Thursday, January 6, 2011

Jack Morris' fading Hall of Fame candidacy

Time is running out for the hero of Game 7. (In Minnesota, there is only one Game 7 -- the 1991 World Series finale, 1-0 in 10 innings, with St. Paul native Jack Morris going the distance.)

Jack Morris' 3.90 career ERA
is worse than that of any
pitcher currently enshrined
in the Hall of Fame.
Jack Morris is about as divisive a Hall of Fame candidate as sits on the writers ballot. Statistically, he is a marginal candidate -- one has to draw the lines just so to get him in. He's the "winningest pitcher of the '80s" -- but 1980-89 just happens to be about the weakest 10-year span for pitcher wins you can find. A good pitcher, clearly; not a great one, at least in my estimation and that of about half the electorate.

Anyway: Morris got 53.5 percent of the vote this year. That's up very slightly from 2010. He has just three years of eligibility left with the writers (Blyleven had one year left when he got in). He needs to get to 75 percent.

Next year is a thin crop of newcomers to the ballot; Bernie Williams is probably the most viable candidate. But in 2013: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, Mike Piazza, Craig Biggio, Curt Schilling, Kenny Lofton ... that crew will suck all the oxygen out of the discussion. And in 2014: Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Mike Mussina and Frank Thomas. Those classes will leave little room for backlog candidates to emerge in the voting.

For Morris, it's 2012 or wait for the veterans committee.

6 comments:

  1. Morris was tough. I remember dreading it whenever the Twins played him when he was on the Tigers, and feeling relieved when he became a Twin because we wouldn't have to go up against him any more. HOF material? I guess we'll have to leave that up to those who have the votes.

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  2. Another writer who is not very familiar with jack morris. Stats don't even begin to tell the story of jack morris, the toughest minded pitcher in the last 40 years. Best pitcher of 80s, commentators gushed about how great he was all of his careers. Now rocket scientists are looking at his stats in an attempt to justify not letting him in, in essence rewriting baseball history, the same hall of fame that has renowned cheaters like gaylord perry and phil niekro. Jim rice in and jack morris not. The hall of fame of baseball is fast becoming a referendum on massive stupidity and hypocrisy!!!

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  3. Lets stick to the facts:

    Jack Morris was the WINNINGEST pitcher in the 1980s.

    He was known as Big Game Jack.

    Nobody had better overall statistics than Jack between 1978 and 1993, whipping Bert Blyleven over that period, and better than Ryan, Seaver, Palmer, Guidry, etc.. Probably because the hitters were extremely tough over that period, HOFers struggled!!!!!!!!

    The American League East was toughest division run-wise (take off .5 to 1.0 runs compared to the National League) so his E.R.A. is mitigated when adjusted for league.

    During his career, the experts considered Jack the BEST Pitcher of his era.

    Jack was key to three different teams winning the World Series; the Tigers, Twins, Jays.

    Jack had the greatest performance in modern era, the 1-0, 10 inning performance, game 7 World Series vs. Twins.

    Nobody was tougher on the mound than Jack Morris, who stayed in game under conditions of getting hit hard, duress and fatigue. GRITTIEST EVER.

    Jack Morris was a clean pitcher unlike Gaylord Perry, Phil Niekro, and Don Sutton are renowned to have been. And none of those guys were the best pitcher of their generations or even close. Niekro rarely best pitcher on his OWN TEAM.

    So Please guys, do not show your lack of intelligence by using a statistic or two in a meager attempt to REWRITE HISTORY!!

    Thanks all and have a nice day!

    Lets stick to the facts:

    Jack Morris was the WINNINGEST pitcher in the 1980s.

    He was known as Big Game Jack.

    Nobody had better overall statistics than Jack between 1978 and 1993, whipping Bert Blyleven over that period, and better than Ryan, Seaver, Palmer, Guidry, etc.. Probably because the hitters were extremely tough over that period, HOFers struggled!!!!!!!!

    The American League East was toughest division run-wise (take off .5 to 1.0 runs compared to the National League) so his E.R.A. is mitigated when adjusted for league.

    During his career, the experts considered Jack the BEST Pitcher of his era.

    Jack was key to three different teams winning the World Series; the Tigers, Twins, Jays.

    Jack had the greatest performance in modern era, the 1-0, 10 inning performance, game 7 World Series vs. Twins.

    Nobody was tougher on the mound than Jack Morris, who stayed in game under conditions of getting hit hard, duress and fatigue. GRITTIEST EVER.

    Jack Morris was a clean pitcher unlike Gaylord Perry, Phil Niekro, and Don Sutton are renowned to have been. And none of those guys were the best pitcher of their generations or even close. Niekro rarely best pitcher on his OWN TEAM.

    So Please guys, do not show your lack of intelligence by using a statistic or two in a meager attempt to REWRITE HISTORY!!

    Thanks all and have a nice day!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jack Morris is not in the hall. Hmm, let's see;
    Winningest (the whole point)for a decade - check.
    ChampionshipS - check.
    Clutch - it was awesome, you know the game - had more besides - check.
    I'm a Jays fan and he was one of the guys I wished we never had to face - check.
    Ultra cool moustache - check
    All time great teams led by you know who - 85 Tigers - check.
    Old school tough - ask a young Kenny Lofton about the game he tried a bit of small ball & where the next couple fastballs went.lol. he'll remember - check

    Look up Hoss - his picture is next to it.

    Do baseball writers watch baseball? Why does that statline count for so much. I only had to watch the guy play to tell me he's a hall of famer.He was f...ing good, and has probably (sorry Don Larson) the best pitched, most gutted out, toughest pitching performance in WS history. Plus, he did it all with style.

    What am I missing?

    ReplyDelete
  5. In the caption above, it states Morris' ERA is 3.90 and higher than any pitcher now in the hall. Again, do baseball writers watch baseball?

    I saw him pitch countless games where his team would stake him to a 3 or 4 run lead early. That always put him in total challenge the hitter mode (as it should). You nibble, walk two guys and someone gets ahold of one and there goes your lead. Morris understood that. You challenge hitters like that & the era will be a notch higher.He didn't care about bullshit stats - just wanted to win the games.

    People look back at his statline and forget what this guy was. How can he not seriously be considered? The vote should be in the hands of managers and players. Bet if you polled his peers, he would get in easily.

    If these people were Oscar voters, every Nic Cage, piece of crap movie would win statues. It is a shame and a joke. Give the man his due.

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  6. The game is about emotion, statistics are fine, yet they do not fill the stadiums, emotions do. And, Jack did a Major Leage Baseball, HOF job filling stadiums.

    I'd offer that Jack's career enables many sports reporters to make a very good living. Heck, they are still writing emotional articles about Jack's HOF pros and cons! And that will not stop....as long as "great moments" in MLB are discussed.

    Certainly Jack's stats allowed him the opportunity to pitch, and win, perhaps the greatest World Series game seven that will ever be played.

    That game was a great moment for MLB, one that enhances the lore of the World Series and MLB, every time it is mentioned. Clearly the stuff that legends, and dreams are made of.

    Even Kevin McHale made it to the NBA HOF. Above average, but perhaps not the greatest stats. McHale's defining moment was putting Kurt Rambus on the floor in the bench clearing, momentum shifting moment, that many say, eventually gave the Championship series to Boston over LA. That moment is still replayed by the NBA on their broadcasts!

    Like McHale, Morris' determination to do his part with steeled determination to prevail in victory, is the stuff we all need to be reminded of in our own lives.

    Give Jack his most well deserved seat at the HOF table. Keep our dreams of perserverence...and ultimate victory alive!!

    ReplyDelete