he's got better numbers than a whole bunch of people.
2007-09-02 22:35:44 · 8 answers · asked by Sony P 2 in Sports ➔ Baseball
He suffers from people not knowing how to look at some numbers and concentrating just on big awards and wins. Of course, at 287 wins, he's not too shabby.
But he was only twice an All-Star and only placed 3rd in Cy Young voting twice. He won two World Series and pitched very well in them, but he doesn't have a handful of rings. And he went into broadcasting, but he stayed local with the Twins, so his profile is still low.
Yet year by year, the pitchers he most resembles are people like Sutton and Drysdale and Chief Bender (all HOF members), and 8 of the 10 most similar pitchers to him are all HOF.
His problem is that he was often among the league leaders in important numbers, but not THE leader. He would be on your staff for a mythical "Team of His Time." He wouldn't be the ace, but he's on that team, I think. So to me, he should be a Hall of Famer.
2007-09-03 00:37:55 · answer #1 · answered by Bucky 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Bert, Lee Smith, and Goose Gossage should be in the Hall. That Blyleven is not in the Hall is a crime.
2007-09-03 02:22:26 · answer #2 · answered by Buffalo1 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Underappreciated in his own time and continuing to today.
If he had back his 1991 season (missed recovering from injury) as well as a full 1981 or 1982, he'd have reached 300 wins and the writers would have seen the light long ago. As it is, they've been dickering around, and while his ballot returns have been getting suitably large he's still a bit short and running into the last few years of writer consideration. (And there is NO telling what the Veterans Committee will do, as it has not yet elected anyone.)
2007-09-03 01:33:58 · answer #3 · answered by Chipmaker Authentic 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
This is a great question. I don't know what else he needs. He has all the numbers a pitcher needs and there are many pitchers in the Hall who don't have his stats. Plus, he has at least 2 World Series rings. It's a travesty. The writers must not like him.
Had he played closer to New York or Bristol,Conn.(ESPN), he'd probably be in.
2007-09-03 03:40:18 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
he does, and am not sure why. I guess it is because he played for a bunch of bad teams. Also some people might look at the Hr totals he gave up. He should be a hall of famer.
2007-09-03 04:48:31 · answer #5 · answered by texasman75147 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The writers lack any form of objectivity. Blyleven ticked someone off or he didn't dress appropriately, who know. # 5 on the strike out list. . .it's a crime that he's not there.
2007-09-03 01:48:28 · answer #6 · answered by Sarrafzedehkhoee 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If he had won 300, I think he'd be there now; possibly he'll get votes from the veterans committee. You do have a point that he should be in the HOF, and should have been there before Bruce Sutter. I don't remember him as one of the better relief pitchers of that era.
2007-09-03 03:30:43 · answer #7 · answered by samdugan 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Becaue the voters are idiots. They push Bruce Sutter in which just saying it wants to make me puke in my hat. But not Lee Smith?? Is that not nuts. When Trevor Hoffamn retires & waits his 5 yrs I bet he'll be in.
2007-09-03 01:08:09 · answer #8 · answered by IRSTAS 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