Thursday, November 13, 2008

Jack Morris' case for HOF

Tom Tango (tangotiger) from THT puts Jack Morris "the Pitcher of the 1980's" under the microscope. If you're into the banality that accompanies the HOF voting looniness (not a knock on Tango!), this is for you.

Tango does a good job in separating truth from perception, namely the arbitrary selection of a decade as bordered by a year that ends in "0" and the out year ending with a "9". Some tidbits from the piece:

If you want to give Morris credit for most wins for the decade, fine, go ahead. But, don’t call him the best pitcher for the decade. Stieb is definitely ahead of him. And with Welch, Nolan Ryan, Bert Blyleven, Charlie Hough and Fernando Valenzuela around, Morris is lucky to even be considered better than any of those guys for “best” pitcher of the 80s.
......
If you go by total Cy Young points (five for first place, three for second place, one for third place), the leader is Steve Carlton (280), followed closely by Roger Clemens, and Bret Saberhagen. Quisenberry is fourth. Jack Morris is in 22nd place.

As a child of the 1980's, there are guys I remember and guys that are less memorable. I remember Quis from his battles with the Yanks. Welch, too, on those West Coast trips the Yanks would inevitably get tripped up on. Fernando, from a distance. Clemens in his "natural" prime. Nolan, period. Sure Morris' 1991 post-season was incredible, but I have a hard time considering him HOF-worthy. But a sure-fire first-ballot election to the Hall of Very Good.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm glad to see articles slamming Jack Morris for the HOF. Growing up I always heard that Jack Morris was THE MAN but I've always kind of been skeptical. Now that Posnanski and Tango are breaking it down like that, I feel vindicated in my childhood skepticism.

Jason @ IIATMS said...

Yeah, I was glad to read the case against. I could never figure out the case FOR the HOF for him.