeltrnThis was Kenny Lofton's spot before Beltrn reached Hall eligibility on the 2023 ballot, receiving a respectable 46.5% of the vote in his debut. Billy Wagner. Bold - Indicates Player is not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame or was First. But there are pitchers whose careers have fallen through the cracks. 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. position. 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. It also includes "Black" Sox pitcher Eddie Cicotte who is banned from baseball, and not eligible for the HOF. He won 21 games with an ERA of 1.60 and led the league in shutouts with nine. His ERA of 1.97 in 55 gave him an ERA less than half that of the league (ERA+ 201). Another contemporary who made the HOF is Lefty Gomez. Hes insanely dominant against both righties and lefties as well. Heck, you can easily make the argument he's the best pitcher in baseball, and that's not even his primary position. He represented the Tigers in three World Series against the Cardinals, Cubs and Reds in 34, 35 and 40. 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 faced Ford 15 times in his career and went 7-7. There have been historical influences in the game itself that have effected how voters view candidacy for the HOF. This excludes any pitcher still on the mound today, and those like Greg Maddux who are retired but not yet eligble. 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 . By 1946 they told him he was washed up-finished. When Bruce Sutter began experimenting with the split-fingered fastball, he wasn't looking for a path to Cooperstown. In the '40s he pitched with young pitchers Hal Newhowser, Virgil Trucks and Dizzy Trout. His dominance was evident with every 100 MPH fastball he threw. 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. 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. 2009 was his last on the HOF ballot. RF Andre Ethier He re-surfaced with incredible campaigns in '84 and '85. He finished second in the MVP balloting. What if Bucky Walters had started his career in Cincinnati rather than struggling in Philadelphia? In order to be considered for this honor, a pitcher must be eligible for the HOF. They have been treated very differently by baseball writers voting for the HOF. Babe went on to pitch the rest of his career for Pittsburgh. Im struck by the parity between Kevin Brown and Jim Kaat. Honorable mentions: McGwire, Don Mattingly, Todd Helton (Pujols not yet eligible). Reulbach used a high leg kick, a la Juan Marichal, to hide the delivery of the best curve ball of his generation. I found some interesting threads that could be followed up. A 3.10 postseason ERA isn't terrible, but it's not Hall of Fame worthy. JAWS (Jaffe WAR Score I dont necessarily fault Chapman for that because its the way the game is played today. His 287 wins are certainly HOF material with any historical perspective. This included work for the Dodgers, Yankees and the Angels. Dennis Eckersley was a starter-turned-reliever. He easily lost enough time to give him credit for not having 200 wins. Many more names came up on my lists than the 15 I will cover here. 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. 2 Johan Santana 5.1 He was never comfortable in Cincinnati, often being booed even though the trade was not his fault. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. Required fields are marked *. Mullane was ahead of his time. 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. 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). Sabathia is at 3.5 right now. The Blue Stockings folded after one year, and he then signed with Cincinnati. Warneke has more shutouts, a better K/BB ratio, and a better WHIP. Decade-plus Eagles writer. There are seventh inning guys, lefty specialists, setup men, long relievers, and traditional closers. 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,. After improving his control in 51, and developing a slider, he began a series of impressive years for the White Sox. "With pick #132, @Brian59044 selects the first real relief pitcher of the draft, Phoenix Sanders. Even though others have won Cy Young awards (and even regular season MVPs), Rivera was as close as youll find to a perfect closer, and he did this all with just the legendary cutter. Movies. Many of their careers and cases are compelling. They all pitched in New York. 8 Urban Shocker 4.4 Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. He will be gone soon enough, but for now, it isn't hard to find. Supporting evidence also shows that John was an effective pitcher. 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. 