Afternoon Baseball

Bruce Sutter...Original post and complete player list
We dismissed the pretenders and spelled out the contenders. Here, we analyze each with a mix of stats and baseball POV from a dedicated fan.
Bruce Sutter, RP, Chicago (NL) (1976-1980), St. Louis (1981-1984), Atlanta (1985-1986, 1988)
This year: His time has come. Or it won't ever come by ballot.
Deserving: A very reluctant no.
Will writers think he's deserving?: I wouldn't mind seeing them say he belongs.
Stay on ballot: Yes.
Veteran's Committee: He'll eventually get in. The question, I think at this point, is when and how.
Bruce Sutter is championed by many who saw him as the guy who made modern-day closing possible, although when you look at his workload, he had more in common with Rollie Fingers or Goose Gossage.
He led the league in saves for 5 of 6 seasons, and finished with an even 300 despite only playing 12 years. He also won a Cy Young, although a pitcher would never win nowadays in his situation, mostly because we've gotten over the awe of a guy who pitches spectactular relief. Look at the Rivera-Colon vote this year for some sort of proof (also proof of how Johan Santana got 'robbed' because he padded his stats, with his team's season all but done, with another amazing second half). Speaking of robbing, J.R. Richard and his 313 strikeouts, 19 CG and 2.71 ERA got lost in 1979.
But I'm being unfair to Sutter, who had a brilliant run for most (1977-1982, and 1984) of his all-too-brief career. But I can't quite get myself past the idea that many want to induct him for his influence rather than his achievements. Is one Cy Young, 300 saves and a 136+ OPS enough to compensate for being washed up at 33? For not being a great strikeout closer in comparision to active closers?
In another year, I might feel differently. But looking at the situation pragmatically, for many writers, a vote for Lee Smith or Bruce Sutter is going to be a vote against Goose Gossage. And that's a terrible thing. But it's how this bizarre world works. So let's go with the absolute lock, but keep Sutter in the back of our minds for next year. Unless the writers are going to actually do the right thing and vote for two closers. Then, put Bruce in.

Labels: HOF