Whitaker and Trammell were both underrated because so much of the credit that should’ve gone to them went to Morris

Posted on September 2, 2026 at 09:30:01 AM by brick

Trammell should’ve been an early ballot HOFer, but only got 16% of the vote in Y1 and never exceeded 41%. He had to get in the crappy Veterans Committee way even though he was an obvious HOFer (between the 8th and 10th best SS ever). Compare his candidacy to Barry Larkin’s, who got 50% in Y1 and HOF inclusion in Y3. Larkin was fortunate he didn’t play much of his career on a team with a wildly overrated starting pitcher who got credit for Larkin’s defense. Morris, a guy who has an unambiguously worse case than contemporaries who nobody voted for like Ron Guidry, Orel Hersheiser, Frank Viola and Bret Saberhagen, got 22% of the vote in Y1 and reached 67.7% one year! What the actual fuck?

There’s a cost to glazing a mid starter. The 80s Tigers were a heavily covered team; they weren’t overlooked. Somebody was going to get the credit, and unfortunately that was Jack Morris.

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Thread:

Jack Morris's top four seasons compared to some other pitchers' top four seasons: - By brick September 1, 2026 at 11:25:43 PM
- I get the consternation on Morris but he won a ton of games and was very good in the postseason and won 3 titles. There are a lot of worse players in than Morris. What I always fall back on is - By Rich September 1, 2026 at 11:30:58 PM
  - Whitaker deserves before Morris* - By detroitbry September 2, 2026 at 12:49:21 AM
    - Whitaker arguably deserved it befiore Tram. Whitaker is an incredible whiff by "informed" voters * - By Spirit September 2, 2026 at 10:26:22 AM
  - see even "big hall" guys don't want baines. I'm a Sox fan, he's HOVG, that's fine* - By Daytripper September 1, 2026 at 11:39:44 PM
    - Baines made it because Tony LaRussa pushed for his candidacy - By brick September 2, 2026 at 12:01:15 AM
  - Jack Morris's postseason stats: 13 starts, 7-4, 3.80 ERA, 1,245 WHIP, 2.0 K/BB. Compare that to Orel Hershiser: - By brick September 1, 2026 at 11:38:52 PM
    - Those numbers are brought down by 1992. He was dominant in 84 and 91 and his teams possibly/probably don't win w/o him - By Rich September 2, 2026 at 08:43:58 AM
      - Morris had two good postseasons and two terrible postseasons. You can’t say “he was a great postseason pitcher” - By brick September 2, 2026 at 09:11:01 AM
        
        I have long been an advocate of Whitaker and his exclusion has nothing to do with Morris... - By Rich September 2, 2026 at 09:16:36 AM
        
        Whitaker and Trammell were both underrated because so much of the credit that should’ve gone to them went to Morris - By brick September 2, 2026 at 09:30:01 AM
        
        I never got that impression. Morris sure but also Trammell, Gibson and Parrish were all talked about. I do think Whitaker was always ignored* - By Rich September 2, 2026 at 09:37:51 AM
    - this was an excellent debate on baseball think factory circa 2018* - By Daytripper September 1, 2026 at 11:40:27 PM
- It sucks. Him and Baines have zero case. The HOF voters normalized this shit for HOVG players with a narrative, and meanwhile numerous players more deserving (including steroid era) are out* - By Daytripper September 1, 2026 at 11:26:53 PM
  - The exclusions of Bonds and Clemens are stupid* - By Rich September 1, 2026 at 11:31:48 PM
    - I don’t have a problem with them being off, I have a problem with Bagwell and Pudge being in. And Clemens was struggling before he juiced up in Toronto.* - By MasterBates September 1, 2026 at 11:44:02 PM
    - indeed, bonds was a HOF even before he was clearly juiced. Clemens yea, same even tho I don't like him. Barry I enjoy as a competitor. I guess Roger was alright too that way. Both assholes in their own way - By Daytripper September 1, 2026 at 11:38:46 PM
      - Jack Morris arguably never had as good a season as Roger Clemens' 1996, the year before he went to Toronto - By brick September 1, 2026 at 11:55:57 PM
        
        it was a fun era because I imagine a lot of the pitchers juiced too, or amped. I dunno, it was fun for what it was* - By Daytripper September 1, 2026 at 11:57:59 PM

The Victors

Whitaker and Trammell were both underrated because so much of the credit that should’ve gone to them went to Morris