OK, so now we know that Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven are the 2011 Baseball Hall of Fame enshrinees. Time to fast-forward to a future vote.
New York Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte is apparently serious about bringing an end to his career at this point, as it seems more and more likely Pettitte will not return for a 17th major-league season. We are hardly the first ones to debate this, and I am certain we won't be the last, but it is, however, a great time to ask the question. Do you believe Andy Pettitte has done enough to deserve enshrinement into the Hall of Fame?
His resume is certainly impressive.
- A total of 240 career victories, including only one injury-shortened season in which he did not win at least 11 games.
- A career winning percentage of .635.
- A career ERA of 3.88, compiled during the steroid era.
- A post-season record of 19-10 (.655) with a 3.83 ERA.
- A pair of 21-win seasons.
I am on the fence about Pettitte, as much as I appreciate him. Pettitte has been very good for a very long time, there is no denying that. We are not talking about the 'Hall of Very Good,' though. We are talking about the 'Hall of Great.' Has Pettitte ever been truly great? I just don't know that I can say that.
He has never been the ace of the Yankee staff, or even the Houston staff during his three years there. He was always good, always reliable, but I can't recall him ever being the guy his teams leaned on to guarantee them a win every five days. He's never had dominating stuff. Good enough stuff. Good enough control. A good enough pickoff move to get him out trouble on occasion. A good enough cutter to get him a double play when he needed one. Always enough guts to handle the biggest pressure situations, a pre-requisite in Yankee-land.
But, great? I just can't call him that.
If you want to say well, Blyleven just got in and he was never great, just good for a long time I hear you. Same with Don Sutton, who was never great, just always good and pitched long enough to win 324 times. You could make that argument, expect Sutton did it for 23 years and Blyleven for 22. That's six more years than Pettitte.
As much as I want to I just don't think I can call Pettitte a Hall of Famer. I might change my mind eventually, but if I had to vote 'yes' or 'no' on Pettitte today I would have to vote 'no.'