Cunningham and Schilling: Are They Hall of Fame Worthy?

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With Curt Schilling’s 2008 season being over (and possibly his career), this Philadelphia fan got to thinking about another Philadelphia great, Randall Cunningham.

Curt Schilling and Randall Cunningham.  Two ex-Philadelphia athletes whose career numbers put them on the cusp of the Hall of Fame.

Does either player carry Hall of Fame credentials? 

Despite Schilling achieving the majority of his success away from Philly, he will always have a place in the hearts of Phillies fans.  His 1993 playoff performance was one of the most dominant in team history.

Cunningham had brief stints in Minnesota, Baltimore, and Dallas, but he made his mark as a Philadelphia Eagle.  Say #12 to an Eagles fan and they say Randall Cunningham.

Cunningham is a four-time Pro-Bowler and a four-time All-Pro selection.  Even more remarkable are Cunningham’s three MVP awards and his ranking as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher at the quarterback position.

The case for Cunningham begins to unravel when you look at his team's success.  In Philadelphia, Cunningham could never carry his Eagles past the second round of the playoffs.  As a Viking, his team crumbled in the NFC Championship Game against the Falcons despite a 15-1 season.

An argument could be made that Warren Moon also did not achieve great playoff success but was enshrined into Canton. 

A closer look at the numbers shows 49,325 passing yards and 291 touchdowns for Moon.  Cunningham’s career numbers are 29,979 yards and 207 touchdowns.

Moon ranks fourth all-time in passing yards and sixth in touchdown passes.  In the same categories, Cunningham ranks 30^th and 24^th all time.  The numbers support Moon being in the Hall of Fame.  Unfortunately, the numbers do not support a similar fate for Cunningham.

Cunningham revolutionized the quarterback position with his scrambling ability and freak athletic skills.  Unfortunately, his lack of team success (no Super Bowl appearances) and pure passing numbers will keep him out of Canton.

Unlike Cunningham, Schilling achieved his greatest success in the postseason. 

With the Phillies, he claimed NLCS MVP honors in leading the team to the 1993 World Series. During his time with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Boston Red Sox, Schilling claimed three World Series titles.

Without his clutch performances, the Diamondbacks and Red Sox would not have won those championships.  Schilling has posted an 11-2 post-season record, a World Series MVP, and a historic bloody sock performance against the Yankees.

The Hall of Fame argument for Schilling weakens when you look at his numbers and the fact that he was not the dominant pitcher of his era. 

Schilling has posted 216 wins, 3,116 strikeouts, and a 3.46 ERA.  These numbers, which earned him 6 All-Star selections, were good, but not great numbers. 

Good numbers resulted in zero Cy Young Awards for Schilling.  Schilling ranks 14^th all-time in strikeouts, but only 79^th all-time in wins.

Current pitchers Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Pedro Martinez and Mike Mussina are a few of the current pitchers posting better numbers.  

Both Cunningham and Schilling put up strong numbers to support a Hall of Fame selection.  Unfortunately, it looks like both athletes will come up short in their quest for enshrinement. 

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