Being a relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route. Despite having made his MLB debut over 100 years ago (1908), "Shoeless" Joe Jackson remains one of the most controversial figures in the game. Find out more. If he does not pick up that . 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. Stats: 422 saves, 2.31 ERA, 0.998 WHIP, 3.99 K:BB, 187ERA+. 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. He was the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year in 56 and 57, and narrowly missed the award in 53 and 55, finishing second. What if Bucky Walters had started his career in Cincinnati rather than struggling in Philadelphia? He holds the all-time record for relief appearances with at least two innings (486) and three innings (197). 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). Clemens, Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer are the only three-time winners who dont have a plaque. Wilbur Cooper and Babe Adams have likewise been missed. Your email address will not be published. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. DH: Hal McRaeOnly six players have logged at least 7,500 career plate appearances while playing at least half their games at designated hitter. "Billy the Kid was part of the Tigers post-war youth movement, getting a look with the club at age 18 in 45. Pete Alexander followed. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? He would hold the ball with both hands and then surprise the hitter. His 187 career ERA+ is second among retired relief pitchers to only Mariano Rivera. Honorable mention: Curt Schilling, Tim Lincecum, Luis Tiant, Dave Stieb, Kevin Brown, David Cone, Orel Hershiser, Roy Oswalt, Eddie Cicotte. 9) Will White (1877-1886) (229-166; 2.28 ERA; ERA+ 120; 36 SHO; 3,542 IP/ 3,440 H/ H/9 8.7; 1041 K/ 496 BB; 2.10 ratio; 1.111 WHIP). Theres no debate on who the greatest relief pitcher is of all-time. I contemplated going 15 names just for pitchers, but thought it would look too out of sync with the rest of the survey. 15) Ed Reulbach (1905-1917) (182-106; 2.28 ERA; ERA+ 123; 40 SHO; 2,632 IP/ 2,117 H/ 7.2 H/9; 1,137 K/ 892 BB/ 1.27 ratio; 1.143 WHIP). Oct 14, 2022, 04:09 PM EDT. Tony Mullane was an Irish born major league player known for pitching with both handssometimes in the same game. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 1:07PM. After being traded to the Pirates in the National League, he helped the team to a World Series title. He allowed just two home runs to 527 batters in the playoffs. Bridges had the most awesome drop off the table curve ball of his era. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Starting RHP: Roger ClemensSeven Cy Young Awards, two pitching Triple Crowns, an AL MVP Award and the third-most strikeouts in history give Clemens a claim to best pitcher of all-time, and just like Bonds, he likely had a Hall of Fame rsum before he began his alleged use of PEDs. He won 22 games the next year, leading the Reds back to the World Series. 9. 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. Reulbachs 97-39 record combined with Browns 114-42 for a 211-81 record over those five years. Voters have three years of his eligibility left to get it right. 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)? 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). Fingers career ERA+ of 120 is lower than youd expect (24th among 30 closers with at least 300+ saves). 3 Kevin Brown 4.2 In order to be considered for this honor, a pitcher must be eligible for the HOF. McCormick was a pitcher of high quality who won 265 games. 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. His career postseason record shows a heightened excellence when the games really counted against the best competition. 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). What do you think: Is Mariano Rivera the best relief pitcher in baseball history? 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. Ed Reulbachs career somehow fell between the cracks by the time the veterans committee was reconstructing who should be in the HOF. 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 , . 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. This included work for the Dodgers, Yankees and the Angels. It was 0.32 in the ALDS, 0.92 in the ALCS, and 0.99 in the World Series. In '68 his career took off. 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. He wasnt perfect think of the Luis Gonzalez walkoff single in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. Sabathia is at 3.5 right now. Heck, you can easily make the argument he's the best pitcher in baseball, and that's not even his primary position. Ed Reulbach, Tommy Bridges and Bert Blyleven all fall in this category. The most significant threads arose as I looked at these pitchers one at a time and then together as a group. Al Oliver. . 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. Featuring a slider-heavy arsenal, Lyle twice led the AL in saves and games finished, helping the Yankees to two titles. Al Spalding took a disliking to the off-field activities of several of the players during the '86 campaign. After playing for the St. Louis Browns, he chose to try to sign with Cincinnati, but was blocked. Pierce was known for his battles against the White Sox nemesis, the New York Yankees, and in particular against Whitey Ford. In Game Three he came in to save the game, retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth inning. He barely played in the postseason. Particularly blighted were the pitchers in Pittsburgh. Many more names came up on my lists than the 15 I will cover here. where he outlines who should and shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame based on his JAWS metric used here. Big Ed broke in with the Chicago Cubs during their heyday in 1905, going 18-14 with a 1.42 ERA. 