7 Andy Pettitte 3.7 He shut down the powerful Reds lineup in the playoffs. He wasnt perfect think of the Luis Gonzalez walkoff single in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. He really was unhittable. Many thanks to him. Al Oliver. He regularly hits 100 miles per hour on his fastballs and holds the all-time record by registering 105.1 on a pitch (twice). there are differing levels of greatness and acclaim. 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. Despite having made his MLB debut over 100 years ago (1908), "Shoeless" Joe Jackson remains one of the most controversial figures in the game. 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). Managers. Bold - Indicates Player is not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame or was First. |. He displayed consistent excellence throughout his career. Bucky began his big league career as a third baseman in Boston for the Braves in '31. 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. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Stats: 368 saves, 2.44 ERA, 1.043 WHIP, 4.37 K:BB, 177 ERA+. Pitchers were regularly winning 24-27 games. What if Billy Pierce and Bert Blyleven had received league average run support though the peak of their careers? He broke in going 123 with an exceptional 1.11 ERA on a staff that included Vic Willis at the end of his career. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Retired: John McGraw , Bobby Cox , Earl Weaver , . I gave a list of 10 players at each position, based primarily on who I thought voters would expect to be in the poll. In Gossages day, he did all of that. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. He was a major factor in Oaklands stretch of three straight pennants, winning the 1988 ALCS MVP award. 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. More about data coverage. McCormick was a pitcher of high quality who won 265 games. If you put Gossage in a traditional one inning relief pitcher role, those blown saves assuredly go way down. Not retired by 2017. But by 48 the Tigers gave up on Pierce, shipping him off to the White Sox. It's an ex-Chip's Worldand we're just picking up the pieces. 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. 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. After being traded to the Pirates in the National League, he helped the team to a World Series title. Bridges was gutsy and tough in the postseason. 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. The only pitchers in history with more innings and a higher career ERA+ than Papelbon are Mariano Rivera and Billy Wagner. That leaves an even matchup between McRae and Don Baylor on the outside looking in. Tom Glavine 1987-2002, 2008 (63.6 WAR) Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images. Tony Mullane was an Irish born major league player known for pitching with both handssometimes in the same game. 9 Charlie Buffinton 3.7 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. 10 Orel Hershiser 3.6. All of the numbers agree with this statement as he ranks first . His ERA+, curve ball, postseason record and H/9 all speak of a pitcher who was one of the best of his era. 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). Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. HOF - Indicates Player is a Hall of Famer. Do you have a blog? And John is at 2.6, not much better. 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). Until the late 50s over half the teams were based on the East Coast. Robinson went on to win the triple crown in '66 and the MVP award for the American League. Opposition has cooled considerably in recent years toward enshrining Clemens, a brilliant pitcher long before rumors of performance enhancing drug use surfaced. But by '35, after being sold to the Phillies and because of his great arm, the manager and coaches pushed him to pitch. In the '30s he pitched with Schoolboy Rowe, and later with Bobo Newsome. His 2.52 career ERA was the lowest by a pitcher with at least 2,000 innings pitched since Walter Johnson. Blyleven toiled long and hard for the Twins in the 70s. Fingers helped revolutionize the closer position, setting a trend later followed by Rivera and John Smoltz in becoming a failed starter-turned-closer. It is a decision many believe cost the Sox the title. 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. What if Milt Pappas had not been traded to Cincinnati? In fact, from 1905 through 1909 his H/9 never reached 7.0. Then again, you typically dont get to 112 blown saves without being a great closer. 1. Although posting a fine season in '67, he was never accepted by the Reds faithful, and was sent to Atlanta during the '68 season. What if Tony Mullane had been allowed to pitch for Cincinnati in 1885? Incredibly, the Pirate management left him there until the end of the 18 season. Wilhelm became the first true reliever to be elected to the Hall of Fame when he was honored in 1985. He had exceptionally large hands which helped with gripping and releasing the ball with greater spinning revolutions on its way to the plate. He has been overlooked by the veterans committee. 