There have been 19 pitchers who led all starting pitchers in their league in MVP balloting in consecutive seasons. Fourteen have been eligible for the Hall of Fame. Ten have been inducted into the Hall. (Five of those ten are pictured above; from left to right: Dizzy Dean, Hal Newhouser, Red Ruffing, Bob Feller and Dazzy Vance.)

The only pitchers to have been rejected so far are Bucky Walters, Mort Cooper (who did it during the War years), Denny McLain (whose personal life imploded the year after pulling off the feat 1969) and Ron Guidry. Guidry led all AL starting pitchers in MVP balloting in '77 and '78.

Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Chris Carpenter each led all starting pitchers in their league in the MVP balloting but have yet to be eligible for the Hall. All but Carpenter are certain to make it (unless Roger is rail'roided). The ten Hall of Famers who've achieved this are Dazzy Vance, Burleigh Grimes, Carl Hubbell, Dizzy Dean, Red Ruffing, Bob Feller, Hal Newhouser, Warren Spahn, Sandy Koufax and Jim Palmer.

Guidry led all AL starting pitchers in MVP balloting in '78, of course. I think most people would expect that the other year would be '79, when Guidry led the league in ERA and went 18-8, but '77 was the other year. Guidry edged out 20 game winner Jim Palmer in MVP balloting among starting pitchers, largely on the strength of his great second half - 10-2 with a 2.16 ERA, including wins in seven straight starts between Aug. 21 and Sept. 25th as the Yankees prevailed in a three-way dogfight with the Red Sox and Orioles.

Guidry's five top-three MVP finishes among starting pitchers is another category in which he ranks among the best pitchers of the last 50 years. It's more top-three finishes than Drysdale, Bunning, Schilling or Morris. It's as many as Marichal and Palmer.

Could someone please tell me why Ron Guidry isn't in the Hall of Fame?