Posted By:
Judge Dred (Fred)Peter,
With all due respect, do you really believe that Addie Joss was not exceptional? His lifetime ERA isn't something that was made up.
Do you think that Dizzy Dean is more deserving that Addie Joss?
Dean had a few good seasons strung together, I wouldn't count his 20-18 season as dominating. Dean was to the word exceptional at his best as Denny McClain was to the word exceptional in his prime. I don't see people beating down the doors to have Denny enshrined. Look at Denny's lifetime stats, he wasn't that bad and he kind of paralleled Dizzy.
Denny was the last 30 game winner in either NL or AL. The last person to win 30 games before Denny was Dizzy Dean (34 years before). In the 34 years before Dizzy won thirty games there were no less than 14 seasons where the league leader won 30 games and that doesn't count the also rans that won 30 games. Dizzy's 30 game season, although spectacular, was not exceptional. If you take away his 30-7 season Dizzy doesn't stand a chance for the HOF. Take away his 30-7 season and the lifetime win% drops from .644 to .612 (not bad, but Denny had a lifetime win% of .590).
I'm not trying to make a case for Denny McClain I'm just using him as an example. Denny was good in his day though. Dizzy was pretty good in his prime and so was Addie Joss. 