OT: Hall of Fame - Edgar Martinez?

[packs]

Mariano Rivera was an elite closer for 18 years. You're going to say he's nothing more than a failed starter? His ERA in 96 career postseason games is 0.70. Come on. Hyperbole is the death of your argument.

Your other argument is that Edgar might have decided to cheat in 2001 at 38 years old?

[kailes2872]

According to Rivera bio, he, himself, was a failed starter.

After being called up to the major leagues on May 16, 1995,[29] Rivera made his debut for the New York Yankees on May 23 against the California Angels.[4] Starting in place of injured pitcher Jimmy Key,[30] Rivera allowed five earned runs in ​3 1⁄3 innings pitched in a 10–0 loss.[4] He struggled through his first four major league starts, posting a 10.20 ERA, and as a result, he was demoted to Columbus on June 11.[4] As a 25-year-old rookie just three years removed from major arm surgery, his spot on the team was not guaranteed. Management considered trading him to the Detroit Tigers for starter David Wells.[31] While recovering from a sore shoulder in the minor leagues, Rivera pitched a no-hit shutout in a rain-shortened five-inning start.[32] Reports from the game indicated that his pitches had reached 95–96 mph (153–154 km/h), about 6 mph (9.7 km/h) faster than his previous average velocity; Rivera attributes his inexplicable improvement to God. Yankees general manager Gene Michael was skeptical of the reports until verifying that Columbus' radar gun was not faulty and that another team's scout had taken the same measurements. Afterwards, he ended any trade negotiations involving Rivera.[27] On July 4, in his first start back in the major leagues, Rivera pitched eight scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox, allowing just two hits while striking out 11 batters.[33] In five subsequent starts, he was unable to match his success from that game.[33] After a brief demotion to Columbus in August, Rivera made one last start in the major leagues in September before he was moved to the Yankees' bullpen.[27] Overall, he finished his first major league season with a 5–3 record and a 5.51 ERA in ten starts and nine relief outings.[34] His performance in the 1995 American League Division Series, in which he pitched ​5 1⁄3 scoreless innings of relief, convinced Yankees management to keep him and convert him to a relief pitcher the following season.[35]

PS - I will stop the argument now and concede that Rivera will be a walk in into the HOF. I am going to take a deep breath and relax as this HOF discussion drives me crazy every year as we try to parse out who did and didn't do steroids and where our line of morality stops and starts.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by kailes2872

According to Rivera bio, he, himself, was a failed starter.





PS - I will stop the argument now and concede that Rivera will be a walk in into the HOF. I am going to take a deep breath and relax as this HOF discussion drives me crazy every year as we try to parse out who did and didn't do steroids and where our line of morality stops and starts.

All innings in theory should count the same, right? All runs count the same. Shutting a team down in the first should be as important as shutting them down in the ninth. The most active of closers are throwing what, 80 innings a year? What is your average starter throwing? Who's more important? If Rivera is really good enough to be a starter, don't you want him throwing twice as many innings for you?

[kailes2872]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

All innings in theory should count the same, right? Shutting a team down in the first should be as important as shutting them down in the ninth. The most active of closers are throwing what, 80 innings a year? What is your average starter throwing? Who's more important?

Something that I was thinking about during the World Series... As we move to this craze where starters do not go more than 2x through the lineup, will this eventually evolve to "starters" who only go 1 time through the lineup. So, the goal will be 3 innings with one guy, 3 innings with the next guy and then someone for the 7th, 8th, and 9th. Wins will no longer be relevant because the "starter" doesn't go 5 innings. We begin a stat of "opens" for the starter that goes 3 clean innings and that guy gets to the hall based upon successful "opens". Will they rotation change to 6 or 7 pitchers but they pitching every 3rd or 4th game because they are only pitching 40-50 pitches per open. Again, hyperbole is where the argument falls apart, but it feels that it is where it is evolving to...

[jbbama]

to me I say no........ I admit I feel im pretty tough on players, there are several recently that I would say no, they don't belong, others have echoed similar sentiments. Lets leave the HOF for the best of the very best... if everyone is special, no one is special.