Tag: david cone

HOF ’09: We’re Done!

Well, with Teddy Ballgame’s write-up on Greg Vaughn earlier today, we’ve concluded HOF ’09, our series of profiles of this year’s candidates for the Hall of Fame.  It’s been fun and I think we’ve even learned a bit along the way.

As for me, it was an interesting group of players to profile for a couple reasons.  A big one was that most of these players were big stars while I was a teenager and young adult when I was forming my serious interest in baseball.  Dave Parker, Jim Rice, Tim Raines, Andre Dawson… I have fond memories.  Not to mention that some of these players played in the era when the Chicago Cubs finally became a post season threat (I can still remember the ’84 series against the Padres… ugh). 

Also, these players came from a time when baseball had more of a balance of power, speed, and pitching.  Appropriately enough, that is reflected in the 2009 Hall of Fame ballot.  With the speed of Henderson and Raines, the power of McGwire and Rice and the pitching of David Cone, Bert Blyleven and Tommy John, this class is well represented. 

Who will get elected?  Well, we put our opinions down who we think SHOULD get the call but as to who WILL get elected is another matter.  The BBWAA has been rather stingy lately and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  It’s very possible that just one (Rickey Henderson??) will get elected and others will have to wait.

Time is running out for some, though.  The midnight hour is chiming for Jim Rice as it’s his last ballot.  There are some (myself included) who feel that his career and contribution is worthy of the Hall. 

We’ll find out tomorrow and the chips will fall where they may.  No doubt, many bloggers and pundits will be unhappy no matter how it goes.  I’ll predict at least one writer will have his credentials questioned and will be asked to step down from the BBWAA.  Unfortunately, THAT is the safest prediction I make right now. 

All that said, here are the opinions we’ve made in the last month.  Links go to our profiles on the players. 

Thanks for reading!

Hall of Fame Hall of Very Good Why is he even on the Ballot?
Harold Baines    
Jay Bell    
Bert Blyleven    
David Cone    
Andre Dawson    
Ron Gant    
Mark Grace    
Rickey Henderson    
Tommy John    
Don Mattingly    
Mark McGwire    
Jack Morris    
Dale Murphy    
Jesse Orosco    

Dave Parker

    
Dan Plesac    
Tim Raines    
Jim Rice    

Lee Smith

    
Alan Trammell    
Greg Vaughn    

Mo Vaughn

    

Matt Williams

    

 

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Teddy Ballgame and DonS for their help with his project.

Also, a lot of research went in to this.  I’d like to give props to the websites that were helpful. 

Baseball Reference:  I can’t say enough about this web site.  If there are baseball fans out there who haven’t seen this site and what it can do, you need to check it out.

Baseball Page:  Very helpful for bios and such.

Baseball Musings’ Day by Day Database:  Good for finding stats between established periods of time (and lots of other stuff).

Baseball Almanac:  another good bio site.  Good for the quotes too :)

HOF ’09: David Cone

“The Yankees’ David Cone, who could have played linebacker, is what I call a junkyard dog because he’ll knock you out of the box without blinking. He’s got a better-than-average fastball and a real hard slider. Those two pitches help set up one of the best change-ups in either league.”

Umpire Durwood Merrill in You’re Out and You’re Ugly Too

Despite not being a household name, David Brian Cone put together a pretty good career between the years of 1986-2003.  Though he missed the 200 win mark at 194 victories, his .606 winning percentage ranks among the best (95th all-time). 

  • Cone Facts
    Drafted in 3rd round by Kansas City Royals in 1981
    Played for KC (twice), NYM (twice), Tor, (twice), NYY, Bos
    Four time All-Star, won Cy Young 1994
    Pitched perfect game 1994
    12-3 postseason record

 

Cone won a Cy Young award in the shortened season of 1994 with a 16-5 record and a 2.94 ERA.  Typical of his style, his K/BB ratio was excellent that year at 132 to 54. 

One of Cone’s most outstanding seasons came in his first full year in the majors.  In 1988 for the Mets, he went 20-3 with an ERA of only 2.22.  He struck out 213 that year.  Cone’s other 20-win season came ten years later in 1998 while pitching for the cross town rivals, the Yankees.  Along with his 20-7 record, he struck out 209 while walking only 59 with an ERA of 3.55. 

coned A hard thrower, Cone led the league in Ks in 1990-91 and K/9 1990-92.   He has 2668 career strikeouts which is good for 22nd all-time. 

Mostly by virtue of playing for the Yankees, Cone had the privilege of playing on World Champion teams.  Five to be exact.  What was his World Series record?  5-0 with a 2.12 ERA.  Nice.  His ALCS record?  5-1. 

He probably won’t make it to the Hall but in my eyes it’ll be closer that people think.  Let’s face it, the idea at least in my opinion, is to induct players who dominated in their eras.  At least for a short while, Cone did that.  And the postseason performance doesn’t hurt either.  Let’s put him in the Hall of Very Good.  

 

  Hall of Fame

Hall of Very Good
  Why is he even on the Ballot?

 

While we wait for January 12 ballot results, The Baseball Zealot will be profiling those players who are on the 2009 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.  Read the rest the of the profiles.

HOF ’09: Profiling the Candidates

This winter, The Baseball Zealot will be doing profiles of the Hall of Fame candidates for 2009.  In addition, we’ll give our opinion on their inclusion in the Hall.   This post will serve as the entry point for the HOF ’09 series.

Here is the link to all the profiles written to date.  

The results will be announced on January 12th, 2009.  With any luck, we’ll get them all in before then.