Honorable mention: Curt Schilling, Tim Lincecum, Luis Tiant, Dave Stieb, Kevin Brown, David Cone, Orel Hershiser, Roy Oswalt, Eddie Cicotte. He began his career with the Cleveland Indians in '64, and established himself as an effective pitcher with lots of stuff. 9. One pitched in New York, one pitched in the Midwest. The oldest and wisest twin. there are differing levels of greatness and acclaim. This time he refused and was forced to sit out a season in order to play for Cincinnati, which he did. 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. He has been overlooked by the veterans committee. By the next year in 1939 he was the best pitcher in the National League, going 27-11 with a 2.29 ERA and 31 complete games. 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. For his career he gave up only 430 BB in 2,995 innings. 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. How many relief pitchers are on a baseball team? And Muhammad Ali lost five fights. RF Andre Ethier Nothing in his pitching resume says he doesnt belong in the HOF. Larry Anderson (1975-1994) 699 games, 995.1 innings pitched, 3.15 ERA, 18.2 K%, 121 ERA+ Paul Assenmacher (1986-1999) 884 games, 855.2 innings pitched, 3.53 ERA, 22.0 K%, 118 ERA+ Luis Ayala (2003-2013) 534 games, 554.1 innings pitched, 3.34 ERA, 15.7 K%, 129 ERA+ Grant Balfour (2001-2015) 5) Billy Pierce (1945-1964) (3.27 ERA; ERA+ 119; 38 SHO; 3,306 IP/ 2,989 H/ 8.1 H/9; 1,999 K/ 1178 BB/ 1.70 ratio; 1.260 WHIP). If Jack Chesbro can parlay winning 40 games into the HOF, then Will White should be an automatic selection. Honorable mentions: Bill Dahlen, Omar Vizquel, Jimmy Rollins, Nomar Garciaparra, Miguel Tejada, Jim Fregosi. Honorable mentions: Graig Nettles, Ken Boyer, Sal Bando (Adrin Beltr not yet eligible). In Game Three he came in to save the game, retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth inning. Tommy John is perhaps guilty of hanging on longer than the normal impact of his career allowed. He ended up nostalgically back in Minnesota for the '86 season, and helped the team to the World Series title in '87. 6 Roy Oswalt 4.5 But he was so good at his craft. Kimbrel still hasnt hit the decline phase of his career, unless 2019 was the beginning of the end and not just an aberration. The Pirates won the pennant the next year. 3) Tony Mullane (1881-1894) (284-220; 3.05 ERA; ERA+ 118; 30 SHO; 4,531 IP/ 4,195 H/ 8.3 H/9; 1,803 K/ 1,408 BB/ 1.28 ratio; 1.237 WHIP). Scary, we know. Babe Adams had brief looks at the major leagues in 06 with the St. Louis Cardinals and 07 for the Pirates. The Pirates went on to win the game. He was scouted by Hal Newhowser, who encouraged him to sign with the Orioles. The greatest relief pitchers of all time include some of the best current MLB players, as well as some legends who are already in the baseball hall of fame. Rivera allowed zero runs in 22 of his 32 postseason series. Stats: 601 saves, 2.87 ERA, 1.058 WHIP, 3.69 K:BB, 141 ERA+, Accolades: 7 All-Star appearances, Baseball Hall of Fame. It barely existed when Babe Ruth and Ted Williams played, as starters would routinely pitch complete games. Or the Dave Roberts steal in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS. One naturally asks this question when compiling a list like this. Bridges continued pitching in the Pacific Coast Leaguewinning the ERA title in 47. 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. Eck didnt become a reliever until his age-32 season but still appeared in enough games to retire first on the games all-time list (1,070). He regularly hits 100 miles per hour on his fastballs and holds the all-time record by registering 105.1 on a pitch (twice). That said, look for the results for catchers tomorrow. 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. DH: Hal McRaeOnly six players have logged at least 7,500 career plate appearances while playing at least half their games at designated hitter. Their careers ranged from 1,900+ IP to 2,500 IP. That year, facing Ty Cobb and the Tigers in the postseason, the Pirates manager went on a hunch and started Adams in game one of the series. Fingers helped revolutionize the closer position, setting a trend later followed by Rivera and John Smoltz in becoming a failed starter-turned-closer. Sabathia is at 3.5 right now. But by '35, after being sold to the Phillies and because of his great arm, the manager and coaches pushed him to pitch. He was the fastest relief pitcher ever reach 200 career saves, he was the first closer ever to rack up at least 25 saves in each of his first five seasons, and hes the all-time leader in saves for two different franchises Boston and Philadelphia. That said, if I field this again in the future, Ill probably sub in Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer for Ferrell and Reuschel. In the '40s he pitched with young pitchers Hal Newhowser, Virgil Trucks and Dizzy Trout. Based strictly on peak performance, Eckersley would rank in the top five of relievers. And interestingly enough, hes probably more known for his handlebar mustache than what he did on the field. He pitched his no-hitter in '77, as well as leading the league that year in WHIP. His ERA+, curve ball, postseason record and H/9 all speak of a pitcher who was one of the best of his era. He featured a sinking fastball and a curve, later known as a slider. He shut down the powerful Reds lineup in the playoffs. This gives us a cut off of 2500 innings to. Honorable mentions: Munson, Tenace, Jorge Posada (Joe Mauer, Buster Posey, Yadier Molina not yet eligible). Free shipping for many products! C: Bill FreehanCall this a toss-up between Freehan and Thurman Munson, both of whom could use a longer look from the Halls veteran committees. Mariano Rivera was a failed starter. 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. Note that some players listed as HOFers may have been inducted for non-playing reasons. and the most games started75. For the most part, the best pitchers are in the HOF. 6 Tim Hudson 3.8 They were equally as important and masterful as Radbourn, but overlooked for 25 more years. 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. Mariano Rivera was a failed starter. Cy Young is the games career leader in losses. Warnekes career backed up into WWII. 