Greatest LHPs in MLB history: 11. Vida Blue
- 2,175 strikeouts
- 3.27 career ERA
- 45.1 career WAR
How Vida Blue is not a Hall of Famer is beyond me. You could debate Blue vs. Newhouser all you want and I would be perfectly fine with ranking Newhouser ahead of Blue, but the fact that he is not a Hall of Famer is ridiculous.
Blue has more career strikeouts than Newhouser, had a longer career and still has a very good ERA. He was a workhorse by every sense of the word and he is one of very few pitchers to win the MVP award and the Cy Young award in the same season.
Blue spent four years on the ballot and never received 10% of the vote. Yes, his numbers are not bonafide Hall of Fame worthy, but they are better than some of the players that are already inducted.
He has more strikeouts, innings pitched and a better WHIP than Hal Newhouser and has a better career WAR than Jack Morris and Catfish Hunter.
Not only was he the American League MVP and Cy Young in 1971, but he is a six-time all-star and three-time World Series champion.