LestersLegends.com

Photo courtesy of TSN Archives/Icon SMI

The Veterans Committee is going to vote on twenty players for induction into the Hall of Fame.  There are ten players pre-1943 and ten post-1943.  Today I profile Wes Ferrell from that group.

Wes with Hall of Fame brother Rick

Numbers
Played 1927-1941 (15 seasons)
374 Games
323 Starts
2623 Innings
193 Wins – 128 Losses
.601 Winning Percentage
4.04 ERA (4.70 League Average)
1.481 WHIP
985 Ks
227 Complete Games
17 Shutouts
13 Saves
No-Hitter

Six 20+ Win Seasons
Zero sub 3.00 ERA Seasons
Zero 200 K Seasons

Playoffs: 

Awards
2 All-Star Game Appearances
MVP Votes in 4 Seasons

Top Ten Finishes
Wins – 7 Times (Led league in 1935)
Winning % – 7 Times
ERA – 7 Times
WHIP – Once
Games – Twice
Starts – 6 Times (Led league in 1935 & 1936)
Innings – 6 Times (Led league in 1935, 1936 & 1937)
Strikeouts – 7 Times
Complete Games – 9 Times (Led league in 1931, 1935, 1936 & 1937)
Shutouts – 6 Times
Saves – 3 Times

Hall of Fame Yardsticks:
Black Ink: Pitching – 25 (66) (Average HOFer ≈ 40)
Gray Ink: Pitching – 170 (69) (Average HOFer ≈ 185)
HOF Standards: Batting – 11.0 (1492) Pitching – 22.0 (247) (Average HOFer ≈ 50)
HOF Monitor: Pitching – 75.0 (151) (Likely HOFer > 100)

His yardsticks fall short, and for good reason in my opinion.  He strung together some good, not great years.  Sure, he won a bunch of games (161-94) between 1929 & 1936, but his ERA never dipped below 3.00.  Granted the ERA’s of his era were high, but his adjusted ERA is tied for 167th all-time.  That’s not cutting it in my book for a Pitcher without 200 Wins and without any postseason accolades.  He is the all-time leading HR hitter as a Pitcher with 37, but even that doesn’t sway me.  Sorry Wes.  There are plenty of Pitchers that would need to get in before your card got called.

References
Baseball-reference.com
BR Bullpen

Past Chronicles
Dick Allen
Roberto Alomar
Richie Ashburn*
Earl Averill*
Harold Baines
Dan Bancroft*
Jake Beckley*
Albert Belle
Jim Bottomley*
Pete Browning
Jim Bunning *
Bert Byleven
Joe Carter
Orlando Cepeda*
Rocky Colavito
Earle Combs*
Dave Concepcion
David Cone
Roger Connor*
Larry Corcoran
Mike Cuellar
Bill Dahlen
George Davis*
Andre Dawson
Larry Doby*
Bobby Doerr*
Jimmie Dykes (Player/Manager)
Dwight Evans
Rick Ferrell*
Chuck Finley
Steve Finley
Nellie Fox*
John Franco
Gary Gaetti
Steve Garvey
Lefty Gomez*
Luis Gonzalez
Dwight Gooden
Mark Grace
Bobby Grich
Charlie Grimm (Player/Manager)
Ron Guidry
Chick Hafey*
Billy Herman*
Keith Hernandez
Orel Hershiser
Whitey Herzog (Manager)
Gil Hodges
Ralph Houk (Manager)
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Travis Jackson*
Tommy John
Bob Johnson
Addie Joss*
Jim Kaat
George Kell*
Joe Kelley*
George Kelly*
Tom Kelly (Manager)
Chuck Klein*
Jerry Koosman
Bill James & Pete Palmer
Barry Larkin
Tony Lazzeri*
Freddie Lindstrom*
Mickey Lolich
Ernie Lombardi*
Fred Lynn
Sherry Magee
Roger Maris
Rube Marquard*
Billy Martin (Player/Manager)
Dennis Martinez
Edgar Martinez
Bobby Matthews
Don Mattingly
Gene Mauch (Manager)
Bill Mazeroski*
Fred McGriff
Mark McGwire
Bid McPhee
Johnny Mize*
Paul Molitor*
Jack Morris
Tony Mullane
Dale Murphy
Graig Nettles
Hal Newhouser*
Lefty O’Doul
Tony Oliva
Al Oliver
Buck O’Neill & Minnie Minoso
Dave Parker
Wes Parker
Lance Parrish
Vada Pinson
Boog Powell
Tim Raines
Willie Randolph
Pee Wee Reese*
Jim Rice
Phil Rizzuto*
Brooks Robinson*
Pete Ro$e
Amos Rusie*
Jimmy Ryan
Ron Santo
Curt Schilling
Red Schoendienst* (Player/Manager)
Ted Simmons
Enos Slaughter*
Lee Smith
Rusty Staub
Dave Stieb
Mel Stottlemyre
Harry Stovey
Sam Thompson
Luís Tiant
Joe Torre
Alan Trammell
George Van Haltren
Arky Vaughan*
Mo Vaughn
Bobby Veach
Frank Viola
Mickey Welch*
Lou Whitaker
Deacon White
Bernie Williams
Vic Willis*
Maury Wills 
Hack Wilson*
Ross Youngs*
Veterans Committee Ballot
 
* Signifies actual Hall of Famer

5 Responses so far | Have Your Say!

1. 

   Hillary Martin
   October 19th, 2008 at 11:28 pm #

   Good read, thanks for the information, it was really informative.

2. 

   LestersLegends
   October 20th, 2008 at 7:28 am #

   Thanks.

3. Cooperstown Chronicles - Jesse Haines | Fantasy Sports Blog
   May 7th, 2009 at 8:55 am #

   [...] Andre Dawson Larry Doby* Bobby Doerr* Jimmie Dykes (Player/Manager) Dwight Evans Rick Ferrell* Wes Ferrell Chuck Finley Steve Finley Nellie Fox* John Franco Gary Gaetti Steve Garvey Lefty Gomez* Luis [...]

4. Cooperstown Chronicles - Stan Coveleski :: Elites TV
   May 13th, 2009 at 12:52 pm #

   [...] Andre Dawson Larry Doby* Bobby Doerr* Jimmie Dykes (Player/Manager) Dwight Evans Rick Ferrell* Wes Ferrell Chuck Finley Steve Finley Nellie Fox* John Franco Gary Gaetti Steve Garvey Lefty Gomez* Luis [...]

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   August 21st, 2009 at 4:28 am #

   [...] August 21, 1932, Wes Ferrell of the Cleveland Indians becomes the first pitcher in the 20th century to win 20 or more games in [...]