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Thread: Bruce Sutter elected to Hall of Fame

  1. #1
    Maple SERP savafan's Avatar
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    Bruce Sutter elected to Hall of Fame

    Just heard on MLB radio. That's all. Really expected more than just one person elected.
    My dad got to enjoy 3 Reds World Championships by the time he was my age. So far, I've only gotten to enjoy one. Step it up Redlegs!


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    Maple SERP savafan's Avatar
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    Re: Bruce Sutter elected to Hall of Fame

    http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/a...=.jsp&c_id=mlb

    By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com

    NEW YORK -- Bruce Sutter made history on Tuesday. Not only did he become the latest member of baseball's most exclusive club by the slimmest of margins, the right-handed split-fingered fastball artist became the first pure reliever ever elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

    In a year in which there were no runaway candidates, a select group of 520 members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America cast their votes -- the most in history -- anointing only Sutter, who pitched for the Cardinals, Cubs and Braves in a career that spanned from 1976-88, ending when his signature pitch shredded the insides of his right elbow.

    Only three pitchers previously elected to the Hall were known for their closing skills. But Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers and Dennis Eckersley all made numerous starts during their illustrious careers. Sutter never started a game, but he finished 512 of them to record 300 saves, the 19th most in history.

    Sutter will be inducted during Hall of Fame Weekend ceremonies in Cooperstown, N.Y., on July 30, giving baseball's red brick shrine on Main Street 196 former players, 103 elected by the BBWAA. He'll be in New York on Wednesday for the traditional Hall of Fame electee press conference.

    Dale Petroskey, the Hall of Fame president, made the announcement of Sutter's election Tuesday on BaseballChannel.TV.

    Sutter received 76.9 percent of the vote -- only 1.9 percent more than the necessary 75 percent to gain election -- as his name appeared on 400 of the 520 ballots, 12 of which were returned blank. Voters -- BBWAA members with at least 10 consecutive years of baseball writing experience -- can place the names of up to 10 former players on their ballots.

    2006 Hall of Fame
    voting results



    The complete vote (520 ballots, 390 to gain election, 26 to remain on ballot):
    Player Votes %
    Bruce Sutter 400 76.9%
    Jim Rice 337 64.8%
    Rich Gossage 336 64.6%
    Andre Dawson 317 61.0%
    Bert Blyleven 277 53.3%
    Lee Smith 234 45.0%
    Jack Morris 214 41.2%
    Tommy John 154 29.6%
    Steve Garvey 135 26.0%
    Alan Trammell 92 17.7%
    Dave Parker 75 14.4%
    Dave Concepcion 65 12.5%
    Don Mattingly 64 12.3%
    Orel Hershiser 58 11.2%
    Dale Murphy 56 10.8%
    Albert Belle 40 7.7%
    Will Clark 23 4.4%
    Dwight Gooden 17 3.3%
    Willie McGee 12 2.3%
    Ozzie Guillen 5 1.0%
    Hal Morris 5 1.0%
    Gary Gaetti 4 0.8%
    John Wetteland 4 0.8%
    Rick Aguilera 3 0.6%
    Gregg Jefferies 2 0.4%
    Doug Jones 2 0.4%
    Walt Weiss 1 0.2%
    Gary DiSarcina 0 0.0%
    Alex Fernandez 0 0.0%

    This was Sutter's 13th year on the BBWAA ballot, two shy of the end of his eligibility for the writers' vote. His percentage had steadily increased in recent years from 53.6 percent in 2003 to 59.9 percent in 2004 to 66.7 percent last year when Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg were inducted.

    But Sutter's 2006 total was the lowest percentage since 1975 in a year in which there was a single electee. Pirates slugger Ralph Kiner received 75.4 percent of the vote that year to make it in.

    The last time the writers elected only one player was when Ozzie Smith routed the field in 2002 with 91.74 percent of the vote. The writers have elected at least one former player a year since 1996.

    There were a total of 29 candidates on this year's ballot, including 14 first-timers.

    Jim Rice and Rich "Goose" Gossage, who many thought had a chance this time around, garnered 64.8 percent and 64.6 percent, respectively. Andre Dawson, with 61 percent, was the only other player on the ballot who received 60 or more percent of the vote.

    Thirteen players -- Will Clark, Doc Gooden, Willie McGee, Ozzie Guillen, Hal Morris, Gary Gaetti, John Wetteland, Rick Aguilera, Gregg Jefferies, Doug Jones, Walt Weiss, Gary DiSarcina and Alex Fernandez -- did not receive the requisite five percent of the vote and will no longer appear on the ballot. DiSarcina and Fernandez didn't receive a single vote.

