I understand what the role is, I’m just not one who thinks these “closers” or “relief pitchers” should be evaluated through their own career lens. I feel the same about DH. I’m not saying Rivera is not a HOFer. He was certainly an effective pitcher and a weapon. But I think making closer its own position category has resulted in some frankly undeserving enshrinements. There are too many “closers” in the HOF, in my always humble opinion.
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None HOFers there
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Special fuck you to Cole Hamels too.
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I don’t have a strong opinion on HOF closers one way or the other, but if you’re going to start enshrining them Billy Wagner should make the cut
Braun I think is the closest.
And he’s not particularly close after his PED suspension.
Next year is a good time for guys that are close but nearing the end of their time on the ballot like Andruw Jones to get in.
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Known steroid user Braun isn’t getting anywhere close. Probably won’t make the 5% cut.
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It’d be Hamels for me. He was good for longer than I remembered. But I’d say he’s still more of an inner-circle HOVG guy than a HOFer.
I’m not so sure he is considering his history with steroids.
ETA - Cabrera’d.
Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez got 37 and 34 percent of votes this year. Braun has no chance.
Pretty simple really, they aren’t
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Not sure how much it would warrant consideration, but for as good as Hamels was he never won a Cy Young. Hard to see voters getting past that.
Next year will be Beltran and maybe Jones and that’s it. Most of these guys will be one and done on the ballot
Yeah, never even finished higher than fifth. Actually kind of surprised by that.
Especially considering Porcello somehow won one.
Forget that Ryan Braun took steroids, forget he set up an innocent fall guy for his illegal use of said steroids, Lance Berkman, in less ABs had more HRs, more RBIs, a higher OBP, SLG, OPS, and OPS+ than Fuck Stick. JAWS has Lance as the 19th highest LF, whereas Dick Nose is JAWS rated as the 25th highest rated LF.
Berkman got 5 votes his one time on the ballot. One of the best switch hitter of all time got 5 votes. Fuck Braun, due to less competition for votes next year, I bet that chicken shit cowardly motherfucker gets 5%.
ETA: Lance also crossed home plate more often than the cheating snitch.
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Berkman was pretty fucking good. I don’t think he was a HOF guy, but he was certainly more valuable than Braun. I’ve always been puzzled by the fact he was one and done.
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Lance Berkman > Todd Helton. And Helton sailed in rather easily.
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Voters like long-career guys who only ever played for one team. And people forget how good Berkman was in his prime. Dude was a monster.