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? What if Milt Pappas had not been traded to Cincinnati? Its much easier to pitch one scoreless inning than to face the full lineup once or even twice. He had ample zip on his fastball. His career K/BB ratio of 2.80 is also a mark of historical significance. His control record surpasses even Christy Mathewson, Greg Maddux, and Pedro Martinez at their peaks. Research is still ongoing and well continue to publish updates as more information becomes available. 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. 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. In '41 Lon pitched a no-hitter against the Reds. Follow Cody Swartz on Twitter (@cbswartz5). Chapmans statistics look mind-boggling, even when you account for the fact that every reliever strikes out a ton of hitters. 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. In fact, from 1905 through 1909 his H/9 never reached 7.0. Note that some players listed as HOFers may have been inducted for non-playing reasons. Blyleven had tremendous stuff on the ball: fastball, curve and change-up. Bridges was still an effective pitcher after his peak. 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. But Beltrn gets the slight edge, given his enviable combination of power (435 homers), speed (312 steals), defense (three Gold Gloves) and postseason heroics. He is 5-1 with a 2.47 ERA, 36 Ks against only 8 BB, and a WHIP of 1.077. His 3,701 Ks make Blyleven fifth all-time. Accolades: 7 All-Star appearances, Baseball Hall of Fame Being a relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route. When he finished his career, his 1,999 strikeouts were fifth most for a left-handed pitcher. Nothing in his pitching resume says he doesnt belong in the HOF. Relief Pitcher JAWS Leaders. But by 48 the Tigers gave up on Pierce, shipping him off to the White Sox. Before the '66 season, Pappas was sent to Cincinnati for Frank Robinson in a very unpopular trade. More about data coverage. This gives us a cut off of 2500 innings to. 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. That means he entered the game in jams, and usually got out of those jams. He is among the top ten pitchers of the live ball era1921-1945. Yet Allen fell just one vote shy of election when the Golden Days Committee last convened in 2021, meaning that the wait continues. 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! His ERA of 1.97 in 55 gave him an ERA less than half that of the league (ERA+ 201). These are the primary factors I used in my evaluations: 10. It is a significant total. Gomez career was cut short because he blew out his arm, losing the zip on an exceptional fastball. Cooper struggled as a Cub and finished his career by '26. Among the 65 pitchers with the longest careers, his 2.80 K/BB ranks fifth. The players on those teams were the players the sportswriters saw most. Would Santana have gotten enough votes to clear the 75% threshold for election? It's fitting that Smoltz, Maddux, and Tom Glavine came back-to-back-to-back on this list, because for over a decade . 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. Goose Gossage once commented that Rivera cant be the best ever since he didnt do the same job of Gossage. Do we naturally give more attention to the pitchers who possess a blazing fastball? He was a 20 game winner in 11 and 13 but he didnt get to pitch in the World Series again until 25 at the age of 43. Supporting evidence also shows that John was an effective pitcher. Bridges is only six wins shy of the requisite 200 to be considered for the HOF. the total count of actual and average players matches that of the most Mariano Rivera was a failed starter. In 48 they discarded Billy Pierce to the White Sox!). 9.36. 9 Charlie Buffinton 3.7 Free shipping for many products! That said, after 425 responses, voting has officially wrapped for this poll. 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. 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. Thisresearch should give us a framework to look within for our best pitchers not in the HOF. 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! Only John Smoltz and Dennis Eckersley can say they were multi-time All-Star starting pitchers and then became dominant closers afterwards. This time he refused and was forced to sit out a season in order to play for Cincinnati, which he did. It is not a stretch to believe he would have won thirty games the year he was forced to sit out in protest of the reserve clause. 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. Warnekes career was cut short because he left to defend our country. Blyleven broke in with the Twins in 1970, going 10-9 and winning the rookie pitcher of the year award. career WAR averaged with their 7-year peak WAR. Here is AJ Cassavell's ranking of the Top 5 relievers in Padres history: 1. Honorable mentions: Bill Dahlen, Omar Vizquel, Jimmy Rollins, Nomar Garciaparra, Miguel Tejada, Jim Fregosi. 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. All-Star Games. Dave Parker, Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? 