There’s been a smattering of Andy Pettitte Hall of Fame talk popping up in the corners of the internet this week. All of which ESPN’s Rob Neyer — one of the good guys — puts to rest with this post today:
Andy Pettitte, Hall Of Famer? Not So Much
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↵Pettitte simply hasn’t done many of the things that Hall of Fame pitchers are supposed to do.
↵You can get into the Hall of Fame with a (relatively) pedestrian ERA if you win 300 games; that’s what Don Sutton did.
↵You get even get into the Hall of Fame with a (relatively) pedestrian ERA if you win only 225 games, but come up big in the postseason and pitch brilliantly for a few seasons; that’s what Catfish Hunter did.
↵But Pettitte’s got the pedestrian ERA, (roughly) 225 wins, zero top-three Cy Young finishes, and a postseason ledger that falls almost exactly in line with his regular-season performance. The only brilliant thing about Pettitte’s career is his .629 winning percentage … and as Sean points out, Pettitte has usually been blessed with an incredibly potent offense on his side (not to mention an incredibly effective closer).
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Actually, Pettitte did come in second in Cy Young voting his second season when he went 21-8 with his typically “pedestrian” ERA and WHIP. So he does have that to put on his resume. Along with steroid user, which — as Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro can attest to — the voters tend to frown upon.
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