I've inserted a "G" for Guidry or "D" for Drysdale in the middle column to indicate which pitcher had, in my estimation, the superior season (and, in one instance, an "E" for even).

You can quibble with my decisions - one could argue that Drysdale's '65 season was superior to Guidry's '85 season, notwithstanding Guidry's superior record and slightly better ERA+, because Drysdale had a magnificent September in the midst of a hotly contested pennant race and teamed with Koufax to lead the Dodges to a World Series championship. Similarly, one could argue that Guidry's '77 season was superior to Drysdale's '57 season, notwithstanding Drysdale's higher win total and slightly superior ERA+, because Guidry had a magnificent September and October to lead the Yankees to a World Series Championship.

But it seems difficult to quibble with the following assertion: Guidry was at least the equal of Drysdale over their respective nine best seasons. Drysdale and Guidry had virtually the same number of victories after ten complete major league seasons (Drysdale was 164-118; Guidry was 163-80, despite making substantially fewer starts). Drysdale finished with 39 more career victories only because he went 45-48 over his next (and last) four seasons, compared with Guidry's 7-11 record in two seasons following his first ten complete seasons.

Drysdale won only 209 games (more than Guidry, perhaps, but an unimposing figure for a Hall of Famer). His career winning percentage, in contrast to Guidry's, is pedestrian. Drysdale is in the Hall of Fame primarily for one reason: he proved his mettle in numerous pennant races for the Dodgers, and was generally spectacular in the '63, '65 and '66 N.L. pennant races. Koufax may have been the dominant force in the Dodgers' run of three N.L. pennants and two World Championships in four years, but Drysdale was a compelling force and a worthy sidekick to the great Koufax. If one can judge by online debates, many find Drysdale's qualifications for the Hall marginal, or worse. But I have to agree with the BBWAA on this one - Don Drysdale belongs in the Hall of Fame because his clutch pitching was instrumental in winning three pennants and two World Series for the Dodgers in the mid-'60s.

Anyone who's been reading this blog knows where I'm headed with this. Guidry, too, was spectacular in the heat of pennant races, even moreso than Drysdale, and was instrumental in three Yankee pennants and two World Series championships in a span of five years. But for some reason, Guidry's pennant race performances don't seem to have carried the same weight with HOF voters as Drysdale's.

Take another look at that year-by-year comparison of Drysdale and Guidry. Now compare their September records in pennant races. I would submit that if Don Drysdale belongs in the Hall of Fame (and he does), then so does Ron Guidry.