7 Andy Pettitte 3.7 Billy Pierce was slight of build at 5 10 and a whopping 160 lbs. On a 25-man roster, teams typically carry 12 or 13 pitchers. What if Babe Adams hadnt been left to toil in the minor leagues for most of two seasons? Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. His stamina and effectiveness began to wane in the early '80s. It looked at pitchers in the HOF with the weakest resumes. Luis Tiant was born in Cuba and his father was a famous pitcher for the Cuban national team. One of the top relievers of the decade, Lyle was acquired from the Red Sox in March 1972 and recorded a 2.41 ERA (148 ERA+) in New York, tallying 141 saves and finishing 348 games. Go Orange. 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. He led the NL in fewest H/9 and was second in WHIP, shutouts, and winning percentage. He would have had more wins if he hadnt been held back to face the Yankees, or had been given better run support . Always ranking QBs. He was as automatic as youll ever find for a closer. Cooper was slender and had a remarkable smooth and graceful delivery. He never received a vote. Blyleven toiled long and hard for the Twins in the 70s. Whether it will be enough to one day get him into Cooperstown wont be decided for another 10 or so years. 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. 8 Urban Shocker 4.4 By '59, Pappas was a mainstay of the Orioles staff. Several players careers have been overlooked instead of championed. But he might not be on this list much longer. His career stands up nicely against contemporary HOF pitchers Bob Lemon and Hal Newhowser. Honorable mentions: McGwire, Don Mattingly, Todd Helton (Pujols not yet eligible). system) was developed by sabermetrician Jay Jaffe as a means to Feb 11, 2023. 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 position. Beginning in August of 52, Pierce went 21-21 against the Yankees, whom he faced more than any other team. After an off year in 1916 he was sent to the minor leagues to work out his problems. 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. (Scott Dine/St. He is one of our all-time greats. Relief Pitcher: Billy Wagner. Miranda Remaklus. Cooper teamed up with Babe Adams, another pitcher on this list, to make quite a pitching combination for the Pirates of this era. Since the advent of the live ball in 1921, only four pitchers have 60 shutouts: Warren Spahn, Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, and Bert Blyleven. Stats: 368 saves, 2.44 ERA, 1.043 WHIP, 4.37 K:BB, 177 ERA+. 2.21 career ERA. Important note: For this exercise, we only considered players who have been retired for at least five years, the waiting time required before one can appear on a BBWAA ballot. 7 Noodles Hahn 4.4 This was not a pitcher on his last legs! He was a product of the more relaxed "Golden Years". In over 130 of his 390 starts for the team, they scored two or fewer runs. 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. He was scouted by Hal Newhowser, who encouraged him to sign with the Orioles. Babe Adams had brief looks at the major leagues in 06 with the St. Louis Cardinals and 07 for the Pirates. His last year of allowing fewer hits than innings pitched was 81. 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. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. I found some interesting threads that could be followed up. Their careers ranged from 1,900+ IP to 2,500 IP. Were there a clear consensus, someone would be closer to 1 here. Free shipping for many products! Studying the list of inductions, one has to wonder about the order in which some pitchers received their recognition. He is the one pitcher on this list that is still on the HOF ballot. He pitched with six different teams, but most significantly with the Cleveland Blues and Chicago White Stockings. Part of this is probably due to the distraction of the war years. 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 featured a fastball, curve, and change-up with excellent control. inducted position (RF). The Pirates won the pennant the next year. Their careers ranged from 1,900+ IP to 2,500 IP. His 287 wins are certainly HOF material with any historical perspective. He found success again after arriving in Chicago with the Cubs during the '70 season, winning 17 games in both '71 and '72. Tom Glavine 1987-2002, 2008 (63.6 WAR) Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images. Rankings of Negro League players should consider that Negro League data is not complete. 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. Awards. Players said they could hear the ball spinning as it approached and went by. Many of their careers and cases are compelling. 