Cooperstown Chronicles – Mike Cuellar
Photo courtesy of TSN Archives/Icon SMI
Mike Cuellar was suggested by ravinraven, a friend of mine from Sporting News. Here are my findings.
The Numbers
379 Starts
2808 Innings
185-130
.587 Winning %
3.14 ERA (League average 3.43)
1.197 WHIP
1632 Strikeouts
172 Complete Games
36 Shutouts (63rd All-time)
11 Saves
Playoffs: 12 Starts, 85.1 innings, 4-4, 2.85 ERA, 56 Ks
Awards
1969 Cy Young
4 All-Star Appearances
Cy Young Votes in 3 Seasons
MVP Votes in 4 Seasons
Top Ten Finishes
Wins - Six times (Led league in 1970)
ERA – Twice
WHIP – Six times
Win-Loss % - Four times
Strikeouts – Three times
Complete Games - Eight times (Led league in 1970)
Shutouts – Seven times
Starts – Three times (Led league in 1970)
Innings Pitched – Four times
Cuellar didn’t really get started until he was 29 years old. From 1969-1974 he was one of the most dominating pitchers in the game, averaging over 20 wins per game during that six year stretch when he was 32-37 years old. Pretty impressive. It’s unfortunate he didn’t catch sooner or this would be an easy decision to make. I mean 15 more wins and I’d put him in for sure. I’ll put him in the Hall of Shoulda Been a Hall of Famer Given Different Circumstances, but I just can’t quite put him in Cooperstown.
References
Baseball Reference
Past Chronicles
Bert Byleven
Andre Dawson
Dale Murphy
Mark McGwire
Bobby Matthews
Tommy John
Buck O’Neill & Minnie Minoso
Jim Rice
Ted Simmons
Lee Smith
Jack Morris
Al Oliver
Steve Garvey
Jim Kaat
Pete Ro$e
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Dave Concepcion
Lou Whitaker
Alan Trammell
Ron Santo
Ron Guidry
Gil Hodges
Dave Parker
Tony Mullane
Keith Hernandez
Don Mattingly
Dwight Evans
Ralph Houk (Manager)
Jimmie Dykes (Player/Manager)
Charlie Grimm (Player/Manager)
Billy Martin (Player/Manager)
Harold Baines
Gene Mauch (Manager)
Whitey Herzog (Manager)
Tom Kelly (Manager)
Joe Carter
Rusty Staub
Gary Gaetti
Jimmy Ryan
George Van Haltren
Roger Maris
Lance Parrish
Mo Vaughn
Mark Grace
Dennis Martinez
Chuck Finley
Fred McGriff
Wes Parker
Steve Finley
Orlando Cepeda
Albert Belle
Willie Randolph
Graig Nettles
Luis Gonzalez
Lefty O’Doul
Rocky Colavito
Boog Powell
Jerry Koosman
Jose Vargas
March 17th, 2010 at 10:32 am #
How about the fact that he hit the first Grand Slam in post season history should be enough to put him in the hall.
LestersLegends
March 17th, 2010 at 10:33 am #
The ball, yes. The man, no.
Joe Magee
April 6th, 2010 at 7:51 am #
Mike Cuellar was one of my favorite pitchers of all time. He was to the Orioles pitching staff what Frank Robinson was to the Orioles offense… the final piece of the puzzle. Frank put us over the top in 66 for the first time. When Cuellar arrived we became the dominating team of the league for three years in a row! When I talk of the Orioles greatest offensive teams it always starts with Frank, Brooks, and Boog, in that order. Cuellar, Palmer, and McNally are the guys I always start the conversation with when talking about the Orioles greatest pitching staffs…in that order! Cuellar was awesome. His screwball was the best ever, leaving great batters, even like Rod Carew, looking silly chasing balls in the dirt time after time. I loved his little quirks and oddities, which made him very human and likeable, like the way he always wore his hat cocked to one side, and how he would sometimes have the habit of getting down early in the first inning and then shutting off the lights from there on out. What the Orioles wouldn’t have to give for a pitcher of his caliber now! If Cuellar doesn’t belong in the Hall, nobody does.
LestersLegends
April 6th, 2010 at 7:55 am #
He was close, but 185 wins just doesn’t get him in. He’s a Oriole HOFer for sure.
Joe Vargas
May 19th, 2010 at 8:50 pm #
Elmer Smith was the first player to homer in post-season play, in 1920.