OT: Hall of Fame - Edgar Martinez?

[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.