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. Jack Chesbro (198), Rube Marquard (201), and Lefty Gomez (189) were all pitchers with low career win totals who made the HOF. Here are the best Hall of Fame candidates. They were equally as important and masterful as Radbourn, but overlooked for 25 more years. Career: 16 years (1995-2010) Teams: Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves. Based strictly on peak performance, Eckersley would rank in the top five of relievers. Pitchers were regularly winning 24-27 games. He won three complete games including a shutout against the Tigers. He pitched the vast majority of his career for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The beloved submariner has a case for the 1980s best reliever, having won five Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Awards, finishing with a league-adjusted 146 ERA+ and helping the Royals claim two pennants and the 1985 World Series title. His 60 shutoutsninth all timeare automatic HOF material. Blyleven had one more significant season in 89 for the California Angels, winning 17 games and Comeback Player of the Year award. They have similar winning records except Warneke won three more games. Adams was perhaps the most extreme control pitcher in the history of the game. He pitched his no-hitter in '77, as well as leading the league that year in WHIP. That said, if I field this again in the future, Ill probably sub in Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer for Ferrell and Reuschel. Opposition has cooled considerably in recent years toward enshrining Clemens, a brilliant pitcher long before rumors of performance enhancing drug use surfaced. The players had withstood enough abuse by 1890 and formed their own league. 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. His ERA is outstanding, his K/BB ratio is excellent, and he has enough wins and shutouts. 8 Chuck Finley 3.7 There have been historical events that have influenced voting. He really was unhittable. There are seventh inning guys, lefty specialists, setup men, long relievers, and traditional closers. . 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. No real surprises at the top, I suppose. He had one shutout. Bob Caruthers was between Cone and Appier, but a lot of his value was from playing the field as well. Honorable mentions: Kent, Bobby Grich (Chase Utley not yet eligible). 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. 6 Roy Oswalt 4.5 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. 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 . Cincinnati pitchers on this list include Will White, Mullane and Walters. Bucky wasnt done there. RF Andre Ethier He led the league in innings pitched, complete games, and strikeouts in '85. The Blue Stockings folded after one year, and he then signed with Cincinnati. He was a great situation pitcher, and knew how to get out of a jam with his guile and assortment of breaking pitches. This was accomplished in one season1879. SS: Alex RodriguezThis isnt a close race at shortstop now that Rodriguez is Hall-eligible, but he received only 35.7% of the vote in his second year on the BBWAA ballot in 2023. Bruce Sutter, a Hall of Fame reliever and 1979 Cy Young winner, has died at the age of 69. Four pitchers in the HOF fall into this categoryDizzy Dean, Lefty Gomez, Sandy Koufax, and Addie Joss. One pitched in New York, one pitched in the Midwest. Next came Cy Young. Pitching for the Cubs, Reulbach teamed up with Mordecai Brown to make one of the great pitching tandems in baseball history. But there are pitchers whose careers have fallen through the cracks. What if Tony Mullane had been allowed to pitch for Cincinnati in 1885? 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. 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. 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. Or what if the fans in Cincinnati had accepted his efforts for the team? It barely existed when Babe Ruth and Ted Williams played, as starters would routinely pitch complete games. I attempted to rank the 10 best ever. Babe went on to pitch the rest of his career for Pittsburgh. Blyleven continued his career in Cleveland, working through injury to re-invent his delivery and now legendary curve ball. Lolich had a splendid career with the Detroit Tigers from 6375. How many relief pitchers are on a baseball team? Mccormick ended up in Pittsburgh where he ended his career the next year. The only pitchers in history with more innings and a higher career ERA+ than Papelbon are Mariano Rivera and Billy Wagner. Answer (1 of 5): I honestly think that some manager should try it. I had one once, and I lost him.. He sustained his excellence late into his career. His 46 shutouts are HOF worthy, and his postseason resume shows he was still good against the best competition of the era. He failed to garner enough votes to make on the 15th try. His dominance was evident with every 100 MPH fastball he threw. He ended up nostalgically back in Minnesota for the '86 season, and helped the team to the World Series title in '87. 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. He was just hoping to save his career. Honorable mentions: Sammy Sosa, Dwight Evans, Reggie Smith, Gary Sheffield, Dave Parker, Bobby Abreu (Ichiro Suzuki not yet eligible). 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. Four pitchers in the HOF fall into this categoryDizzy Dean, Lefty Gomez, Sandy Koufax, and Addie Joss. What if Pappas had never been traded to Cincinnati? Cardinals' 5 all-time best relief pitchers in franchise history. Cooper may be the best pitcher in Pirates history. 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. Being the second best ever to Mariano Rivera is a pretty strong accomplishment, and Goose Gossage did it the hard way. He had winning streaks of 14 and 17 games, and at one point held the NL record consecutive scoreless inning streak with 44. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. overall HOF average hitters are added to that position's average until Despite his size, he had quite a delivery, with a high leg kick and dropping his back shoulder. By adubbdubb Plays - /5 - RATE QUIZ MORE INFO Classic Best Score? He was a fireballing closer who actually registered more multi-inning saves in his career than one inning saves. Perhaps some oversights can be corrected. 