@RyanLSack @_BirdsOnTheBat @podoffame @baseball_ref Pretty much everybody hit .316 when Lil Poison was at his peak.

@vbandeadfan @podoffame @baseball_ref And Marshall is a good illustration of the larger point. As a reliever, he had an impressive 2.96 ERA in 1,256 innings pitched. When asked to perform the more difficult task of starting, he chucked 127 innings of 4.95 ERA ball.

@vbandeadfan @podoffame @baseball_ref Marshall's run from 1972 to 74 was quite impressive, though he only turned in one season close to that again. But, it was less than half as many innings as Wilbur Wood threw in that same span, which doesn't include the massive year he had in 1971 (334 IP, 1.91 ERA).

@geneglass24 @theaceofspaeder You're going to pitch around the leadoff hitter in the first? That's not a winning strategy.

@notgaetti @mirann_darrow Votto will be in within three years. I think Joey's a little better, and a little better candidate, though I'd lean toward the discrepancy being closer to how Fangraphs shows them than BBRef does.

@zachinpractice @notgaetti Well, pinch hitting is harder than hitting regularly, while relieving is much easier than starting. We're not going to change each others' minds here. In this case, you have the baseball establishment on your side, so I'm the one who will be pissing into the wind.

@zachinpractice @podoffame @baseball_ref And Manny Mota did the job that was asked of him. It didn't make him worthy of the Hall either.

@zachinpractice @podoffame @baseball_ref I love Quiz. He was a wonderful pitcher and character. He still only threw 1,000 innings, which is about 1/3 as many as the guys I mentioned. I just don't understand putting part-time players in the Hall.

@podoffame @baseball_ref That still makes them half of a real pitcher. I hate most relievers in the Hall. There isn't a single team that wouldn't have used them in a starting role if they thought they could handle it, but many failed when given the chance.

@TheRealJPap58 Varitek wasn't home grown.

@notgaetti @baseball_ref @theaceofspaeder @BlueJaysDad @lizzzzzzzzzzy @zachinpractice @Johnsense38 @orwellian @LibrarianJoe_ @MNTwinsZealot @TwinsAlmanac Stewart was fourth in MVP voting in 2003. He wasn't the league's fourth-best that year, but his arrival (and very good play) exactly coincided/helped spur the Twins' complete turnaround. They were 44-49 without him and 46-23 with him.

@TX2WI @notgaetti Yes, but they took up votes. If you weren't an anti-steroids guy, then Biggio was, at best, third or fourth in that class, and in 2013 most people weren't using their entire ballots. In 2014, he had all those same guys plus Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz.

@notgaetti I'd like to introduce you fellas to a guy who I call Rickey. Come to think of it, he also liked to call him Rickey.

@notgaetti The other thing they have in common is how much they tailed off. They were both on Hall paths early on. Heyward was betrayed by his bat when he got to Chicago. Giancarlo by his body when he hit NY.

@TX2WI @notgaetti Biggio would have made the Hall of Fame on the first ballot had he not had Bonds, Clemens, Sosa, Piazza and Schilling join the ballot with him.

@atrupar Wait, we're a democracy again?

@nobluczechmarck @notgaetti That's another question, who had the most as teammates. Griff Jr. and Thome had less than 20 as teammates. Here's another question (no groking), which player had the most homers under a manager (he played under more than one manager, just what was the high under a single guy)?

@notgaetti Exactly. The Ghost Runner is a proud and selfless creature, taking his spot when a base has been earned through skilled batsmanship, allowing the game to continue apace. He doesn't complain that he never gets to hit. He just goes out and quietly does his job.