Bruce Sutter in the Hall

[Troy S Goodfellow]

Hall of Fame election day is one of my favorite days of the year.

Today, Bruce Sutter became the 4th relief pitcher to enter the Hall, earning 77% of the vote. A great pitcher in his prime and one of the keys to making Whiteyball work in those few years that it did.

I'm still surprised that Rich Gossage still hasn't made it (he finished 3rd today, but below the 75% threshhold) since he was the ultimate fireballer to end the game - in a time when you would bring in your relief ace with the score tied and expect him to pitch two full innings. To my mind, he's one of the most important figures in 1970s baseball and his continued exclusion is a real shame.

On a personal note, my boyhood hero Andre Dawson was denied again and it appears that support for his entry is tailing off.

Troy

EDIT: Gossage finished third, not second. That was Jim Rice.

[TheRock]

And he's the first pitcher ever to be elected without a start to his name.

I don't like the bias against closers for Hall of Fame selection. Cmon, they have one of the most important jobs in baseball, they are put in that role to do a job and if they do a good enough job, they should be rewarded for it. I think more will get acknowledged in the future, especially since the closer role has become more prominent in this day and age compared to when starters actually finished games. Gossage should get in, no doubt.

[prolix]

It is absurd that Sutter is in but Gossage is not, especially given that Sutter's career was over at 35. If you look at the stats, you can't have Sutter and not Gossage. I think Sutter is getting credit for being in the right place at the right time -- popularizing the split-fingered fastball (which contrary to conventional wisdom, he did not invent), and pitching when the one-inning save was first implemented.

Even more of a travesty is that Bert Blyleven still has not been elected. I think he'll get in eventually, however; he had a nice bump this year.