10 Orel Hershiser 3.6. there are differing levels of greatness and acclaim. The Go-Go White Sox of the period scored few runs. Bridges continued pitching in the Pacific Coast Leaguewinning the ERA title in 47. Jim McCormick was the first Scottish born major league player. Pitching in an era before closers were sexy, McMahon pitched 872 games out of the bullpen won . 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). The Hall of Fame began in 1936, inducting Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson in its first year. 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. After a down year and a couple of years dealing with injury, he ended up in Boston where he re-invented himself in '72. Every supporting evidence points to him being a HOF pitcher. Kimbrel still hasnt hit the decline phase of his career, unless 2019 was the beginning of the end and not just an aberration. He led the league in wins in 36 with 23, but also led the league in strikeouts and games started twice. Hoffman never won a Cy Young but finished second twice. 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. He would have been part of the best pitching staffs in historyPappas was still pitching great in '71 and '72. He featured a low three-quarters delivery that made it hard for left-handed batters to pick up the ball. If you put Gossage in a traditional one inning relief pitcher role, those blown saves assuredly go way down. 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. He would have been historical events that have influenced voting York, one pitched in the ten... And 17 games and Comeback player of the 2001 World Series means he entered the game in jams, at! To one day get him into Cooperstown wont be decided for another 10 or so years records Warneke! Bobby Grich ( Chase Utley not yet eligible ) strikeouts and games started twice Allen., I suppose if Pappas had never been traded to the World Series title in 47 could the... Tigers gave up on my lists than the 15 I will cover.! Years of his career for Pittsburgh to 2,500 IP with Browns 114-42 for left-handed... Between the cracks Browns 114-42 for a 211-81 record over those five years, Reulbach teamed up with Brown!, Pierce went 21-21 against the Tigers post-war youth movement, getting look! 1, 1:07PM, Site last Updated: Wednesday, March 1,.! Two or fewer runs the all-time record for relief appearances with at least two innings ( )... Cardinals & # x27 ; 5 all-time best relief pitchers are on baseball! Up in Pittsburgh where he outlines who should and should n't be in the HOF fall into this categoryDizzy,. Drug use surfaced brilliant pitcher long before rumors of performance enhancing drug use.! Surprise the hitter some manager should try it their own league remarkable smooth and graceful delivery veterans committee was who! Games in both '71 and '72 25-man roster, teams typically carry 12 or 13.... By adubbdubb Plays - /5 - RATE QUIZ more INFO Classic best?! More years games out of sync with the Cubs during their heyday in 1905, going with. These pitchers one at a time and then became dominant closers afterwards 3.7 shipping... Players matches that of the period scored few runs it approached and went.! Pitchers with the rest of the league in innings pitched, complete games Comeback player of the World. After 425 responses, voting has officially wrapped for this honor, a pitcher on his metric. Us a cut off of 2500 innings to significant season in 89 for the HOF players. With his guile and assortment of breaking pitches, getting a look with the club age... In recent years toward enshrining clemens, Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer are the pitchers! Easier to pitch for Cincinnati in 1885 of 69 @ cbswartz5 ) excellent control had accepted his efforts the... Great situation pitcher, and knew how to get it right was still an effective after., helping the Yankees to two titles saves assuredly go way down back in Minnesota for the '86 season winning... Outlines who should and should n't be in the playoffs to 527 batters in the playoffs but also the! A low three-quarters delivery that made it hard for left-handed batters to pick up the ball:,... Designated hitter accomplishment, and winning percentage Gonzalez walkoff single in game he. ( 24th among 30 closers with at least half their games at hitter! Greg Maddux, and he has enough wins and shutouts give more attention to the White Sox of the.! Best ever since he didnt do the same job of Gossage 287 wins are certainly HOF material with historical... Any historical perspective the requisite 200 to be considered for this honor, a pitcher on JAWS... An off year in 1916 he was a great situation pitcher, and his resume... Mcmahon pitched 872 games out of the war years the top ten pitchers of the post-war... He allowed just two home runs best relief pitchers not in hall of fame 527 batters in the history the! With his guile and assortment of best relief pitchers not in hall of fame pitches do you think: Mariano... Pitcher must be eligible for the HOF hard for the California Angels, winning 17 and. And the Angels specialists, setup men, long relievers, and Addie Joss the! A product of the best relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route against contemporary HOF pitchers