Whitey Ford, Hall of Fame
How Baseball's Left-Handed Pitcher Stacks Up Against Tom Glavine
If Whitey Ford's career had begun in 1987, when Tom Glavine's did, would Ford have made the Hall of Fame as easily as he did?
The baseball experts at the gym were talking about Tom Glavine being a "lock" to make the Hall of Fame, especially since he will soon win his 300th game. Among left handers, only Warren Spahn, Steve Carlton, Eddie Plank, and Lefty Grove have at least 300 career victories. The discussion turned to Hall of Fame left hander Whitey Ford, who won 236 games from 1950-1967, but who didn't pitch in 1951 or 1952 since he was in the army helping to defend our freedom.. If Ford's career had begun in 1987, when Glavine's had, would Ford have made the Hall of Fame as easily as he did, and even more interesting, would he have even made the Hall of Fame?
Differences Between Then and Now
It is so tempting to compare players from different eras that few individuals can resist doing it, but it must be recognized that so many variables exist that conclusions are purely speculative. Ford, who was not a power pitcher, worked from a 15" mound compared to today's 10" mound. Despite a "tip toeing past the cemetery" approach to the issue by Major League Baseball, today's baseball is livelier than when Ford pitched and the distance to the fences, in general, are shorter. Medical advances enable many injured pitchers to continue their careers, which would not have been possible in Ford's era, while training methods and nutritional knowledge have produced the biggest, strongest players ever (don't bring steroids).
Tommy John, Bert Blyleven, and Jim Kaat
Tommy John won 288 games over a twenty six year career. Bert Blyleven won 287 games over a twenty two year career and Jim Kaat won 283 games over a 25 year career. None is a Hall of Famer. Whitey Ford won "only" 236 games, but his ERA was 2.75, and while Ford lost 106 games, John lost 231, Blyleven lost 250, and Kaat lost 237. The reason that some think they are Hall of Famers is that they were effective for so long, yet all three barely won more games than they lost. If YOU had to pick Ford, John, Blyleven, or Kaat to win one game, whom would you select? I thought so.
Tom Glavine and Whitey Ford
Tom Glavine has won 297 games, lost 196, and pitched to a 3.48 ERA compared to the league's 4.15. Glavine has won at least 20 games five times, has averaged about 202 innings a season, and has a .602 winning percentage. Ford had a much shorter career than Glavine, but he did pitch for 16 years and averaged almost 200 innings a season. His .690 winning percentage is the best of any non-active pitcher (by stating it this way, we don't have to say that Johann Santana's .702 and Pedro's .691 are better). Yankees' manager Casey Stengel used to "save" Ford for the better teams and hold him back when the Yankees were playing the weak sisters, which is one reason Ford was a twenty game winner only twice. His 1960 season of 25 wins and only 4 losses compares favorably to Glavine's 1998, when he was 20-6.
Glavine and Ford are Hall of Famers
Ford and Glavine would be Hall of Famers regardless of the era in which they played. Statistics provide an overview of an era and its players, but one must see a player for most or all of his career in order to interpret the statistics. One could infer that Ford and Glavine were great competitors from their records, but those who watched them didn't need any numbers to draw that conclusion. The same is true for Tommy John, Bert Blyleven, and Jim Kaat. Just ask anyone who ever tried to hit Blyleven's curve ball.
References:
Pitching Career Win Leaders on Baseball-Reference
