Hall of Fame perspectives - Goose is next

Sunday, January 15, 2006

It no longer matters how many times I asked myself the question, "Is Bruce Sutter a Hall of Famer?" The point is, as they say, moot.

For 16 years now, I have been among the members (a record 520 this time cast ballots) of the Baseball Writers Association of America who have been entrusted with the responsibility of voting former baseball players out of or into the Hall of Fame.

When I received my ballot in December, there was no name that caught my eye. I figured some of those guys might be Hall of Famers, but nearly all of them missed on some criteria.

There was a groundswell of support this year for pitcher Bert Blyleven. Blyleven pitched a long time and won a lot of games, but he also lost a lot of games and was a .500 pitcher most of the time. Very marginal at best.

When it comes time to vote for a hitter, I look at his lifetime average, taking into consideration that the end result is not indicative of the sum total of his ability. I figure if a guy can hit from .290 to .300 over the course of his career, he was a pretty fair player. But there is more to be taken into consideration, that being the reason Pete Rose is not enshrined. Rule 5 under voting reads, "Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."

That rule eliminates some people from the get-go. That's probably what has cost Jim Rice more than anything and it pretty well nailed Albert Belle right off.

But this is about Sutter. I had one problem with Sutter that over-rode everything else. Regardless of all else, he finished with a lifetime record under .500 (68-71).

Sutter was a product of television. With that view from the centerfield camera, the phenomenal break of his vaunted split-fingered fastball was clearly evident. That ball blazed toward the plate, then suddenly dropped, as off a table.

It has been said Sutter pioneered this pitch, which drops much the same way as the old spit ball. Actually, I see little difference in it and the fork ball. Remember Elroy Face? Long before Sutter reached the majors Gaylord Perry would often say, "Mah fawkball was workin' good." Hmm.

Sutter led the league in saves for six consecutive years with the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals. He came onto the scene in 1977 and dazzled the hitters to the point where he fashioned a 1.35 ERA.

But, Sutter was among the first one inning closers. He saved 300 games, but blew 101 for a 75 percent success ratio.

It's highly probable that the election of Sutter will launch the era of relief pitchers in the Hall of Fame. Upon Sutter's election, Joe Posnanski of The Kansas City Star made a fabulous case for the late Dan Quisenberry, whose lifetime totals are for the most part more impressive than Sutter's. Quiz was on the ballot one year before being removed for lack of support.

While Sutter was dominant in the National League, there was another pitcher in the American League in addition to Quiz who merits consideration. Goose Gossage was every bit as intimidating a presence as Sutter. In fact, Gossage's 1981 ERA in the strike-shortened season was a phenomenal 0.77. Gossage saved 310 games in his career.

Rollie Fingers was the first relief specialist to get in, and now we have Sutter. I guess it's time for us to accept relief pitching as an integral part of the game. Pitchers are no longer expected to finish what they start. And now that the writers have started this trend, let's get Gossage in and somehow get Quisenberry back on the ballot.

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