MLB Hall of Fame welcomes Jack Morris, Alan Trammell

The MLB Hall of Fame has two more members, with Jack Morris and Alan Trammell being voted in by the Veteran’s Committee.

The MLB Hall of Fame will be welcoming at least two more members come July 29. Former Detroit Tigers teammates Jack Morris and Alan Trammell have been voted into Cooperstown, earning their induction through the Veteran’s Committee.

This induction had been a long time coming for both players. Morris and Trammell had both been on the BBWAA ballot for the maximum 15 years before falling off as their time ran out. Morris started his climb to the Hall slowly, before ending his candidacy in the 60% range over his final three seasons. He earned 67.7% of the vote in 2013, the closest he came to being voted in. Trammell, meanwhile, was never able to garner much support, with a high of 40.9% of the vote in 2016.

Morris’ induction into the Hall is something that will be debated. He posted a solid 254-186 record, but his 3.90 ERA is the highest of any player in the Hall, and only worth an ERA+ of 105, making him just over league average for his career. What Morris was during his career was a true workhorse, pitching over 200 innings 11 times, and having 11 seasons with double digit complete games.  A five time All Star, Morris is best remembered for his incredible performance for the Minnesota Twins in Game Seven of the 1991 World Series, as he fired a ten inning shutout to clinch the championship.

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

The controversy of Morris’ induction comes in regards to his advanced statistics. He posted a 44.1 WAR in his career, lower than players like Jimmy Key and Brad Radke. However, Morris’ mystique as a big game pitcher, and the star status he achieved with the Tigers, gave him a boost he may not have otherwise had.

Trammell, meanwhile, was a player who deserved induction earlier than now. He was a steady player who was seemingly underappreciated by the voters, especially when offensive numbers exploded after his retirement. A six time All Star and four time Gold Glove winner, Trammell posted a solid .285/.352/.415 batting line, hitting 185 homers and stealing 236 bases.

Both players almost had more company during their inductions. Long time Cardinals catcher Ted Simmons fell a single vote shy of being inducted. An eight time All Star, Simmons had a lifetime .285/.348/.437 batting line, hitting 248 homers and 483 doubles. However, Simmons was stuck on some mediocre teams during his career, causing his performance to be overlooked. Indeed, he only had one year on the Hall of Fame ballot, earning just 3.7% of the vote in 1994.

Next: Top 25 free agent pitchers

The MLB Hall of Fame has two new members in Jack Morris and Alan Trammell. It was a long time coming for both players.