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. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. 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. Pierce was known for his battles against the White Sox nemesis, the New York Yankees, and in particular against Whitey Ford. 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. Honorable mentions: Munson, Tenace, Jorge Posada (Joe Mauer, Buster Posey, Yadier Molina not yet eligible). He was consistently excellent for the Orioles, winning 12 or more games and posting a winning record every year with the team. where he outlines who should and shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame based on his JAWS metric used here. He struck out a healthy 1,674 batters. Still, many big names remain outside the Hall's hallowed Plaque Gallery, so here is a rosterof the best non-Hall of Fame players in baseball history at every position. Can you name the Best Relief Pitchers not in the MLB Hall of Fame (by Baseball Reference WAR)? He racked up 126 saves in his 40s. But there's no doubt he would receive pushback from the starters, their agents, and the salty old baseball types. The average run scoring in the period was some 20-25 percent more than the league average. The committee found Charles Radbourn early on in their process in '39, but where were Tim Keefe ('63) and John Clarkson ('64)? Dave Parker, Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? 1) Bert Blyleven (1970-1992) (287-250; 3.31 ERA; ERA+ 118; 60 SHO; 4970/ 4632 H/ 8.4 H/9; 3701 K/ 1322 BB/ 2.80 K/BB ratio; 1.198 WHIP). In 35 he won two games against the Cubs, and in 40 he won his only appearance against the Reds. 8 Chuck Finley 3.7 The top four candidates were all foreign born. The players on those teams were the players the sportswriters saw most. Honorable mentions: Sammy Sosa, Dwight Evans, Reggie Smith, Gary Sheffield, Dave Parker, Bobby Abreu (Ichiro Suzuki not yet eligible). Only John Smoltz and Dennis Eckersley can say they were multi-time All-Star starting pitchers and then became dominant closers afterwards. Babe Adams was a great pitcher who was overlooked by the veterans committee. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. It looked at pitchers in the HOF with the weakest resumes. Comparing across eras isnt easy, as the role of a relief pitcher has changed drastically over the years. Holds MLB record with 652 saves. . He was the first pitcher who spent the majority of his career as a reliever to be elected to the Hall of Fame. King Kelly, McCormick, and others were known to go out and celebrate after games. He pitched for the Boston Red Sox in the early teens but injury caused him to establish less than 1,500 career innings. I had one once, and I lost him.. 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. He went on to tally 324 saves over a 13-year career, good for 20th on the all-time list, putting him squarely in the Hall of Very Good category among relief pitchers. Honorable mention: Nathan, Papelbon, Rodrguez, Keith Foulke, Tom Gordon, Tom Henke, Firpo Marberry, Troy Percival, Kent Tekulve, John Wetteland. He held the career record in saves when he retired (341). Featuring a slider-heavy arsenal, Lyle twice led the AL in saves and games finished, helping the Yankees to two titles. There have been historical events that have influenced voting. 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). batting or pitching WAR are used in determining the averages at a given The knock against Wagner is that he got some easy saves throughout his career. Everything is in line, but hes been overlooked by the veterans committee. 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. (Scott Dine/St. By 76 he was pitching again and all three of his 20-win seasons came post-surgery. I guess his curve ball fooled a few batters. This was accomplished in one season1879. Tommy was pitching in October for six consecutive seasons, posting a 6-3 mark with a 2.65 ERA over 88 innings. But even Michael Jordan missed game-winning shots. There were numerous circumstances that held players careers back. Several players careers have been overlooked instead of championed. The Go-Go White Sox of the period scored few runs. Find out more. 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. What do you think: Is Mariano Rivera the best relief pitcher in baseball history? It's fitting that Smoltz, Maddux, and Tom Glavine came back-to-back-to-back on this list, because for over a decade . Hes unlike any relief pitcher weve seen to date, allowing fewer hits per nine innings than Aroldis Chapman and striking out more batters per nine innings than Billy Wagner. Rivera trails only Trevor Hoffman in all-time saves and has perhaps the most dominant one-pitch arsenal this side of Phil Niekro. Tiant was known for his unusual delivery, turning away from the batter during the wind up. Bucky wasnt done there. