MLB Hall of Fame: Lefty Gomez Was Great, Andy Pettitte Was Merely Very Good

Some pitchers in the Hall of Fame were great pitchers. Other pitchers in the Hall of Fame were good pitchers who pitched a long time.

Lefty Gomez was a great pitcher. He pitched from 1930-43, but in 1930 he appeared in only 15 games, in 1940 appeared in only nine games and he made but a single appearance in 1943.

Gomez pitched only 11 seasons but he is an excellent example of a Hall of Fame great.

Andy Pettitte pitched from 1995-2010. He was a good pitcher who is an excellent example of a pitcher who might be voted into the Hall of Fame because he pitched a long time.

Gomez won at least 20 games four times. Pettitte won at least 20 games twice.

Gomez averaged 19 wins and 10 losses a season. Pettitte averaged 17 wins and 10 losses a season.

In 1934 and again in 1937, Gomez led the American League in wins (26, 21), ERA (2.33, 2.33) and strikeouts (158, 194). Pettitte never led pitchers in any major category except for wins (21) in 1996.

Both Gomez and Pettitte pitched for great New York Yankees teams during offensive eras.

Gomez had a 3.34 ERA and a 126 ERA+. Pettitte pitched to a 3.88 ERA with a 117 ERA+.

But wait a minute. One cannot forget Pettitte's great playoff and World Series performances.

Pettitte started 26 playoff games for the Yankees and three for the Houston Astros, going 14-6 with a 3.75 ERA.  Gomez never started a playoff game, but he started five All-Star games and was the winning pitcher in four of them.

Pettitte appeared in eight World Series, seven of them with the Yankees and one with the Astros. Pettitte was 5-4 with a 4.06 ERA. He was on five world champions, all with the Yankees. In 2001 and 2003, the Yankees lost the World Series.

Lefty Gomez appeared in five World Series. He went 6-0 with a 2.86 ERA.

The reason that Gomez made only seven World Series starts in five World Series was that the Yankees swept the Chicago Cubs in 1932 and again in 1938, beat the New York Giants in six games in 1936, beat them in five games in 1937. and swept the Cincinnati Reds in 1939.

Twenty wins and three losses in winning five world championships.  The Yankees were a powerhouse during the 1930s, with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Red Rolfe, Joe DiMaggio, Tommy Henrich, Bill Dickey, Red Ruffing and Gomez.

There is a wonderful photograph from 1931 in Donald Honig's book, The American League: An Illustrated History that shows three Yankees smiling into the camera. On the left is Lou Gehrig, on the right is Bill Dickey and in the center, with his left hand resting on Gehrig's shoulder, is Lefty Gomez.

The caption reads, "Three Future Hall of Famers."  Even then they knew.

Gomez faced some great hitters, including Jimmy Foxx, whom he almost never got out. One time with Foxx at the plate, Gomez kept on shaking off Dickey. Finally the catcher trotted out to the mound to ask Gomez what he wanted to throw to Foxx.

"I don't wanna throw him nothin'. Maybe he'll just get tired of waitin' and leave."

Gomez was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1972. When he was asked to what he attributed his success, he replied, "Clean living, a fast outfield and Johnny Murphy."

Murphy was the Yankees top relief pitcher who saved many games for Gomez.

Andy Pettitte is a near-Hall of Famer. He won more games than Gomez, but he didn't have Gomez' talent. Despite the fact that many of today's "experts" denigrate wins, a win is much better than a loss.

Pettitte won 240 games, 203 of them with the Yankees. He didn't just "eat up innings." He gave the Yankees quality innings most of the time.

If he hadn't decided to join his good friend Roger Clemens in Houston, Peittitte would have become the all-time Yankees win leader.

But Pettitte fits into the Tommy John-Jim Kaat-Bert Blyleven category. All had long careers, all were winners, but all lacked the domination exhibited by Gomez, Sandy Koufax, Mordecai Brown and Dizzy Dean.  Yes, Blyleven is in the Hall of Fame. So is Jim Bunning.

Dean is an excellent example of domination during a brief career. From 1932-36 he averaged 24 wins a season with a 130 ERA+. That is not a mistake and that is why Pettitte is not a Hall of Famer. 

References

Baseball Reference

Berkow, Ira. "Lefty Gomez Was Hard to Beat:" New York Times. 20 Feb 1989. p.4.

"Gomez, Youngs, Harridge Elected to Hall of Fame." New York Times. 31 Jan 1972: p. 25.