...is the only American League pitcher to win consecutive ERA titles and be rejected by the Hall of Fame? Did you know that he is the only pitcher since WW II - A.L. or N.L. - to win consecutive ERA titles and be rejected by the Hall?

Walter Johnson, Red Faber, Lefty Grove, Hal Newhouser and Ron Guidry are the only HOF-eligible American League pitchers to have won back-to-back ERA titles. All are in the Hall except Guidry. Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez are the only other A.L. pitchers to win consecutive ERA titles, and they'll enter the Hall in their first year of eligibility (again, assuming Clemens doesn't run aground on the steroids issue).

Christy Mathewson, Pete Alexander, Ray Kremer, Carl Hubbell, Bucky Walters, Sandy Koufax, Tom Seaver, Gred Maddux and Randy Johnson are the only N.L. pitchers to win consecutive ERA titles, and all but Kremer and Walters are either in the Hall or are surefire bets to be first-ballot inductees.

This isn't to say that winning consecutive ERA titles should qualify one for automatic induction into the Hall. It's just to point out that it's rarely done, only very good pitchers do it, and those who do it almost invariably go into the Hall of Fame.

Just something for the Veterans Committee to consider.


Above Photo: Walter Johnson
Right Photo: Grover "Pete" Alexander