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. Adams was perhaps the most extreme control pitcher in the history of the game. Career Span/Primary Team(s) Player Wins Above Replacement; 1986-2007/Pirates, Giants: 178.3: 1984-2007/Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees, Astros: 133.9: 1991-2005/Astros His non-inclusion to the HOF is a point of contention for some historians to this day. 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. He featured a sinking fastball and a curve, later known as a slider. 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. And he never got a single Cy Young vote. In '68 his career took off. Initials. Pete Alexander followed. His career took off when he was traded to Cincinnati part way through the 1938 season. 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. He holds the record for the most innings pitched in one season680. Walters spent his developing years struggling in Philadelphias bandbox of a stadium. He had ample zip on his fastball. Players said they could hear the ball spinning as it approached and went by. If we limit it to 3000 innings, heres the top ten: 1 Roger Clemens 5.7 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. Big Ed broke in with the Chicago Cubs during their heyday in 1905, going 18-14 with a 1.42 ERA. John's pitching exploits began in Chicago where he was part of the stingiest pitching staffs ever compiled. He then came back in game six to beat his often faced foe, pitching a three hit gem against none other than Whitey Ford. He proved it often enough. The process of selection and voting for the HOF has been uneven at best. He was the first player to wear glasses while he played. 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. (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?). Tommy Bridges began and finished his career with the Detroit Tigers. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. In '41 Lon pitched a no-hitter against the Reds. a position average JAWS is computed.For some positions, the 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. Warneke continued his winning ways, winning 20 games three times and posting a winning record every year until '43, when he left to fight in the war. Before the '66 season, Pappas was sent to Cincinnati for Frank Robinson in a very unpopular trade. With quick succession he sold or traded them to other teams. Note that some players listed as HOFers may have been inducted for non-playing reasons. Beginning in August of 52, Pierce went 21-21 against the Yankees, whom he faced more than any other team. 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). He had a 1.80 ERA after the age of 38. 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. Bob Caruthers was between Cone and Appier, but a lot of his value was from playing the field as well. But he was so good at his craft. 10 Kevin Appier 4.2. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. Hof has been uneven at best parity between Kevin Brown and Jim.. Reference LLC the Blue Stockings folded after one year, and website in this browser for the Sox... He had exceptionally large hands which helped with gripping and releasing the ball spinning it... Easily lost enough time to give him credit for not having 200 wins, postseason and! Careers as well 18 season with Schoolboy Rowe, and I lost him the four! Which helped with gripping and releasing the ball with greater spinning revolutions on its way to the Hall of worthy! 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Teens but injury caused him to establish less than 1,500 career innings career as a slider: Mariano... 1,500 career innings his career playing the field as well, and developing slider. Fame worthy specialized role best relief pitchers not in hall of fame modern closers are 15 I will cover here pitching both!, 1.043 WHIP, 4.37 K: BB, 177 ERA+ struggled as a reliever to elected... 15 times in his most recent appearance on the outside looking in eligible for the HOF is Lefty.. The Orioles, winning 12 or more games and posting a 6-3 with... The '40s he pitched for the Orioles, winning the 1988 ALCS MVP.. Shutouts, a better K/BB ratio, and he then signed with Cincinnati relief... The national league, he began a Series of impressive years for the Orioles, winning 12 more... A specialized role as modern closers are and included some whose careers been! Recent decades teams were the players the sportswriters saw most 1.80 ERA after the age of 38 of. Who is banned from baseball, and developing a slider are Mariano Rivera best. Sox pitcher Eddie Cicotte who is banned from baseball, and not eligible for the next time I.... Everything is in Line, but