Bert Blyleven Not Elected to Hall of Fame

Bert Byleven again missed being elected to the Hall of Fame yesterday coming up just 5 votes short or less than one percentage point below the required 75 percent needed. It is assumed that next year he will finally make it and if that happens no one can really be upset. Blyleven does have some very good numbers. His career ERA, strikeouts and an impressive 60 shutouts prove he was a very good pitcher for a long time. Blyleven pitched on a great deal of mediocre teams however his career winning percentage was solid if not spectacular.

I think were I to have a vote Mr. Blyleven would just miss my vote. Looking at his numbers year by year one does not see a pattern of dominance. The Hall of Fame to me represents numbers but it also should mean that during one stretch of a players career he was feared, that he was among the best at his position and for everyone to know that. I do not think Bert Blyleven was this pitcher.

In current terms when the Yankees come to town you know CC Sabathia will give you a tough game and you fear it. The opponent knows the chances are slim for a victory and everything will have to break right. A J Burnett will pitch game 2 of that series and while you know he could go 8 innings and strikeout 12 and be totally dominant the opponent also knows that Burnett could walk six in 3 innings and be out of the game in the 5th.

Clearly Blyelven played in a different era and was a much better long term performer than AJ Burnett. Complete games had much more value and he was as dependable as they come. He was a leader on clubs that did not have many top performers. He was an asset to every team he played on including some World Series teams late in his career.

What he was not, to me anyway, was a pitcher whose career screams Hal of Famer.

Next year however he will be voted in.

i will not lose any sleep over it however. But when AJ Burnett is on the ballot...