Does Doc belong in the Hall of Fame?

Roy Halladay announced his retirement yesterday, as he’s signing a one-day contract with his former team, the Toronto Blue Jays, so he can retire with the team. Doc will be ending his 16 year career after going 4-5 with a 6.82 ERA with the Phillies last season. Injury has sidelined him the past two years, after having two of the best seasons in his career.

In his career, he’s won 203 games over 2749.1 innings pitched, having a career 3.38 ERA. He’s a two-time Cy Young winner, and a one-time World Series Champion.

So here’s the question that people are dying to know. Does he deserve to be in the Hall of Fame and why?

It seems fitting that we’re talking about this now since we have some of the best pitchers to ever pitch on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this year. He is no Greg Maddux or Tom Glavine. But he does have some stuff on his resume that can get him in.

 

My uncle made a good point on when it comes to the Hall of Fame, looking back at Jeff Kent. He noticed that there’s a “Hall of the Very Good” – guys who might have an MVP or Cy Young award and have been an all-star a couple of times, but they don’t have enough to be in Cooperstown. It’s still prestigious to be in the “Hall of the Very Good,” but it obviously isn’t Hall of Fame quality.

So here’s the question: Does Doc Halladay belong in the “Hall of the Very Good” or the “Hall of Fame”?

 

It's a tougher decision than you think. Doc ranks 41 all-time in career Wins Above Replacement at 65.6, in front of Bob Feller and Stan Coveleski and right behind John Smoltz and Luis Tiant. Smoltz is on the Hall-of-Fame ballot next year (and will probably get in after a few years), Tiant is not in, but Coveleski and Feller both are.

Of the 40 pitchers that are higher that Halladay, 28 are in the Hall, and some pitchers higher than him have not been on the ballot yet, like Smoltz. Other guys include Maddux, Glavine, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and Curt Schilling. The only player in that category that won’t get in the Hall of Fame is Clemens because of the whole steroid thing.

He also has a career 131 ERA+, which is ERA adjusted for ballparks and eras. That’s tied for 35^th in baseball history, ahead of Hall-of-Famers Carl Hubbell, Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, and Jim Palmer, among others, in that category.

According to baseballreference.com and their Elo-Rater, Halladay ranks 56 all-time among pitchers, behind Kevin Brown and Tim Hudson, and once again in front of Coveleski. Brown and Hudson are not in the Hall-of-Fame (Hudson is still an active player).

 

Halladay also has dominated with his capability of pitching complete games (has 67 in total), while maintaining a high K/BB ratio while giving up few extra base hits. He’s an eight-time all-star and has been runner up for Cy Young twice. 

Doc also has a perfect game and a no hitter under his belt. 

He reminds me of a better version of his former teammate, Cliff Lee. Both have a high K/BB ratio and can go the distance plenty of times in ballgames. Halladay had more of a consistent game than Lee, however.

Also remember that Doc played most of his career on the Blue Jays, who had losing seasons throughout his time there. In 2002, Halladay went 19-7 for a 78-84 team.

So does he deserve to be in the Hall? Yes. Look at those numbers. Now it’s just a matter of when he will get in. He won’t be a first-ballot guy like Maddux will be, but he won’t take 15 years like Jack Morris. Email me at statsbuddy42@gmail.com for any questions/comments/concerns.

-Evan Boyd