    Any possibility of Rice, Gossage or Dawson making it will dwindle in 2007, the year Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken Jr. and Mark McGwire are eligible for the first time.

    Sutter led the National League in saves five times from 1979-84. In an era in which relievers routinely pitched several innings or more an outing, Sutter recorded a career-best 45 saves in 1984 for the Cardinals, a year before he signed what was then considered a huge four-year, $6.5 million free agent contract with the Braves.

    Sutter, who starred for the Cardinals' 1982 World Series winners and saved 36 games that year, was never the same in Atlanta. He saved only 40 more games and missed the entire 1987 season because of the elbow injury before his career peetered out in 1988, when he made only 38 appearances, saving 14.

    Sutter, though, was considered the top closing stylist of his time because he perfected the split-fingered fastball, also known as a forkball, as his out pitch.

    The three other relievers already in the Hall started 489 games between them. Wilhelm, who was one of the top knuckleball artists in history, started 52 games. Fingers was used as a starter 39 times. And Eckersley started 361 games before he was turned into a closer by then-Oakland manager Tony La Russa. After that, Eckersley added 390 saves.

    Wilhelm was elected in 1985, Fingers in 1992, and Eckersley when he was on the ballot for the first time in 2004.
    My dad got to enjoy 3 Reds World Championships by the time he was my age. So far, I've only gotten to enjoy one. Step it up Redlegs!

  4. #3
    Maple SERP savafan's Avatar
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    Re: Bruce Sutter elected to Hall of Fame

    Clearly there is something wrong when Walt Weiss, Hal Morris and Gregg Jefferies are getting votes for the Hall of Fame.
    My dad got to enjoy 3 Reds World Championships by the time he was my age. So far, I've only gotten to enjoy one. Step it up Redlegs!

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    Mailing it in Cyclone792's Avatar
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    Re: Bruce Sutter elected to Hall of Fame

    Will Clark doesn't even get 5 percent ...

    What a joke.
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  6. #5
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    Re: Bruce Sutter elected to Hall of Fame

    We could argue to death about who should be in that is not. But I find it hard to argue that Bruce Sutter does not deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Congrats to a guy who was the best at what he did in his prime IMO.


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    Re: Bruce Sutter elected to Hall of Fame

    Congrats to Sutter! He had the first devastating fork ball I can remember seeing. He was truly dominate for quite a few years.
    The one thing I would like to know is what separated Sutter from Lee Smith and Goose Gossage in the voters minds? These two were equally dominate in their time. IMO they should be HOF too.
    Reds Fan Since 1971

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    Mailing it in Cyclone792's Avatar
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    Re: Bruce Sutter elected to Hall of Fame

    Code:
    Name, Era-------------------------Saves-----G. Fin.-------INN ---------ERA+
    
    Firpo Marberry, 1923-1936,--------101--------271----------2,067--------134
    Hoyt Wilhelm, 1952-1972,--------- 227--------651----------2,254.3------146
    Roy Face, 1953-1969, -------------193--------574----------1,375.0------109
    Ron Perranoski, 1961-1973,--------179--------458----------1,174--------123
    Dick Radatz, 1962-1969------------122--------297------------693.7------122
    John Hiller, 1965-1980,-----------125--------363----------1,040--------134
    Sparky Lyle, 1967-1982,-----------238--------634----------1,292--------127
    Rollie Fingers, 1968-1985---------341--------709----------1,701.3------119
    Rich "Goose" Gossage, 1972-1994---310--------681----------1,809.3------126
    Kent Tekulve, 1974-1989,----------638--------184----------1,436.3------132
    Gary Lavelle, 1974-1987-----------399--------136----------1,085.0------126
    Dennis Eckersley, 1975-1998-------390--------577----------3,285.7------116
    Bruce Sutter, 1976-1988-----------300--------512----------1,042.3------136
    Dan Quisenberry, 1979-1990--------244--------553----------1,043.3------146
    Jeff Reardon, 1979-1994-----------367--------695----------1,132.2------121
    Dave Righetti, 1979-1995----------252--------474----------1,403.7------114
    Jesse Orosco, 1979-2003,----------501--------144----------1,295.0------125
    Lee Smith, 1980-1997--------------478--------802----------1,289.3------132
    Tom Henke, 1982-95----------------311--------548------------789--------156
    Doug Jones, 1982-2000,------------640--------303----------1,128.3------130
    John Franco, 1984-present---------424--------770----------1,230.7------139*
    Mike Jackson, 1986-2004,----------422--------142----------1,188.3------126
    Jeff Montgomery, 1987-1999,-------304--------549------------868--------134
    John Wetteland, 1989--------------330--------523------------765--------148
    Trevor Hoffman, 1993-present------394--------578------------764.7------148*
    Robb Nen, 1993-2002---------------314--------548------------715.0------138
    Mariano Rivera, 1995-present------336--------424------------728.3------190* 
    Billy Wagner, 1995-present--------246--------417------------552.7------169*
    Eric Gagne, 1999-present----------152--------197------------530--------124*
    The Lost Decade Average Season: 74-88
    2014-22 Average Season: 71-91