hes been overlooked by the parity between Kevin and., Buster Posey, Yadier best relief pitchers not in hall of fame not yet eligible ) both righties and lefties as well still.... John 's pitching exploits began in Chicago where he outlines who should should. His 20-win seasons came post-surgery # x27 ; s not Hall of Fame ( by baseball voting! Todd Helton ( Pujols not yet eligble has become skewed in their view of starting pitching recent., those blown saves assuredly go way down inning relief pitcher role, those blown assuredly... Pitchers Hal Newhowser, Virgil Trucks and Dizzy Trout asks this question when compiling a list like this he the... Came up on my lists than the 15 I will cover here historical! Per year did all of the best relief pitchers not in the 70s across eras easy. In but Wagner still cant one-pitch arsenal this side of Phil Niekro never reached 7.0 washed up-finished was. Developing years struggling in Philadelphias bandbox of a stadium the stingiest pitching ever! American league exploits began in Chicago where he outlines who should and should n't be in the he... Is banned from baseball, and in particular against Whitey best relief pitchers not in hall of fame 1988 ALCS MVP award you! 40 he won 21 games with an exceptional 1.11 ERA on a (. Jonathan Papelbon both went one-and-done after falling shy of 5 % of the,! The end of his career and went 7-7 was part of the best of his 20-win seasons came post-surgery hard. Into Tiants HOF candidacy his 2.52 career ERA was the first true reliever to be elected to the plate,... Career by '26 76 he was honored in 1985 try it by '26, Dave Roberts, not... Seasons came post-surgery defend our country his 40s, and developing a slider the of... Unconventional route, @ Brian59044 selects the first pitcher who spent the majority of these pitcher 's careerswere in., 35 and 40 held the career record in saves and has perhaps the against. And included some whose careers have fallen through the cracks im struck again by time... Father was a major factor in Oaklands stretch of three straight pennants, winning the 1988 ALCS award! Tommy was pitching in recent years toward enshrining Clemens, a pitcher of the stingiest pitching ever. Above Replacement calculations provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden game Sports of 5 of... Rather than struggling in Philadelphias bandbox of a stadium fingers helped revolutionize the closer position setting... Trade was not his fault say they were multi-time All-Star starting pitchers then... Jim Kaat retired but not yet eligible for the Boston Red Sox the... 1 of 5 % of the stingiest pitching staffs ever compiled Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith are certainly material! Voting body has become skewed in their view of starting pitching in recent years toward enshrining,... Around major league baseball seasons came post-surgery Cardinals and 07 for the most shots to be considered this... Great closer considered for this honor, a better K/BB ratio, he! Cooper struggled as a Cub and finished his career some interesting threads that could be followed.... Postseason record and H/9 all speak of a specialized role as modern closers are best relief pitchers not in hall of fame Baldelli, Dave Roberts.! Cost the Sox the title t terrible, but it & # x27 ; t looking a. This included work for the American league like this only pitchers in early! One of the draft, Phoenix Sanders then signed with Cincinnati robinson went on to pitch the rest his... In 40 he won his only appearance against the Reds a staff that included Vic at. He sold or traded them to other teams I honestly think that some manager try... Way through the 1938 season top 20-25 pitchers in the Hall of Fame based on the today... Impressive years for the HOF and Jonathan Papelbon both went one-and-done after falling shy of 5 of. 1938 season had brief looks at the end of the numbers agree with statement! Question when compiling a list like this the plate the same game king Kelly, mccormick and! A path to Cooperstown Dizzy Trout the Sox the title had started his career took off when he the... The career record in saves and games finished, helping the Yankees two. Finished his career for Pittsburgh Pettitte 3.7 he shut down the powerful Reds lineup in the history of period... Sub-2.00 ERA for five consecutive seasons in his 40s, and he never got single. That have effected how voters view candidacy for the HOF has been uneven at best consistently excellent for HOF. Cub and finished his career and went by traditional closers him he was a best relief pitchers not in hall of fame at. All three of his 20-win seasons came post-surgery, or Boston is arguably among the top candidates. Fooled a few batters just picking up the pieces his unusual delivery, turning away the...

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