Jamie Moyer, HOFer?

Jack Morris can't get in with a 3.91 ERA and he was much more dominant than Moyer ever was. I was surprised to see Moyer with two 20-win seasons.

 

He did a great job the year the Astrodome opened.

 

What Moyer's doing in his late 40's is absolutely incredible, but it's doubtful he gets to the Hall, even if he does reach 300 wins.

 

?

 

If he gets to 300, he'll make it to the Hall, even though by the numbers he would be the worst 300-game winner to make it. Otherwise, he'll be Tommy John, sitting close but no cigar after a long career.

 

Interesting debate about magic numbers. It was the same debate when Don Sutton hit 300 in 1986. He was not as good as Jim Kaat, and probably the same as Tommy John. Sutton got in, John and Kaat are out. Is 300 really that much better than 295? 290? 285? Especially when the guys have similar W-L pcts, Ks, BBs, All-Star games, etc. Moyer's prime was 1997 to 2003, he average 16 wins a year during that time...high was 21, low was 13.

 

Jim Kaat may not be a Hall of Famer but to ascribe 283 wins, three 20-game seasons and 17 consecutive Gold Gloves to "luck" and "a little talent" doesn't boost your credibility as an evaluator.

Kaat he not been injured for part of the 1972 season -when he was 10-2, 2.06 in only 15 starts, less than half his normal season, he could have easily won 290 or 295 games. He was still an effective MLB pitcher at 44 years of age in his final season.

You don't win a combined 500-plus MLB games, as Moyer and Katt have, because you're left-handed and lucky. Guys like Kaat and Moyer might not have had great arms late in their careers, but they could/can really pitch.

 

He's old.

 

Why should some artificial number automatically get you into the Hall? He's shown remarkable longevity, but has he ever been considered even one of the top ten pitchers in the game at any given time. Shouldn't you have to be considered one of the best in your era to get in? His ERA alone should keep him out.

 

He gets a nice spot in the Hall of Good.

 

He's in the Julio Franco wing in the Hall of Old.

 

Moyer was born the same year as me and graduated HS the same year and the fact that he is getting MLB'ers out where guys throw 100 mph is unbelievable.

However, HOF'er? A resounding no in my mind. I've always believed that a HOF'er was someone who was dominant for a period of time, one of the very best. That's why I do not believe Sutton was a HOF'er nor Kaat but have no problem with Koufax, Rice and even Dale Murphy. Murphy got back to back MVPs during a time when 30 HRs and 80 RBIs really meant something. Independent of the career numbers, I believe that Albert Belle should be in, he was absolutely one of the most feared hitters in the mid-late 90's, the man had 100 extra base hits in a year. (However, I understand that his disdain of writers is a factor.)

Moyer is much like Frank Tanana, amazing longevity, but not enough for the HOF.