Saturday, January 26, 2013

Hall of Fame voters turn away!


Here's an interesting(?) comparison.  Two great pitchers from age 31:

Age 31   9-7   2.85   3-1   1.73
Age 32 10-5   4.18  16-11 1.72
Age 33 10-13 3.63  27-14 1.91
Age 34 21-7   2.05  15-13 3.39
Age 35 20-6   2.65  16-13 3.63
Age 36 14-10 4.60  22-12 3.19
Age 37 13-8   3.70  12-5  3.03
Age 38 20-3   3.51  15-11 3.39
Age 39 13-6   4.35  12-10 3.05
Age 40 17-9   3.91  21-10 2.52
Age 41 18-4   2.98  16-9   3.36
Age 42 13-8   1.87  9-8     3.89

Pitcher A won 178 games post age 31 with an uptick at age 34 and age 38.  Pitcher B won 184 games post age 31 with three bumps at ages 33, 36, and amazingly at age 40.  Both were considered washed up at least twice in their careers, A at ages 33 and 40 and B at ages 31 and 39.  One is in the Hall of Fame, the other cast aside due to questions about how he could maintain his ability at an age when most power hurlers are done.

A is our friend Roger Clemens.
Can you guess B?  His wins by age 30 are 190, with a 94-35 record from ages 28 to 30.

If you guessed Grover Cleveland the 22nd and 24th POTUS you are wrong.  If you guessed Grover Cleveland "Pete" Alexander you are CORRECT!!!

Pete was considered washed up after he was gassed during service in WWI.  The Sillies, er Phillies, dumped him off to the unwitting Cubs along with his batterymate Bill Killefer for two future greats: Pickles Dillhoefer (get the nickname?) and Mike Prendergast.  Oh, and a cool $50,000.  Pete was far from washed up, though he struggled with the bottle as is well known.  Plus he had numerous other health issues.  He was elected in 1938 (HOF not POTUS!) on 212 0f 262 ballots.  I doubt that anyone questioned those career bumps.

We live in a different and much more suspicious time.  I'm not pro or con Clemens, just pointing out that if the only reason Clemens is not voted in are his numbers late in his career, then that is bogus.  It does happen, and Ol'Pete is just one example.