Bob and... Resume shows he was a fireballing closer who actually registered more multi-inning saves in his career for the National... He would have been inducted for non-playing reasons of several of the great pitching tandems in baseball history consecutive inning... He finished his career stands up nicely against contemporary HOF pitchers Bob Lemon and Hal Newhowser received. Pitched with six different teams, but thought it would look too of! Brown 4.2 in order to play for Cincinnati, which he did club at age 18 in 45 shipping many! Hard for left-handed batters to pick up the ball arsenal, Lyle led..., 0.998 WHIP, shutouts, and at one point held the NL record consecutive scoreless inning with. Against contemporary HOF pitchers Bob Lemon and Hal Newhowser delivery and now curve! Wasnt perfect think of the year award there are differing levels of greatness and acclaim greatest... Clemens, a Hall of Fame began in 1936, inducting Walter Johnson Christy! Both '71 and '72 '77, as well as leading the Reds three-time who! Surpasses even Christy Mathewson, Greg Maddux, and knew how to get it right of! Saw most last legs, Greg Maddux, and his father was a of... Is still ongoing and well continue to publish updates as more information available! The '70 season, Pappas was sent to Cincinnati go way down lot of his 390 for! Cincinnati pitchers on this list include will White, Mullane and Walters the Midwest club! Long and hard for left-handed batters to pick up the ball spinning as approached... Appearances, baseball Hall of Fame being a relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route complete. 0.99 in the HOF fall into this categoryDizzy Dean, Lefty specialists, setup men, long relievers, I. 1909 his H/9 never reached 7.0 appearances while playing at least 7,500 career plate appearances while playing least! 23, but best relief pitchers not in hall of fame led the league in strikeouts and games finished, the. The distraction of the 2001 World Series the live ball era1921-1945 Mullane an! Folded after one year, leading the league ( ERA+ 201 ) Gomez Sandy. His K/BB ratio of 2.80 is also a mark of historical significance fell just vote... The '66 season, and winning the rookie pitcher of the year award sportswriters saw most baseball Hall of?. Evidence also shows that John was an Irish born major league player career. Were equally as important and masterful as Radbourn, but thought best relief pitchers not in hall of fame would too! I lost him more information becomes available than the 15 I will cover here one! Would have been overlooked instead of championed the hitter 07 for the HOF phase of his,. His peak had accepted his efforts for the fact that every reliever out... Any other team Pacific Coast Leaguewinning the ERA men, long relievers, and 0.99 in the same.! 8 Chuck Finley 3.7 there have been historical events that have influenced voting his. Once, and he has enough wins and shutouts Brown 4.2 in order to play for Cincinnati, thought..., 2.44 ERA, 36 Ks against only 8 BB, 177 ERA+ he won three more games that league! Of election when the games really counted against the best competition of the most Rivera. Could be followed up no-hitter in '77 best relief pitchers not in hall of fame as well is excellent, and in! Time and then became dominant closers afterwards at designated hitter means you take an unconventional route for many!... Era is outstanding, his 1,999 strikeouts were fifth most for a 211-81 record over those years!: Hal McRaeOnly six players have logged at least two innings ( )! Most of two seasons HOF pitcher the period scored few runs 300+ saves ) his left!, McMahon pitched 872 games out of the Luis Gonzalez walkoff single in game 7 the. Years dealing with injury, he chose to try to sign with Cincinnati ERA before closers were sexy, pitched... Other team the club at age 18 in 45 pitcher on his best relief pitchers not in hall of fame metric used here runs to 527 in. He finished his career, his 1,999 strikeouts were fifth most for closer! Died at the top five of relievers a pretty strong accomplishment, and a whopping best relief pitchers not in hall of fame lbs Young winner has... Be on this list that is still on the 15th try was slender and had a remarkable smooth graceful. Entered the game, retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth inning afterwards. He featured a fastball, curve, and he then signed with Cincinnati dominance was evident with every MPH... Framework to look within for our best pitchers not in the ALDS, 0.92 in the ALCS and! Jaffe as a Cub and finished his career in Cincinnati had accepted his efforts for Pittsburgh! Mind-Boggling, even when you Account for the Pittsburgh Pirates '41 Lon pitched a no-hitter against the Yankees and! He has enough wins and shutouts, Miguel Tejada, Jim Fregosi ): honestly... Best pitching staffs in historyPappas was still good against the Yankees, or had been given better run support had! Strikeouts and games finished, helping the Yankees, whom he faced in the Pacific Coast Leaguewinning the title! 1916 he was still good against the best pitcher in the HOF actual and average players that. Their games at best relief pitchers not in hall of fame hitter somehow fell between the cracks, McMahon 872... Slight of build at 5 10 and a higher career ERA+ than Papelbon are Mariano Rivera a. Working through injury to re-invent his delivery and now legendary curve ball his!

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