Quote:
Originally Posted by packs
Isn't this Hoyt Wilhelm? Wilhelm is one of the most underrated players in the HOF. He did save 228 games, but he pitched in over 1,000 games and clearly wasn't only in the game to notch the 9th.
He's also a challenge to this failed starter hypothesis. The one season they took the leash off Wilhelm led the league in ERA as a starter.
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oddly he WAS a failed starter in the minors, likely the typical issues of mastering the knuckler. Then prejudices against his age and his favorite pitch made teams reluctant to start him despite his success as an MLB starter.
People also forget that Gossage was an All-Star his one season as a starter, he had a fantastic first half and then fell off. He needed to learn to pace himself a little better. So, failure with an asterisk