  9. #8
    Maple SERP savafan's Avatar
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    Re: Bruce Sutter elected to Hall of Fame

    Looking at that Cyclone, Gossage and Smith were more dominant than Sutter. Voters are clueless.
    My dad got to enjoy 3 Reds World Championships by the time he was my age. So far, I've only gotten to enjoy one. Step it up Redlegs!

  10. #9
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    Re: Bruce Sutter elected to Hall of Fame

    It's quickly becoming the Hall of "Whoever had the most votes last year, gets in".

    I agree with what I heard Colin Cowherd say today.

    "If you have to persuade me into believing that a woman is beautiful, she isn't beautiful"

  11. #10
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    Re: Bruce Sutter elected to Hall of Fame

    The real tragedy is that Blyleven, 5th all-time in Ks with an incredible number of complete games and shutouts, sits on the outside looking in. With Sutter I think of a blown-out elbow. In fact, he makes me think of all those pitchers of the '80s who were brilliant for a few years living off the split-fingered fastball, then blew out their arms throwing it. Sometimes I wonder if members of the BBWAA actually paid attention to the games they've supposedly watched.
    Wear gaudy colors, or avoid display. Lay a million eggs or give birth to one. The fittest shall survive, yet the unfit may live. Be like your ancestors or be different. We must repeat!

  12. #11
    He has the Evil Eye! flyer85's Avatar
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    Re: Bruce Sutter elected to Hall of Fame

    Just confirms what we already knew. The Baseball Writers are basically clueless.

  13. #12
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    Re: Bruce Sutter elected to Hall of Fame

    Quote Originally Posted by RedFanAlways1966
    But I find it hard to argue that Bruce Sutter does not deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Congrats to a guy who was the best at what he did in his prime IMO.

    I guess that's a vote for Albert Belle.

    BTW, the voters just elected a guy that pitched ~1000IP in his career. A good starter will hit that in 4 seasons.
    Last edited by flyer85; 01-10-2006 at 02:46 PM.

  14. #13
    Posting in Dynarama M2's Avatar
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    Re: Bruce Sutter elected to Hall of Fame

    I don't have a problem with Sutter making it, but I can't come up with a rationale for keeping Gossage and Smith out now that he's there.
    I'm not a system player. I am a system.

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    Rally Onion! Chip R's Avatar
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    Re: Bruce Sutter elected to Hall of Fame

    Quote Originally Posted by Yachtzee
    The real tragedy is that Blyleven, 5th all-time in Ks with an incredible number of complete games and shutouts, sits on the outside looking in. With Sutter I think of a blown-out elbow. In fact, he makes me think of all those pitchers of the '80s who were brilliant for a few years living off the split-fingered fastball, then blew out their arms throwing it. Sometimes I wonder if members of the BBWAA actually paid attention to the games they've supposedly watched.
    I wonder if this was a backlash against the people who were pimping Blyleven.
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  16. #15
    He has the Evil Eye! flyer85's Avatar
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    Re: Bruce Sutter elected to Hall of Fame

    Quote Originally Posted by M2
    I don't have a problem with Sutter making it, but I can't come up with a rationale for keeping Gossage and Smith out now that he's there.
    My problem with Sutter is
    His success was limited to 8 seasons and he pitched only a little over 1000IP

    The best analogy to the modern relief pitchers are placekickers and punters. The NFL HOF contains 1 placekicker and no punters.

    Outside of Gossage(over 1700IP) the only other reliever I can see building a HOF resume for me is Mariano Rivera and he still has some work to do.


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