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). He drew 59.5 percent of the vote in his most recent appearance on the writers ballot for Cooperstown. The problem with Pierce HOF candidacy is that his career backed up into the raised mound era. In 48 they discarded Billy Pierce to the White Sox!). Although the Tigers walked away losing two of the three World Series, Bridges record stands at 4-1. Honorable mentions: Sammy Sosa, Dwight Evans, Reggie Smith, Gary Sheffield, Dave Parker, Bobby Abreu (Ichiro Suzuki not yet eligible). Tommy Johns 288 wins are his strongest calling card. Im a little bummed to see Wes Ferrell and Rick Reuschel anchoring the list, though its not stunning. His devastating curve also made him one of hardest pitchers to hit of his generation. 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 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. But whos the second best relief pitcher ever? Feb 11, 2023. He was the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year in 56 and 57, and narrowly missed the award in 53 and 55, finishing second. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. The Arkansas Hummingbird pitched for the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals throughout his career. Join our linker program. 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 . Tommy Bridges began and finished his career with the Detroit Tigers. Tom Brady lost three Super Bowls. Oct 14, 2022, 04:09 PM EDT. The HOF process seemed uneven, and somewhat political. Against Detroit, he pitched a five hitter to win Game Two, and a complete game shutout to win Game Five. Wilhelm passed away on Aug. 23, 2002. He barely played in the postseason. . He was perhaps the best lefty in NL history to that date, however, not winning quite as many games as Eppa Rixey. Many of their careers and cases are compelling. Dennis Eckersley was a starter-turned-reliever. His control record surpasses even Christy Mathewson, Greg Maddux, and Pedro Martinez at their peaks. 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. That leaves an even matchup between McRae and Don Baylor on the outside looking in. 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. Retired: John McGraw , Bobby Cox , Earl Weaver , . During the season he went 12-0 for the team at Candlestick Park. 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. 11 Belongs: "Shoeless" Joe Jackson. Four pitchers in the HOF fall into this categoryDizzy Dean, Lefty Gomez, Sandy Koufax, and Addie Joss. He held the career record in saves when he retired (341). To start, there are only eight primary relievers in Cooperstown; Rivera, Dennis Eckersley, Hoyt Wilhelm, Goose Gossage, Rollie Fingers, Bruce Sutter, Lee Smith, and Trevor Hoffman. 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. He was consistently good, winning 14 or more games 11 consecutive years, 6474. The players on those teams were the players the sportswriters saw most. He holds the record for the most innings pitched in one season680. He faced Ford 15 times in his career and went 7-7. If thats the case, Kimbrel probably wont move down these rankings at all but he also wont move any higher. His 2.52 career ERA was the lowest by a pitcher with at least 2,000 innings pitched since Walter Johnson. He had winning streaks of 14 and 17 games, and at one point held the NL record consecutive scoreless inning streak with 44. McCormick was a pitcher of high quality who won 265 games. .208. They chose not to have time for their pitching hero from the last generation. 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. Relief Pitcher - Don McMahon (22.4 WAR) McMahon may be the best reliever most modern baseball fans have never heard mentioned. Brett Favre threw the most interceptions and the late Kobe Bryant missed the most shots. Pitchers were regularly winning 24-27 games. The ballot just isnt that strong over the next few years. Cardinals' 5 all-time best relief pitchers in franchise history. The players had withstood enough abuse by 1890 and formed their own league. then in Boston. His 187 career ERA+ is second among retired relief pitchers to only Mariano Rivera. Fingers won a league MVP, a Cy Young award, played an integral part in baseballs only non-New York Yankees three-peat ever, and even won World Series MVP once. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. His WHIP of 1.09 is remarkable, as are his 44 shutouts. I found some interesting threads that could be followed up. And John is at 2.6, not much better. He had exceptionally large hands which helped with gripping and releasing the ball with greater spinning revolutions on its way to the plate. But his rookie year really came in 09 for Pirates at age 27. Get Jay Jaffe's book The Cooperstown Casebook Typically, in modern-day play, an active roster will consist of five starting pitchers, seven relief pitchers, two catchers, six infielders, and five outfielders. Hoffman never won a Cy Young but finished second twice. Here are the best Hall of Fame candidates. He then came back in game six to beat his often faced foe, pitching a three hit gem against none other than Whitey Ford. Free shipping for many products! His career K/BB ratio of 2.80 is also a mark of historical significance. In '41 Lon pitched a no-hitter against the Reds. 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. "Billy the Kid was part of the Tigers post-war youth movement, getting a look with the club at age 18 in 45. Honorable mentions: Kent, Bobby Grich (Chase Utley not yet eligible). 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. But he might not be on this list much longer. The most significant threads arose as I looked at these pitchers one at a time and then together as a group. I gave a list of 10 players at each position, based primarily on who I thought voters would expect to be in the poll. 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 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). Cooper was born in West Virginia. He was the first player to wear glasses while he played. His 1.000 WHIP is the lowest among qualified pitchers in the live ball era. But he was also just as accomplished a two-way catcher as the Yankees captain -- and just as revered a leader for the Tigers, too. Many thanks to him. Pappas deserves recognition for his accomplishments, even if it is just to clear his name from the fall out of a trade for which he was never responsible. 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