You hear a lot of talk these days about whether or not Andy Pettitte belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Most people seem to agree that Pettitte is probably on the outside looking in. A lack of dominance and admitted steroid use tend to get in the way.
Two things cannot be denied.
1. Andy Pettitte had a fantastic career. Five World Series wins. More wins (240) than Catfish Hunter and Whitey Ford. Most postseason wins.
2. Andy Petttitte isn’t even close to being the best Yankee pitcher not in the Hall of Fame.
Doubt the Southpaw? Take a look.
Lets compare Pettitte to Ron Guidry, Allie Reynolds, David Cone and Eddie Lopat. Heck, we’ll even throw Mike Mussina in there.
All pitchers played in more than 12 seasons, but lasted fewer than 20. All of them pitched well in the playoffs.
Pettitte pitched 16 seasons, 13 in New York. Eight of 13 Reynolds’ seasons were played in The Bronx. Eddie Lopat spent eight of his 12 seasons in pinstripes. Cone pitched six of his 17 seasons for the Bombers. Eight of Mussina’s 18 seasons were in the Bronx.
Now, let’s look at the numbers.
Cy Young awards
Cone: 1
Guidry: 1
Lopat: 0
Mussina: 0
Pettitte: 0
Reynolds: 0
All Star Games
Cone: 5
Guidry: 4
Lopat: 1
Mussina: 5
Pettitte: 3
Reynolds: 5
Post-season awards
Cone: None
Guidry: None
Lopat: None
Mussina: None
Pettitte: 2001 ALCS MVP
Reynolds: None
World Series rings
Cone: 5
Guidry: 2
Lopat: 4
Mussina: 1
Pettitte: 5
Reynolds: 6
Led league in ERA
Cone: 0
Guidry: 2
Lopat: 1
Mussina: 0
Pettitte: 0
Reynolds: 1
Wins
Cone: 1
Guidry: 2
Lopat: 0
Mussina: 1
Pettitte: 1
Reynolds: 0
20-Win Seasons
Cone: 2
Guidry: 3
Lopat: 1
Mussina: 1
Pettitte: 2
Reynolds: 1
Led league in strikeouts
Cone: 2
Guidry: 0
Lopat: 0
Mussina: 0
Pettitte: 0
Reynolds: 2
Led league in WHIP
Cone: 0
Guidry: 2
Lopat: 2
Mussina: 0
Pettitte: 0
Reynolds: 0
Led league in strikeouts per walk
Cone: 1
Guidry: 1
Lopat: 0
Mussina: 0
Pettitte: 0
Reynolds: 0
Record
Cone: 8-3
Guidry: 5-2
Lopat: 4-1
Mussina: 7-8
Pettitte: 19-10
Reynolds: 7-2
ERA
Cone: 3.80
Guidry: 3.02
Lopat: 2.60
Mussina: 3.42
Pettitte: 3.83
Reynolds: 2.79
WHIP
Cone: 1.356
Guidry: 1.229
Lopat: 1.212
Mussina: 1.103
Pettitte: 1.304
Reynolds: 1.203
Record
Cone: 194-126
Guidry: 170-91
Lopat: 166-112
Mussina: 270-153
Pettitte: 240-138
Reynolds: 182-107
ERA
Cone: 3.46
Guidry: 3.29
Lopat: 3.21
Mussina: 3.68
Pettitte: 3.88
Reynolds: 3.30
Strikeouts
Cone: 2,668
Guidry: 1,778
Lopat: 859
Mussina: 2,813
Pettitte: 2,251
Reynolds: 1,423
WHIP
Cone: 1.256
Guidry: 1.184
Lopat: 1.277
Mussina: 1.192
Pettitte: 1.357
Reynolds: 1.386
Strikeouts per walk
Cone: 2.35
Guidry: 2.81
Lopat: 1.32
Mussina: 3.58
Pettitte: 2.34
Reynolds: 1.13
So, three weeks ago, I thought Andy Pettitte was a slam dunk Hall of Famer.
Then I had people point out three things to me.
1. Not only did he not win awards, he was never an ace.
2. He never had a 2-year run, where he was one of the top 10 pitchers in baseball.
3. He had nine seasons with an ERA above 4.00.
The last point really got me. I could argue with the other points. But a 4.00 ERA in nine of 16 seasons? That meant a majority of his years he was mediocre at best. So I decided to look further into his numbers. What I found is listed above. It made me change my mind on Pettitte.
But what shocked me more than anything, even the 4.00 ERA seasons, was that he really wasn’t dominant in the postseason.
Despite Mussina’s 7-8 record, he pitched better than Pettitte in the postseason in the same era. Moose had a lower ERA, WHIP and strikeouts per walk in the postseason. He just happened to be going up against the other team’s aces more often than not. Pettitte meanwhile, often went up against the other team’s No.2 or No.3 pitcher.
Sure, he gave his team a chance to win, but doesn’t Joe Blanton?
Didn’t Jim Kaat? Or Kevin Appier, Chuck Finley or Johnny Sain?
We don’t put people in the Hall of Fame based on their ability to give their team a chance to win. We put them in because they give their team a way to win.
And Pettitte didn’t do that.
Sure Pettitte was a fine pitcher. Maybe the best No. 3 starter ever.
But, does he belong in the Hall of Fame? Probably not. Especially when you consider Cone, Mussina and Guidry were definitely better than him. Reynolds probably was as well.
And that’s just a list of Yankees.
Further reading:
The Southpaw says Andy Pettitte brought class to baseball and was fun to watch.
The Southpaw doesn’t put Pettitte in the Hall of Fame, but he thinks he’s one of the 10 best Yankees of all time.
Other Player Appreciations, including Lou Gehrig, Jerry Koosman and Ted Simmons
